Blackberry Prime Ark Freedom: description and characteristics of the variety, care and reproduction, planting

Prime Ark Freedom's blackberry is a hybrid crop bred in the USA. The plant has no thorns, bears fruit 2 times during the growing season. The variety is widely grown in Russia and other countries of the former USSR. For a successful planting, caring for the bushes, you should read the information below.

History of Appearance

Blackberry variety was bred in 2013 in Arkansas, America, by breeder John Clark. The plant became popular in 2014. The Arc 45 hybrid blackberry includes many virtues and tastes superior to the Navajo variety.

Description and characteristics

Remontant type of blackberry crop Ark Freedom has smooth, erect shoots of emerald color. From the age of 3, they grow up to 3-4 meters in height. The fruits are large, 9-10 grams, oval-elongated with a rich aroma. The berries are moderately juicy, sweet, with a slight sourness. Transportability is good, blackberries do not flow, do not deform during transportation.

Climatic conditions for growing Ark Freedom blackberries

Arc blackberry variety is zoned for cultivation in the USA, California. In the climatic conditions of the center of Ukraine, the middle latitudes of Russia, it is better to plant bushes in greenhouses or tunnels.

Berry quality, blackberry yield Prime Ark Freedom

Blackberries are marketable, grown for sale or personal consumption. They are dark purple in tone, with pimply, smooth skin.The yield is high, up to 7 kg of berries are harvested from 1 bush, up to 200 kg from 1 weave. When growing bushes in the garden, the berries are harvested in May and September. In a greenhouse, the plant blooms from February 15, and bears fruit once in April or early May.

Disease resistance, frost resistance and drought resistance

Blackberry variety Prime Ark Freedom is famous for its high resistance to pathologies, invasions of beetles, subject to proper care. Frost bushes can withstand up to -14 degrees, tolerate short-term droughts.

Main pros and cons

Prime Ark Freedom's variety of blackberry offers a number of advantages, but some gardeners have found disadvantages in it.

High yieldsLow winter hardinessMarketable berries, excellent taste Undemanding to soil Shoots need support

Pros	Cons
Need for shelter
Need for regular pruning

The subtleties of growing blackberries

2 weeks before planting, the land is plowed with a spade bayonet, weeds are destroyed. Dig holes 40 cm in diameter. They should be at a distance of 1 meter from each other, maintain a distance of 2 meters between rows. A fertile mixture is prepared from 2 kg of humus, 40 g of potassium sulfate, 120 g of superphosphate. The combination is placed in pits and left for 10-14 days.

Timing

It is optimal to plant Ark blackberries in the South in autumn, a month before the onset of cold weather, around the beginning of October. In the middle and northern regions, planting work is carried out in the last days of April, then the seedlings will have time to take root before frost.

Preparation of seedlings

Blackberry seedlings must be free from damage, beetle attacks, 1 year old, with 2 shoots at least 5 mm thick. The length of the rhizome is 10-12 cm. They are dipped in a solution to stimulate the growth of the root system of Epin or Matador for 2 hours.

To disinfect the seedlings, lower it into a manganese mixture of low concentration.

Choosing a seat

It is recommended to plant blackberry bushes in a place well-lit by the sun, where there are no strong winds. In partial shade, the berries will not be as sweet.

Prime Arc Freedom Blackberry Planting Procedure

2 hours before planting the bushes, pour plenty of water over the prepared holes, wait until the liquid is absorbed. When planting, the root buds are deepened by 2.5 cm.

Care instructions

Caring for the Ark blackberry is easy, it requires regular watering, loosening, mulching, treatment for bugs and diseases. The bushes are prepared for the cold, pruned, fertilized.

Water the blackberries

Blackberry bushes are watered on average with settled water 2 times a week, focusing on the weather. When the season is rainless, 3 irrigations are required in 7 days. If it rains regularly, watering is carried out once a week.

Feeding

In order for blackberry bushes to develop better and bear fruit, it is necessary to feed the plants in the phase of their active growth, in July, with nitrogen. The substance stimulates the growth of green mass. They also add organics, urea, in the amount of 20 grams or 4 kg per 1 square meter. Every year, the earth is enriched with potassium at the rate of 40 g per 1 square meter. Formulas should be free of chlorine.

