Unlike red raspberries, black raspberries are rarely found in our gardens, but once in a raspberry, they remain for a long time. Children love to feast on black beads with a bluish tint, while housewives adore the berry for its rich color and the unusual aroma that it gives to compotes and jams. The healing properties of the plant are generally legendary.
Because of the unusual color, the berry is often mistaken for a blackberry.
Raspberries, hedgehog raspberries, blackberries: common and differences
We think that everyone has seen black raspberries. This is a semi-shrub with a two-year vegetation cycle, like that of an ordinary summer raspberry. Gives long drooping shoots covered with small but sharp thorns. Without pruning, the lashes reach a length of 2.5–3 m. During the fruiting period, the bush is literally strewn with multi-colored berries - unripe red and ripe - dark with a bluish wax coating.
It is because of the creeping lashes and the color of the drupe that many believe that black raspberries and blackberries are one and the same, but despite the similarities, the plants have differences. By and large, this is a natural hybrid of raspberries and blackberries, common in North America and from there it came to us already as a cultivated, varietal plant called Cumberland.
With raspberries, it is related by the shape of the leaves, the structure of the berry and the attachment to the receptacle, from which it is easily separated, unlike blackberries. In addition, black raspberries are hollow inside, while blackberries are not.
ABOUT family ties with blackberries testify to the characteristics of reproduction. The black raspberry bush grows at the expense of young shoots that form at the base of old stems. The culture does not give overgrowth, but propagates by rooting the tops of drooping lashes.
This is interesting! Cumberland is the most popular, but not the only variety of black raspberries. Through the efforts of breeders, new hybrids have been bred, called blackberry and combining best properties both cultures.
Sweet and generous Cumberland
Chokeberry varieties
In our country, this culture is common in amateur gardening, but in the USA, Mexico, and a number of European countries it is cultivated on an industrial scale. New varieties of black raspberries and black raspberry hybrids are distinguished by improved taste, larger berry size, long fruiting period, and high yield.
Not only tasty, but also healing
Black raspberries are not only tasty, but also have pronounced useful properties. The berries contain a full complex of vitamins (A, C, PP, group B), a lot of potassium, iodine, copper, due to which they have a tonic, anti-inflammatory, tonic effect on the body.
But the main advantage of the plant in the shock amount of antioxidants - carotene and ascorbic acid. By neutralizing free radicals, these powerful biologically active compounds prevent oxidative processes that destroy our body at the cellular level. Consumption of foods containing antioxidants - The best way prevention of cell mutation, their degeneration into malignant formations.
Delicious, fragrant, curative remedy for colds and beriberi
Planting and growing
Black raspberries in most planting and care parameters do not differ from red-fruited varieties. He also loves areas of the garden with scattered sunlight, fertile, loose and moisture-intensive soil, abundant watering. But there are also features, the knowledge of which will allow you to get a plentiful and high-quality harvest.
Landing
Black raspberries are planted both in spring and autumn. A trench is prepared with a depth of 40–50 cm. Fresh organic matter is laid at the bottom - this is food in reserve, on top of humus or compost in half with garden soil. A distance of 50–70 cm is maintained between plants in a row, the aisles are left wide, up to 2 m, after planting they are mulched with straw, fallen leaves, and old sawdust.
An effective way to grow this type of raspberry is on a trellis (How to make a trellis with your own hands, read the article http://happy-villa.ru/shpalera-dlya-maliny.html). This allows the gardener to regulate reproduction. If young shoots are not needed, the lashes are lifted from the ground and tied to the trellis, thus preventing the tops from rooting.
Bush formation
Since Cumberland is a vigorous plant, it is desirable to form a bush. Double cutting produces a good effect. In young growth (shoots of the first year of vegetation), as soon as it reaches a size of 50–60 cm, the top is cut off. This stimulates the appearance of lateral branches from axillary buds, by the end of summer they reach a meter length.
The second pruning is carried out in early spring, leaving up to 6 live buds on each branch - this is the basis of the future harvest. It turns out a highly branched bush with an abundance of flowering, and then fruiting brushes.
For bushes tied on a trellis, it is easier to care for, it is easier to control growth and reproduction.
