Content
Blackberries are a crop that is steadily gaining popularity among Russian gardeners. It is valued not only for its original taste, but also for its health benefits, higher yields and better immunity compared to raspberries. Loch Mary blackberries are one of the new breeding products. Its obvious advantage is its outstanding taste.
History of selection
Loch Maree blackberries, sometimes known in Russia as Loch Mary or Loch Marie, are currently the latest variety in a series named after Scottish lakes. It, like its “predecessors”, was created at the Horticulture Institute of this state (SCRI).
The variety appeared on sale in 2015. Loch Mary is a complex hybrid, the result of breeders’ experiments with previously created varieties, as well as wild blackberries, raspberries and loganberries.
Description of Loch Mary blackberries
Loch Mary blackberries are a semi-creeping variety. A bush with initially erect, but gradually drooping shoots, without thorns.The stems of adult plants are characterized by rapid growth rates, while in young seedlings their length increases relatively slowly.
The foliage of the bushes is average. The leaves are large, rich green in color, with a serrated edge. Against this background, the flowers look very impressive - double, as if double, of a soft pink hue.
Over the first 2-3 years, shoots on Loch Mary blackberry bushes grow to about a meter, their total height will eventually be about 4 m
The berries are collected in clusters of 3-5 pieces. Most of them have a round shape, less often they come across a slightly elongated one. The average weight is 8 g, individual specimens weigh 12-15 g. The skin is glossy black, elastic, which provides the crop with good shelf life and transportability.
Drupes of blackberries are firmly attached to each other
The pulp is medium dense, the seeds are small, and you can hardly feel them when eating. The taste is distinctly sweet, with a very light refreshing sourness and a “berry-peach” aftertaste. There is also a characteristic “blackberry” aroma that persists after heat treatment in homemade preparations.
Characteristics of the variety
The creators of the Loch Mary variety intended it to be universal, suitable for cultivation by both professional farmers and amateur gardeners. But so far it is in demand mainly by owners of personal plots. Those who grow berries on an industrial scale are put off by their small size and general lack of appearance.
Ripening time and yield
Loch Mary blackberries are mid-early varieties. The harvest is harvested in the first half of July, in the south of Russia - in the last ten days of June.On average, you can count on 15 kg from an adult bush. The first berries are harvested three years after planting in the ground.
Winter hardiness
Cold resistance for Russia is low - up to -15 ° C. Without preliminary preparation, bushes can only winter in warm southern regions.
For regions called “risky farming zones”, Loch Mary blackberries are not a very suitable variety
Resistance to diseases and pests
Disease resistance at standard level. The only exception is that the variety is susceptible to gray mold infection. This is almost inevitable if the bushes are grown in a humid climate or the gardener is not very lucky with the weather in the summer.
The creators of the Loch Mary blackberry variety claim its high resistance to pests. Gardeners do not yet have extensive cultivation experience to confirm or refute this information.
Pros and cons of the variety
The Loch Mary blackberry variety belongs to the dessert category. The taste qualities of the berries were highly appreciated by professional tasters.
Loch Mary blackberries are suitable for any homemade preparations and are widely used in cooking as a filling for baked goods.
Pros:
- decorativeness of the bush during flowering, “help” in attracting pollinators to the site (the plant itself is a good honey plant);
- absence of thorns on the shoots;
- consistently high yield (even in “unsuccessful” years, not less than 12-13 kg);
- versatility of fruit purpose;
- excellent taste of berries both fresh and homemade;
- very good shelf life and transportability for blackberries;
- fairly good immunity to most pathogenic fungi, high resistance to pests.
Minuses:
- relatively small berry size;
- insufficient cold resistance for most Russian regions;
- tendency to become infected with gray mold when conditions are created that are favorable for the development of the pathogen;
- uneven growth of the bush;
- tall shoots that need regular pruning.
Landing rules
Due to their low cold tolerance, it is recommended to plant Loch Mary blackberries in the spring. The exact time depends on the local climate. In the south, the substrate warms up sufficiently by mid-April. In central Russia, where spring frosts are rare but still occur, you will have to wait until the second ten days of May.
A site for planting Loch Mary blackberries is selected based on several criteria:
- Good lighting. The plants are quite hardy and will survive even in dense shade. However, when there is a lack of sunlight, their development slows down greatly, harvests are very meager, and the quantity and quality of the berries harvested sharply deteriorate.
