[braders1234]

Any one got any guide lines on Blackberries and Tayberries?

Have identified Buckingham Tay and for blackberries a couple of Karaka Gold and a Triple Crown.  All to run down one side of the plot that is 6m40cm long.  On posts and wires.

I intend to have the Karaka Gold growing fairly horizontally.  so as to minimize space used.

What I really want to know is this.  I am intending to put them in beds that are 80cm wide, plant in the middle so 40cm's each side of the plant, is this enough room?

Any help apprecitated.

[savbo]

from (bitter?) experience, i'd say that 80cm is narrow, unless you're very assiduous as tying them in to the wires. And it's really good to be able to get down the other side, cos that's where the best berries will be! I've got a bed about 100cm wide with posts more or less midway, and I think if I was doing it again I'd have them closer to the path than to the back...

[braders1234]

Thanks for the reply, I will have a path of about 40cm on each side so perhaps in the middle makes sense?  I will have to consider making the beds 1m wide, I am sure that 20cm will make a big difference.  I would like to think that I would be asidious in my tying in but experience suggests otherwise..

[savbo]

I agree, if you've got a path behind the wire then the middle is best. I would also say that they need a lot more length than you expect...I have a thornless blackberry between posts about 3.5m apart and it grows past them easily...each new cane is about 2.5-3m tall by the end of the first season, when I fan them out and cut them back I easily fill the space available...

[braders1234]

So would make sense in my area of just over 6m to have athornless Tay and a thornless balckberry like Triple King with plenty of room for them (or just enough) rather than try to get 4 in the same area.