Advice! The plant is responsive to shaping, this property is used in landscape design, launching powerful lashes along the lattice of hedges, creating arches, planting them at the gazebo.
Care
Cumberland black raspberry loves top dressing both during planting and during care - the fruits in this case are sweeter, larger. Twice a season - after flowering and the first mass harvest, prepare a nutritious cocktail for the berry. Dilute the mullein in a ratio of 1:10 or chicken manure (1:20), add a tablespoon of complex fertilizer, such as Kemira, to a bucket of the mixture, distribute a liter under each bush. Do not forget about the rule - feed after abundant watering!
Cumberland and blackberry are more demanding on moisture than red-fruited varieties. With a lack of watering, the berry turns out to be dense, dry. To retain moisture, the surface of the raspberries is mulched with a layer of at least 5-7 cm, this is also a good organic top dressing for the next year.
Black raspberry is a frost-resistant plant, but for reliability for the winter, it is better to remove the branches from the trellis and bend them to the ground. This will hold the snow, protect the roots and stems from freezing.
Reproduction features
The main distinguishing feature of black raspberry varieties is. Since the plant does not give shoots, two options are used to obtain planting material- rooting of growth tips and layering.
Reproduction by rooting tops
After fruiting comes to an end, and this is somewhere in the middle of August, the lashes will begin to “gravitate” to the ground, trying to cling to the soil. To get seedlings with a good root system, the tops are pinned to the soil and lightly sprinkled with earth. After 1.5 months, quite viable roots form at the place of contact with the soil, and the black raspberry seedling can be transplanted to permanent place already in autumn. If the root system is weak, better plant leave until spring.
Advice! After the seedling has taken root, it is separated from the mother shoot by cutting the stem at a distance of 20–25 cm. For some time it is left in place to grow the roots, then it is transplanted.
Reproduction by layering
Some gardeners specifically grow layering. In the middle of summer, part of the branches is taken away from the bush, pressed to the ground and not the top, but the middle of the stem is added dropwise. In this case, 2 full-fledged seedlings are obtained from one branch.
A unique American hybrid of blackberries and raspberries, called Cumberland black raspberries, is a rare crop in domestic gardens, but very promising for cultivation.
High winter hardiness, excellent survival and adaptation to the harsh conditions of temperate Russian latitudes, as well as the excellent taste of large glossy black berries - this is an incomplete list of the advantages that characterize the black raspberry hybrid. What is good variety Cumberland? Let's talk about this plant, its features, the difficulties of cultivation and agricultural practices that allow you to get high yields.
Raspberry black Cumberland: description
Planting, caring for and caring for the development of this interesting culture are almost the same as the garden manipulations that are required for red and yellow raspberries. The appearance of Cumberland is very similar to blackberries, only its berries are somewhat smaller and are easily removed from the stem, although they do not crumble from the bushes and are well stored.
The high frost resistance of Cumberland is surprising, since even in very severe and snowless winters the bushes do without special shelters. Despite the fact that the fruits of black raspberries are very sweet, birds do not encroach on plantings, and traditional pests bypass this variety of raspberries.
It should be noted that there are certain difficulties in caring for such a culture as Cumberland black raspberry. Planting and care sometimes cause trouble in the form of scratches and abrasions due to the many sharp spikes that cover the stems. Therefore, protective measures must be observed.
Berries: taste and benefits
The fruits of this American curiosity are a rounded polydrupe saturated with various burgundy or blue hues (depending on the degree of maturity) weighing up to 5 g, with tender pulp and large seeds. With the correct formation of the bush, the yields are very impressive - 5-6 kg from one bush.
Berries have a very sweet taste and pleasant aroma. They are an excellent delicacy, and are eaten fresh or processed into various dessert dishes. In addition, according to American scientists, the unique compounds of vitamins, minerals and the saturation of fruits with antioxidants help to suppress the development of cancer cells, activating human immunity. All of the above arguments emphasize the benefits of breeding a crop such as Cumberland black raspberry. Description, planting, care and watering - this information and cultivation stages are presented in the article.
Choosing a place to land
The site for planting black raspberries is better to choose a sunny, flat or slightly inclined. You can place its plantations on the northern or northwestern gentle slope. Demanding on soil structure, black raspberries prefer fertile loam or sandy loam.
