Boysenberry Rubus - Hybrid



Posted: Monday, September 21, 2009

by Dennis Sons
tn nursery

Boysenberry is the universal designation for a hybrid plant created from the blackberry / raspberry genus Rubus. It is distinguished by a relatively sizeable edible fruit , with moderately sized seeds and a dark purple or reddish-black shade.

Boysenberry Rubus is a genus that is also part of the rose family. The rose Family (rosacea) is one of the chief flowering plants that include plums, cherries, peaches, apples, berries, and many others. Most plants in the Rosacea family have woody trunks with spines, sharp bristles, or thorns.

A boysenberry berry fruit when mature appears polished and large and is closely related to the native North American blackberry . Boysenberries are eaten fresh during the short summer season, but most growers store and incorporate the fruit into a jam, syrup, or preservative. The taste of boysenberry is similar to a raspberry but is slightly more acidic, especially when it is eaten right after picking. Boysenberries only grow during a few weeks each summer and are only available in supermarkets for a short time in June. Boysenberries are best eaten a few days after picking from the tree as the taste does change from bitter to aromatic sweet in 2-3 days.

Boysenberry was first developed by R. Boysen in California . He started to experiment with different berries and when he combined a blackberry, loganberry, and a raspberry, he came up with a berry, which he called the boysenberry. Boysenberries became nationally known once the fruit was acquired and marketed by Knott's Berry farm in Southern California .

Growing Boysenberries To grow boysenberries one needs to have a fair bit of land that receives ample sunlight and does not suffer severe wind drafts. The soil must rich in nutrients but if it is not, one can always add compost, animal manure, mulch, or artificial fertilizer. The boysenberry plants should not be planted close to each other to prevent congestion and competition for nutrients. Experts recommend planting the trees 3-4 feet apart and at least 3-5 feet between rows. Planting should be done in late April or early May. Boysenberries are graded as USDA zone 5 and 6 plants.

To help the vine grow upwards, construct a trellis. This will prevent berries from rotting and also make it a lot easier to pick them during harvest.

In most cases, boysenberry vines bear fruit in late May or early June. At this time, the plant should be pruned to the ground to allow fresh stems to grow. When trimmed well, the vine will again bear fruits each summer. Watering is an important aspect when growing boysenberries. The plants do thrive on lots of water and soil that is well drained. The boysenberry growing season is very short and boysenberries are not edible as soon as they are picked.

When ripe boysenberries have a distinct taste. They should be picked when they are just ripe and refrigerated in an air and watertight container. Boysenberries do tend to become mushy rather quickly so they should be consumed within 3 days after picking. If you intend to use boysenberry to make jam/syrup, then they should be crushed, preserved and the extract frozen. Boysenberry add great flavor to foods like muffins, pancakes, pies, cheesecakes, tarts and pies. Of course, they can also be eaten fresh or mixed in a fruit salad. Today there are also fruit wines made from boysenberries. Boysenberries can also be frozen and thawed to be eaten later.

Boysenberries are rich in several vitamins, including vitamin C, calcium, iron, and anthocyanins. There is a general belief that consumption of boysenberries is good for health because of the high content of anthocyanins, which are strong anti oxidants.

This Article has been viewed 1,839 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.