Repair blackberry Prime Ark Freedom: description, characteristics, reproduction, video, reviews

Blackberry Prime Ark Freedom is one of the newer but popular varieties among gardeners. The berry has gained fame due to its taste and characteristics. A good harvest is obtained by owners who adhere to the rules of agricultural technology when growing crops.

History of breeding

Blackberry Prime Ark Freedom is a product of Western selection. The hybrid was registered in 2013. The creator of the variety is recognized as Dr. John Clark. Seedlings were brought to Our Country in 2014, where they became widespread due to their high yields and the ability to bear fruit twice per season.

Description of the blackberry variety Prime Ark Freedom

The plant belongs to medium-sized hybrids. The culture has the ability to self-pollinate. Among other varieties, it stands out for its large size of berries and high yield.

External description of the bush

The shrub has erect shoots of dark green color with a purple tint, growing up to 2 m. At the age of 3-4 years, with proper care, the plant reaches 3-4 m in height.

Blackberry of this variety has leaves of emerald color, oval-elongated shape with serrated edges and a pointed end. White buds with a very delicate aroma.

The seedling of the Prime Arc Freedom hybrid differs significantly from other productive varieties in terms of shoot power and the number of flowers.

Tastes of berries

The bred hybrid has a high yield, this is due to the fact that only one brush is able to set about 50 fruits at once.

The weight of fully ripened cone-shaped berries is 9-10 g. However, there have been cases when the fruit weight reached a record high of 17 g. The largest specimens ripen at the beginning of fruiting, and smaller berries appear at the end of the season.

Storage and transportation rates, like most hybrids of American origin, are quite high.

The pulp feels dense, has a rather pronounced sweet taste, and the presence of an almost imperceptible sourness makes this berry even more recognizable among other varieties. The peculiarity of the variety is the setting of doubled fruits.

You can store the harvested crop for ten days on a refrigerator shelf. But keep in mind that if you wash the berry, then the Prime Ark Freedom blackberry will quickly become worthless.

Characteristics of blackberry Prime Ark Freedom

The variety has both a number of advantages and disadvantages, therefore, before choosing a seedling, you should study the characteristics of the hybrid, take into account the nuances of its cultivation. You need to pay attention to frost resistance, immunity to pests, features of fruiting.

Flowering period, ripening period and yield

The selection of this hybrid was carried out in California, where the climate is very mild. Therefore, this variety begins to bloom at the end of February.

The first berries can be picked at the end of May. The second wave of fruit ripening occurs in autumn.

A very promising variety, as the yield is high. From 1 sq. m with proper care, it is easy to get up to 7 kg. Maturity can be determined by the change in color: the berries become a glossy black hue. They should separate well from the stem. Overripe specimens are easily damaged when harvested.

In the northern regions, due to the short summer, the owners of Prime Ark Freedom blackberries most often do not have time to harvest the second wave of harvest

Frost resistance

In winter, the hybrid requires mandatory shelter, since the frost resistance of blackberries is very low. At a temperature of -15 ° C, the plant may die. In the northern regions, there is the possibility of growing crops in greenhouse conditions.

Disease and pest resistance

The immunity of Blackberry Prime Ark Freedom adequately resists known diseases and attacks of harmful insects. However, the plant can be affected by mosaic and anthracnose.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The unique properties of the variety are the absence of thorns on the shoots and remontance.

The advantages of Blackberry Prime Ark Freedom include large-fruited

Advantages:

• high taste qualities;
• decent transportability and beautiful presentation;
• strong immune system;
• early ripeness (under the film, the crop can be harvested as early as April);
• ideal for growing in greenhouses;
• good reproduction by seeds and shoots.

Disadvantages:

• the inability of the plant to adapt to climatic conditions;
• in the Caucasus it is too hot for a blackberry, it needs to be shaded;
• in the Moscow region, in Siberia and the Urals, the variety is not able to produce two crops if it is not covered.

Planting Blackberries Prime Ark Freedom

The laying of trenches should be carried out depending on the climatic conditions of residence. In the southern latitudes, the best time to transfer Prime Ark Freedom blackberries to a permanent place of residence is autumn, 3-4 weeks before the onset of stable cold weather. For the northern regions, such conditions will be unfavorable. The recommended optimal time is at the end of April: the seedlings will take root better.

Landing rules:

1. The planting of bushes should be carried out in compliance with the distance of 70-80 cm between seedlings and 140-160 cm between rows. It is mandatory to install trellises so that the shoots do not break under the influence of external factors. The garter of the bushes allows the plant to evenly receive the sun’s rays.
2. The place should be inaccessible to the north and west winds.
3. All planting work should begin a month before the acquisition of the seedling. The width and depth of the pit should be at least 0,5 m.
4. The ideal soil is light loamy or sandy soil. The level of its acidity should vary between 6-6,6. It is necessary to fertilize the soil with organic top dressing: humus and wood ash.

The purchase of a seedling Prime Ark Freedom should be carried out only in specialized places where there are guarantees of product quality

Blackberry planting algorithm Prime Ark Freedom:

1. If the root system is open, then treat it with a solution of root formation. To disinfect planting material, you can add a little potassium permanganate to the water.
2. Humidify the pit abundantly.
3. At the bottom of the hole, make an earthen mound, on which then place the seedling, straighten the roots.
4. Fill the hole with soil, gradually compacting the soil mixture around the trunk.
5. Water the seedling and mulch the ground with peat. Alternatively, freshly cut grass or humus is suitable.

Blackberry care Prime Ark Freedom

The plant needs regular watering. The interval between moisturizing procedures should be two weeks. Mature bushes are more resistant to drought, but it is not recommended to deprive them of water. During the season, it is necessary to carry out the procedure 5-6 times.

Weeds around the plant need to be removed regularly. After weeding, loosen the soil around the trunk.

Feeding recommendations:

• in spring, provide the bush with nitrogen fertilizers;
• in the fall, add phosphorus and potassium to the soil.

In autumn, after sanitizing, Prime Ark Freedom blackberries need to be covered before the onset of frost. To do this, tie the stems, bend to the ground. Sprinkle them with straw on top, wrap with covering material.

In the Northern regions, the best way to protect blackberries from winter frosts is to use agrofibre.

Blackberry pruning Prime Ark Freedom

Shoots that have completed their fruiting are subject to removal in the fall. Mandatory pruning of damaged, affected by fungi or bacteria branches.

In the spring, thin out the shrub until foliage appears. On biennial shoots, you can cut off the top part to stimulate the growth of the ovaries. At the end of the procedure, you need to tie the branches to the trellis.

When growing a remontant variety, the following option is also possible: in the fall, at the end of fruiting, cut off all shoots. The next season, the ovaries will form on annual shoots. This method of pruning facilitates the procedure for sheltering a bush for the winter.

Propagation of remontant blackberry Prime Ark Freedom

At the moment, there are several ways to increase the number of shrubs on your site:

• rooting layering;
• root cuttings;
• sowing seeds.

It is known that the variety is very tenacious: a 3 cm shoot is able to take root and grow into a full-fledged bush. Regardless of the propagation method, all hybrid properties are preserved.

Blackberries can be propagated by Prime Ark Freedom in any of the available ways, but it should be borne in mind that you need to give preference to healthy fruit-bearing shrubs.

Conclusion

Blackberry Prime Ark Freedom is a relatively new crop on the market. Its unique qualities are repairability and thornlessness. The variety is demanding on the climate, but pleases with a high yield and a strong immune system.

Blackberry reviews from gardeners Prime Ark Freedom