It is undesirable to plant it in areas where red raspberries, apple trees or nightshades used to grow. She does not get along with blackberries either: when they are nearby, these cultures begin to oppress each other. The best predecessors are tilled crops - carrots, onions, or green manure, which increase the fertility of the soil, and, consequently, increase the survival rate of a crop such as Cumberland black raspberry. Planting can be done in early spring or autumn. Plants purchased in containers can be planted throughout the summer season using the transshipment method, as the protected root system allows this. The soil on the site for planting is preliminarily prepared by digging in advance and making one square meter 15-20 kg of rotted manure or good quality compost.
We prepare seedlings from apical shoots
It is still rare to meet ready-made planting material on the territory of Russia for sale. It is easier to find it from gardeners who grow black raspberries. The culture is propagated by apical and horizontal layering. Raspberry black Cumberland (growing, caring for the crop is confirmed) almost does not give basal shoots. This variety compares favorably with red raspberries precisely in that its offspring do not spread throughout the garden, appearing in the most unexpected places. Seedlings from layering are obtained as follows: at the end of summer, the tops of the shoots are pinned to the ground, arranging them in prepared small grooves, and sprinkled with earth. Moderate watering is necessary so that each bud, sprinkled with earth, has time to form adventitious roots before the cold weather. For successful wintering, layering is covered with humus, peat or spruce branches.
In the spring, after the land thaws, layering (already well-rooted) is separated from mother plant and either left to grow, or planted in a permanent place.
Saplings from horizontal cuttings
To obtain planting material from horizontal cuttings, several stems are selected in early spring and shortened to 10-15 cm above the ground. During the summer season, strong young shoots are formed, which are pinned into grooves at the end of summer and sprinkled with soil, leaving the tops of the shoots open with the buds and leaves on them. Like apical, horizontal layers are watered so that they can successfully take root. Shelters for the winter are also necessary for such layering. Full-fledged seedlings are obtained from them by the autumn of next year, when they are separated from the mother bush and planted.
Black raspberry Cumberland: planting and care
On the prepared site, black raspberries are planted, observing an interval between plants of at least 1.5 m. Planting pits are prepared, adhering to standard sizes in all measurements - 0.4-0.5 m.
Each half is covered with a mixture of fertile topsoil with a bucket of humus and 0.6 kg of wood ash. This composition does not require additional mineral additives. The pit is well spilled with water and a seedling is placed in it, carefully straightening the roots so that they do not bend upwards. The seedling is covered with the remaining earth, carefully watching so that air pockets do not form near the roots, which can provoke their drying or decay. Then the soil around the young plant is compacted, but not trampled down, as this has a destructive effect on fragile roots. Water the plant well again. This is how Cumberland black raspberries are cultivated. Planting and care, reproduction and other manipulations are fairly simple operations that even a novice gardener can do.
Mulching
The best way to create comfortable conditions in the further development of the seedling is to mulch the plantings with humus, peat, rotted sawdust, straw or chopped tree bark. Mulch 8-10 cm thick stabilizes air exchange and soil temperature, the rotting bottom layer attracts humus-producing, necessary for young plants. The mulch layer “shrinks” over time, so it is periodically restored. In addition, the use of this method frees gardeners from the need for loosening, weeding and frequent watering. This approach is optimal not only in relation to such a plant as black in a similar vein give guaranteed harvest any garden berry.
Grooming Activities
Not differing in any special preferences, the culture requires regular moderate watering during fruit formation and subsequent ripening of berries. This is the main condition that Cumberland black raspberries put forward. Planting and care, which consists of periodic watering and weeding, when properly carried out, give amazing results. Since a distinctive feature of the variety is the abundance of ovaries, they must be fed into the culture. To facilitate care, Cumberland is grown on a trellis, from which it is removed for the winter and bent to the ground, pinning the stems to the ground if necessary. In the spring, the bushes are inspected, removing diseased and broken shoots, and re-fixing the stems on the trellis.
