[Biscombe]

HI all! About 4 weeks ago I bought 3 raspberry plants from the garden centre, not seen many in the garden centres here in Spain so I was pleased to have them! The variery wasn't on the label, just said raspberry. Anyway.... the plants are fruiting now but the fruits look like blackberries and taste like a cross between a blackberry and raspberrys!! the plants look like raspberry plants!!! I'm very confused here!

[Jake]

Could they be tayberries? They're a little like raspberries but when they get too tall they won't stand upright without support. I'm not experienced at these fruit but growing them for the first time.

They taste to me how you describe them.

Edit: come to think of it, my raspberries are tiny compared to last year!

[pixieface]

Yup they are tayberries, very dark in colour and when fully ripe longer than rasps, not quite as sweet, but lovely in jelly or trifle or put them in a bowl and sprinkle with castor sugar and leave for an hour or so, the juice will start to come out of them, eat with either cream or yogurt.....yummy...

[stompy]

They could be one of any of the hybrid berries, Boysenberry, Loganberry or Marionberry just to mention a few.

If you are realy bothered about finding out, you can send one to your local horticultural society and they will tell you what it is.

[Biscombe]

Thanks for all your help folks! Are Tayberries american for loganberries?  Just looked at some tayberry pics and they don't look like my fruits! doh!!!!  Looked at the tag and I've spotted a Latin name Rubus Idaeus but I suspect this is just latin for Raspberry!!!

[GrannieAnnie]

Hi Biscombe, just looked up your Rubus Idaeus on the net and it says Red Raspberry!!!!  so that didn't help did it??? lol

[stompy]

Loganberrys are canadian.

Do they taste sweet or tart, also are the stems a little thorny or very thorny.

Tayberries are sweet and not too thorny, and logans are tart and very thorny.

[Oliver]

Tayberries

Tayberries are a cross between a Raspberry and a Blackberry. See Mellowmick's post some while back - he lives where there berries were developed!

We've got a bush - they fruit before the raspberries, are longer than a raspberry and taste lovely.

[stompy]

I'm getting my info from The Fruit Expert book.

Realy good book, If you dont have one you should get one, they also do a veggie one.

[mellowmick]

The tayberry was developed in the early 1960's by the Scottish Crop Research Institute at Invergowrie, just outside Dundee. Tayberries combine the tart intensity of the American blackberry with the full, sweet tang of the raspberry.
Observing the superior quality of wild and garden-grown raspberries in the Tay Valley, a Mr. Hodge in 1890 arranged for the planting of 30 acres of raspberries on a farm outside Blairgowrie. This initiated a commercial crop that today produces from 11,000 to 15,000 tons of raspberries a year, said to be the largest concentration of raspberry-producing acreage in Western Europe.
After some exposure to Scottish raspberries, travellers may notice slight differences in flavour, especially if they stay long enough to try both early and late varieties. There are three major varieties of raspberries in Tayside, all named for glens of the region: Glen Clova, rich and fruity; Glen Moy, slightly tart, and Glen Prosen, a robust, late-growing variety. All were developed by the Scottish Crop Research Institute.
 

[Biscombe]

WOW!! thanks for all your hepl guys!! you've convinced me! Tayberries they are then!!! thanks for everything xx

[Oliver]

raspberries

Thanks for that mellowmick.
She has three kinds of raspberries: Glen Moy which she inherited and still fruit well, after nearly 20 years. Picked about 6 kgs so far.
Last year she bought some more - Glen Clova and Zeva (autumn fruiting ones). They arrived as STICKS about 8" long. She was rather non plussed, but planted them anyway. They have taken a long time to establish: last year there was not much fruit and several of the Glen Clova popped their clogs. Some have survived and are fruiting quite well this year. About 2kgs so far. Jam coming up as they can't eat them fast enough!!
After pruning well in December, this year the Zeva hava made a JUNGLE and she has given about 18 plants to a fellow plot holder.
Her plants are about 5' high and look fair to make a bumper crop. He will be delighted as he loves raspberries on his Brown Sticks for breakfast (?allbran). She makes jam and cordials for Christmas presents. Thanks again for making my humans so happy. O.

[heatherannej]

I have just caught the chat about the Blairgowrie berries etc and the info about a Mr. Hodge on a farm at Essendy.    Can anyone give me more information about this please?    I'm interested in learning more about the history of berry growing in and around Blairgowrie.    Is the farm in question 'Upper Gothens' by any chance?

Any help will be gratefully received.

Heather

[mellowmick]

Will try and find out.