Every 3 years, once add phosphorus 50 g per 1 square meter. If the soil was mulched with manure, the substance is not applied.

Weeding, loosening

Blackberry bushes Prime Ark Freedom must be loosened to kill weeds, improve aeration of the rhizome. In order to facilitate the procedure, you can mulch the circle with sawdust or peat. A layer of mulch will also help conserve moisture.

Preparing for winter

After pruning and cleaning the area, you can cover the blackberry bushes with Prime Ark Freedom for the winter. Shoots are collected in a free bundle, bent to the soil, tied to a support, fixed with hooks. So that the branches are not injured, they are prepared from August by attaching weights. Bushes are covered with peat, sawdust, spruce branches, agronomic fiber is placed on top.

Cutting

In March, damaged, frozen blackberry branches are removed to the first growth bud. In April, the bush is formed, leaving no more than 8 shoots. When they reach a length of 10 cm, the tips are shortened with a decontaminated pruner.

Combating pathologies and pests

Blackberry bushes are occasionally affected by fungi - septoria, anthracnose, purple blotch, powdery mildew or rust.

1. Septoria.The disease is characterized by spots of a beige tone, in the future, the leaves brighten. The quality of fruits deteriorates. You can get rid of the pathology by removing the affected part of the plant, the remaining bushes are treated with Alirin B, Gamair. When the buds open, they are irrigated with Bordeaux liquid 1%, Fitosporin.
2. Anthracnose. Spots of gray tone appear on blackberries. Shoots crack, berries fall off, dry out. To prevent the disease, manure and peat are applied under the bushes in spring and autumn. Infected parts are treated with fungicides.
3. Purple spotting. Pathology is characterized by brown spots, the leaves dry up, die. Bushes are treated with Farmiod, fungicides.
4. Rust. Blackberries show small brown-yellow spots. Destroy the pathology with copper-containing drugs.
5. Grey patina. A fetid odor is emitted from the plant, their growth is inhibited. Powdery mildew is removed with fungicides.
6. Blackberry mite. After the attack of the pest, the crop ceases to ripen. The beetle is destroyed by two treatments with Acarin, Apollo with a frequency of 8-10 days.
7. Zlatka. The disease affects the shoots, they dry out, die off. To fight the pest, use Chlorophos, Metaphos, Karbofos.

If the blackberries are properly cared for, the risks of being affected by bugs and diseases are minimal.

Blackberry propagation methods

Prime Ark Freedom culture is propagated by seeds, layering, cuttings. Usually events go well, even in the case of the seed method, it is possible to get a plant of the same variety.

1. Rooting cuttings. The shoots of the Ark variety are bent to the soil, strengthened. At the places of fixation, earth mounds are formed. Subsequent care involves regular irrigation, pruning roots. Manipulation is carried out in April or November, but then the young bushes cover. In autumn, the babies are separated from the mother plant, transplanted into the garden.
2. Root cuttings.Seedling material is prepared from blackberry roots. Shrubs are dug up, strong, elongated, he althy specimens 0.5 cm in diameter are selected. They are cut into pieces 10-16 cm long. Petioles should be rooted in August or September. Before planting, they are kept in a solution that stimulates the growth of the root system. Then, they are planted in separate containers with moist soil. The roots should appear within a month, after the plants are transplanted into the soil.
3. Sowing seeds. Ark Freedom blackberry seeds do not germinate well to speed up the process, scratch the dense outer shell or place them in a refrigerator for 7 days. Manipulation is resorted to in March. Seeds are sown in seedling boxes filled with moist peat mixed with sand. The seeds are deepened by 4-5 cm. After 2-3 months, the first leaves form on the seedlings. During this period, picking into separate containers is required. If the weather is warm, you can immediately plant seedlings in the garden, usually this happens in mid-June. The crop will turn out after 3-4 years.

To successfully propagate Ark blackberries, it is important to strictly adhere to the rules.

Collecting, storing blackberry crop Prime Ark Freedom

The blackberry crop is harvested in several approaches, due to the long fruiting. Fruits to be eaten fresh are plucked when they are ripe. For freezing, storage, processing of berries of the Prime Ark Freedom variety, unripe specimens are removed. They are stored in a refrigerator or cellar, where the air temperature does not rise by more than 5 degrees Celsius.

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