Caring for black raspberries does not take much time, but by providing the culture comfortable conditions for high-quality fruiting, you can collect magnificent berries for 20-30 days.
top dressing
A biological feature characteristic of the culture is late flowering. This explains the abundance of ovaries, since the flowers do not die from frost, but bloom on all shoots, turning into many ovaries. For their qualitative development during the season, plants must be fed:
The first time after shedding the color with a solution of mullein infusion (1/7 l) mixed with 1 l of ash and 100 g of superphosphate. The norm of fertilizer under a bush is 5 liters. After feeding, the bush is shed with three buckets of water.
The second time the culture is fed when pouring berries with the same solution and in the same amount.
The third top dressing with a similar composition is carried out after the first picking of berries.
pruning
Cumberland black raspberry lends itself well to formation. Pruning and care after it are simple operations carried out to create a compact plant with powerful stems that do not lie down under the weight of a ripening crop and do not need additional supports. In this case, when annual shoots reach a height of 0.5-0.6 m, they are shortened by 7-10 cm. This activates the growth of axillary buds and the formation of side shoots up to one meter or more in length.
The following spring, before the growing season, these stems are shortened, leaving 3 to 6 growth buds on each. Weak and diseased stems are removed. This method reduces the number of ovaries and berries on the shoot, but increases their mass and quality.
You can grow black raspberries on a trellis, which is installed a year after planting young plants. Along the row with an interval of 8-10 m, poles are installed, to which they attach a cord or wire at different levels - at a height of 0.5 m, 1.0 m and 1.5 m. In the spring, the shoots are tied up, shortening them to 1.4 -1.5 m. They control the thickening of plantings, timely cutting out fertile and weak stems.
The Cumberland black raspberry receiving decent care, planting and caring for which are not complicated procedures, will thank the gardener bountiful harvest delicious berries.
Every gardener knows firsthand about the excellent taste and unsurpassed aroma of the red fruits of raspberry bushes. Black raspberries, which are not so common in Europe, have an equally amazing taste.
The perennial plant annually produces a large yield of blackberry-like berries, which are distinguished by a dense texture and sweetness. Despite the rarity of these plants, they are quite easy to care for, you just need to follow the basic rules of growing.
Appearance of black raspberry
An ennobled garden is hard to imagine without such a shrub as raspberries. IN Lately blackberry-like varieties are gaining more and more popularity among plant growers. Black raspberries are called so for a reason, because she is the product of breeders who tried to cross raspberry and blackberry bushes. The result is a unique culture with high fruitfulness, incredible taste and aroma.
The perennial plant belongs to the Rosaceae family. The homeland of the shrub is considered North America. The fruits of this raspberry can easily be confused with blackberries. The main difference between this shrub and the chokeberry relative- this is an opportunity to easily remove the berry from the bush without damaging the receptacle. Blackberry-like raspberries differ from red ones not only in color. Other features of the species include:
These qualities made black raspberries irreplaceable culture which perfectly tolerates cold and heat.
Benefits and useful properties
Due to the fact that the bushes do not form root shoots, they can be planted between other garden plants(trees, flowers, garden beds). They do well in shade and sun. This culture gained great popularity thanks to delicious fruits(lack of sourness). From one bush, the gardener manages to collect 2-4 kg of berries.
Foreword
Do you like to eat fragrant and sweet berries from your garden? Black raspberry will satisfy all your requirements! Her original look, blackberry flavor, high yields are just some of the many benefits. How to grow it correctly, how to plant, cut and bend down - we read further in the article!
REQUIRED TOOLS
Agrofibrenitrogen fertilizerAmmonium nitrate Rope Water Potassium Stone UreaCompost (humus)chicken manure Shovel blue vitriol Knife ScissorsSprayerorganic fertilizer Secateurs SuperphosphatePhosphate fertilizers
ExpandDescription of the variety and its features
Variety Cumberland- raspberries crossed with blackberries, where from the first plant he took the yield, growth geometry, and from the second he borrowed the aroma and appearance. The taste is something in between, so every amateur gardener liked it. industrial value Cumberland does not have, since it is not yet so popular in Russia, the consumer is used to buying proven berries so as not to risk conservation. In addition, the yield does not exceed 1500 grams from one bush, which is not a record figure, it does not even reach the average "rowing" indicators.
