One of the main features of black raspberries is ease of care, because the plant does not bring much difficulty. But not experienced summer residents, before starting to grow raspberries, it is worthwhile to find out all the subtleties and features of planting and caring for the described variety.
Description of Black Raspberries
Black raspberries got its name due to the specific ink color of the fruit. The bushes are very lush, have large dark berries. A distinctive feature of this variety is a high-quality and tasty crop, obtained in large quantities, which is how it differs from the usual red and white raspberry varieties. This is a perennial bush, the shoots of which can be in height from 1 to 3 m.
Culture has certain features:
- Strong roots that do not form excess growth. Therefore, you can plant individual bushes nearby with other plants, and not worry that they can be destroyed.
- Fruits the bush early, has a high resistance to dry periods. The raspberry can be located in sunny and open areas. It will not dry out during the hot summer.
- The berries hold fast enough, therefore, even after full ripening, the fruits will not fall to the ground if they are not picked in time.
- It has strong resistance to various types of diseases, it is extremely rare to attack insects.
- No complicated or special care required. It is enough to periodically perform simple dressing and moderate watering. But not all types of chokeberry calmly tolerate severe cold. Before winter, it is recommended to tie the bushes, otherwise thin shoots may break under the weight of the snow.
- Flowering begins not earlier than in the second year of plant growth. The flowers are quite large, in the form of large brushes. Each flower has 5 white petals, as well as green sepals. A distinctive feature of the flowers is the presence of a large number of stamens.
- Oblong in the petals, triangular in the sepals.
- Flowering begins in late spring or early summer (this is influenced by the time when the plant was planted). The duration of flowering is about 14 days.
Where does it grow?
Black raspberries can grow both in gardens and in the wild. Most often, this berry culture is found in the forests of eastern North America. The main habitats are the border, located next to the forest stands, the territory of deciduous forests can be found in open areas, but very rarely.
You can collect only those fruits that have found a saturated black color.
Unlike blackberries and red raspberries
The main distinguishing features when compared with red raspberries and blackberries are:
- Fruit. Hollow interior. It breaks easily, the receptacle remains to hang on a branch. The blackberry will remain empty, both the fruit and the receptacle break off at the same time. Aronia raspberries have the shape of a hemisphere, which differs from ordinary red.
- Ripening period. There are differences in the ripening time, as the blackberry ripens much later. There are species in which the harvesting period coincides.
- Appearance. If you carefully examine the plants, you can notice the differences in the stems. The blackberry has long green stems and strong spikes. The blackberry has a very dense bush and may resemble a coiled wire. The branches of black raspberries are shorter and thinner, unlike the classic red.
Dark berries have a sweeter, juicier taste. During the summer, collecting from a bush about 4 kg of ripe fruit. The berries are not only very large, but also quite elastic, so that they do not crumple during transportation. Aronia raspberries contain many valuable acids and a lot of vitamins.
Black raspberries make incredibly tasty jam and jam. Such a treat is very tasty and becomes an excellent vitamin supplement to tea.
Varieties and their characteristics
There are a large number of varieties of black raspberries. When choosing a particular species for the garden, it is necessary to take into account the ripening dates, characteristics, especially fruiting and taste properties of the crop.
Cumberland
A feature of the bushes of this variety is the strength and the original arcuate bending of the stems. On the branches are small thorns, located quite densely. The fruits are very sweet, quite large in size, taste like blackberries.
The main advantage is considered a plentiful harvest - one bush gives about 5 kg of aromatic fruits. Cumberland perfectly tolerates even large frosts, but does not like strong waterlogging of the soil.
Little coal
This variety is one of the early ones; shoots can reach a height of almost 3 m in height. There are small spikes on the stems, a semicircular arch. A feature of the Ugolek variety is juicy small berries.
With proper care and good growing conditions, you can get high yields. It is immune to various pests and diseases, easily survives frosts.
Bristol
This berry variety is one of the best, as it gives a plentiful harvest. The height of the shoots can reach 3 m, the fruits have a rounded shape, a plaque of a light blue hue is visible on top of them.
