I planted 6 siskyou last year and got to try a few this year. My first thought when I saw them ripe was boysenberry., they look and taste the same. I got them from rolling river and have a hard time believing I have all 6 misidentified. I believe they have boysenberry in there background. Still I thought I’d ask those who have had both what there impression was.
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I have both, I have fruit on siskiyou, but have not tasted it yet, I can tell you it is not boysenberry as mine are almost done, and siskiyou has yet to start.Plus it looks like a blackberry, boyson does not turn black, well unless super ripe, but it is not a deep black like regular blackberries. I have my siskiyou right next to marion, so maybe I’m mistaken on color, although not mistaken on ripeness. Unless mine is mislabeled.
I got mine sisk from @jtburton. he has not been around, maybe he will chime in?
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Hey Drew,
I’ll post of picture of some Siskiyou that I grew. They are larger berries with smaller druplets and tend to be more purple than black. Both are a bit tangy in flavor but Siskiyou is more like a blackberry than boysen.
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Mine is producing for the first time this year, thanks for the plant! OK, yeah that looks nothing like Boysenberry. Bigger than marion too. All these blackberries have complex linage. I saw that siskiyou has Marion, Boysen and even Logan. I’m super impressed with New Berry which also has all three. It ripens in a fairly short window, ripens just after Boysen. Has more of that raspberry flavor than some blackberries, but not as much as boysen, still detectable. Is less tart when fully ripe, tends to fall right off when ripe. Is hardier than Boysen. Berry size is good too, not super big, not as big as siskiyou but bigger than boysen.
Wyeberry ripens before boysen, is a bigger berry, but tends to be more tart than I like, perfect for jams though, it makes the best jam out of all of these. Tayberry is the least tart, is early like wyeberry. Stays redder than all of them. Berry though is small, well here it is. I want to try @Bradybb strain as mine appears slightly different, his is bigger, and more elongated. Tayberries taste way different, with a strawberry type flavor added to an acidic bramble flavor.
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Yep. Newberry is the best Western Trailing Blackberry (in my opinion) pick for colder climates like ours. I had a warm winter last year and didn’t even cover them and they bloomed fine this year. Berry flavor is quite fruity and distinct from the Eastern varieties which is appreciated. I had a few wyeberries off the plant you sent me and they were similar to Loganberry…somewhat tart but that’s fine, like you said, for jam. Crown borers have been tough on the trailing blackberries, which has, along with low productivity, caused me to remove move of my western trailing varieties. Newberry and boysen are the primary western trailing varieties that I grow now.
I’m rebuilding my eastern blackberry varieties after the really bad winter we had two years ago, so next year will be the first full crop for these additions. My raspberries have not done well recently. A wet year last year caused a significant resurgence in root rot fungus and it has killed off most of my raspberries. The newly planted raspberries are not doing well either, so my berry patch may no longer support them due to the soil conditions…bummer.
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You could try raised beds, more work. You could add a better draining soil. I added DE in the form of Optisorb or Napa floor dry 100% diatomaceous earth to my potting mixes. I’m seeing the benefit today as it has rained for two days, heavy too. I have been uppotting plants and my potting soil exposed to the rain is wet, but it’s not muck, feels just like dry soil in the sense the structure is holding up. The DE has been absorbing the extra moisture. Really works well. I use about a 1/3 to 1/2 part, you don’t need anymore than that. Old potting soil goes into my raised beds and DE lasts about 50 thousand years. So it ends up keeping them well draining. Unlike perlite that stores no water, just helps drainage, DE will release water as the soil dries, and holds air for the roots too. Like turface, but holds more water and has bigger pores that roots can access unlike turface. Can be frozen and will not break down. Lasts longer than turface.
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My berries are only half that size but it is first year for me everytime I bit into one I think boysenberry. I will give it some time maybe it will be better next year. My new berry I planted last year only has a few as well can’t wait to try them. My wild treasure tastes just like my wild blackberries. Yum. Thanks for the update.
Edit JT said small drupelats. Here is a pic of mine
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Hey @jtburton. If you get a chance, could you post a picture of your trellis system for your trailing blackberries? It’d be helpful to see how other people approach trellising. Thanks
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Those are boysenberries.
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For Western trailing blackberries, I use a simple setup. 5ft t-posts and 2 wires: at 3ft and 5ft. This allows me to take them down easily for the winter. I have also incorporated several pvc pipes that are bent into loops to support a row cover for added protection.
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Thats also where I am at after many years of trying with them. Siskiyou was relatively one of the more durable ones, but its gone now. Newberry was tasty but did not grow vigorously. The only western berries I have left are some of the newer hybrids of east/west that Chad Finn made. They take my heat no problems, unlike the pure western ones.
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So my first thought was right. Thanks I’m going to give them a call
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Hi everyone I am looking for siskiyou, newberry, wyeberry I can’t find theses varieties anywhere if anyone would be willing to send me a a plant I would pay for it and sipping! I love the trailing blackberries they are my favorites like boysenberry, marion, Logan and tayberry would love to try and add more into my garden thanks 
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message me in the winter i may split some siskiyou from my plant. i have yet to taste it. Heard it was unique.
Difenlty will do thank you