Each shoot forms from 7 to 10 brushes, on which 10-15 berries are placed. The density of the bush is large - 15-20 shoots are considered normal, although many recommend not to let them grow much, as the berries become small, sour. The plant loves light, a lot of light. It is planted only in open areas, which is under the rays throughout the entire sunny day.
black raspberry Cumberland is an excellent honey plant, insects simply fly into it during flowering, so it pollinates up to 99% of the crop. Moreover, it attracts insects to the garden, which guarantees good harvest all fruits, vegetables, berries. The bush is sprawling, large, so for proper nutrition all the fruits he needs a lot of fertilizer. It is advisable to feed the plant with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, such as saltpeter or superphosphate, during flowering it is necessary to add potassium, phosphorus, calcium, ammonia, so that not only the vegetative mass receives everything it needs, but also a good harvest is tied up. With a lack of fertilizer, chokeberry raspberries take off their color, only some ovaries remain.
The berry is responsive to organic fertilizers, it is necessary to add diluted mullein 1:7 or bird droppings 1:19 in the amount of 1 liter per 1 bush. Can be applied to the soil or used as a foliar application. For better assimilation and avoiding burns, after applying fertilizer under a bush, it is necessary to “polish” it with several buckets of water from above.
The berries are small, even with abundant fertilizer and a small load on the bush no more than 2 grams, but the taste is superior to all other varieties. A garter is required for a trellis, so the stems are weak, but tall, without a garter they begin to trail along the ground.
Features of planting this variety
As a rule, it is planted in a row, so that later it would be possible to tie all the bushes to the trellis. The plant is sprawling, the distance between them should be at least 2 meters, the shoots are cut not only in the aisles, but also between the bushes in order to thin them out a little. Very dense plantings should not be allowed - the berries will become very small, fungal diseases will develop exponentially. All leaves and shoots should be blown by the wind, under the rays of the sun and not touching the ground.
The trellis should consist of 3-4 bars or ropes, the height of the first is 0.7 meters, the second is 1.3 meters, tie the last stretch at 170 centimeters, only some stems will grow to it if the density of the bush is not too high. Many people practice double-sided trellis - it significantly reduces labor costs when harvesting, making it easy to find ripe berries. It should be planted on sandy loamy soils or fertile chernozems, it does not grow on clay, since the roots need to receive a large number of oxygen. As with, the ridges are best done on a hill - the result will be much better.
Cumberland is a variety of black raspberries that practically does not require moisture, you only need to fill the seedling for the first week, after which you mulch the ground with humus (required!), Then leave everything as it is, wait until it grows. Abundant watering will provoke many diseases, primarily fungal diseases. Spotting, anthracosis, even Fusarium wilt can attack the plant - follow the watering schedule, do it only when necessary.
Care for black raspberries after planting
Many leave the bush to its fate and wait for the harvest. But this is completely wrong. You can wait for it, of course, but the yield will be ten times less. It is imperative to fertilize, spray against fungal diseases, insects, and apply foliar feeding.
The first step is to take care of a quick start, so that at the end of May the new shoots are at least 90 centimeters. Immediately after planting, apply 150 grams of saltpeter directly under the root, evenly scattering it. Be sure to pour plenty of water so that direct contact of nitrogen and the roots of the plant does not harm them.
After 2-3 weeks, approximately in the middle of April, when the shoot is 15-20 centimeters, you can carry out the first foliar feeding, you can do it yourself from chicken manure (1:35) or from mullein (1:10). If there is no desire to do such a thing, you can simply buy urea and dilute it according to the table on the package. Spraying at intervals of 3 weeks is more often not worth it, since the substance acts throughout this period.
It is important to spray against fungi, especially in regions with a humid climate. If the summer turned out to be rainy, spotting and anthracosis begin to affect berry crops. To prevent this, you just need to spray with copper-containing preparations. Medyan Extra, Copper vitriol, Copper oxide- all this is suitable for complex treatment against fungal diseases. Immediately after flowering, you need to treat with a broad-spectrum insecticide in order to drive away all insects from the garden. If you have planted Cumberland, the raspberries will have little to no insect attack if the weather is dry. Therefore, insecticides are recommended for the prevention of diseases in cold and rainy summers.
