Content
Recently, Russian gardeners are increasingly planting a crop that was previously undeservedly deprived of attention - blackberries. In many ways, it is similar to raspberries, but is less capricious, contains more nutrients and produces a better harvest. Perhaps the Black Satin blackberry variety is not the newest one presented on the domestic market and does not belong to the elite. But it has been tested by time and is often found in Russian gardens. Therefore, it is worth considering Black Satin blackberries in more detail. The variety is not so bad, it just requires a competent approach.
History of selection
The blackberry variety Black Satin was created in 1974 by the Northeast Zonal Research Center located in Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Authorship belongs to D. Scott.The parent crops were the Darrow and Thornfree varieties.
Description of the berry crop
Black Satin blackberries have become widespread throughout the world. In its appearance and other characteristics it is similar to the parent variety Tonfri.
General idea of the variety
Black-Satin blackberries are semi-creeping varieties. It has powerful shoots without thorns, dark brown in color, up to 5-7 m long. Up to 1.2-1.5 m they grow upward, like bramble, then move into a horizontal plane and become similar to dewberry. If the lashes are not tied up, then under their own weight they will bend to the ground and begin to creep.
The shoots grow very quickly, gaining up to 7 cm daily at the beginning of the growing season. They produce many lateral shoots. Without constant shaping, Black Satin blackberries form a thickened bush that is unable to “feed” itself. The berries do not receive enough light and nutrition, become smaller and cannot fully ripen.
Blackberry shoots of the Black Satin variety are tough and easily break when you try to bend them. Therefore, despite the absence of spikes, they are difficult to tie up and remove from the support.
The leaves are large, bright green. Each consists of 3 or 5 jagged segments with a pointed base and tip.
Berries
Black Satin blackberry flowers are pink-purple when opened, fading to white after a few days. They are collected in brushes of 10-15 pieces.
The berries are of medium size - on average from 3 to 4 g, at the ends of the shoots - much larger, up to 7-8 g. As can be seen in the photo of Black Satin blackberries, they are beautiful, rather rounded than elongated, glossy black. They are difficult to separate from the stalk.
Opinions differ about the taste of Black Satin blackberries.The manufacturer rates it at 3.8 points, and domestic gardeners conducting their own surveys put the variety at the end of the list. Some people don't give Black Satin blackberries more than a 2.65 rating.
What's the matter? At the stage of technical ripeness, the fruits are really tasteless, just sweet and sour, with a weak aroma. But they remain dense and suitable for transportation. When the berries of the Black Satin variety ripen completely, they become tastier, sweeter and more aromatic. But the fruits soften to such an extent that transporting them becomes impossible.
The harvest ripens on last year's growth.
Characteristic
A description of the characteristics of the Black Satin blackberry variety will help gardeners decide whether it is worth growing it in their garden.
Main advantages
The Black Satin variety has average frost resistance (lower than its parent Thornfree blackberry), and it must be covered for the winter. Bushes damaged by frost quickly recover. The crop does not tolerate drought well and requires even moisture, like other blackberries.
When planting the Black Satin variety, the soil should be adjusted to the needs of the crop. Difficulties in care are mainly due to rapid growth and the ability to form many side shoots. It is difficult to cover adult canes for the winter and tie them to supports in the spring.
It is easy to transport only unripe berries of the Black Satin variety; ripe fruits have low transportability.
Flowering period and ripening time
The bushy Black Satin blackberry blooms in late May or early June. It is very stretched, often you can see buds, green and ripe berries on one fruit cluster.
When comparing the blackberry varieties Thornfree and Black Satin, which are related and very similar to each other, it should be noted that the latter ripens 10-15 days earlier. Fruiting begins in late July or early August (depending on the region) and lasts until late autumn. It should be noted that in the northern regions approximately 10-15% of the crop does not have time to ripen even with good agricultural technology.
Yield indicators, fruiting dates
The productivity of Black Satin blackberries is high. From a bush at the age of 4-5 years, 10-15 kg of berries are harvested, and with good agricultural technology - up to 25 kg.
In 2012-2014 In the Kokinsky (Bryansk region) stronghold of the FGBNU VSTISP, introduced varieties of blackberries were tested, among which was Black Satin. The variety showed high productivity - 4.4 tons of berries were harvested per hectare. Fruiting in the Bryansk region began at the end of July.
