Blackberry Thornless Evergreen: description and characteristics of the variety, planting and care

The Thornless Evergreen blackberry is commercially grown in its native America. The variety is productive, disease resistant. For an amateur garden, this type of blackberry is ideal. In the south, the bushes are decorative all year round, in temperate latitudes they decorate a personal plot from spring to late autumn.

History of breeding Thornless Evergreen

Settlers from Europe brought the first specimens of blackberries (Rubus laciniatus Wild) to America. Old European varieties have mutated. The thornless clone was introduced into the culture by F. Steffis. The work was carried out at the Oregon State Institute.In 1926, a new variety was named Thornless Evergreen.

Despite its venerable age, the variety is in demand among farmers in many European countries (Germany, Serbia, Poland). In his native state of Oregon, large areas are set aside for him. It competes with large-fruited erect blackberries.

Pros and cons of the variety

The disadvantages include late ripening - from mid-August to mid-September. Not everyone is satisfied with its low yield in the first years. Full fruiting occurs at the age of 3-5 years.

The advantages of Thornless Evergreen include:

• not the aggressiveness of the variety, the bushes do not spread, as there is no root growth;
• stable yield;
• frost resistance;
• transportability;
• extended fruiting;
• decorative;
• versatility of use.

Varieties

Thornless Evergreen Blackberry is part of the Thornless varietal series, which combines about 100 varieties of crops, the most popular varieties among farmers and hobbyists:

• T. Oregon;
• T. Merton;
• T. Hoole;
• T. Hull;
• T. Austin;
• T. Chester;
• T. Logan;
• T. Loganberry.

External characteristics of the berry crop

According to the Russian classification, the Thornless Evergreen variety belongs to the group of creeping blackberry varieties, they are called dewberries. The bushes are compact, formed by 3-5-meter shoots of 1 and 2-year-olds.Over the summer, an adult plant can produce up to 10 or more replacement shoots. Fruitful buds are laid on an annual shoot during the growing season. The crop is formed on two-year shoots.

The young shoot is green at the beginning of development, by the end of the first season it acquires a reddish tint. The root system is powerful, penetrates deep into up to 2 meters. Root growth is not formed.

The leaves are green all year round. They are beautiful, carved, with a leathery surface. Inflorescences are large, racemose, consist of 25-70 white or white-pink flowers. During flowering, Thornless Evergreen bushes are very decorative.

The berries are not large, one-dimensional, the average weight of one is from 3 to 5 g. They are easily removed from the stalk. During fruiting, multi-berry brushes hide the leaves. The color of fully ripe berries is black.

Short description

The Thornless Evergreen variety is late. Flowering continues from June to July. Harvest from mid-August to mid-late September.

Which areas are recommended to plant

The Thornless Evergreen variety is not included in the State Register, so there are no exact recommendations for growing regions. In a covering culture, this variety of blackberry can be grown in middle lane conditions. The variety is in the collections of amateur gardeners in Bashkiria, Mordovia, Orenburg, Moscow, Volgograd regions.

Resistant to frost and drought

The variety withstands frosts in the range from -20 to -29 °C. In regions where the snow cover is stable, it falls early, the culture winters well under a small shelter. The root system of blackberries is powerful, so it can endure short-term drought. With drip irrigation, the variety is grown in dry areas of Texas.

For the Russian middle zone, 1 watering per week (20 l) is enough, provided the trunk circle is mulched.

Susceptibility to diseases and insects

To maintain the he alth of the bush, one early spring treatment with a copper-containing preparation is enough. The variety has stable immunity. Preventive measures are reduced to sanitary pruning, keeping the trunk circle clean.

Methods of reproduction

A novice gardener should buy a seedling with a closed root system. This is the most reliable breeding option for blackberries. If there is an adult Thornless Evergreen bush in the garden, then the variety can be propagated in 2 ways:

• green cuttings;
• top layers.

Yields

The yield of a bush depends on the agrotechnical background. The first 3 years of fruit is formed little. From the 4-5th year, 10 kg or more are collected from the bush. The yield of adult blackberries is stable.

Taste and use of fruits

At the stage of technical ripeness, the taste of berries has a pronounced sourness. When mature, it leaves. The pulp of a ripe berry is juicy, fragrant. The taste is pleasant, refreshing. Variety of universal purpose, berries can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. During transportation, they do not crumple. They are used in preparations, frozen, eaten fresh.

Features of planting and care

When buying a 1-2-year-old he althy seedling in the nursery, there are no problems with planting and survival. The main requirement for planting material is a he althy root system and no damage.

Preparation of planting material

A seedling in a container is planted in a permanent place without additional preparation. Blackberries with an open root system must meet the following requirements:

• height of above-ground part not less than 40 cm;
• central shoot elastic;
• root length not less than 15 cm;
• skeletal roots at least 3 pieces.

Choosing the best location

Sunny places behind the wind are suitable. When choosing a site, you need to assess the proximity of groundwater so that powerful roots do not rot over time. Low-lying places are not suitable.

The blackberry bush has been growing in one place for many years, so the soil needs to be fertilized with humus, long-acting mineral fertilizers (superphosphate, potassium nitrate), ash.

Technological process of planting

The sequence of landing operations is standard. Most of the time is spent preparing the landing pit. Its size is 40 x 40 x 40 cm. The interval between the bushes is at least 2 m. The same distance is maintained to other plants in the garden (shrubs, trees).

Requirements to be observed during landing operations:

• roots straighten;
• the neck is not buried;
• the hole is well watered and mulched.

Irrigation and soil loosening

The first 2-3 years, watering during the growth of the vegetative mass is plentiful. In an adult bush, the root system is powerful, so watering is carried out only during the pouring of berries. It is not recommended to loosen the soil in a diameter of 1 m from the center of the bush. From the damaged rhizome, shoots can go, it is with thorns, so it should not be used to propagate the variety.

Fertilizer bushes

During the season it is enough to feed blackberries 2 times.

Period	View fertilizer
Early Spring	Organics
Summer	Ash, superphosphate, potassium nitrate

Installation and tie to supports

The shoots are tied to the trellis. It is convenient to use two-lane designs. Replacement shoots are sent to one side, fruit-bearing branches are tied to the other. The use of other garden structures is allowed, they decorate the garden, but the preparation for winter becomes more complicated. It takes more time to remove and lay shoots.

Formation of a berry bush

In the autumn, fruiting shoots are cut out, young with damage and weak. In the spring they are engaged in the formation of a bush:

• shorten last year's shoots;
• cut branches with thorns.

Harvesting

The berries ripen unevenly. They are harvested once every 2 weeks. Fruiting is extended. The first fruits ripen in mid-August, the last - at the end of September.

Preparing for winter season

After autumn pruning, young shoots remain on the bushes. They are removed from the support, laid on the ground (in a ditch), pinned. They are sprinkled so that they do not suffer from frost in winter, they use:

• peat;
• straw;
• sawdust;
• non-woven covering material.

An interesting and productive variety of thornless blackberry deserves the attention of Russian gardeners.

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