- Availability of protection from drafts and cold wind. Its sharp gusts can “destroy” a bush even when grown on a trellis.
- Substrate quality. Loch Mary blackberries definitely will not survive in a “heavy” substrate (clayey, silt, peat). “Light”, very “poor” soils (sandy, rocky) are also not suitable for it. The best option is fairly nutritious, but well-drained loam or sandy loam. The acid-base balance should be neutral (pH 5.5-6.5).
Without providing Loch Mary blackberries with sufficient daylight hours, you can’t count on good harvests
Like other semi-creeping varieties, Loch Mary blackberries are grown exclusively on trellises. They are installed in advance, even before planting. The design is standard - vertical supports with horizontally stretched wire (3-4 rows). To make it more convenient to care for the bushes and harvest, the height of the trellis is limited to 2-2.2 m.
A minimum of 2.5 m is left between Loch Mary blackberry seedlings, and 2-2.5 m between rows of bushes. The depth and diameter of the planting hole is 40-50 cm. A drainage layer is required at the bottom, with a nutrient mixture on top of it.
Seedlings in the garden bed must be watered (5-10 liters of water) and mulched. The latter is necessary to prevent overheating of the roots and too rapid evaporation of moisture from the soil.
After planting, the root collar of the Loch Mary blackberry bush should be 3-4 cm below the soil level
Features of care
Loch Mary blackberries require the same care as other semi-creeping varieties:
- Watering. Both drying out and waterlogging of the soil is harmful to the crop, so there are no strictly defined intervals between irrigations. They focus on the condition of the substrate, the volume and frequency of natural precipitation, and air temperature. On average, Loch Mary blackberries are watered weekly, the approximate norm is 20-25 liters.
- Loosening, weeding. An alternative to these bush care procedures is mulching.
- Fertilizer application.In early spring, mineral nitrogen fertilizers are applied, and humus is applied once every 2-3 years. Then, during budding, formation of fruit ovaries and approximately 20 days before harvest, complex fertilizers for berry bushes are applied.
- Pruning and shaping the bush. As they grow, new shoots are tied to the trellis, spreading in different directions. The Loch Mary blackberry turns into something like a fan. Fruit-bearing branches are cut off at the end of the season. Sanitary pruning is carried out in early spring and late autumn.
- Preparing for winter. In the southern regions of the Loch Mary blackberry, in order to overwinter, it is enough to update the layer of mulch. In temperate climates, humus is added to the roots, forming a mound up to 20 cm high.
The most dangerous disease for Loch Mary blackberries is gray rot. A “fluffy” grayish coating with small black inclusions appears on the plant. The tissues underneath darken, become slimy to the touch, and gradually die. For prevention, at the beginning and end of the season, the bushes and soil in the garden are sprayed with any fungicide. Treatments are repeated in the summer if the weather is favorable for the development of the pathogen. The same drugs are used to combat gray rot. The number of procedures and concentration of the solution are indicated in the instructions.
Blackberries affected by gray rot are unsuitable for food
Reproduction methods
Loch Mary blackberries reproduce successfully by any vegetative method. The easiest way is to root cuttings or transplant root shoots. Growing seedlings from seeds is also possible, but this method is not popular among gardeners.
Transplantation of root shoots
The Loch Mary blackberry produces a lot of “offsprings”, so there will not be a shortage of planting material.In the fall, new specimens are dug out of the soil, cutting the root connecting them to the “mother” plant. Depending on the climate in the region, they can either be immediately transplanted to a new place, or “grow” in the winter at home.
Like any blackberry, the Loch Mary variety is prone to the formation of basal shoots and uncontrolled “spreading” across the site
Cuttings
Loch Mary blackberry cuttings - shoot tips about 15 cm long with 3-4 growth buds. They are cut in the last ten days of May or June. Root the cuttings in any loose, moisture-absorbing substrate, pre-treated with a biostimulant. It is necessary to provide them with good lighting and create a “greenhouse effect”. Roots appear in 3-4 weeks. After another month, the Loch Mary blackberry cuttings can be transplanted into regular soil.
Rooted cuttings of Loch Mary blackberries are transplanted into the garden bed either in the autumn of the same year or in the spring of the next
Conclusion
Loch Mary blackberries are a relatively new, promising variety. The small size of the berries more than pays for their outstanding taste and high yield. Plants require standard care; they have good immunity. Therefore, the variety can be recommended to not very experienced gardeners.