Bristol is a juicy and very sweet variety. During its cultivation, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the variety has low frost resistance and loves open sunny areas.
Black jewel
This raspberry variety is considered high-yielding, easily tolerates periods of drought and freezing. The fruits are sweet and fairly dense. After full ripening, they do not crumble, do not bake in the sun and retain taste. Among the disadvantages of the variety is low resistance to a disease such as powdery mildew.
Boysenberry
In height, raspberry bushes can reach 3 m. The main feature of the variety is the complete absence of thorns on the stems. The fruits are oblong, dark blue, have a glossy sheen. The plant easily tolerates frosts, practically does not undergo diseases.
New logan
This variety is very similar to Cumberland, but the fruits ripen much earlier. Berries have a glossy sheen and taste like blackberries. The stalk reaches a height of 2 m, on the stems there are hard spikes. Before wintering, mandatory shelter is required, since the variety is afraid of even small frosts.
Pros and Cons of Black Raspberry
Black raspberries among gardeners are very popular due to such positive qualities:
- high productivity - up to 5 kg of tender berries can grow on one bush per season;
- more delicate, sweet and fragrant variety, in contrast to the classic red;
- the fruits do not crumble, even after full ripening;
- long and powerful roots;
- sings much earlier than red raspberries;
- with the help of the roots, the bush does not grow;
- tolerates prolonged transportation, stored for several days without losing taste;
- fruits can be frozen for the winter or used to make jam;
- can grow on almost any soil;
- regular use of black raspberries helps minimize the likelihood of developing cancer;
- rarely exposed to diseases, most pests do not affect it;
- calmly tolerates dry and hot summers.
Among the disadvantages of black raspberries is that it has poor frost resistance. That is why before winter, plants need to be insulated with a covering material.
Beneficial features
This berry is not only incredibly tasty, but also a valuable source of healthy vitamins. It can be used to combat various colds.
Black raspberries have the following beneficial qualities:
- heavy metals are excreted from the body;
- blood pressure decreases;
- hemoglobin in the blood rises;
- walls of blood vessels are strengthened;
- the likelihood of malignant tumors is minimized;
- vision improves;
- cholesterol levels are reduced;
- skin condition and appearance improves.
Preparatory work before landing
Black raspberry is unpretentious in leaving, therefore it can grow on almost any type of soil. To get the maximum yield, it is worth considering some of the subtleties of planting this berry culture.
The timing
The best time to land is early spring. Of course, you can carry out the procedure in the fall, but before the onset of frost, plants do not always have time to get stronger. As a result, seedlings may not survive the winter and die.
Site selection and soil preparation
An ideal option would be to choose a well-lit sunny place, since the plant does not tolerate even a slight dimming. Plant black raspberries as far as possible from plain red, otherwise the plants can be pollinated and instead of black berries there will be red or purple fruits.
It is important to choose the area of the garden where groundwater is located as far as possible from the surface. It is better to plant a plant in fertile and loose soil, on a small hill.
Preparing planting material
No special preparation of seedlings is required. It is enough to inspect each plant so that there is no damage on the roots. Then the roots are gently straightened and you can proceed directly to the planting of the plant.
Landing Features
How quickly a seedling takes root depends on the correctness of the planting. It is enough to adhere to the following sequence of actions:
- Prepare a pit for planting, no wider than 55 cm, about 45 cm deep.
- Combine the ash with humus and fill the bottom of the landing pit, then pour water.
- Place the sprout in the pit.
- You need to wait until the water is completely absorbed into the ground.
- Sprinkle the roots of the plant with a mixture of sand, complex fertilizers and soil.
- Make sure that the soil does not cover the neck of the trunk.
- In the end, be sure to water the plant again.
What care is required?
This berry is unpretentious in leaving, so even beginner gardeners can cope with the cultivation. It is enough to adhere to a few simple rules:
- Mulch the soil after the seedling has been planted. Use sawdust, manure or pre-dried grass.