Pruning and winterizing
If you need a raspberry that is unpretentious in care and most resistant to frost, the variety Cumberland It is the most suitable option. But care for him, nevertheless, is required if you want to receive more. One of the most important points that affects the yield of a berry is double pruning. What is its essence? It consists of two stages:
- Shortening shoots at the end of June. What is it for? The fact is that the plant has a very large vegetative power and bears fruit on annual shoots, which are placed on biennial branches. In order to have more such branches, it is necessary to cut off the growth point during the period of the fastest development of the plant. The stem begins to throw additional branches to the sides, forming a "fan". Next year, this fan will have many one-year branches, and the yield will increase several times.
- The second pruning is done as always in the fall. Everything is done in the same way as the usual care for the traditional “red” variety: shoots are shortened, old, dry ones are cut out, shoots are cut out, and so on.
As for winter preparation, one of the most hardy plants is black raspberry, the care of which simply involves pruning, wrapping with agrofibre or bending down to the ground. The stems are tied into bunches, a weight is tied, laid on the ground - the plant is ready to meet the harsh Russian frosts.
Some gardeners use the "vertical" knitting method. A holder made of wood is hammered into the center of the bush, as with, and all the stems are already tied to it and wrapped with agrofibre, burlap or other material that will protect against icing. This is quite enough to survive even a snowless winter. If at least 5-10 centimeters of snow falls, and it covers the ground, then there are no problems with wintering at all. Black raspberries, whose varieties tolerate cold well, will quickly move away from wintering, give new shoots and form many fruits.
If you follow all the above recommendations for care and cultivation, then you will have a large, productive raspberry - a variety Cumberland will delight you with black fragrant berries! They are suitable for making jam, making juice, eating fresh, decorating cakes and sweets. Add some exotic to your garden!
Black raspberries or its second name blackberry-like raspberries belong to the Rosaceae family and are perennial shrub with arched stems covered with sharp spikes, the length of which reaches up to 3 meters. Black raspberries are native to North America. Black raspberries and blackberries are very similar, sometimes their berries are confused, but there is a difference between them: mature raspberries are easily removed from the stem, and blackberries are torn off along with the receptacle.
Black raspberries: a description of the culture and its beneficial properties
On household plots not so often you can find these chic bushes with black berries, but in vain, because black raspberries are not only ornamental plant, decoration of any garden or cottage, but also brings more harvest than traditional red and yellow raspberries.
What is the difference between chokeberry and traditional red varieties:
- Black raspberry does not form root shoots, so its bushes can be placed among other shrubs, trees, flowers and beds;
- It has increased drought tolerance, choose sunny, well-lit areas of the garden for it;
- Ripe black raspberries do not fall off and bear fruit earlier than red ones;
- Only some varieties of blackberry-like raspberries are frost-resistant; the plant needs protection from the wind in winter. To prevent breakage of shoots and their icing, it is recommended to tie them;
- Black raspberries are resistant to pests and diseases;
- The plant does not require special care. Regular watering and top dressing are necessary;
- The plant has a strong root system.
What are the benefits of black raspberries
Black raspberries have a wonderful taste, sweeter than red raspberries. Some varieties have a honey taste, and high yields attract Special attention gardeners. At proper care, one bush gives up to 4 kg of fragrant berries. Berries are elastic, easy to transport. Black raspberry berries can not only be enjoyed fresh, they can be harvested for the winter in the form of conservation or frozen.
Blackberry-like raspberries have the same medicinal properties, like red ones, but their biochemical composition is different. They contain more vitamin P, which is responsible for strengthening the walls of blood vessels and ellagic acid, effective in the fight against cancer. Black raspberry leaves contain substances that increase blood clotting, help reduce the level of prothrombins.
Black raspberry varieties
- Litach. Early variety, bred in Poland quite recently - in 2008. The raspberry bush is vigorous, has hard curved shoots with numerous large and tight thorns. Berries of small and medium size closer to the spherical shape have a specific gray or bluish bloom.
- Ember. Another early variety. Its bush is of medium strength, not forming shoots. The shoots are arched, can reach up to 2.5 m in length, there are small spikes. The berries of the ember variety are small, but juicy with a sweet and sour taste, slightly pubescent. The yield of the variety is high, resistant to frost.
