The most popular variety of blackberries - Chester

Description of the variety

Blackberry variety Chester is distinguished by the highest winter hardiness among all existing thornless varieties. Powerful bushes of the culture form flexible, light brown shoots, each of which can reach 3 m. After fruiting is completed, the spent lashes begin to dry out gradually. Blackberries of this variety traditionally completely renew the aboveground part every two years.

Each stem forms trifoliate leaves, at the base of which fertile buds develop, knocking out the buds with the arrival of summer. Gradually, the buds bloom into pale pink or pure white large flowers, filling the entire garden with a fragrance.

In late July or early August, fruits begin to form. As they mature, they take on a shiny black color. Each berry reaches a length of 3 cm and perfectly tolerates transportation. The Chester Thornless variety, unlike its closest relative, Thornfrey, has a sour taste with less sugar. Blackberries of this variety can be consumed by people who adhere to a diet, as well as those who are characterized by disorders of carbohydrate metabolism.

Growing features

The Chester Thornless variety, provided that it is provided with proper care and the right place where it is planted, can successfully exist in gardens throughout almost the entire territory of our country. Blackberries can easily endure the relatively warm and damp winters characteristic of the southern regions of Russia, and in the northern regions, even if the bushes need special care (consisting in organizing shelter for the winter period), it is still able to withstand temperature drops down to -30 degrees.

The Chester berry has a high yield, so you should take care of sufficient support for the whips - sometimes they break under the weight of ripening berries. The Chester Thornless variety is considered drought-resistant, thanks to its root system - it lies deep enough, so choosing a place for this variety is not very picky. Blackberries of the Chester variety retain their presentation for a long time and tolerate transportation well even over long distances.

At the stage when it is planned to plant Chester blackberries, choose a site in such a way that it is not unnecessarily shaded and waterlogged - our variety does not like this very much.

If the Chester variety is cultivated in the southern regions, then caring for the plant is not particularly difficult. But in the case when the crop is to be grown much further north, the bushes will need mandatory autumn care - laying blackberry lashes and preparing the bush for wintering.

Planting and leaving

The description of caring for this variety of blackberries is not particularly difficult, which is why Russian gardeners love it so much. In order to plant a Chester bush, you need to choose a sunny, flat area with loose soil. Seedlings of this variety should be placed in a permanent place in the spring, after the soil is completely dry. An autumn planting is also possible, but in this case it must be carried out before the arrival of prolonged autumn rains. Blackberries of this variety prefer slightly acidic or neutral soil.

The description of the planting process is as follows: the holes are made of medium depth (about 0.3 m), at a distance of 2.5 m from each other. Organic and mineral fertilizers are applied to each hole, and a young seedling with at least two well-developed shoots is placed.

This variety, like all hybrids, is quite unpretentious. However, he also requires that he be provided with at least minimal care: once every few years, the aisles are fluffed up and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied, and regular pruning is carried out.

For the first time, this variety requires pruning only in the second year, when the blackberry bed is fully formed. At this time, you need to completely remove the old shoots, leaving no more than seven young ones for the winter. Subsequently, the variety requires such processing annually.

A correct description of the cultivation process of this culture would be incomplete without mentioning the trellis: such a blackberry requires an obligatory garter.

Diseases and pests

The Chester bush is prone to such ailments:

• Verticillary wilting (fungal disease, in yellowing and curling of leaves). The affected plant is mercilessly destroyed, and the neighboring plants are fumigated with smoke.
• Gray rot - affects bushes with excess moisture. To prevent the development of the disease, blackberry bushes are sprinkled with a 5 cm layer of ash.
• Anthracnose - when the bushes are affected by this ailment, the blackberry leaves are covered with purple spots with a red border. In order to prevent the disease, gardeners recommend regularly combating weeds and spraying the bushes with calloidal sulfur.

If we talk about pests that can attack blackberry bushes, then their description boils down to three types: raspberry beetle, shoot aphid and weevil. Those lashes that are affected by pests are especially sensitive to even the slightest frost. To get rid of the misfortune, a mechanical method of removing the raspberry beetle and weevil is recommended: it is shaken off onto a white cloth previously spread under the bush, you can spray the bushes with a weak solution of laundry soap. Another option is to treat the plants with a garlic solution (30 g of crushed garlic per 10 liters of water). Well, if your blackberry is affected by shoot aphids, just fumigate the bushes with tobacco smoke, or treat with the same garlic solution.

Chester Thornless Blackberry Fruiting Video

This video will give you the opportunity to admire the Chester Thornless blackberry variety during fruiting.