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Blackberry Guy (Rubus Gaj) is a promising variety of crop, bred relatively recently. It has many advantages and benefits, but judging by the reviews of gardeners, it requires the fulfillment of certain conditions during cultivation. Before you start breeding a crop, you should familiarize yourself with all the rules and nuances, and also try to comply with them during planting and subsequent care.
History of origin
The blackberry variety Guy appeared 14 years ago thanks to the work of the Polish breeder Jan Deinek. The result was obtained in the course of thirty years of work carried out at the experimental station in the city of Brzezina at the Institute of Floriculture and Fruit Growing. Despite the fact that the variety appeared on the market in 2006, its mass implementation began in 2008.
The variety is used indoors and outdoors, where due to poor UV resistance in the field, it showed the best results. Suitable for fresh use, commercial cultivation, suitable for processing.
The high-yielding blackberry variety Guy has a medium early ripening period.
Description of the bush and berries of the blackberry variety Guy
This type of culture has a number of advantages. Gaya bushes are not prickly, the berries are sweet and delicate in taste, large in size, rich in vitamin and mineral composition and tolerate winter well.
The plant is an upright subshrub (belongs to the brambles) with branched, thornless, stiff shoots that can grow up to 350 cm in height. Laterals have several orders. The foliage of powerful bushes is medium, the leaves have a dark green color. The variety is propagated by cuttings, practically does not give root shoots. The berries are oval-shaped, glossy black in color, the average weight of one fruit is 6-7 g, the maximum is 16 g. The taste of Gai blackberry is sweet, similar to mulberry, almost without acid. It contains a large number of useful elements, especially iron and magnesium. It has a regenerative and choleretic effect, helps to cleanse the body of toxins. The density of the fruit is moderately firm, the berry is suitable for transportation.
Characteristics of blackberry Guy
Berries of this variety can be consumed fresh, frozen or dried. Blackberry Guy is suitable for making jam, jam and compote. Perfect as a filling for baking. The variety has a good yield, if the plant creates favorable growing conditions and provides proper care, then about 17 kg of ripe berries can be collected from one adult bush. Most of them are in the middle and at the bottom of the bush, in the upper part of the ovary are almost absent. Due to the elasticity of the berries, the variety tolerates transportation well. The branches are dense and massive, which is why they require garters to stakes or trellises.
Ripening time and yield
Blackberry Guy has a medium early ripening period. Flowering begins in May, the berries ripen depending on the growing region, usually from mid-summer to the end of September. In the northern latitudes, the fruiting period falls on August, when grown in the middle lane, they begin to harvest at the end of July, in the Urals in autumn. The berry quickly acquires a sweet taste, ready to be harvested when its color turns black. Take them off as they mature. They keep well in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
In the fifth year of life, a bush of the Guy variety is capable of producing up to 20 kg of yield.
Frost resistance
Blackberry Guy has an average resistance to drought and a very high winter hardiness, according to the originator of the variety, up to -30 degrees. But judging by the numerous reviews of gardeners, with the advent of frost, it will not be superfluous to cover the plant, for which it is better to use agrofiber.
Disease and pest resistance
The resistance of the plant to pests and diseases is moderate, in climatic conditions similar to Poland, and when grown in open ground – above average. Usually problems arise with high humidity, adverse conditions or improper care.
Of the diseases, the bushes can be exposed to:
- anthracnose;
- rust;
- septoriosis;
- powdery mildew;
- gray rot;
- purple and white spots.
To get rid of diseases, it is recommended to spray the plant with a Bordeaux mixture.
Insects that can attack Guy’s blackberry include:
- aphid;
- glass case;
- weevil;
- spider mite;
- flamethrower;
- nutcracker;
- kidney moth;
- Gallica.
From parasites, agronomists recommend using Actellik
Pros and Cons of Blackberry Guy
Like any plant, in nature, blackberry Guy has its advantages and disadvantages. When growing a crop, you may encounter some difficulties.
During frequent rainfall, the variety is quickly exposed to diseases.
Cultural virtues:
- high frost resistance;
- good yield;
- suitability for transportation;
- keeping quality;
- taste qualities.
Disadvantages:
- poor drought tolerance;
- average resistance to diseases;
- the need for support;
- ripening only in warm weather.
How to plant blackberries Guy
Features of growing blackberry Guy are in choosing the right place for seedlings, as well as in observing the planting algorithm. It is advisable to perform the procedure in the spring, from the end of April to the second week of May. Since Gaya is moderately drought tolerant, brightly lit areas are not suitable for it. It is better to allocate a site for culture in a slightly shaded corner of the garden. As for the soil, the blackberry is undemanding to it, but it feels better and brings a better harvest in drained loams, where pH is 6. It is worth noting that the quality of planting material also affects the development of culture. It is better to give preference to annual seedlings with a developed rhizome and a formed root bud. There should be two shoots, 4-5 mm thick.
During planting, seedlings should be placed in holes dug at intervals of 1-1,5 m, the distance between rows should be at least 250 cm. Before the procedure, it is advisable to pour potassium supplements, manure and superphosphates into the holes.
Blackberry Care Guy
Without proper regular care, a stable berry crop is unlikely to be obtained. Guy blackberry bushes need mandatory watering, top dressing, weeding and pruning. For one and a half months after planting, the plant is watered daily, when the cuttings take root, the frequency of moistening is reduced. After the procedure, weeds are removed.
In order for moisture to remain in the soil longer, it is advisable to mulch the near-stem circle of the crop, for which sawdust, straw and leaves are suitable.
Fertilizers are applied three times a year:
- At the initial stage of vegetation – 20 g of urea per square meter of land.
- At the time of the formation of berries – 10 g of potassium sulfate per 60 liters of water.
- After fruiting – potash fertilizers.
As for pruning, it is carried out every year in the spring before the start of sap flow. Branches at the age of one year are shortened to 200 cm, broken, diseased, frozen, and fruiting stems are completely removed.
With the advent of autumn, the near-stem circle of the Guy blackberry is covered with straw or organic matter. If the winter in the growing region is severe, then the bushes are insulated with spunbond.
In the case when the culture grows in the southern regions with mild winters, pinching is an additional step in caring for it. After shortening the growth point, the lateral branches of the blackberry begin to stretch upward, which interferes with their laying before winter. Therefore, it is rational to do a second, less rigid pinching, for the next branching order.
Scourges of blackberry Gai are tied to supports as they grow
Methods of reproduction
Blackberry of the Guy variety forms little root growth, which is why it is customary to propagate it by cuttings. Most often, planting material is cut after the end of the fruiting stage, in the fall, from lignified stems a year or more old. Cuttings are cut 400 cm long, after which they are added dropwise 20 cm deep. When the snow melts, the seedlings are dug up and planted in a permanent place. For the fastest rooting, plantings are regularly watered.
Some gardeners propagate this variety by dividing the root, using their segments.
Conclusion
Blackberry Guy is a noteworthy berry variety, which is considered very unpretentious and undemanding to care for. With proper cultivation, the plant gives a good harvest, the fruits are very sweet and tasty. Reviews about the variety are contradictory, not all summer residents praise Guy’s blackberry. Some fail to succeed in its breeding.
Reviews of gardeners about blackberry Guy
