Boysenberry Growing Guide

Rubus hybrid (Rubus ursinius x R. ideaus)

Boysenberry

Crop Rotation Group

Miscellaneous ●

Soil

Well-drained soil enriched with plenty of compost. These long-lived brambles prefer a soil pH around 6.0.

Position

Full sun to partial shade, which is beneficial in hot summer areas.

Frost tolerant

Yes.

Feeding

Drench with a liquid organic fertiliser when plants show rapid new growth in spring. Keep the root zone mulched to retain moisture.

Spacing

Single Plants: 90cm (2' 11") each way (minimum)
Rows: 90cm (2' 11") with 90cm (2' 11") row gap (minimum)

Sow and Plant

Set out purchased plants in winter when dormant plants are available, or root stem tip cuttings from an established plant. Protect young plants from nibbling by deer and grazing animals with a wire cage. Like other brambles, boysenberries grow new stems which fruit in their second year and then die. Boysenberries are a complex cross between upright raspberries and trailing blackberries. A trellis helps control the growth of the large, vigorous plants, and makes the fruit easier to pick.
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalised calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.

Notes

Use a trellis to so you can train plants into a dense, head-high hedge.

Harvesting

Boysenberries are ripe when the fruits turn from red to a deep red-black colour. Harvest in the morning, while the fruit is cool, and refrigerate immediately. Boysenberries can be frozen or made into delicious jams and desserts.

Troubleshooting

Several fungal diseases can infect boysenberries. Septoria leaf spot is not uncommon. It causes numerous spots to form on leaves, and spreads in warm, wet weather. Boysenberries are highly attractive to birds and will likely require protective netting in most areas they can be grown. In Australia fruit fly are a pest of boysenberries, make sure to take appropriate control measures in areas where they are present. It is important to dispose of any infected fruit and fruit has fallen to the ground by placing them in a sealed plastic bag in the sun for at least 7 days to kill the eggs and larvae. Do not compost fruit as this will lead to the fruit fly completing their life cycle and lead to the problem recurring.

Planting and Harvesting Calendar

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Pests which Affect Boysenberry