You can apply Remin or Rockdust, both crushed volcanic rock to add minerals to the soil. I put some round all my fruit, at the beginning of the season.
I am ashamed to say, @Allotment Boy that, having gardened for thirty years of more, I had never heard of these products! Having looked them up, it makes perfect sense - I shall get some in now ready for the start of next season. Thanks so much for the tip - this is a great forum for widening one's knowledge, people are very generous in sharing.
Well, @amancalledgeorge and @Obelixx, both the new thornless tayberries and the old thorney ones are both fruiting well. However, sad to say, the flavour of the thornless variety isn't a patch on the thornless ones. Glad I hedged my bets and didn't grub out the thorney ones!
And now I have the problem of what to do with the thornless canes. As I said before, th flavour was sour, almost unpleasant. The canes did produce well but I did not use the fruit, except very occasionally to add to the jam if I was a bit short on weight.
So, do I give them another year in case 'something' improves the flavour, or do I cut my losses and grub them out?
Incidentally, I took @Allotment Boy's uggestion of dressing with rock dust, but this couldn't have affected the flavour could it?
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Maybe keep the fruits from the thornless ones for cooking down a bit and making compote or jams - concentrate the flavour.
So, do I give them another year in case 'something' improves the flavour, or do I cut my losses and grub them out?
Incidentally, I took @Allotment Boy's uggestion of dressing with rock dust, but this couldn't have affected the flavour could it?