Blackberries are rarely found in Russian gardens and are undeservedly ignored by many lovers of delicious, healthy berries. This crop is characterized by a plentiful harvest and is suitable for cultivation in temperate climates, where the summers are quite warm and the winter temperature does not fall below -15 ° C. In the northern regions, blackberries develop slowly and bear fruit worse. Cultivars are most common in the West: in the USA, agronomists constantly create new hybrids and grow these plants on an industrial scale.
Best Blackberry Grade: Triple Crown
Blackberry Triple Crown (or Triple Crown) is considered one of the best. This variety is bred in Oregon and has very large berries, as well as smooth shoots without thorns. It is a cross between creeping and erect hybrids. The berries are arranged in clusters, they are shaded by large and juicy foliage. The plant is fixed on the trellis and tied, then the bush begins to grow more actively. The branches develop very quickly and in the first year reach 2 meters in length.
Blackberry Triple Crown: Description
This hybrid is not cold-resistant and requires careful shelter for the winter. In late autumn, shoots are removed from the trellises and placed horizontally, and covering material is placed on top, additionally protecting the plant with a film. Blackberry Triple Crown ripen gradually, closer to the second half of August. With proper care for the season, up to 13 kg of berries can be removed from the bush. The fruit weighs 7–9 g, they are glossy, rounded, slightly elongated and have a spicy sweet taste with a slight acidity. Judging by the reviews of Blackberry Triple Crown, its flesh is juicy and dense, in the aftertaste there are cherry and plum notes. The peel of the berry is black with a burgundy tint.
Grade Features
The difference between this variety is that the fruits practically do not bake in the sun, if watering is regular and the soil does not dry out. On hot days, it is advisable to shade the bushes or use covering material to protect them from the scorching sun. Berries almost do not grow smaller until the last harvest, decreasing in volume by no more than 10%. The aroma resembles cherries and cherries. Due to the dense texture, Triple Black Crown berries do not crumple during transportation. Harvest can be stored at + 5 ° C for several days.
How to choose a place to plant a blackberry
The bush takes root well and is rarely damaged by diseases or pests. Blackberry seedlings are planted in spring or autumn. In the autumn version, seedlings are sheltered from frost by special materials. The best location for them will be a sunny and warm area, protected from drafts. The right choice of place is the key to an abundant harvest of large and sweet berries. If the Blackberry Triple Crown is in the shade, its fruits will grow acidic and chopped. The soil for planting blackberries with seedlings in the spring is suitable for any, but the best results can be obtained on loam with an alkaline reaction. In acidic soil, it is recommended to add wood ash or lime fluff. It is desirable that the earth is loose, light and permeable.
Proper Planting Blackberry
With proper planting and care, the average life expectancy of a Triple Crown Blackberry is 13 years. During this time, the roots grow strongly, which should be considered when preparing the landing pit. Its width should be at least 60 cm. The soil is mixed with humus and wood ash, then the mixture is divided into equal heaps. One of them is combined with complex mineral fertilizer and placed at the bottom of the pit. Top you need to pour a small layer of earth so that the root system of the seedling does not come into contact with top dressing ahead of time. Then the Triple Crown blackberry is placed in the pit so that the root neck is superficial. The roots are straightened and covered with the remaining soil. The soil around the trunk circle is rolled up and watered abundantly. The shoots are cut, leaving stumps 10 cm high. The soil around the plant is mulched with sawdust or rotted compost. If several plants are planted, the distance between adjacent bushes should be 1.5-2.0 m.
Blackberry Care and Growing Triple Crown
The blackberry is developing rapidly and in the first year it is increasing two-meter shoots. Therefore, with insufficient distance between plantings, an impassable grove can turn out. You can plant a plant along the fence, which will serve as a support for long branches. Judging by the numerous photos of the berry, the blackberry will quickly turn into a hedge. Abundant and frequent watering of the young plant is not required, but from time to time it will be necessary to moisten the soil, especially when the blackberry fades and begins to tie the fruits. For active growth, it is enough to water the bush once a week, if the weather is dry and calm. Watering should be increased by the time the crop ripens, so that the berries have enough moisture. Blackberry cultivation and care begin with weeding and regular loosening of the soil. After rooting the seedling, loosening is stopped, otherwise basal shoots may appear.
The shoots need to be installed in the support, therefore it is advisable to fix them on a high trellis with a taut wire. Its height should be approximately 2 m. The wire is pulled in several places, up to a height of 1.5 m. The plant will develop and fix on a support. When the shoots reach the upper mark, they are cut to stimulate branching. Extra branches are removed after harvesting, leaving about 5 healthy.
Blackberry dressing and breeding
Due to its active and rapid growth, the plant quickly depletes the nutrient supply in the soil and requires fertilizing. Blackberries need a complex of substances for proper development, including nitrogen, boron, zinc and copper. For feeding use phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in the spring and nitrogen - in the fall. You can take organics, ammonium nitrate and superphosphate. Fertilizers are applied in the spring. Not more than once every 2 years, a mixture of minerals and humus is spread around the bush. It is useful to introduce urea into the soil and mulch the trunk circle with humus or manure. Before the appearance of root offspring in the aisle, plants are fed with phosphorus and potassium, the soil is loosened loosely and mulched with organic matter.
Blackberry Triple Crown propagates by apical cuttings. They are cut in the spring from remote one-year-old shoots. Part is removed, the leaves are torn off and instilled into a depth of 10 cm, secured with a hairpin. The cutlery requires plentiful watering. Then a baby appears, which in the fall is cut off with the roots and transplanted to a permanent place.
Pests and diseases
This variety of blackberries is practically not sick and is rarely damaged by pests. It can be susceptible to fungal infections (septoria and rust). When infected, the fruits do not set and do not ripen, the leaves lose their color, and the shoots are covered with black dots. They treat these diseases with fungicides or folk remedies. The infusion of garlic and milkweed helps well: 300 g of chopped herbs and cloves are poured with three liters of warm water, insisted for 24 hours and filtered. The resulting liquid is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:20 and plants are sprayed.
The Triple Crown variety is suitable for beginner gardeners, since there is nothing difficult to care for it. In the photo, the blackberries look very impressive, because you can boast to your friends about the harvest, without making much effort to grow it. Juicy and tasty blackberry fruits will please any gourmet, and the spectacular foliage of the bush will decorate any garden.