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Blackberry hybrid – Chester Thornless variety is especially loved by gardeners for its high level of resistance to sudden changes in temperature and excellent fruit taste. In addition, the absence of thorns on the shoots and the large size of blackberries can be confidently attributed to the advantages of this variety.
Variety description
The Chester blackberry variety is distinguished by the greatest winter hardiness among all existing thornless varieties. Powerful culture bushes form flexible, light brown shoots, each of which can reach 3 m. After fruiting is completed, the spent lashes begin to dry out gradually. Blackberry of this variety traditionally completely renews the aerial part every two years.
Each stem forms trifoliate leaves, at the base of which fruitful buds develop, knocking out buds with the advent of summer. Gradually, the buds bloom into pale pink or pure white large flowers that fill the entire garden with fragrance.
In late July or early August, fruits begin to form. As maturation occurs, they take on a brilliant black color. Each berry reaches a length of 3 cm and perfectly tolerates transportation. Variety Chester Thornless, unlike its closest relative Thornfree, has a sour taste, with a lower sugar content. Blackberries of this variety can be consumed by people who adhere to a dietary diet, as well as those who are characterized by carbohydrate metabolism disorders.
Peculiarities of growing
Variety Chester Thornless, provided that it is provided with proper care and the place where it is planted is correctly chosen, can successfully exist in gardens almost throughout our country. The blackberry easily endures the relatively warm and damp winters characteristic of the southern regions of Our Country, and in the northern regions, even if the bushes require special care (which consists in organizing shelter for the winter), it is still able to tolerate temperature drops down to -30 degrees.
The Chester berry has a high yield, so you should take care of sufficient support for the lashes – sometimes they break under the weight of ripening berries. The Chester Thornless variety is considered drought-resistant due to its root system – it lies deep enough, so you can not be very picky about choosing a place for blackberries of this variety. Blackberries of the Chester variety retain their marketable appearance for a long time and tolerate transportation even over long distances.
At the stage when it is planned to plant Chester blackberries, choose a site so that it is not overly shaded and waterlogged – our variety does not like this very much.
If the Chester variety is cultivated in the southern regions, then caring for the plant is not particularly difficult. But in the case when the crop is to be grown much further north, the bushes will need mandatory autumn care – laying blackberry lashes and preparing the bush for wintering.
Planting and care
The description of caring for blackberries of this variety is not particularly difficult, which is why gardeners love it so much. In order to plant a Chester bush, you need to choose a sunny, flat area with loose soil. Seedlings of this variety should be placed in a permanent place in the spring, after the soil has completely dried out. Autumn planting is also possible, but in this case it must be done before the arrival of prolonged autumn rains. Blackberry of this variety prefers slightly acidic or neutral soil.
The description of the planting process is as follows: holes are made of medium depth (about 0,3 m), at a distance of 2,5 m from each other. Organic and mineral fertilizers are applied to each hole, and a young seedling with at least two well-developed shoots is placed.
This variety, as, indeed, all hybrids, is quite unpretentious. However, he also requires that he be provided with at least minimal care: row spacings are fluffed every few years and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied, regular pruning is carried out.
For the first time, this variety requires pruning only in the second year, when the blackberry patch is fully formed. At this time, you need to completely remove the old shoots, leaving no more than seven young ones for the winter. Subsequently, the variety requires such treatment annually.
A correct description of the process of cultivating this crop would be incomplete without mentioning the trellis: such a blackberry requires a mandatory garter.
Diseases and pests
Bush Chester is prone to such ailments:
- Verticillium wilt (fungal disease, in yellowing and curling of the leaves). The affected plant is mercilessly destroyed, and those adjacent to it are fumigated with smoke.
- Gray rot – affects bushes with excess moisture. To prevent the development of the disease, blackberry bushes are sprinkled with a 5-centimeter layer of ash.
- Anthracnose – when bushes are affected by this disease, blackberry leaves become covered with purple spots with a red border. In order to prevent the disease, gardeners recommend regularly fighting weeds and spraying the bushes with colloidal sulfur.
If we talk about pests that can attack blackberry bushes, then their description comes down to three types: raspberry beetle, shoot aphid and weevil. Those lashes that are affected by pests are especially sensitive to even the slightest frost. To get rid of the misfortune, a mechanical method of removing the raspberry beetle and weevil is recommended: it is shaken off on a white cloth previously spread under the bush, the bushes can be sprayed with a weak solution of laundry soap. Another option is to treat the plants with a garlic solution (30 g of crushed garlic per 10 liters of water). Well, if your blackberry is affected by shoot aphids, just fumigate the bushes with tobacco smoke, or treat with the same garlic solution.
Video “Fruiting blackberry Chester Thornless”
This video will give you the opportunity to admire the Chester Thornless blackberry variety during the fruiting period.
