Remontant blackberry Prime Ark Freedom: description, characteristics, reproduction, video, reviews

Blackberry Prime Arc Freedom is one of the new but popular varieties among gardeners. The berry has become famous due to its taste and characteristics. A good harvest is obtained by owners who adhere to the rules of agricultural technology when growing crops.

History of selection

Blackberry Prime Arc Freedom is a product of Western selection. The hybrid was registered in 2013. Dr. John Clark is recognized as the creator of the variety. Seedlings were brought to Russia in 2014, where they became widespread due to their high yields and ability to bear fruit twice per season.

Description of blackberries of the Prime Arc Freedom variety

The plant belongs to the medium-sized hybrids. The culture has the ability to self-pollinate.It stands out among other varieties for its large berries and high yield.

External description of the bush

The shrub has erect shoots of a dark green color with a purple tint, growing up to 2 m. At the age of 3-4 years, the plant, with proper care, reaches 3-4 m in height.

Blackberries of this variety have leaves of emerald color, oval-elongated shape with jagged edges and a pointed end. The buds are white in color with a very delicate aroma.

The Prime Ark Freedom hybrid seedling differs significantly from other productive varieties in terms of shoot power and number of flowers

Taste qualities of berries

The resulting hybrid has a high yield, this is due to the fact that only one tassel is capable of setting about 50 fruits at once.

The weight of fully ripened cone-shaped berries is 9-10 g. However, there have been cases when the weight of the fruit reached a record level of 17 g. The largest specimens ripen at the beginning of fruiting, and smaller berries appear at the end of the season.

Storage and transportation rates, like most hybrids of American origin, are quite high.

The pulp feels dense, has a fairly pronounced sweet taste, and the presence of an almost imperceptible sourness makes this berry even more recognizable among other varieties. The peculiarity of the variety is the setting of double fruits.

The harvested crop can be stored for ten days on the refrigerator shelf. But you need to take into account that if you wash the berries, then the Prime Arc Freedom blackberries will quickly become unusable.

Characteristics of blackberries Prime Arc Freedom

The variety has both a number of advantages and disadvantages, so before choosing a seedling you should study the characteristics of the hybrid and take into account the nuances of its cultivation.You need to pay attention to frost resistance, immunity to pests, and fruiting characteristics.

Flowering period, ripening period and yield

The selection of this hybrid was carried out in California, where the climate is very mild. Therefore, this variety begins to bloom at the end of February.

The first berries can be picked at the end of May. The second wave of fruit ripening occurs in autumn.

A very promising variety due to its high yield. From 1 sq. m with proper care you can easily get up to 7 kg. Ripeness can be determined by a change in color: the berries become a glossy black hue. They should separate well from the stalk. Overripe specimens are easily damaged when harvested.

In the northern regions, due to the short summer, owners of Prime Arc Freedom blackberries most often do not have time to harvest the second wave of the harvest

Frost resistance

In winter, the hybrid requires mandatory shelter, since blackberries have very low frost resistance. At a temperature of -15 °C the plant may die. In the northern regions, it is possible to grow crops in greenhouse conditions.

Resistance to diseases and pests

The immunity of Prime Ark Freedom blackberries adequately resists known diseases and attacks of harmful insects. However, the plant can be affected by mosaic and anthracnose.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The unique properties of the variety are the absence of thorns on the shoots and remontability.

The advantages of Prime Arc Freedom blackberries include large fruit.

Advantages:

  • high taste qualities;
  • decent transportability and beautiful presentation;
  • strong immune system;
  • early ripeness (under the film the crop can be harvested as early as April);
  • ideal for growing in greenhouses;
  • good propagation rates by seeds and shoots.

Flaws:

  • inability of the plant to adapt to climatic conditions;
  • in the Caucasus it is too hot for blackberries, they need to be shaded;
  • in the Moscow region, in Siberia and the Urals, the variety is not capable of producing two harvests if it is not covered.
Important! The sensitivity of the Prime Arc Freedom variety to weather conditions forces gardeners to regularly monitor the climate in greenhouses. If it is too hot and the berries begin to fade, then they try to darken the “roof”.

Planting blackberries Prime Arc Freedom

Laying trenches should be done depending on the climatic conditions of residence. In southern latitudes, the best time to move Prime Arc Freedom blackberries to a permanent place of residence is autumn, 3-4 weeks before the onset of persistent cold weather. For northern regions such conditions will be unfavorable. The recommended optimal time is at the end of April: the seedlings will take root better.

