Content
- 1 Origin story
- 2 Description of the bush and blackberries of the Black Diamond variety
- 3 Characteristics of Black Diamond blackberry
- 4 Pros and cons of the variety
- 5 Rules for planting Black Diamond blackberries
- 6 Caring for Black Diamond Blackberries
- 7 Reproduction methods
- 8 Conclusion
- 9 Reviews from gardeners about Black Diamond blackberries
The Black Diamond, or Black Diamond, blackberry is just beginning to take root in Russian gardens. But the variety is gradually gaining popularity despite the fact that its care is somewhat different from the usual rules of agricultural technology.
Origin story
The Black Diamond blackberry variety is over 20 years old. It was bred in 1997 at one of the variety testing stations in Oregon, USA. Breeders were faced with the task of obtaining the optimal blackberry variety for industrial production. Namely: to combine thornless, frost-resistant bushes and sweet berries with high commercial characteristics in one form.
Gardeners can evaluate which plans biologists succeeded in implementing and which they did not. At the moment, the Black Diamond blackberry variety has not passed agricultural tests and is not included in the State Register of the Russian Federation. There is also little official information about him.It mainly comes from owners of nurseries and garden plots who have already encountered its cultivation.
The berries are very large and have a WOW effect
Taking advantage of the demand, unscrupulous sellers often pass off other types of blackberries as Black Diamond. Therefore, you should purchase planting material only from trusted suppliers.
Description of the bush and blackberries of the Black Diamond variety
According to photos and descriptions, Black Diamond blackberry is a tall, rather large plant with flexible shoots about 1-1.5 m long. When the bushes are formed correctly, the stems seem to spread along the ground, forming bushes with a diameter of about 1 m.
Young annual branches are covered with light green bark and bend to the ground under the weight of berries. By the end of the first year of life, the shoots become woody, begin to grow straight and upward, and their bark acquires a gray-brown tint and roughness.
Breeders have not been able to achieve a complete absence of thorns on the stems of Black Diamond blackberries. However, large and hard thorns are located at the bottom of the shoots. At a height of 20-30 cm they disappear and do not interfere with harvesting, including by mechanized means.
The Black Diamond variety has high yields
The stems of the bush are covered with diamond-shaped leaves of medium size. The leaf blades are distinguished by highly jagged edges and a wrinkled outer surface of a bright green hue. Closer to autumn or with a lack of moisture, the leaves turn yellow.However, in the absence of other signs of disease, this is considered normal and does not affect the development of bushes and fruiting.
Black Diamond blackberries bear fruit exclusively from shoots of the second year of life. Therefore, proper autumn and spring pruning is important. Fruit branches are thin and hard. In mid-June they are covered with large flowers of a delicate pink hue. The buds are collected in inflorescences of 8-12 pieces each. According to gardeners, the late flowering of Black Diamond blackberries is one of the advantages of the variety, since the delicate flowers are not afraid of returning spring frosts.
Black Diamond blackberries truly resemble gemstones. Large, weighing 5-6 grams, they have the shape of an elongated cone. The color of the fruit is dark blue, almost black. The berries are dense, easily separated from the stalk, and do not wrinkle or crumble during harvesting.
The taste characteristics of Black Diamond blackberries are rated very highly. Although, according to experts, they slightly fall short of the standard, which is the Marion variety. The berries are juicy, sweet, with a slight sourness. However, when grown in shaded areas, sour notes begin to dominate the taste.
Characteristics of Black Diamond blackberry
Black Diamond blackberries are a relatively unpretentious variety. The bushes take root well and bear fruit well on light sandy and loamy soils with a neutral pH level. If we talk about optimal conditions for growing berry bushes, it is recommended to plant them in sunny areas protected from the wind. For this variety, it is important that the roots do not suffer from waterlogging due to heavy rainfall, snow melting or close groundwater.
Blackberries do not bake in the sun and do not fall off
The variety also has good commercial characteristics. Dense berries retain freshness and attractive appearance for 10-14 days if stored in the refrigerator. They are excellent at transporting over long distances.
The berries are widely used in cooking. Jams, jams, juices and compotes are prepared from them. Large blackberries are widely used to decorate confectionery products. Many people freeze or dry the fruits for the winter and, of course, eat them fresh.
Ripening time and yield
Black Diamond blackberries begin to bear fruit the second season after planting. Stable fruiting occurs 3-4 years after planting the seedlings.
