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Recently, gardeners are increasingly planting a crop that was previously undeservedly deprived of attention – blackberries. In many ways, it is similar to raspberries, but less capricious, contains more nutrients and gives a better harvest. Perhaps the blackberry variety Black Satin is not the newest of those presented on the domestic market and does not belong to the elite. But it is time-tested and is often found in gardens. Therefore, it is worth considering the blackberry Black Satin in more detail. The variety is not so bad, it just requires a competent approach.
History of breeding
Blackberry variety Black Satin was created in 1974 by the Northeast Zonal Research Center located in Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Authorship belongs to D. Scott. The varieties Darrow and Thornfree served as parent crops.
Description of berry culture
Blackberry Black Satin has become widespread throughout the world. In its appearance and other characteristics, it resembles the parent variety Tonfri.
General idea of the variety
Black Satin blackberry is a semi-creeping variety. It has powerful shoots without thorns, dark brown, up to 5-7 m long. Up to 1,2-1,5 m, they grow upwards, like a brambles, then turn into a horizontal plane and become like a dewdrop. If the whips are not tied up, then under their own weight they will bend to the ground and begin to creep.
Shoots grow very quickly, gaining up to 7 cm daily at the beginning of the growing season. They give many lateral processes. Without constant shaping, the Black Satin blackberry forms a dense bush that is not able to “feed” itself. The berries do not receive enough light and nutrition, become smaller and cannot fully ripen.
Blackberry shoots of the Black Satin variety are tough, easily broken when you try to bend them. Therefore, despite the absence of spikes, they are difficult to tie up and remove from the support.
The leaves are large, bright green. Each consists of 3 or 5 serrated segments with a pointed base and tip.
Berries
Black Satin flowers are pink-purple when opened, fading to white in a few days. They are collected in brushes of 10-15 pieces.
Ягоды среднего размера – в среднем от 3 до 4 г, на концах побегов – значительно крупнее, до 7-8 г. Как видно на фото ежевики Блэк Сатин, они красивые, скорее округлые, чем вытянутые, глянцево-черные. От плодоножки отделяются плохо.
Opinions differ on the taste of Black Satin blackberries. The manufacturer estimates it at 3,8 points, and domestic gardeners conducting their own surveys put the variety at the end of the list. Some do not give Black Satin more than 2,65 points.
What’s the matter? At the stage of technical ripeness, the fruits are really tasteless, just sweet and sour, with a faint aroma. But on the other hand, they remain dense and suitable for transportation. When the Black Satin berries are fully ripe, they become tastier, sweeter and more aromatic. But the fruits soften to such an extent that it becomes impossible to transport them.
Harvest ripens on last year’s growth.
Characterization
A description of the characteristics of Black Satin blackberries will help gardeners decide whether it is worth growing it on a personal plot.
Main advantages
The Black Satin variety has an average frost resistance (lower than that of the parent blackberry Thornfree), it must be covered for the winter. Bushes damaged by frost quickly recover. The culture does not tolerate drought well and requires uniform moisture, like other blackberries.
When planting the Black Satin variety, the soil should be adjusted to the needs of the crop. Difficulties in care are mainly due to the rapid growth and the ability to form many side shoots. It is difficult to cover adult lashes for the winter, and tie them to supports in the spring.
It is easy to transport only unripe berries of the Black Satin variety, ripe fruits have a low transportability.
Flowering period and ripening period
The flowering of the bushy blackberry Black Satin begins in late May or early June. It is very stretched, often on one fruit brush you can see buds, green and ripe berries.
When comparing blackberry varieties Thornfree and Black Satin, which are related and very similar to each other, it should be noted that the latter ripens 10-15 days earlier. Fruiting begins in late July or early August (depending on the region) and lasts until late autumn. It should be noted that in the northern regions, about 10-15% of the crop does not have time to ripen even with good agricultural technology.
Yield indicators, fruiting terms
Урожайность ежевики Блэк Сатин высокая. С куста в возрасте 4-5 лет собирают 10-15 кг ягод, а при хорошей агротехнике – до 25 кг.
In 2012-2014 in the Kokinsky (Bryansk region) stronghold of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution All-Union State Technical Institute, introduced blackberry varieties were tested, among which was Black Satin. The variety showed high productivity – 4,4 tons of berries were harvested per hectare. Fruiting in the conditions of the Bryansk region began at the end of July.