Using the Black Satin blackberry variety as an industrial variety is problematic. Unripe berries have a mediocre taste, while ripe ones are soft and cannot be transported. In addition, Black Satin blackberries need to be collected every three days, otherwise the fruits are affected by gray rot.This is of little importance to private gardeners and small farmers. For summer residents and large farms, this feature of fruiting is unacceptable.
Area of application of berries
Black Satin blackberries are good only when fully ripe. To appreciate the aroma and taste, you need to grow them yourself - they can only be supplied to retail chains unripe, before they have had time to soften and lose their shape. But the Black Satin blackberry preparations turn out excellent.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Like other blackberries, the Black Satin variety is resistant to diseases and pests. But the berries on the bushes need to be picked regularly, otherwise they are affected by gray rot.
Advantages and disadvantages
It is difficult to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of Black Satin blackberries. Many people are not delighted with this variety. But why then has it become so widespread throughout the world? Farmers from different countries could not suddenly forget about other, such wonderful varieties and unanimously plant plantations of tasteless and poorly transported Black Satin blackberries.
Let's take a closer look at the positive and negative qualities. And then each gardener will decide for himself whether this variety is worth growing. The benefits of Black Satin blackberries include:
- Highest productivity. With good agricultural technology, even with compacted plantings, the variety produces up to 25 kg per bush.
- No thorns. For extended fruiting, when the crop is harvested every 3 days, this is of great importance.
- High quality preparations are made from Black Satin blackberries. The consumer properties of preserves, jams, juices and wines obtained from fruits of other varieties that are more tasty when fresh are much lower.
- Highly decorative value of well-groomed bushes.
- Resistance to pests and diseases. However, the blackberry culture as a whole has such qualities.
- Lack of root shoots. This makes it easier to care for.
The disadvantages of the Black Satin variety include:
- Insufficient frost resistance.
- Powerful shoots bend poorly. They are difficult to remove from the support and attach to it, to cover the blackberries for the winter. If you apply force to the branches, they will simply break.
- Extension of fruiting. Some berries do not have time to ripen before frost.
- The need to harvest every 3 days.
- Low resistance to gray rot of fruits.
- Poor transportability of berries.
- Insufficient keeping quality – the harvest needs to be processed within 24 hours.
- Mediocre berry taste.
- The variety cannot be propagated by root shoots – she is simply absent.
What conclusions can be drawn from this? Black Satin blackberries are good to grow in heated greenhouses and regions where the winter temperature does not drop below -12⁰ C. There, the variety does not need to be covered for the winter and it manages to produce the entire harvest, which can be processed.
However, each gardener decides for himself whether this variety is suitable for growing on the plot.
Reproduction methods
Black Satin blackberry does not produce root shoots, but its vines are long, capable of reaching a length of 7 m. Many young plants can be obtained from layering or apical shoots. True, the shoots are thick and do not bend well, so the vine chosen for propagation must be bent to the ground as it grows, and not wait until it reaches the required length.
Root and green cuttings give good results. You can propagate Black Satin blackberries by dividing the bush.
Landing rules
Planting Black Satin blackberries is not much different from other varieties.Unless on private farms it is recommended to plant bushes further away from each other, and only if possible.
Recommended timing
In most regions of Russia, it is recommended to plant Black Satin blackberries in the spring. This will allow the bush to take root and grow stronger over the season before the onset of frost. In the south, the variety is planted in the fall, since when planted in spring, blackberries may suffer from the rapid onset of heat.
Choosing a suitable location
The best place for planting blackberries will be sunny areas, sheltered from the wind. The Black Satin variety can tolerate slight shading, but it is only permissible in the southern regions. In the north, with a lack of sunlight, the wood will not ripen, therefore, it will not overwinter well, and the percentage of berries that do not have time to ripen will be much higher.
The groundwater level is no closer than 1.0-1.5 m to the surface.
You cannot plant Black Satin next to raspberries, other berry bushes, strawberries and nightshade crops. They can infect blackberries with diseases that, if placed correctly, you would not even think about. In fact, the recommended distance is 50 m, which is difficult to achieve in small areas. Just plant the crops further apart.
Soil preparation
The Black Satin variety is not very demanding on soil, but before planting the soil must be improved by adding a bucket of organic matter, 120-150 g of phosphorus and 40-50 g of potassium fertilizers to each planting hole.
Blackberries grow worst on sandstones, to which you need to add more organic matter, and heavy loams (improved with sand). The soil for the crop should be slightly acidic. High-moor (red) peat is added to alkaline and neutral soils.Excessive acidity of the soil is dampened with lime.
