Planting and caring for various varieties of thornless blackberries

General information about the culture

The blackberry belongs to the Rubus genus of the Pink family, together with its closest relative, the raspberry, which thorns have not prevented from taking root in our dachas for a long time. Blackberries are not grown in our country on an industrial scale, only private and small farms have recently become interested in this crop. But delicious sweet and sour berries contain a lot of vitamins, elements, sugars and dietary fiber, which bring undoubted benefits to the human body. Fresh berries are recommended for people with problems of the cardiovascular system, neuroses, atherosclerosis, kidney disease, gastrointestinal tract, joints, after pneumonia, bronchitis or other serious diseases. They have a beneficial effect on a weakened body, cleanse it of toxins and toxins, and strengthen the immune system.

In Europe, blackberries are most widespread in Great Britain and Poland, but there is no talk of industrial cultivation there either. But the United States and Mexico have long been growing it commercially, and it is from Mexico that fresh berries get to European markets.

The besshornaya blackberry is a picturesque openwork bush, its green leaves with a jagged edge are divided into three parts and slightly pubescent. In mid-June (as a rule) white flowers with a pink or lilac tint appear, and then small green berries. In most varieties, the fruiting period stretches for a month or more, therefore, almost all summer you can observe flowers and berries of different colors - first green, then reddening, saturated red, black or purple in ripeness. Often there is all the color variety at the same time on one bush.

The roots of the shrub grow up to one and a half meters, so it can survive periods of drought, despite the fact that traditional blackberry varieties need regular and sufficient watering, without which the yield decreases, and the berries lose their sweetness.

Blackberries are cultivated as a two-year culture - in the first year of shoot growth, the fruit buds are only laid, and in the second, flowers and fruits are formed. After fruiting, the shoots must be completely cut and burned. They are cut off near the ground in the fall, when the blackberries are being prepared for winter, and new ones that have grown this year will take their place. This cycle is reminiscent of raspberries, to which blackberries are often compared. Unlike the thorny cousin, the blackberry gives a much larger yield, but tolerates frost worse. There are very successful hybrids that combine the best taste of these two crops, they are much easier and more pleasant to grow.

The exceptions from the two-year cycle are remontant varieties of blackberries and raspberries. They bring a crop every year, and cut them off completely in the fall, in the spring new shoots grow, which bear fruit in the current year.

All thornless blackberries, like their thorny progenitors, are divided into two conditional types - kumaniks and dews.

Kumaniks are upright varieties, their shoots grow up to 2 or 3 meters strong and not very flexible, which makes it difficult to shelter them for the winter. They usually give many replacement shoots and root suckers. Fruit clusters form directly on the main branch. They are tied up on supports. Vivid examples: Polar, Apache, Guy.

Rosyaniki grow strong, but flexible shoots spreading along the ground from 4 to 6 meters. Flowers and fruits are formed on special short fruit branches that grow to the sides of the main branch along the entire length. They do not give root suckers (only if the root is damaged), but they can turn your site into a wild thicket if they are not attached in an orderly manner to the trellises. Representatives known to us: "Thornfree", "Black Satin".

But there are also varieties such as "Triple Crown", whose shoots up to half a meter (or higher) grow confidently upward, and then begin to lean to the side and creep along the ground.

Popular varieties

Compared to other European countries, blackberries are not yet very common in our country. But it will be interesting for gardeners to know that there are enough varieties and hybrids that have been tested by our compatriots that grow confidently even in such difficult climatic conditions as short summers or cold winters. These are, as a rule, varieties of British or American selection. Among them there are upright, creeping and dwarf shrubs that have not yet decided which type to join them.

If you want to pick ripe fruits as early as possible, then it is worth planting "Apaches". This is an upright variety of American selection, it begins to bear fruit in the second half of June, for 5 weeks you can feast on large sweet conical berries.

A month later, the fruits of such varieties as Loch Tay, Polar, Natchez begin to ripen. Moreover, the English variety "Loch Tay" gives fruit for only 2 weeks, which is not very typical for blackberries with their extended period of fruiting. Its shoots are semi-erect, and the berries are oval black.

Polish "Polar" begins to give its large round sweet and sour fruits from the middle of July, and the latter can be picked in September. Erect shoots.

For 5 weeks, starting in mid-July, the berries of the American Netchez ripen. It is famous for its very large sweet fruits. Each of these elongated black berries weighs between 12 and 16 grams.

From the beginning of July to the middle of August, a completely wonderful rather new hybrid of blackberries and raspberries "Buckingham Tayberry" pleases with its fruits. Its long red berries reach 8 cm in length and 15 g in weight, they are distinguished by a strong aroma, rich taste with a pronounced acidity.

For half a century there has been the "Thornfree" variety, one of the most famous to our summer residents. Its shoots are semi-creeping, grow up to 4.5 m. The bush enchants with its bright leaves, large (more than 3 cm in diameter) slightly pinkish flowers, and throughout August this composition is complemented by ripening purple-black ovoid fruits. Berries with an average weight of 5 g should be harvested as soon as they are ripe, overripe ones become too soft, lose their sourness in taste and transportability.

"Navajo" pleases with very fragrant shiny black berries throughout August, its shoots are upright.