- Do not forget to perform timely watering, especially during the ripening period. The size of berries is directly affected by the frequency of watering. It is best to use a drip irrigation system.
- The branches grow very quickly and can reach a height of 3 m, as a result they become fragile. Use a garter to the trellis, which will help prevent breakage of the branches.
- Perform loosening and weeding regularly, removing weeds that can drown out the crop and pick up nutrients from the soil.
- Trim raspberries at least twice a year. Summer pruning will increase productivity - shorten the shoot at the point of growth. Autumn pruning will help to carry out the correct preparation of the plant for winter - remove all old and dried branches.
- In spring, add nitrogen-containing fertilizers - for example, natural organic matter (mullein or chicken droppings) is perfect. You can also use synthetic products - urea.
Wintering bushes
There are several different methods for preparing bushes for the coming winter. The choice of a particular method depends solely on the climatic features of the region where the crop will be grown.
To prepare raspberry bushes for the cold, you should use the following tips:
- If the winters are snowy and mild, leave bushes on the support and fasten each stalk well. Under this condition, heavy snowfalls will not harm the plant.
- If there is no snow throughout the winter, use a layer of spruce branches or mulch to protect the berry bushes.
- In case of sudden temperature changes and snowy winters, use special agrofibre for shelter.
- During long and cold winters, bend the shoots of the bush to the ground, but not too low. Lock the stems in this position, after which they are sprinkled with the first sediments. It is a layer of snow that protects the stems from freezing.
Propagation of black raspberries
It is recommended to start breeding black raspberries closer to the end of summer. You can use the layering method - the branches of the bush are stretched and bent in the form of an arc, after which they are pressed to the ground. If this method will be used, it is necessary to pre-prepare the trenches, the depth of which is not more than 10 cm.
The procedure for propagation of shrubs by the trench method is very simple to perform:
- Gently place the stems in the prepared trenches and sprinkle with a layer of earth on top.
- Make sure that there is an active growth point above the ground.
- Before starting frosts, sprinkle the stems with a layer of sawdust and peat. This will serve as additional warming.
- Carefully separate the rooted sprouts in the spring, and then conduct a separate planting.
In the presented video, the gardener talks about the propagation of black raspberries:
Diseases, pests and their control
It is extremely rare that a plant is exposed to disease or attack by insect pests. Verticillosis wilt is of great danger, because the disease is not treatable and it is necessary to completely destroy the affected plant.
Constant rains and too heavy watering can provoke the development of various types of fungi. Therefore, it is recommended to plant the plant on small hills and drained land.
Among the pests, the greatest threat is the May bug, which is capable of causing serious damage to the bushes. As a result, this leads to their wilting.
It is possible to prevent infection by various diseases and attack by pests by simple preventive measures. It is enough to process the bushes several times a year using fungicides and complex insecticides, herbal infusions and ash are beneficial.
Harvesting
You can start harvesting after the fruits have a uniform saturated hue. Collect fruits in clean and dry containers, immediately pick them in the shade. Can be stored in the refrigerator or transported. The berries easily tolerate long-term transportation, while maintaining their attractive appearance and taste.
Grade Reviews
Svetlana, 40 years old, accountant, Voronezh. Incredibly beautiful bush, even green berries attract attention. Ripe black berries with a light bluish bloom. It tastes a bit like blackberries, but more sweet fruits. The bush does not grow throughout the raspberry, which differs from the classic red species. If the top is sprinkled with earth in autumn, a new plant can be transplanted already in spring.
Olesya, 35 years old, doctor, Moscow. Every season, the whole family eagerly awaits a new raspberry crop. The fruits are incredibly fragrant and juicy. The most important thing is to plant the bush correctly and tie it up so that the branches do not bend under the weight of the fruits.
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Black raspberries collected at the same time only the best qualities from the classic variety of red raspberries, as well as blackberries. The fruits are incredibly tasty, juicy, aromatic, healthy and large. The berry crop produces bulk crops and does not require special care. Even gardeners with little experience will be able to easily grow this culture in their garden.