GrowingHQ
FruitStraightforward

Loganberry

Rubus × loganobaccus

The older of the two common raspberry–blackberry hybrids: sharper than a tayberry, heavy cropping, and at its best cooked or preserved rather than eaten raw. Grown and pruned exactly like a blackberry, and thornless cultivars make it a considerably more pleasant plant to manage.

Position
Full sun or Partial shade
Water
moderate demand
Drainage
Moisture-retentive
Grows to
180–250 cm × 250–400 cm
Hardiness
H6
Harvest
July and August
Difficulty
Straightforward

August

Harvest · Prune

Loganberry’s year

Resolved for United Kingdom (general). Every window is stored against a climate event rather than a date, so a late frost pocket runs later than the band shows. What else August calls for.

ActivityJFMAMJJASOND
PlantJanuary. February. March. November. December.
In flowerMay. June.
HarvestJuly. August.
PruneAugust. September.

Timing that travels

The band above resolves this plant's windows into months for one region. These are the windows themselves, stored against a climate event rather than a date — which is the form that survives being carried to a colder garden, a frost pocket, or next year.

Pollination

Whether one plant on its own will set fruit, and what has to be true if it will not.

One plant on its own will crop.

Self-fertility
Self-fertile
Partner needed
No partner needed
Pollen moved by
Insects
Where the pollination figures come from
Self-fertilitySourced guidancehigh confidence
  • Royal Horticultural Society: Growing hybrid berries

Checked 2026-08-13

Partner neededSourced guidancehigh confidence
  • Royal Horticultural Society: Growing hybrid berries

Checked 2026-08-13

Pollen moved byHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

Rootstocks

No rootstock to choose

Own roots, propagated by tip layering.

Pruning and training

Every piece of fruit pruning advice follows from one fact: where the plant carries next year's crop.

Fruits on: Wood made last year

Fruit forms on stems produced the previous season, which then decline. Pruning removes the oldest wood at the base each year to force new stems.

source

Sourced guidancehigh confidence

  • Royal Horticultural Society: Pruning hybrid berries

Checked 2026-08-13

Which wood carries the fruitThree fruiting habits compared. On a spur-bearer such as most apples and pears, fruit forms on short stubby spurs on wood two years old and older, so the older framework must be kept and long new shoots can be shortened. On a tip-bearer, fruit forms at the ends of shoots made last year, so shortening every shoot removes the entire crop. On a cane fruit such as a summer raspberry, fruit forms on canes grown the previous season, which die after cropping and are cut to the ground while this year's new canes are kept.Spur-bearerfruit on old spursshorten new growthTip-bearerfruit at the shoot tipsshortening loses the cropCane fruitcut fruited canes outkeep this year’s canes
Cutting the wrong wood does not damage the plant. It removes the crop, and the loss is not visible until the following summer.

Forms it can be grown as

  • Canes on wires
  • Fan
source

Horticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

Posts and wires.
source

Horticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

  • Annual maintenanceAugust, September

    Cut out the canes that have fruited and tie in the new ones for next year.

    After picking, remove the fruited canes at ground level and tie in this season's growth.

    source

    Sourced guidancehigh confidence

    • Royal Horticultural Society: Pruning hybrid berries

    Checked 2026-08-13

What you are committing to

Fruit is a multi-year decision. These are the numbers a nursery label rarely carries.

First worthwhile crop
2–3 years
Propagated by
Layering
Fruit type
Cane fruit
Where these figures come from
First worthwhile cropHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

Propagated byHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

Keeping it: Very soft. Cook, preserve or freeze quickly.
source

Horticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

A reliable heavy cropper for jam and cooking, and another fruit that is effectively unavailable to buy fresh.

Conditions it needs

Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Direct sun
4 hours a day or more
Frost
Very hardy
Hardiness rating
H6 (RHS)
Soil
Loam, Clay, Silt
Soil pH
5.5–7
Drainage
Moisture-retentive
Water needs
moderate
Drought
moderate tolerance
Waterlogging
poor tolerance
Heat
moderate tolerance
Wind and exposure
moderate tolerance
Where these figures come from
LightSourced guidancehigh confidence
  • Royal Horticultural Society: Growing hybrid berries

Checked 2026-08-13

Direct sunHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

FrostSourced guidancehigh confidence
  • Royal Horticultural Society: Hybrid berries — hardiness

Checked 2026-08-13

Hardiness ratingSourced guidancehigh confidence
  • Royal Horticultural Society: RHS hardiness ratings

Checked 2026-08-13

SoilHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

Soil pHHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

DrainageHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

Water needsHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

DroughtHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

WaterloggingHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

HeatHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

Wind and exposureHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

On your soil

Computed by comparing this plant's recorded requirements against each soil's recorded characteristics. A recorded horticultural fact overrides the comparison where GrowingHQ holds one.