"Chester Thornless" is considered winter-hardy, its semi-deciduous branches are covered with pink flowers in June, and in August they give shiny black fruits of a pleasant delicate taste.

In the second half of August, the glossy black berries of "Black Satin" begin to ripen, its shoots first grow confidently upward, and after overcoming the 60 cm mark, they turn and grow horizontally.

Scottish selection of Loch Ness blackberries begins to ripen by the end of August.Berries of 5 g in weight perfectly retain their qualities for several days after harvesting, they tolerate transportation without loss, and are convenient for commercial cultivation.

Up to 15 kg of sweet aromatic black berries with an average weight of 7–8 g can be harvested from one Triple Crown bush. They ripen throughout August and September, surprise with a cherry flavor.

Of the remontant varieties, Ruben is the best known. True, it cannot be called thornless - thorns grow with the shoots, but fall off with the ripening of the berries, after harvesting it becomes exactly thornless. Its big plus is the ability to bear fruit twice a season and overwinter well after pruning all the shoots.

Video "Blackberry Loch Tay"

This review will provide an insight into one of the earliest cultivated thornless blackberries with a delicious and sweet berry - Loch Tei.

Advantages and disadvantages

Compared to raspberries, all of the listed and many unmentioned varieties make it possible to harvest a much larger harvest. The prolonged ripening of fruits in time is very convenient for private farms when people want to improve their health, strengthen their immunity with the help of delicious berries. You can feast on fresh berries for up to 2 months, collecting them every 2-3 days. For commercial cultivation, this may be a disadvantage, but Mexican companies supplying blackberries to Europe clearly do not suffer from this.

Deeply growing roots will provide the bush with moisture, even if the owner was not able to arrive at the dacha for watering on time, which clearly eases the hassle of growing. Late flowering of blackberries does not allow it to suffer from possible spring frosts, and late ripening of fruits occurs after the main harmful insects, eager for sweet berries, have flown out. The absence of thorns makes it possible to take care of this crop with pleasure, facilitates literally all agrotechnical measures.

Most of the thornless varieties and hybrids are resistant to common diseases, which is good news.

The traditional disadvantage of all good plants is the high price of the seedlings. But blackberries are easy to propagate, and root suckers, layering and cuttings perfectly preserve the properties of mother plants. This can become a source of income along with the sale of berries.

Growing features

For the quality of blackberries, it is very important that the bush receives sufficient nourishment from the soil and the right amount of sunlight. Therefore, you need to find a good open place, organize a fairly light nutritious soil. Loam with a lot of humus is best suited; the soil should be alkaline rather than acidic. It is better to prepare the site for planting in the fall - to dig up the ground, clear it of weed roots, add humus or compost, ash or dolomite flour. But it is better to plant in spring, this guarantees the rooting and growth of a young plant.

A hole needs to be dug for a bush that will grow and bear fruit in this place for up to 15 years, and its roots will grow to a depth of more than half a meter - that is, as for a tree. The depth and width of the pit should be at least 60 cm, the soil with fertilizers is laid on the bottom, then it is simply sprinkled with earth so that the young roots do not come into contact with the fertilizers in order to avoid burns. Further, mineral fertilizers and humus are applied every few years in the spring. If necessary, the plant is fed when it blooms, sets fruits, it is better to use a complex of mineral fertilizers with an emphasis on potassium at this time, nitrogen is introduced only in spring.

Blackberries must be pruned twice a year. In the fall, all the sprouted shoots are cut out, and among the young, the weakest and most damaged are removed. The remaining shoots are shortened by a quarter, folded, placed in a prepared hole or just under cover. Snow is thrown on them in winter. In the spring, the shelter is removed, the whips are deployed, sanitary pruning is carried out, if necessary.Leave 5-9 (depending on the variety) new shoots that will bear fruit this year. Then the supports are installed and the shoots are tied up. Kumaniks are strengthened on a support with a fan or bowl, where fruiting shoots are directed in one direction, and young ones that will only grow - in the other. Braids are braided on a wire stretched parallel to the ground at a distance of 50 cm, 100 cm and 150 (170) cm from it. For convenience, fruiting shoots and growing ones are also directed in different directions. In the fall, they are unwound and cut off.

Subtleties of care

Some gardeners shorten the fruiting shoots in summer or spring so that the upright ones give side shoots, and the creeping ones - more fruit twigs. This is not a necessary activity, but rather a trick that helps to increase yields. But you need to do this only with adult bushes, so that they have enough strength to grow all these branches and fruits.

If shoots with thorns appear, they must be cut out mercilessly so as not to lose such a convenient dignity.

Berries of some varieties can melt from too hot sun, then a net is pulled over the bush for shading.

It is believed that the ground around the bushes must be loosened. Yes, the roots need air access, but it is better to mulch with peat, compost or humus, this will preserve looseness and moisture, prevent weeds from growing and protect the roots from possible injury during loosening and weeding.

Watering must be done at the very beginning of growth, during flowering and in the fall before harvesting for the winter. The rest of the time, thornless blackberries can easily endure periods of drought.

Video "Growing one of the Natchez thornless blackberry varieties"

This video will tell you about the features of growing and caring for the Natchez thornless blackberry varieties.