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Blackberry Osage (Osage) – a new variety of fruit and berry crops, which has become a vivid example of the successful work of breeders. The bushes of the plant do not have thorns, which greatly facilitates harvesting, and the berries are not only tasty and sweet, but also very healthy. Every year the variety becomes more and more popular among gardeners and summer residents.
Osage blackberry has high growth vigor
History of breeding
The variety was bred in the United States of America by scientist John Clark in 2012. It took 12 years for specialists from the University of Arkansas to work on obtaining this tasty and fragrant variety. As a result, Blackberry Osage appeared due to cross-pollination of seedlings A-1719T and A-2108.
External description of Osage blackberry
The bushes of this variety are medium sprawling and tall. The culture is upright, the shoots are strong, reach a length of 170 cm, do not have thorns. Osage blackberry leaves are dark green in color, their tips are pointed, with teeth. The variety blooms with medium-sized buds, pink-red, with a slight purple tint. There are a lot of brushes, they grow in a vertical direction, they form black round berries of medium parameters, weighing about 5 g. Ripe fruits hang on branches for a long time, do not fall off and do not bake in the bright sun.
Osage blackberry characteristics
The Osage blackberry is the result of many years of work in the field of improving the quality of the crop. The main characteristics of the plant include: resistance to lack of moisture, strong immunity to infections, excellent presentation, keeping quality, the ability to transport over long distances. In addition, the authors managed to raise the taste of Osage to a new level. Ripe berries are very sweet, juicy, with dense pulp and a pleasant fruity aroma.
The fruits can be consumed fresh, used for making confectionery, baking, canning, the berries do not lose their shape and quality after freezing. The variety demonstrates excellent industrial potential, it can be grown for the purpose of subsequent sale.
Ripening time and yield
Blackberry Osage refers to early ripe fruitful varieties. Fruiting culture lasts for 40 days. It starts around the second mid-June and continues until August. The average yield of a variety is about 5 kg per bush. Harvesting begins when the blackberry becomes dark in color and fully ripe. The procedure is carried out carefully, trying not to press the berries. The crop is immediately harvested in a cool place where it can lie without loss of quality for up to 20 days.
Osage berries do not ripen after picking
Frost resistance blackberry Osage
The resistance of the variety to low temperatures is still poorly understood, but, according to the originator, an adult Osage blackberry bush can only withstand frosts down to -13 ° C. For many regions, this is an indicator of rather weak winter hardiness, therefore, with the onset of late autumn, it is recommended to bend the crop shoots to the ground and cover them.
Disease and pest resistance
Osage blackberries are rarely affected by insects and diseases, but in order to definitely avoid problems, it is advisable to place its bushes as far as possible from raspberries. Also, from time to time it is worth carrying out preventive work: getting rid of weeds, pushing the soil, preventing excess moisture, and carrying out seasonal treatments.
Among the most common ailments that can harm blackberries are purple spot, anthracnose, septoria, gray mold, powdery mildew, curl and mosaic.
As for insects, most often blackberry plantings are attacked by ticks or aphids.
To prevent the invasion of pests, after winter, the bushes must be treated with soda, acaricides or insecticides.
Pros and cons of the variety
The advantages of the Osage blackberry variety are much greater than the disadvantages, and the quality of the berries deserves the spread of the variety.
The culture grows well and bears fruit in one place up to 15 years
Advantages:
- high taste qualities;
- simplified care;
- lack of spikes;
- productivity;
- keeping quality;
- transportability;
- versatility in the use of fruits;
- drought resistance.
Disadvantages:
- difficulty in acquiring planting material;
- low resistance to low temperatures.
Osage blackberry planting rules
In order for the plant to grow well and bring a bountiful harvest, it is necessary to carry out its proper planting. Osage blackberry prefers loamy soils, areas with a neutral level of soil acidity, does not tolerate calcareous and alkaline soil. The culture feels best on slightly acidic soil. A place for landing is chosen calm, sunny, light partial shade is allowed. Planting work is carried out in the spring, after the earth warms up well, and the air temperature is stable positive. If the Osage blackberry grows in the southern regions, then planting can and even preferably be done in the fall.
For planting, one-year-old sprouts with a developed and strong root system, as well as at least two shoots and one bud at the base, are used.
Two weeks before the work, deep (500 cm) holes are dug on the site, they are covered with 125 g of superphosphate, 50 g of potassium nitrate and organic fertilizers. River sand is added to dense soil, weathered peat is added to slightly acidic soil. Before planting, the pits are filled with water, allowed to soak, two seedlings are placed inside, the roots are straightened, sprinkled with earth, tamped, watered, mulched with sawdust or straw. After that, the sprouts are cut, leaving 20 cm in length.
Osage blackberry care
For the full development of culture, it is necessary to provide it with proper care. Despite the fact that Osage blackberries are considered unpretentious and unpretentious, the elementary rules of agricultural technology must be observed:
- Moisturizing. The variety is famous for its resistance to drought, but during the growing season and the formation of berries it requires abundant watering, after which the soil is loosened, weeds are removed, and the beds are mulched.
- Fertilizer. A couple of years after planting, Osage begin to feed. In the spring, ammonium nitrate is introduced, at the time of fruit formation and before wintering – organic fertilizers, phosphorus and potassium. The culture responds well to rotted compost and humus.
- Formation. Blackberries require support during the growth period, therefore, during cultivation, they are tied to wire-wrapped trellises, which are installed at a height of at least two meters.
- Pruning. The procedure is performed when the central stems grow to 1 m in height. Their tops are cut off by 15 cm. Lateral branches are shortened by 10 cm when growing up to 0,5 m. With the advent of spring, Osage blackberries remove all frozen stems, unproductive and weak shoots, broken and dry branches are cut off in autumn.
Support helps Osage blackberry stems avoid brittleness and sagging
How to prepare for winter
Blackberry Osage does not tolerate frost well, so after picking berries, gardeners must carry out pre-winter preparation of the crop:
- Untie the shoots of the plant from the support.
- Cut off all weak and dry branches.
- Shorten the stems by 1/3.
- Remove debris, fallen leaves, mulch from the garden.
- They dig and fertilize the bush near the trunk circle.
- Perform mulching.
- Bend the shoots to the ground and fix them on an oval shape.
- Cover with non-woven material, straw or spruce branches.
A layer of mulch helps Osage blackberry roots not dry out or freeze during the winter.
How it breeds
Osage blackberry is propagated by division, cuttings and root shoots. The first method is most often used during the transplantation of bushes. To do this, they are carefully dug up, young shoots with a well-developed root system are separated and planted on the site. During the procedure, old branches are cut off from the mother bush, leaving only strong young shoots. The second method is laborious, but it makes it possible to preserve all the varietal characteristics of the crop. Tops with 2-3 buds are cut off from young shoots of an adult plant, divided into parts, lowered into a growth stimulator. Then the sprouts are planted in paper cups covered with peat and sand (1: 1), cleaned in a greenhouse, keeping a temperature of +22 ° C in it. After a month and a half, the seedlings are transferred to a permanent place.
For propagation of Osage blackberries, productive bushes are selected by root shoots, from which sprouts with roots are separated. Do it at the end of spring. Choose strong seedlings with a height of 20, a thickness of 0,5 cm and plant them in the ground.
Conclusion
Blackberry Osage is a promising variety with excellent quality berries. The plant is unpretentious, even inexperienced gardeners can easily grow it. Subject to the recommended rules of agricultural technology, Osage will bring a generous harvest, which can not only be used fresh and for preparing blanks, but also frozen for the winter.
Gardeners’ reviews about Osage blackberries