SoilVerdictWhy
Heavy clayWorks, with one conditionLoganberry will crop on heavy clay, but one thing has to be dealt with first. It needs ground that drains, and this soil holds water. A plant that stays in the ground through winter with its roots in cold, saturated soil rots — which is what kills most of what fails on heavy ground, rather than the cold.Improve the drainage before planting — a raised bed, or bulky organic matter worked in over several seasons. Do not add sand to clay in small quantities; it makes the problem worse.
SandyGrows well hereLoganberry grows perfectly well on sandy without special measures, though it is not the soil it would choose.
Chalky and alkalineWorks, with one conditionLoganberry will crop on chalky and alkaline, but one thing has to be dealt with first. The soil is substantially too alkaline for it: it wants pH 5.5 to 7, and this soil sits around 7.8 to 8.5.The pH is the obstacle. Small shifts are achievable and slow; large ones are not. On chalky and alkaline the dependable answer is a container of the right compost rather than an attempt to change the ground.
LoamPrefers this soilLoam suits Loganberry as it stands: The pH suits it: it wants 5.5 to 7, and this soil is in that range. Loam is among the soils it is recorded as suiting. The soil holds moisture, which saves a great deal of watering. There is ample rooting depth for it.
SiltyPrefers this soilSilty suits Loganberry as it stands: The pH suits it: it wants 5.5 to 7, and this soil is in that range. Silt is among the soils it is recorded as suiting. The soil holds moisture, which saves a great deal of watering. There is ample rooting depth for it.
Peaty and acidWorks, with one conditionLoganberry will crop on peaty and acid, but one thing has to be dealt with first. It needs ground that drains, and this soil holds water. A plant that stays in the ground through winter with its roots in cold, saturated soil rots — which is what kills most of what fails on heavy ground, rather than the cold.Improve the drainage before planting — a raised bed, or bulky organic matter worked in over several seasons. Do not add sand to clay in small quantities; it makes the problem worse.
Shallow over rockWorks, with one conditionLoganberry will crop on shallow over rock, but one thing has to be dealt with first. It roots to about 40 cm and this soil offers roughly 25 cm before rock or hardpan.Grow it in a deep container or a raised bed. The rooting depth is not something that can be added to the ground.
Made ground and urban soilStruggles hereLoganberry struggles on made ground and urban soil: It needs ground that drains, and this soil holds water. A plant that stays in the ground through winter with its roots in cold, saturated soil rots — which is what kills most of what fails on heavy ground, rather than the cold. It roots to about 40 cm and this soil offers roughly 30 cm before rock or hardpan. A container or a raised bed of imported soil sidesteps the problem entirely.

Not sure which you have? Four hand tests will settle it.

Space and spacing

Mature height
180–250 cm
Mature spread
250–400 cm
Rooting depth
40–60 cm
Spacing
300 cm apart
Where these figures come from
Mature heightHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

Mature spreadHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

Rooting depthHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

SpacingHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

How far apart to plant loganberryThree loganberry plants drawn in a row at their recorded spacing of 300 cm between plants. The spacing is drawn to scale against a one metre rule; the plants themselves are symbols rather than scale drawings, so the distance between them is the part to read.300 cmone metre
Measured centre to centre. Plants set closer than this compete for light and water long before they look crowded, and the crowding cannot be undone once they are in.

Where and how you can grow it

Each way of growing is assessed separately, and “not assessed” is a real answer rather than a gap we have filled in with a guess.

MethodSuitabilityWhat it needs
Open groundWell suited
source

Sourced guidancehigh confidence

  • Royal Horticultural Society: Growing hybrid berries

Checked 2026-08-13

Posts and wires
Vertical growingWell suited
source

Horticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

Traditional dug bedWorkable
source

Horticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

ContainerMarginal
source

Horticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

HydroponicsMarginal
source

GrowingHQ editorial positionmoderate confidence

The blackberry's vigour and occupancy, without even the blackberry's willingness to crop in poor conditions.