Selection and preparation of seedlings
The future health of blackberries and the harvest depend on the choice of planting material. The seedling must be strong, with smooth, intact bark and a well-developed root system. The Black Satin blackberry variety is not that rare, but it is better to buy it in nurseries or reliable retail chains.
The container plant is watered the day before planting, and the exposed root is soaked in water.
Algorithm and landing scheme
A distance of 2.5-3.0 m is left between Black Satin blackberry bushes. In industrial plantings, compaction of the planting to 1.5-2.0 m is allowed, but in this case, fertilizing must be intensive, since the feeding area is reduced.
The planting hole is dug in advance, filled 2/3 with a nutrient mixture and filled with water. Its standard size is 50x50x50 cm. After 2 weeks you can start planting:
- A mound is formed in the center, around which the roots are spread.
- The hole is filled with a nutrient mixture so as to deepen the root collar by 1.5-2 cm.
- The soil is compacted, the blackberries are watered, spending at least 10 liters per bush.
- The earth is mulched.
- The seedling is cut to 15-20 cm.
Subsequent care of the crop
Caring for Black Satin blackberries is more difficult than other varieties due to the need to constantly form a bush and the problems caused by thick, rigid shoots.
Growing principles
Growing Black Satin blackberries without a garter is impossible. Although its lashes are devoid of thorns, they are very long, without shaping or pruning, they first grow upward, then descend to the ground and take root.With the powerful shoot-forming ability of the variety, impenetrable thickets can be obtained within a season. It is very difficult to tidy up a neglected blackberry tree, since the branches are thick, stubborn and easily break.
Blackberry shoots Black Satin need to be trained to be planted on trelliswhen they reach a length of 30-35 cm. The lashes are bent to the ground and secured with staples. They are lifted onto the support after reaching 1.0-1.2 m.
Necessary activities
Blackberry is a moisture-loving crop. The Black Satin variety is extremely productive, therefore, it needs more water, especially during flowering and berry formation.
Other varieties of blackberries are recommended to start feeding in the third year after planting. Black Satin quickly grows green mass and forms many side shoots and berries. Feeding begins after a year:
- In the spring, immediately after melting or directly on the snow, give the first nitrogen fertilizer.
- At the beginning of flowering, blackberries are fertilized with a complete mineral complex.
- Next, once a month (until August) the plant is fed with a diluted mullein infusion (1:10) or green fertilizer (1:4) with the addition of ash.
- In August and September, the bushes are fertilized with phosphorus and potassium. Potassium monophosphate is highly soluble in water and gives excellent results.
- Throughout the season, foliar feeding should be done, they are also called quick. It is good to mix fertilizers specially designed for these purposes, humate, epin or zircon and a chelate complex. The latter prevents chlorosis and nourishes Black Satin blackberries with microelements necessary for plant health and a good harvest.
It is better to replace loosening with mulching with acidic peat or humus. Harrowing is carried out after placing the shoots on supports, harvesting and before sheltering for the winter.
Shrub pruning
Black Satin blackberries need to be pruned regularly. For fruiting, leave 5-6 strong shoots from last year. The side lashes are constantly shortened to 40-45 cm, weak and thin ones are cut out completely.
Shoots that have finished bearing fruit are removed before sheltering for the winter. In the spring, 5-6 of the best lashes are left, weak lashes, frozen or broken ends are cut off.
The leaves of the Black Satin variety also need to be rationed. During the ripening of the crop, those that shade the fruit clusters are torn off. Just don't overdo it! Blackberries need foliage for nutrition and the formation of chlorophyll.
Preparing for winter
We will assume that you have trained young shoots to climb onto a trellis, as described in the chapter “Principles of Growing.” Before winter, all that remains is to cut out the canes that have finished bearing fruit at the root, remove the annual growth from the support, and secure it to the ground. Then you need to cover the blackberries for the winter with spruce branches, agrofibre and cover them with soil. You can build special tunnels.
Diseases and pests: methods of control and prevention
Like other blackberry varieties, Black Satin gets sick and is rarely affected by pests. If you do not plant raspberries, strawberries and nightshade crops next to it, spring and autumn treatment with copper-containing preparations will be sufficient.
The problem for Black Satin blackberries is gray rot of the berries. To prevent disease, fruits must be removed as they ripen every 3 days.
Conclusion
Reviews from gardeners about Black Satin blackberries are extremely contradictory. We tried to objectively understand the characteristics of the variety, but each gardener must decide for himself whether to plant it on the site.
Reviews