The use of blackberry variety Black Satin as an industrial one is problematic. Unripe berries have a mediocre taste, while ripe berries are soft and impossible to transport. In addition, Black Satin blackberries need to be harvested every three days, otherwise the fruits are affected by gray rot. This is of little importance to private gardeners and small farmers. For summer residents and large farms, this feature of fruiting is unacceptable.
Scope of berries
Black Satin blackberries are good only when fully ripe. To appreciate the aroma and taste, you need to grow them yourself – they can only enter retail chains when they are not ripe, who have not had time to soften and lose their shape. But blackberry blanks Black Satin are excellent.
Disease and pest resistance
Like the rest of the blackberry, the Black Satin variety is resistant to diseases and pests. That’s just the berries on the bushes need to be collected regularly, otherwise they are affected by gray rot.
Advantages and disadvantages
It is difficult to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of Black Satin blackberry. Many people do not like this variety. But why then did it become so widespread all over the world? Farmers from different countries could not suddenly forget about other, such wonderful varieties and together plant plantations of tasteless and poorly transported Black Satin blackberries.
Let’s take a closer look at the positive and negative qualities. And then each gardener will decide for himself whether to grow this variety. The advantages of blackberry Black Satin include:
- The highest productivity. With good agricultural technology, even with dense plantings, the variety yields up to 25 kg per bush.
- No spikes. For stretched fruiting, when the crop is harvested every 3 days, this is of great importance.
- High quality blanks are made from Black Satin blackberries. The consumer properties of jams, jams, juices and wines obtained from fruits of other varieties that are more delicious fresh are much lower.
- High decorativeness of well-groomed bushes.
- Resistance to pests and diseases. However, blackberry culture as a whole has such qualities.
- Absence of root growth. This makes maintenance easier.
The disadvantages of the Black Satin variety include:
- Insufficient frost resistance.
- Powerful shoots do not bend well. It is difficult to remove them from the support and attach to it, to cover the blackberry for the winter. If you apply force to the branches, they will simply break.
- Prolongation of fruiting. Some of the berries do not have time to ripen before frost.
- The need to harvest every 3 days.
- Low resistance to gray rot of fruits.
- Poor transportability of berries.
- Insufficient keeping quality – the harvest must be processed within a day.
- Посредственный вкус ягод.
- The variety cannot be propagated by root shoots. – it’s just missing.
What conclusions can be drawn from this? It is good to grow Black Satin blackberries in heated greenhouses and regions where the temperature in winter does not fall below -12⁰ C. There, the variety does not need to be covered for the winter and it manages to give the entire crop that can be put into processing.
However, whether this variety is suitable for growing on the site, each gardener decides for himself.
Methods of reproduction
Black Satin blackberry does not give root shoots, but its lashes are long, capable of reaching a length of 7 m. Many young plants can be obtained from layering or apical shoots. True, the shoots are thick, they do not bend well, so the lash chosen for propagation must be bent to the ground as it grows, and not wait until it reaches the required length.
Root and green cuttings give a good result. You can propagate Black Satin blackberries by dividing the bush.
Rules of landing
Planting Black Satin blackberries is not much different from other varieties. Unless in private farms it is recommended to plant bushes away from each other, and even then, if possible.
Recommended dates
In most regions of Our Country, it is recommended to plant Black Satin blackberries in the spring. This will allow the bush to take root and grow stronger in a season before the onset of frost. In the south, the variety is planted in the fall, since during the spring planting, blackberries can suffer from the quickly onset heat.
Choosing the right place
The best place for planting blackberries will be sunny areas, covered from the wind. The Black Satin variety can tolerate a little shading, but it is only permissible in the southern regions. In the north, with a lack of sunlight, the wood will not ripen, therefore, it will not winter well, and the percentage of berries that have not had time to ripen will be much higher.
Standing groundwater – no closer than 1,0-1,5 m to the surface.
You can not plant Black Satin next to raspberries, other berry bushes, strawberries and nightshade crops. They can infect brambles with diseases that, if properly placed, you would not think about. In general, the recommended distance is 50 m, which is difficult to achieve in small areas. Just plant crops far apart.
Soil Preparation
The Black Satin variety is not very demanding on soils, but before planting, the soil must be improved by adding a bucket of organic matter, 120-150 g of phosphorus and 40-50 g of potash fertilizers to each planting hole.
Blackberries grow worst of all on sandstones, in which more organic matter needs to be added, and heavy loams (improved by sand). The soil for culture should be slightly acidic. Riding (red) peat is added to alkaline and neutral soils. Excessive acid reaction of the soil is muffled with lime.
