The Tayberry, bot. Rubus fruticosus x idaeus is a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry. However, so that you can enjoy the mildly sour taste every year, the shrub needs an annual pruning.
Table of Contents
attitude
Tayberries grow as shrubs that reach well over two meters in height. In addition, numerous side shoots develop every year, which can quickly turn into an impenetrable network. In addition, the shoots or branches of many tayberry varieties are equipped with numerous spines that serve as protection against predators. In a nutshell, these are the reasons why keeping them on a trellis is recommended. In this way you can train the plant and counteract uncontrolled growth. In addition, more light gets inside the bush, which has a positive effect on the harvest.
cut tayberry
Cutting tayberries is not only a measure against a tayberry braid, but also promotes the crop yield, because the bushes always bear fruit on annual shoots. Therefore shoots that have been harvested are of no further use to you. The fruitless shoots do not harm the plant itself. You will continue to be supplied with nutrients. However, this is at the expense of the flowers, ultimately at the expense of the harvest.
Cut ground shoots
The radical pruning of ground shoots aims to ensure that only the strongest new shoots remain and that shoots that are no longer fruiting are removed.
spring
Every year in spring there is a radical pruning of the tayberry. This is aimed at those new shoots that have grown over the past year. The aim is to remove less vigorous shoots. These are cut off radically, i.e. just above the ground. The five to seven strongest shoots remain, which then also bear fruit.
summer
The goal of summer pruning is to remove any shoots that have been harvested, as they will not bear fruit next year anyway. This measure is also radical, ie the harvested shoots are cut off close to the ground.
Cut side shoots
Pruning of side shoots refers to those shoots that will bear fear in their second year of life. So that these side shoots do not spread uncontrollably, they are shortened to two buds in summer.
shorten
Tayberry canes can grow up to four meters long if you let them. These not only break the height for the harvest, but also the trellis. Therefore you should shorten the rods. You can shorten it in spring or in summer. You should proceed according to the following guidelines:
- shorten long shoots to 200 to 250 centimeters
- alternatively shorten to trellis height
tools and protective measures
To ensure that the cut is correct, you should only use sharp cutting tools. In order not to transmit pests and/or infections, the tool should be clean and, if necessary, disinfected, even if it has not been used for a long time. For the cut, take the best
- a pruning shears
- a pair of pruning shears
- an extendable pruning shears
The cut itself should be done smoothly. If you can’t get the shoot through at the desired point, you should try a little further up or down and check the sharpness of the scissors. Under no circumstances should it be torn or crushed. Because these larger wounds are welcome gateways for a wide variety of pests.
If your tayberry has spikes, you should protect yourself from them. In this case, you should
wear gardening gloves and long-sleeved clothing to protect your arms. Of course, these protective measures are also “allowed” for tayberries without thorns.
