Free Loganberry Plants

About a month ago, I built this berry frame during a workshop at my home.  I needed to cut back the Thornless Loganberry that was growing in this bed, and needed to get serious about a trelis and net protection for the plant.

It is just two long pieces of ACQ treated pine, with powder coated wire strung between them.  It is taller than me, and is the right size to throw a net over to keep the birds off, and to temper down the summer sun.

The canes were at least 5 metres long before I cut them, so I followed the instructions on the tag that came with the plant which said to cut the two year old wood back to the stump, and cut the one year old wood to the 3rd bud which was about 30cm tall.  This should promote new and vigious growth.  I kept one of the 5 metre lengths and gave the rest to the others at the workshop.

Now, one of my fellow gardeners said that I should keep some of the canes and propagate them.  She told me to cut them 3 buds long and stick them into some potting mix (home made) and they should strike.  So I did as I was instructed, didn’t use any hormone root powder, and looked what happened. 

As you can see, most of them have taken off, with the lowest bud bursting already, even before the parent plant has started.  Maybe it is because these cuttings are warmer than their mother in the little black tubestock. A couple have burst their second buds as well.

So looking from above you can also see that a few have not yet burst their buds, but I checked them out, and they seam to still be alive.  I will wait about a month for more root development before transplanting the healthiest ones into the berry bed.  If I remember correctly the original plant cost about $15.  Now we should have lots of Loganberries this year all for free!  

I even surprise myself with these green thumbs.