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Remontant blackberry became known to gardeners of the Moscow region relatively recently, but even in a short time, plants of this variety managed to win the ardent love of gardeners. The secret is that such bushes do not require special care, moreover, they do not need shelter for the winter. Another plus of such a blackberry, which raspberries cannot boast of, is the possibility of almost complete pruning without prejudice to the future harvest.
About the berry
Like the raspberry we have long known, this berry forms a compact bush with a lot of thorns, the shoots of which prefer to grow vertically upwards. When the blackberry bushes bloom, they are a real decoration of the garden, resembling fancy lush bouquets and do not need to be given special care. The plant blooms for quite a long time, so on one bush you can meet both ripening berries and large fragrant flowers. The berries of this variety are also worthy of attention – they are large, juicy and fragrant, with a noble taste.
Description and characteristics of the variety
Remontant blackberries are characterized by general rules governing the care of the crop, and the features that should govern planting. For example, for all such bushes, two-time fruiting in one season is typical (remontant raspberries can boast of the same property). If we talk about differences, then all remontant varieties differ only in minor details, such as ripening time, flavor or shape of berries.
Let’s look at those varieties that are the most popular among gardeners in the Moscow region for objective reasons – they do not require special care.
Prime Yang is a variety that came to us from America. The shoots of plants are upright, with a large number of thorns, characterized by increased strength. Such bushes give us fragrant sweet berries of an elongated shape. This blackberry is considered the earliest of all remontant varieties.
Prime Jim is an American blackberry that first became known in 2004. The bush is characterized by strong shoots with a sufficient number of thorns. Berries ripening on such plants have an elongated shape with good density, pleasant sourness.
Ruben – this variety grows exactly like a raspberry, forming a neat bush with shoots pointing upwards. It can be said about him that he is devoid of prickly thorns – they are so insignificant that they do not cause any discomfort when harvesting. The main advantage of such a berry is the absence of the need to cover the bush for the winter: all shoots are cut off in the fall.
Prime Arc 45 is a relatively new variety that breeders bred only in 2009. Such plants also cannot be called thornless, but this inconvenience is more than offset by the quality of the berries – they are very sweet, large, dense. If you provide the plant with proper care, then the bush is able to grow up to 2 m. Like all remontant varieties, this one bears fruit twice per season: the first time in June, the second – in the second half of August. But the fruiting period is not limited to a few days – you can harvest until the first frost.
Advantages and disadvantages
Such varieties are becoming increasingly popular among residents of Our Country, and in particular the Moscow region, as they have a number of advantages, and also because they do not require additional care. They have the following properties (by the way, repair raspberries also have the same properties):
- Decorative bushes. Such plants are an undeniable decoration of your garden, giving large fragrant flowers that cover the bush abundantly. At the same time, the flowering period sometimes continues until frost, along with fruiting.
- Double fruiting. Remontant blackberries, as well as raspberries, are prone to fruiting twice a day in one season.
- Compactness. Plants of these varieties form a compact bush, without forcing the gardener to resort to installing trellises.
- Simple pruning. Berries of such varieties can be effectively grown in a one-year cycle. This means that the bushes do not require winter care. They can simply be cut short (in particular, those shoots that have already borne fruit), covering only the root for the winter, without prejudice to the future crop.
The only drawback that nature has awarded such a plant is its increased prickliness. But here, too, breeders came to the rescue of gardeners and gave us the Prime Ark Freedom variety – absolutely devoid of thorns. The blackberry of this variety, in addition to the absence of thorns and subtleties associated with the care and reproduction of plants, is also distinguished by the fact that it is a culture ideal for the Moscow region. Like raspberries, it grows well in our conditions, and its planting does not cause any particular difficulties.
Thinness of planting and care
Without exception, all remontant varieties can be grown either as separate bushes (when planting is carried out according to the 2×2 m scheme), or as a whole strip (planting is carried out at a distance of half a meter from each other, maintaining an interval of 2 m between rows).
The main care for such blackberries is regular watering. The number of ovaries on a bush is directly dependent on the intensity of watering. If the crop is cared for in the same way as raspberries require, then the harvest time can be extended until the end of October.
Sometimes shoots cannot cope with the weight of ripening berries, in such cases it is necessary to equip a trellis like the one preferred by raspberries.
And one more trick: if you want to get the first fruits as early as possible, ruthlessly remove the extra shoots, leaving only the strongest and most promising.
In the event that there is an irresistible desire to prolong fruiting as much as possible, the option is worthy of attention when planting is done in tubs or overall pots. As soon as the cold weather comes, such containers with bushes can be moved to a glazed veranda or to a greenhouse.
Remontant varieties are propagated mainly by dividing the root point. But sometimes they resort to such a method as propagation by cuttings.
Collection
Blackberries of such varieties are able to bear fruit twice per season, so you need to organize the harvest in accordance with this feature. Berries are harvested as they ripen, leaving the opportunity for young ovaries to ripen to the desired state.
Video “Blackberry Ruben”
We offer you to see a small review of the blackberry remontant variety Ruben.