- Bristol. One of the best varieties of black raspberries, which gives the highest yields. Bushes of medium strength with shoots up to 3 meters in length. The berries are almost round in shape, have a slightly bluish bloom, with a sweet and juicy taste. Plants of the Bristol variety prefer sunny garden places with slightly acidic soil, do not tolerate frost and are susceptible to anthracnose.
- Boysenberry. An early variety with a powerful bush with shoots up to 3 meters. Distinctive feature varieties - the absence of thorns on the stems. The berries are slightly oblong, large and glossy. Very sweet in taste. Variety gives high yield and perfectly tolerates winter, resistant to diseases and pests.
- New Logan. It belongs to an early ripe high-yielding variety, the height of the bush reaches two meters, it needs shelter for the winter. The berries are juicy and shiny.
- Raspberry black Cumberland. The most common early ripe variety, which is distinguished by an arched powerful bush with thorns on the shoots. Berries are dense in taste reminiscent of blackberries, consider this variety in more detail.
Variety Cumberland: description and features
The Cumberland variety is confidently gaining popularity among gardeners, its attractiveness is that it does not form root shoots, which makes it easier for summer residents to care for the crop, and besides, the variety is high-yielding and frost-resistant. Visually, Cumberland bushes are similar to blackberries, but have a number of significant differences and characteristic features:
- The Cumberland black raspberry variety has thick, powerful shoots reaching a length of up to 3.5 meters;
- the variety is resistant to pests and diseases;
- high yield of the variety for 12-14 years;
- frost resistance of the plant (not afraid of even severe frosts);
- berries with blackberry flavor;
- root growth is not formed.
Black raspberry Cumberland planting
Black raspberry seedlings are planted in early spring, as the vegetation process of the plant begins early. The depth of the pit for planting should be at least 0.5 meters, and the width should be up to 50 cm. Half of the pit is filled with humus with wood ash(1:1), in which the seedling is placed. The roots should be carefully straightened, covered with earth (mixed with sand and complex fertilizer) and then water.
Black raspberry Cumberland care
Black Cumberland raspberry care, which even novice gardeners can care for, with regular pruning will be a wonderful decoration suburban area in the form of a hedge. Its lush bushes with slightly curved thorns are not attractive to birds that are indifferent to black fruits.
It is very important to take care of the support of the plant in advance, the height of the shoots of which will reach up to 3 meters and 3 cm thick. Therefore, in order to relieve the load from the bushes, it is necessary to construct a wire support to support the shoots. To do this, powerful wooden posts 2-2.5 meters high are placed at the beginning and end of the row, on which a strong wire should be fixed in three rows at a height of 0.5 m, 1.8 m and 2.1 m. Gardeners often use a black bush raspberries as a hedge and they fix the shoots on the fence or fix them on the sunny side of the house.
Pruning. The plant needs pruning, which is highly undesirable to neglect. With untimely shortening of branching shoots, the bush will grow and its yield will decrease. Pruning is carried out twice a year: the first at the end of June, and the second - late autumn when the temperature has not yet dropped to minus. Performing summer pruning, the apical part of the shoots is cut off at a height of 1.7 meters. Such manipulations will contribute to a more intensive development of young shoots, the number of which can reach from 6 to 8 pieces.
Autumn pruning is necessary to remove two-year-old shoots that have already borne fruit. And annual shoots are pruned up to 30-50 cm above the ground. It is very important to properly prepare the plant for winter. To do this, black raspberry shoots must be fixed near the ground (not too low) with metal brackets; the plant does not need additional shelter, since the variety is frost-resistant and perfectly tolerates even the most severe winter under snow.
In the case of a winter with little snow, it is recommended to shovel all the available snow into a pile to the shoots fixed with brackets and moisten them with water so that a thin ice crust forms on top of the snowdrift. In the spring, the shoots should be freed from the staples and strengthened on a support. Dry, broken branches are cut to the ground. Despite the unpretentiousness of the culture, the Cumberland variety responds well to timely top dressing, which contributes to better yields.
Top dressing. During the season, three top dressings will be required:
The first top dressing is necessary after the bush fades. For fertilizer, an infusion of manure and chicken manure is suitable, which is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:6 for manure and 1:16 for bird droppings. For every 10 liters of prepared fertilizer, 1 liter of ash and 50 g of superphosphate are added. One black raspberry bush needs a bucket of top dressing, after which, the bush should be filled with water (4-5 liters.)
