Blackberry Orkan: variety description and characteristics, pros and cons and care

Early varieties of blackberries are popular with gardeners. Consider the Orcan blackberry, a well-known variety used for industrial cultivation. What advantages and disadvantages does it have, how to grow a plant in the household, when and how to plant it, what care consists of. How to propagate blackberries, how to protect from diseases and pests, when to harvest.

Description and brief characteristics of the variety

Orkan variety was bred in Poland in 1983, it is a hybrid of 2 varieties - Black Catin and Arc1084. The result was a high-yielding and large-fruited variety, early ripe, adapted to temperate climate conditions.

The Orkan blackberry bush is formed from erect shoots, powerful, thornless, up to 3 m high. Plants bloom in mid-May, in the southern regions the fruits begin to sing at the end of June, in the northern regions - in mid-July. Orkan berries are oblong, shiny, black, collected in a brush. The fruits are large, weight 4-8 g, sweet and sour with a characteristic aroma. They differ in lightness. Productivity from an adult bush - 5-10 kg.

Blackberry requires shelter in mid-latitude, tolerates mild winters well.

Pros and cons of blackberry Orcan

Pros and consself-pollination;large-fruitedness;excellent taste of berries;unpretentiousness;early maturity;productivity;keeping quality of berries.in rainy and cool weather, the berries lose their taste properties;on poor soils, the fruits become tasteless, lose their aroma;ripe berries may be deformed during transportation.

Cultivation and care of crops

Blackberry Orkan grows best in sunny places, not covered by other plants, or in light partial shade. Bushes must be protected from the wind, especially cold, for this you need to choose a site protected from the wind by buildings or a fence.

The time for planting seedlings comes in mid-autumn or spring, with the onset of heat. In spring, blackberries are planted in warm, but not yet dry soil, in autumn - a month before the cold snap.

The best soil for Orkan blackberries is loam or fertile sandy loam. According to the reaction - neutral, acidic soils must be limed before planting bushes. It is recommended to grow blackberries on a trellis. So it is easier to take care of her, to collect fruits.

Plant pattern

Between adjacent seedlings of blackberry Orkan leave 1-1.5 m, row spacing is 2.5 m. Rows are oriented from north to south. Landing hole dimensions - 0.5 m in width and depth. The excavated earth is mixed with humus and ash, mixed.

Seedlings are prepared: the tips of the roots are cut off, the roots are lowered into a solution of a root formation stimulator. Processing stimulates the growth of new roots and accelerates rooting.

Planting sequence: a drainage layer is poured at the bottom of the pit, the seedling is lowered along the root neck, covered with earth. Water with a bucket of water, cover with a layer of mulch to reduce the drying of the soil. The tops of the stems of blackberry seedlings are cut to 1/3.

Water and fertilize

Water in the first 2 months every week. The ground must be moist for rooting to be successful. Then watered 1-2 times a month, in the summer, in the heat, more often. In dry autumn, water-charging irrigation is carried out.

In the first season, Orkan blackberry seedlings are not fed, the plant is provided with nutrition during planting. Starting next spring, the bushes are fertilized 2 times - in spring and autumn, and after the start of fruiting - 3 times - in spring, before bud break, after flowering ends and during the growth of the ovary. Use organic or mineral fertilizers.

Cutting

Orcan bushes are pruned in autumn or spring, old, fruit-bearing shoots, dry, damaged by disease or pests, are cut out with pruners. They also remove he althy, but superfluous, shoots. 5-7 strong, large shoots are left in the bush. At the beginning of summer, the green shoots are cut off, shortening the tops. This stimulates the growth of side shoots.

Preparing for winter season

The shoots are untied from the trellis, carefully bent to the ground and sprinkled with mulch or covered with agrofiber. The ground around the bushes is also covered with mulch with a layer of at least 10-15 cm.

Diseases, pests, prevention

Orcan variety is resistant to fungi, but diseases can develop in cold and wet weather or with insufficient care. Preventive measures - spraying bushes with fungicides before signs of disease appear. If the infection still has time to develop, agrochemical pesticides are used in a therapeutic dosage.

Pests are destroyed by spraying with insecticides or folk remedies. The number of applications depends on the level of lesions or the condition of the plants.

Reproduction

Blackberry Orkan almost does not give root shoots, so it is propagated by rooted shoots. Strong he althy shoots are chosen, the tops are placed on the ground, sprinkled in the middle part and watered all summer. By autumn, they take root. Dig up and transplant them in the fall or next spring. Other propagation methods: rooting cuttings and dividing the bush into 2-3 parts.

Harvest and storage of crops

Orcan Berries are harvested after they are ripe. This can be determined by the fact that they will become black and shiny. For eating fresh, you can also pick overripe berries. For storage and transportation, a little underripe is needed. They are placed in plastic containers and put in the refrigerator, if the crop is large, they are placed in small boxes and lowered into the cellar. Storage conditions - cool, unlit and dry room.

Orkan variety is valued by farmers and private gardeners due to its excellent qualities.Blackberries are early ripe, fruitful, large, with excellent taste. Can be grown in temperate regions. Differs in fast adaptability, does not require the presence of pollinators. Fruits for a long time, for almost 30 years.

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