Loganberries

By Scarecrow

The Loganberry Rubus loganobaccus is a cross between a Raspberry and Blackberry with a taste somewhere in between those two. The plants are hardier (in my garden) than Raspberry canes. Because they fruit early in the season (November) they usually miss the hottest of the summer heat unlike Blackberries that try to ripen in February in the middle of our heatwave season. The Blackberries often dry out before they have a chance to ripen.

The Loganberries fruited well last November and now its time to cut them back ready for next season.

It's quite easy to tell the old canes which have fruited as these are dry and brown.
The new canes which will go on to produce a crop later this year (in late spring) are green and lush, as these have grown I have tied them together in a bunch to one side.

To prune them all I have to do is cut the old canes right down to the ground and remove them.

Then I gather the new canes and tie them against the weldmesh trellis. I usually have to wind them over themselves to get them to fit in but as long as I don't snap any ends off they are fine. Some of the canes have offshoots so from these I take cuttings to grow more Loganberries to plant around the garden for free!!
The soil beneath the plants has been cleared, topped up with soil and compost, mulched with organic sugarcane and planted with Parsley and Sorrel. These have replaced the Strawberry plants this year. 
This is Bed 14 and yes it is a Wicking Worm Bed...see this link for more info.