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Loganberry pruning

Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 4,969 ✭
in Fruit & veg
We planted/replaced a dozen or so thornless loganberries against a north facing wall a year ago.  We removed the old (40 yr +), dug a deep trench, enriched it with manure, peat, compost and bonemeal. The new plants grew at a fantastic rate, reaching to the top of the wall (8ft approx) and we trained them back down again towards the earth.  None of them produced any fruit, but that was what we expected would happen. Now should we have pruned them before they grew too tall, prune them now before they start into leaf - there are plenty of buds on the plants or just leave them as they are now?

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  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Leicestershire, UKPosts: 7,166 ✭
    They will fruit on the canes which grew last season so no pruning needed yet.  Once they finish fruiting later this year, cut each cane which produced fruit right back to the ground.
    Then tie the new canes (which will have appeared from below ground) into the framework as these will give you next years harvest.  Do exactly the same each year and you will have reliable crops every year.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 4,969 ✭
    Thank you for your helpful and clear instructions Bob. I was concerned because last year's canes had grown so well - almost too well.  Our previous canes were here when we arrived in 1979, so we never saw them at the beginning of their growth.  We didn't expect the new ones planted last year to take off quite so well, which makes us realize just how stunted the old canes had become.  I don't know why it took us so long to replace them - 40 years!!
  • ObelixxObelixx Vendée, Western FrancePosts: 14,798 ✭
    I used to gather the new stems produced from spring into a loose vertical hold with string, thus giving them a support and space to grow without casting shade on the fruiting stems produced the previous year.   Once you have harvested the fruits from the old stems, cut those stems back to the base and release the new stems to be fanned out along the supports to mature, flower and fruit the next season.

    I also gave mine a dollop of blood, fish and bone each spring and an occasional liquid feed of tomato food when the flowers started opening.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 4,969 ✭
    That's a really useful tip Obeliixx (re: tying new stems rather than having two seasons vying for the same positions - what a tangle trying to get the old fruited canes out without snapping the new growth).  We gave all the garden plants some Fish blood and bone this week.
  • ObelixxObelixx Vendée, Western FrancePosts: 14,798 ✭
    Good luck.  It worked for us in Belgium so should be fine for you.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
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