The next time, top dressing is carried out during the ripening of berries, and the third time after the removal of the first fruits. The solution is prepared the same as for the first feeding.
Reproduction. The variety is propagated by horizontal layering. In early spring, they prune the shoots of the mother bush 10-15 cm high above the ground for 2 years. During the summer period, 5-6 shoots are formed from the upper part of the rhizome of the plant, which in the spring must be pinned in grooves 5-7 cm deep to form adventitious roots.
Features of planting black raspberries
Black raspberries, regardless of the variety, take root and grow well, but the crop yield still depends on the chosen place of planting and quality care.
Landing site selection:
- Black raspberries are photophilous, tolerate drought well, but are afraid of wind and drafts;
- The neighbors of black raspberries cannot be nightshade crops (eggplants, tomatoes, potatoes), as well as its relative blackberry. This neighborhood can lead to plant disease with fungi and a dangerous disease - verticillium wilt;
- The optimal distance can be considered 80 cm between the bushes, and in rows - 2 meters, so that the bushes are evenly warmed up by the sun's rays for the rapid ripening of fruits. Thanks to this planting, the plant is easier to care for and prune.
The black raspberry seedlings that you will purchase need a special place to plant in early spring. You should choose a place for it protected from wind and drafts. The soil is desirable to choose black earth and well fertilized. This crop cannot grow next to potatoes, tomatoes, blackberry bushes or red raspberries.
On land plot where the crop will be planted, are being prepared landing pits, the depth of which should be about 0.5 meters, the distance between the pits is 1.5 - 2 meters. The pits are filled up to half with humus mixed with wood ash. Raspberry seedlings are lowered into the pits, sprinkled with soil, which should be mixed with complex fertilizer, and then watered abundantly.
reproduction
Raspberries are propagated by layering. Closer to autumn, when the stems are stretched, they are bent in an arcuate manner to the ground and laid in grooves up to 10 cm deep, then covered with earth, sprinkled with sawdust, peat, straw.
Black raspberry care
The quality of the soil directly affects the yield of raspberries. Fertile light loamy soil with a sufficient content of minerals and nutrients is ideal. In this type of soil, moisture does not stagnate and it remains breathable.
Mulching. After planting a seedling, the soil needs to be mulched with dry grass, straw, sawdust, peat or manure.
Watering. Black raspberry bushes do not need abundant watering, even in dry summers. But, during the ripening of the fruits, watering is required so that the berries are larger and their yield increases. The most optimal watering for raspberries is drip.
Raspberry tying. Since raspberry shoots grow quickly, they need a garter on supports or fences. As a support, poles dug in at the beginning and end of the row are used, and a wire is stretched between them in several rows, and the stems are fixed on it.
Pruning. Pruning black raspberries is essential for yield. Summer and autumn pruning is carried out. Summer pruning is carried out at the end of June and consists in shortening the shoot, from which new branches are formed, which will bring the harvest. autumn pruning can be called sanitary preparatory stage to wintering. The shoots are pruned to a length of 30-50 cm, and dry, old, broken branches are removed.
Protection of black raspberries from diseases and pests
The most dangerous disease of black raspberries is verticillium wilt, which, unfortunately, is not treated. Therefore, it is important to purchase a healthy plant, follow the recommendations when planting and drain the soil well. Insufficient soil drainage along with rainy summers can lead to fungal diseases of the plant. To prevent them, it is recommended to spray black raspberries with a preparation containing copper and use insecticides for prevention.
Another danger awaiting the culture is the raspberry beetle, to combat which the bushes are sprayed with a two percent solution of nitrafen until the kidneys awaken. Repeated spraying is carried out during the period when flower buds appear in raspberries. A tincture of bitter wormwood and marigolds is being prepared (200 grams of herbs per 10 liters of water)
Black raspberry, photo
Black raspberries are wonderful useful berry, which by its own palatability in no way inferior to red raspberries, with proper care, lush bushes will become a wonderful decoration for a summer cottage, and will delight you with generous harvests.