Landing rules:

  1. Bushes should be planted maintaining a distance of 70-80 cm between seedlings and 140-160 cm between rows. It is necessary to install trellises so that the shoots do not break under the influence of external factors. Gartering the bushes allows the plant to evenly receive sunlight.
  2. The place should be inaccessible to north and west winds.
  3. All planting work should begin a month before purchasing the seedling. The width and depth of the pit must be at least 0.5 m.
  4. The ideal soil is light loamy or sandy loam soil. Its acidity level should vary between 6-6.6. It is necessary to fertilize the soil with organic fertilizers: humus and wood ash.

The purchase of Prime Ark Freedom seedlings should be carried out only in specialized places where there are guarantees of product quality

Important! The ideal option for planting is a one-year or two-year-old seedling with a closed root system. The branches of the plant must be at least 0.5 m in height, with green foliage and healthy buds.

Algorithm for planting blackberries Prime Ark Freedom:

  1. If the root system is open, then treat it with a rooting solution. To disinfect planting material, you can add a little potassium permanganate to the water.
  2. Moisten the pit generously.
  3. At the bottom of the hole, make an earthen mound, on which you then place the seedling and straighten the roots.
  4. Fill the hole with soil, gradually compacting the soil mixture around the trunk.
  5. Water the seedling and mulch the ground with peat. An alternative is freshly cut grass or humus.

Blackberry care Prime Arc Freedom

The plant needs regular watering. The interval between moisturizing procedures should be two weeks. Mature bushes are more resistant to drought, but it is not recommended to deprive them of water. During the season it is necessary to carry out the procedure 5-6 times.

Weeds around the plant must be removed regularly. After weeding, you should loosen the soil around the trunk.

Recommendations for fertilizing:

  • in the spring, provide the bush with nitrogen fertilizers;
  • In the fall, add phosphorus and potassium to the soil.
Important! Once every 2-3 years you need to mix humus with the top layer of soil. After feeding, be sure to water the plant.

In the fall, after sanitary treatment, Prime Ark Freedom blackberries need to be covered before the onset of frost. To do this, tie the stems and bend them to the ground. Sprinkle them with straw on top and wrap them with covering material.

In the Northern regions, the best way to protect blackberries from winter frosts is to use agrofibre

Primer Arc Freedom blackberry pruning

Shoots that have completed their fruiting should be removed in the fall. It is necessary to prune damaged branches affected by fungi or bacteria.

In spring, thin out the shrub until the leaves appear. On two-year-old shoots, you can cut off the top part to stimulate the growth of the ovaries. At the end of the procedure, you need to tie the branches to the trellis.

When growing a remontant variety, the following option is also possible: in the fall, after fruiting has ended, cut off all the shoots. The next season, ovaries will form on annual shoots. This method of pruning makes it easier to cover the bush for the winter.

Reproduction of remontant blackberry Prime Ark Freedom

At the moment, there are several ways to increase the number of shrubs on your site:

  • rooting of cuttings;
  • root cuttings;
  • sowing seeds.

It is known that the variety is very tenacious: a 3 cm shoot can take root and grow into a full-fledged bush. Regardless of the propagation method, all hybrid properties are preserved.

Prime Arc Freedom blackberries can be propagated by any of the available methods, but it should be taken into account that preference should be given to healthy fruit-bearing bushes.

Conclusion

Blackberry Prime Arc Freedom is a relatively new representative of the crop on the market. Its unique qualities are repairability and thornlessness. The variety is demanding on the climate, but pleases with high yields and a strong immune system.

Reviews from gardeners about Prime Arc Freedom blackberries

Efimova Anastasia, Astrakhan
The climate in our region is favorable for growing blackberries. I purchased the variety in the hope of enjoying the berries all summer and I was right. Fruiting of the hybrid is extended and continues until the onset of frost. In summer the berries are larger than in autumn.They taste sweet, juicy, with a slight sourness.
Grigorieva Marina, Samara
The desire to eat blackberries forced me to look for suitable varieties. I chose the Prime Arc Freedom hybrid, which bears fruit twice a season and has no thorns. The plant itself requires care. During the season of drought and cold snap, the bushes had to be covered. If this is not done, the berries fall off, the leaves wither, and abundant watering does not give any result.

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