Blackberry Natchez is a variety widely demanded among consumers, characterized by high marketable and taste qualities.
Grade Benefits
Bred in 2007 (USA, Arkansas University), the garden shrub is a close relative of raspberries, it immediately appealed to many gardeners for such qualities:
- wonderful, pronounced, refreshing, with a slight sour taste of the fruits - large, about 4 cm in length. Sometimes the first berries have a pleasant aftertaste resembling a bitterness of coffee;
- early ripening. Blackberry Natchez pleases with large black fruits, while the remaining varieties are still in ripening;
- the absence of spikes is a factor that has the ability to acquire such a short-standing variety in its own area;
- high transportability and preservation of the presentation of the blackberry for a week.
The variety got its name in honor of the Natchez Indian people, who in ancient times lived in the valley of one of the greatest US rivers - the Mississippi.
Blackberry Natchez: Description
The characteristics of the variety attract a lot of positive qualities. The berries are moderately dense, juicy, with a pronounced sheen, have an elongated cylindrical shape; the average weight of each is 9 grams (the highest figure is 12.7 grams), which among the varieties of Arkansas selection is in some way a record. Fruits are collected in brushes of 10-30 pieces; by the middle of fruiting, their number increases due to the flowering of the 2nd wave.
The Blackberry Natchez, the description of which attracts the attention of gardeners from around the world, has a large, beautiful stone fruit; the seeds are very small. Flowering begins in mid-May. The flowers are white, with 5-6 petals. Fruits can easily be separated from the stem when fully ripened, the onset of which is easy to determine: the berries become fully colored and should hang on the bush for 3-5 days; then they will reveal their amazing taste and unique, delicate aroma as much as possible. Factor in favor of the Natchez variety: the fruits do not flow and retain a high density.
Some features of the variety
Blackberry Natchez, the description of the variety of which is of great interest among breeders, has powerful, erect, spiky-free shoots (about 4-6 meters long), growing in the vertical direction at the initial stage of growth.
Unlike related varieties, under the influence of wind and the load of berries, they are able to break, so when growing it is recommended to use a support. The most used option is a three-wire; the height of the upper trellis is at the level of 1.7 meters. Otherwise, the stems assume a position characteristic of creeping varieties. In September - early October, immediately after fruiting, the stems must be removed from the trellis; it is at this moment that they are as malleable as possible.
From one bush - up to 20 kg of berries
To stimulate lateral branching when the shrub reaches a height of 1-1.5 meters, it is recommended to pinch the tops. This procedure is optional, since the Natchez blackberry is characterized by high growth strength and powerful green mass. It is worth remembering that with great caution should be folded stems for the winter because of their fragility and easy cracking.
When planting a blackberry, the choice of soil is very important: warm, well-warmed, protected from piercing cold winds. These are chernozems, loamy and medium loamy lands. The depth of groundwater must be at least 1-1.5 meters, otherwise the root system of the plant will suffer from cold and damp.
With quality care, the yield from one blackberry bush is from 15 to 20 kg of berries. Their ripening occurs in the first half of June; fruiting lasts about 1.5 months.
Variety disadvantages
Blackberry variety Natchez is imperfect and has several disadvantages:
- fruiting bush gives a small number of shoots of substitution, which significantly limits the yield of the coming season. For this reason, a 2-year cycle is used, consisting in cutting out all newly formed shoots for the second year, which gives the plant the opportunity to concentrate solely on fruiting;
- low winter hardiness: the vine is still able to endure the cold, but the flower buds are sure to freeze. The maximum temperature indicator that the plant can withstand is -14 ° C, so the factor of additional blackberry shelter is important. The shrub is bent to the ground, mulched, covered with dense agrofibre in several layers. In the northern regions, horticultural culture can be kept under arcs until heat arrives until night frosts end.
The Blackberry Natchez, a description whose characteristic focuses not on the insignificant minuses of the variety, but on the virtues (including its high resistance to diseases), has won the respect and love of gardeners from around the world.
Agrotechnics Growing Blackberries Natchez
Recommended planting scheme for Natchez blackberries: 2.7-3 meters between bushes during garden cultivation. On an industrial scale, some compaction is possible: 2.0-2.5 meters. The shrub, like all garden crops, needs top dressing aimed at increasing productivity and protecting against diseases. When planting, the application of mineral and nitrogen fertilizers is required; every spring, the soil should be fed with urea and complex mineral fertilizers. Mulching and drip irrigation will significantly affect the increase in productivity.
In hot climates, in direct sunlight, the Natchez blackberry can be baked. The situation can be saved by covering the bush with a mosquito net or white agrofabric so that the material does not touch the fruits.
Blackberry Natchez - for every garden plot!
Blackberry Natchez, reviews of which are extremely positive, has a number of undeniable advantages, confirming the need to acquire this variety in its suburban area. Gardeners note high transportability, excellent taste, long storage on the bush, excellent presentation - these are the factors that determine the popularity of this variety and its demand among all categories of the population, especially children. In addition, blackberries are a great base for jams, preserves, jelly, stewed fruit, marmalade, jelly, pastille and even wine.
Juice and fresh berries of the Natchez blackberry perfectly quench thirst in hot weather and are an excellent tonic:
- improves appetite;
- normalizing digestion and the work of the gastrointestinal tract;
- possessing urine and diaphoretic action.
Blackberry leaves are used to make medicinal tea with anti-inflammatory, hemostatic and strengthening effect.