How to Grow Boysenberries

A boysenberry is an artificial cross of a blackberry, loganberry and raspberry believed to have been developed by Rudolph Boysen in 1923. These plants were acquired by Walter Knott, who cultivated them commercially and began selling boysenberries and boysenberry preserves in 1935. A boysenberry tastes somewhat like a raspberry and has a tart undertone, especially when they are not quite ripe.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Find some land which gets full sun and minimal wind. The soil should be thoroughly tilled with plenty of compost and mulch worked in.

2. Plant the boysenberry vines about three feet apart. If you are in USDA Zone 5 or colder, you should plant boysenberries in the late spring. Wait until late fall if you are in Zone 6 or warmer.

3. Put up trellises so the trailing vines will grow off the ground. This will make the berries less likely to rot and easier to pick. The vines typically bear fruit in May.

4. Cut the boysenberry vines close to the ground after they are harvested to encourage fresh growth, which will bear fruit the following year. Water the vines thoroughly after cutting and retrain them as they grow. Like other trailing vines, boysenberries should be pruned regularly.

5. Protect boysenberries from cold weather. Untie the vines from the trellis and lay them flat before a freeze. The canes also should be covered with at least a foot of loose hay or straw.

Resources

• Learn more about growing boysenberries.