  • GrowingHQ editorial synthesis — GrowingHQ

Checked 2026-08-13

GreenhouseMarginal
source

Sourced guidancemoderate confidence

  • Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board — AHDB: Cane fruit — protected cropping

Checked 2026-08-13

PolytunnelMarginal
source

Sourced guidancemoderate confidence

  • Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board — AHDB: Cane fruit — protected cropping

Checked 2026-08-13

WindowsillNot suitable
source

Horticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

Growing it

  • PruningCut out fruited canes after picking and tie in the new ones, keeping the two generations separate on the support.
  • TrainingTie the canes in along the wires as they extend. Loganberry canes are long and brittle at the base, and one left to arch under its own weight snaps where it joins the crown.
  • MulchingMulch annually and hand-weed rather than hoeing near the crown. Damage at the cane base is how cane blight gets in.
Where this guidance comes from
PruningHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
  • Royal Horticultural Society: Pruning hybrid berries

Checked 2026-08-13

TrainingHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
  • Royal Horticultural Society: Training hybrid berries

Checked 2026-08-13

MulchingHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
  • Royal Horticultural Society: Raspberry cane blight

Checked 2026-08-13

Where to make a pruning cutFour stems compared. The first is cut cleanly on a slope about five millimetres above an outward-facing bud, sloping away from it, and is labelled correct. The second is cut too far above the bud, leaving a long stub that dies back. The third is cut too close, into the bud itself, which loses the shoot. The fourth is cut sloping towards the bud so rain runs onto it rather than away, which rots it. In every case the bud points outwards, away from the centre of the plant.Correct5 mm, sloping awayToo highstub dies backToo closebud lostSloping inrain sits on the bud
The bud you cut to becomes the new shoot, and it grows in the direction it points — which is why an outward-facing bud opens the plant up and an inward-facing one crosses the middle.

Is it worth putting under cover?

Whether it will grow there is on the methods table above. This is whether the space is well spent, which is a different question and usually the one being asked.

StructureWhat protection is worthWhat decides it
GreenhouseNo real benefit
source

GrowingHQ editorial positionmoderate confidence

What protection is worth for this crop, judged against the same standard as every other record in this file.

  • GrowingHQ editorial synthesis — GrowingHQ

Checked 2026-08-13

Vigour and a full year of occupancy for a single short crop.
PolytunnelNo real benefit
source

GrowingHQ editorial positionmoderate confidence

What protection is worth for this crop, judged against the same standard as every other record in this file.

  • GrowingHQ editorial synthesis — GrowingHQ

Checked 2026-08-13

Vigour and a full year of occupancy.

Growing it without soil

Nearly anything can be grown in a soilless system by somebody with enough equipment. The useful question is whether it is worth it, in which technique, and what goes wrong.

Not worth it

It can be made to grow, but a soilless system is the wrong tool — usually because of rooting volume, running cost, or a result no better than a pot of compost.

source

GrowingHQ editorial positionmoderate confidence

The blackberry's vigour and occupancy, without even the blackberry's willingness to crop in poor conditions.

  • GrowingHQ editorial synthesis — GrowingHQ

Checked 2026-08-13

Thornless forms exist and change nothing about the occupancy.

Techniques that suit it

  • Drip-fed mediumSolution is dripped into an inert medium around each plant. The most forgiving technique and the one that suits large, long-season, heavy crops.
Horticultural consensusDepends on conditionsmoderate confidence

Applies when: Substrate only.

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

Root space
Large.
pH band
5.5–6.5
Where these figures come from
Root spaceHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

pH bandSourced guidancehigh confidence

Outside roughly this band, individual nutrients become unavailable even when they are present in the solution — which is why a crop can starve in a full reservoir.

  • Purdue Extension — Purdue University: Hydroponic solution management — pH

Checked 2026-08-13

No nutrient recipes here

GrowingHQ records pH bands, which are measurable properties of nutrient availability, and deliberately records no EC or PPM targets and no mixing instructions. Published targets vary by cultivar, growth stage, water source and technique, and the figures that apply to your system are on the product you bought.

Harvesting

  • When it is readyRipe when deep purple-red throughout; picked early they are very sharp.
  • How to pick itPick with the core, as for a blackberry.
  • Keeping itUse immediately or freeze.
Where the harvest guidance comes from
When it is readyHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

How to pick itHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

Keeping itHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

Keep picking

Regular picking keeps this plant producing. Fruit or leaves left to mature signal it to slow down or stop.

What goes wrong

ProblemHow oftenNotes
Grey mouldcommon
source

Horticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

Raspberry cane blightoccasional
source

Horticultural consensusmoderate confidence

No external citation — see the evidence type above.

Checked 2026-08-13

Grown with, grown after, grown instead

Every relationship states its mechanism. A pairing nobody can explain is a pairing nobody has checked, and it does not go in.

  • Alternative toTayberry
    Both raspberry–blackberry hybrids grown identically. Choose a tayberry for eating fresh and a loganberry for cooking and preserving — the difference is acidity rather than cultivation.
    source

    Sourced guidancehigh confidence

    • Royal Horticultural Society: Growing hybrid berries

    Checked 2026-08-13

Sources for this page

Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board · GrowingHQ editorial synthesis · Royal Horticultural Society

Each figure on this page carries its own citation, under the “where these figures come from” note in its section. Record last reviewed 2026-08-13.