Black Diamond blackberries are varieties with medium ripening periods. Depending on the climate and growing conditions, the berries are filled at the end of July, the first half of August. There is no need to rush into collecting. The fruits are not prone to shedding and baking in the sun. But the longer the berries stay on the branches, the more sugars they will contain. True, for transportation and storage it is better to pick blackberries as soon as they acquire a blue-black color.
The longer the berries remain on the bushes, the sweeter they are
The Black Diamond variety bears fruit very quickly, which is why farmers who grow berries for sale and processing love it. The crop is easy to harvest in one go using mechanical tools.
The yield of Black Diamond blackberries will please any gardener. If the rules of agricultural technology are followed, up to 35 kg can be harvested from a bush, although for the middle zone figures of 20-25 kg will be more accurate.You can increase productivity by choosing the right site for placing bushes, timely application of fertilizers and regular pruning of shoots.
Frost resistance
According to the characteristics, Black Diamond blackberries can be grown throughout the European part of Russia. They are trying to cultivate it beyond the Urals. However, there are some nuances. The variety is considered frost-resistant. Its deep-lying, powerful root system can overwinter under a layer of snow at temperatures of 27-30 °C below zero, which cannot be said about the shoots. They are less resistant to cold weather. Therefore, it is recommended to cover blackberry bushes for the winter.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Black Diamond blackberries are practically not susceptible to diseases, including various types of rot and bacteriosis. The main causes of diseases, as a rule, are dense plantings due to failure to maintain distances between berry bushes or improper pruning.
Pests can also cause a lot of trouble for gardeners growing Black Diamond blackberries. Plants are threatened by raspberry gall midges, spider and raspberry mites, and stem flies.
Pros and cons of the variety
Black Diamond blackberries deserve mostly positive reviews from gardeners. Although sometimes you can stumble upon negative ones. In order for growing blackberries of this variety to bring joy, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with its advantages and disadvantages in advance.
The blackberry variety is considered thornless
Pros of Black Diamond Blackberry:
- high productivity;
- excellent taste and product characteristics;
- amicable maturation;
- thorns grow only on the lower part of the shoots;
- the ability to use mechanical means for harvesting;
- unpretentiousness;
- the presence of immunity to most diseases characteristic of the culture.
Minuses:
- it is difficult to find original planting material;
- high price for seedlings;
- the need for formation and regular pruning of berry bushes.
Rules for planting Black Diamond blackberries
In the middle zone, Black Diamond blackberries can be planted twice a year. In the fall, before the onset of frost, and in the spring, in March or April, before the buds swell.
Algorithm:
- The area is pre-dug. Add humus or rotted compost.
- Prepare holes with a depth and diameter of about 50 cm. It is advisable to plant blackberries in rows in the direction from north to south, leaving a distance of 1.2-1.5 m between seedlings.
- A mixture of humus and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers is first added to the holes.
- Black Diamond blackberry seedlings are shortened by 2/3 before planting.
- It is recommended to soak the roots in a solution of a growth stimulator, such as Kornevin or Ecosil.
- The seedling is placed in the prepared planting hole and sprinkled with soil.
- The soil is compacted. Make a hole near the trunk and water it generously with warm, settled water.
Seedlings with ZKS can be planted in spring, summer, and autumn
Caring for Black Diamond Blackberries
During the growing season, caring for Black Diamond blackberries consists of:
- in timely watering;
- in the application of organic fertilizers in the spring and potassium-phosphorus compounds during fruiting;
- in autumn and spring pruning with the removal of fruit-bearing, diseased or damaged shoots;
- in weeding, loosening and mulching of the root circle.
For the winter, Black Diamond blackberries are piled high with a mixture of peat and sawdust and covered. For young plants, you can use spruce branches.For adults, it is better to build a frame from scrap materials, and cover it on top with burlap or any non-woven material, with the exception of plastic film.
Reproduction methods
Black Diamond blackberries are propagated using shoots, dividing bushes and even seeds. The most reliable way is to pin down creeping annual shoots in the spring.
Pinning shoots is the easiest way to propagate
By autumn, the shoots will take root and produce young shoots. In the fall, they are carefully separated and planted in a permanent place.
Conclusion
Black Diamond blackberries deserve to take pride of place in the garden. The berry bush does not require much attention and will delight gardeners with an excellent harvest of sweet and juicy berries. It will be appreciated by both owners of private land plots and owners of farms growing berries for sale and processing.
Reviews from gardeners about Black Diamond blackberries