Selection and preparation of seedlings
The future health of the blackberry and the harvest depend on the choice of planting material. The seedling should be strong, with smooth, intact bark and a well-developed root system. The Black Satin blackberry variety is not uncommon, but it is better to buy it in nurseries or reliable retail chains.
The container plant is watered on the eve of planting, the open root is soaked in water.
Algorithm and landing scheme
A distance of 2,5-3,0 m is left between Black Satin blackberry bushes. In industrial plantations, planting compaction up to 1,5-2,0 m is allowed, but in this case, top dressing should be intensive, since the feeding area is reduced.
The planting hole is dug in advance, filled 2/3 with nutrient mixture and filled with water. Its standard size is 50x50x50 cm. After 2 weeks, you can start planting:
- A mound is formed in the center, around which the roots are spread.
- The pit is covered with a nutrient mixture so as to deepen the root collar by 1,5-2 cm.
- The soil is compacted, the blackberries are watered with water, spending at least 10 liters per bush.
- The earth is mulched.
- The seedling is cut to 15-20 cm.
Culture aftercare
Caring for Black Satin blackberries is more difficult than other varieties due to the need to constantly form a bush and the problems that thick, stiff shoots cause.
Growing principles
Growing blackberries Black Satin without a garter is impossible. Although its lashes are devoid of thorns, they are very long, without formation and pruning, they grow first up, then go down to the ground and take root. With a powerful shoot-forming ability of the variety, impenetrable thickets can be obtained in a season. It is very difficult to tidy up a neglected blackberry, as the branches are thick, unyielding and easily broken.
Blackberry shoots Black Satin need to be taught to hoist on a trellis when they reach a length of 30-35 cm. The lashes are bent to the ground and fixed with staples. They are lifted onto a support after reaching 1,0-1,2 m.
Necessary activities
Blackberry is a moisture-loving crop. The Black Satin variety is extremely productive, therefore, it needs more water, especially during flowering and berry formation.
Other varieties of blackberries are recommended to start feeding in the third year after planting. Black Satin quickly builds up green mass, forms a lot of side shoots and berries. Feeding starts in a year:
- In the spring, immediately after thawing or right in the snow, they give the first, nitrogen top dressing.
- At the beginning of flowering, blackberries are fertilized with a complete mineral complex.
- Further, once a month (until August), the plant is fed with diluted mullein infusion (1:10) or green fertilizer (1:4) with the addition of ash.
- In August and September, the bushes are fertilized with phosphorus and potassium. It dissolves well in water and gives excellent results with potassium monophosphate.
- During the season, foliar top dressing should be done, they are also called fast. It is good to mix fertilizers specially designed for this purpose, humate, epin or zircon and a chelate complex. The latter prevents chlorosis and nourishes Black Satin blackberries with trace elements necessary for plant health and a good harvest.
Loosening is best replaced by mulching with acidic peat or humus. Harrowing is carried out after hoisting shoots on supports, harvesting and before sheltering for the winter.
shrub pruning
Black Satin blackberries need to be pruned regularly. For fruiting, 5-6 strong shoots of the last year are left. The side lashes are constantly shortened to 40-45 cm, weak and thin ones are completely cut out.
The shoots that have finished fruiting are removed before shelter for the winter. In the spring, 5-6 best lashes are left, weak lashes, frozen or broken tips are cut off.
In the Black Satin variety, the leaves also need to be rationed. During the ripening of the crop, those that shade the fruit clusters are cut off. Just don’t overdo it! Blackberries need foliage for nutrition and the formation of chlorophyll.
Preparation for winter
We will assume that you have trained the young shoots to climb the trellis, as described in the chapter “Growing Principles”. Before winter, it remains to cut the lashes that have finished fruiting under the root, remove the annual growth from the support, and fix it on the ground. Then you need to cover the blackberry for the winter with spruce branches, agrofibre and cover it with soil. You can build special tunnels.
Diseases and pests: methods of control and prevention
Like other blackberry varieties, Black Satin is rarely sick and affected by pests. If you do not plant raspberries, strawberries and nightshade crops next to it, spring and autumn treatment with copper-containing preparations will be enough.
The problem for Black Satin blackberries is gray rot of berries. To prevent disease, the fruits must be removed as they ripen every 3 days.
Conclusion
Reviews of gardeners about Black Satin blackberries are extremely controversial. We tried to objectively understand the characteristics of the variety, and whether to plant it on the site, each gardener must decide on his own.
Reviews
