Blackberry Black Satin: description and characteristics of the variety, planting and care in the open field

Black Satin blackberries are cultivated in Europe and America, the hybrid takes root in the middle latitudes, shrubs are grown under cover for the winter in the northern regions. For compliance with agricultural technology and good care, the variety rewards with an excellent harvest of berries, which contain a lot of vitamins, organic acids, and natural antioxidants. Black Satin ripens earlier than other known varieties, but fruiting lasts at least two months. The shrub is growing rapidly, the height of the shoots is approaching 7 meters.

Blackberry selection Black Satin

Growers and farmers owe the creation of many varieties of crops from the Rubus family to the state of Illinois, which nature has awarded with tropical summers, snowy winters, and frequent destructive hurricanes. The Black Satin Blackberry was bred by the University of Carbondale. When crossing the well-known varieties of Thornfree and Darrow, a productive hybrid was obtained with fast-growing smooth shoots.

Culture advantage

Blackberry Black Satin was liked by many gardeners, because the variety borrowed a lot of advantages from its closest relatives, but it also has disadvantages. The benefits of a hybrid include:

1. No spikes.
2. High yield.
3. Pest resistance.
4. Great berry taste.

Blackberry roots do not grow over the site, but go deeper and withstand a long drought.The fruits ripen unevenly, but this can be considered both a minus and a virtue of the variety. They are sweet and fragrant, but they are not stored for a long time, and berries, which are valued for their abundance of ascorbic acid, can only be transported in an unripe form.

Shrubs should be formed from young branches, because in adult plants they become hard and brittle.

Variety description

The long shoots of Black Satin blackberries grow up to one and a half meters, after which they bend to the ground and spread along it. In a two-year-old shrub, the thickness of powerful branches reaches 30 mm.

Fruits

Blackberries are collected in a brush up to a dozen pieces or more. They have an elongated shape, when ripe they acquire a glossy sheen and black color. The fruits, which are tied at the top of the stems, weigh about 7 g. The berries are rich in carotene, organic acids, and minerals.

When using them:

• insomnia passes;
• immunity increases;
• returns elasticity to vessels.

Fruits that begin to sing in early August, have a sweet taste and pleasant aroma, Black Satin blackberries ripen earlier than parental varieties.

Bush

Powerful hybrid shoots develop and grow very quickly. Trifoliate leaves of emerald color appear on strong branches in spring. Purple buds turn into snow-white inflorescences. The shrub has a decorative appearance, the roots do not spread over the site.

Yields

Blackberry branches produce many berries. Subject to the requirements of agricultural technology, careful care, you can expect to collect up to 2 buckets of fruits from one bush.

The yield of Black Satin is slightly higher than that of the parent varieties, but the berries need to be processed immediately.

Specifications

The hybrid, bred in the USA, quickly attracted the attention of gardeners in Europe with the absence of thorns, early fruiting, excellent taste, resistance to major diseases of plants from the Rubus genus.

Which areas are suitable for cultivation

Black Satin variety is cultivated in the southern regions, the shrub is not afraid of drought, withstands heat. The blackberry takes root and bears fruit in the middle latitudes, grows north of the Moscow region, provided that it is warmed for the winter.

Frost resistance

The hybrid withstands negative temperatures, but when the thermometer drops to -20 ° C, the shoots freeze slightly, and berries are not tied on them. In all regions of Russia, except for the southern regions, both roots and branches of shrubs must be covered for the winter.

Insect and disease susceptibility

Hybrid Black Satin was created by crossing varieties with good immunity to pests, fungi and viruses. Blackberries have inherited from them resistance to most diseases, but in wet weather it is sometimes affected by gray rot. To prevent this problem:

1. Lower branches need to be removed from the ground.
2. Remove spoiled berries, cut out infected shoots.
3. Before flowering, blackberries should be sprayed with Bordeaux liquid.

Shrub, although it attracts bees, does not suffer from insects. There is no need to treat the foliage with insecticides.

Methods of reproduction

Hybrid variety Black Satin can be bred with the tops of the shoots. In summer, the strongest side branch is tilted to the ground, fixed with a bracket, covered with soil. In autumn, the shoot is separated from the bush and sent to a new place.

How to plant blackberries in the area

There are certain requirements of agricultural technology, under which the culture takes root faster, develops better and bears fruit. Landing in open ground is carried out in a site that is illuminated by the sun, inaccessible to drafts. Blackberry loves loose fertile soil, does not tolerate stagnant water.

Optimal planting dates

In the southern regions there is not much difference when to place a young bush in a permanent place - in spring or autumn. In the middle lane, where it gets cold early, and frosts often occur in May, it is more reliable to plant Black Satin blackberries in early June.

If necessary, this can be done in September, but immediately covering the shrub so that it does not die in the winter.

Preparing soil and seedlings

The earth for blackberries on the site is dug up in advance, the remains of the roots are pulled out, weeds are removed, humus and ash are introduced.If the water comes close to the surface, a drainage layer is poured, although it is better to find another place. Annual seedlings with three roots no shorter than 15 cm take root well. When purchasing a blackberry bush, you need to pay attention to the bark of the shoots, it should not have any cracks or wrinkles.

Scheme and algorithm of disembarkation

Since the Black Satin hybrid develops rapidly and reaches a height of 5-7 meters, the holes are dug from one another at a distance of 2.5 m. and mulch with peat.

How to ensure proper plant care

Black Satin will thank you with a decent harvest, if you carefully care for it - feed, moisturize, cut, support the shoots with a trellis.

Fertilizer

When planting a bush, a bucket of humus is added to the onion, a tablespoon of superphosphate and potassium s alt each.Until next year, blackberries do not need any additional substances. In the spring it is fed with urea, in the fall - with mineral fertilizers, which will protect it from frost. Every 2-3 years, up to 2 buckets of manure are brought under a bush.

Irrigation and loosening

Blackberries are watered every time as soon as the top layer of the earth dries up. Most of all, the Black Satin variety needs moisture during the formation of the ovary. With its shortage, small berries ripen, with an excess, the roots rot. After irrigation, the soil is diligently loosened so that it does not become covered with a crust.

Trimming

The hybrid blackberry bush is formed following a certain pattern. In the summer, on the annual shoots, pinch the top at a height of about a meter, in the spring they remove new branches that appear below 45 cm above the ground, cut the rest to 40. In the fall, they get rid of the growths on which the fruits were.

Do I need to tie blackberries

Hybrid Black Satin stretches strongly upwards, and then begins to spread. In order for the bush to bear fruit well, the shoots are attached to the trellis.

To do this, they install a structure made of wood or metal in the form of an arch, annual branches, and they are left no more than 6, tied on one side of it, the rest on the other.

Preventive treatment

So that blackberries do not suffer from gray rot in wet weather, in early spring the bushes are sprayed with copper sulphate, in autumn the fruiting shoots are cut to the ground.

Preparing for winter season

The branches of the plant freeze already at -20 ^{C. In the southern regions they are tied in a bundle, placed in a near-trunk circle and covered, in the middle latitudes the shoots are first sprinkled with peat and leaves, then the spruce branches are placed and only then they are insulated with material.}

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