Content
Black Jam blackberries are a new product of American selection that appeared in 2017. It is distinguished by large berries with a pronounced sweet taste and pleasant aroma. The culture is winter-hardy and adapts well even to harsh climatic conditions. Therefore, such blackberries can be grown in different regions of Russia.
History of selection
Garden blackberry Black Gem is a variety obtained in 2017 in the USA. The name literally translates as “Black Pearl”. It was successfully tested in the state of Arkansas, after which it spread to other regions of the United States and several countries. Recently, the variety has begun to appear in Russia.
It has not yet been included in the register of selection achievements. However, many summer residents have already begun to grow crops on their plots. The winter hardiness of the variety is quite high, which makes it possible to cultivate it even in regions with frosty winters.
External description of Black Jam blackberries
The Black Jam blackberry bush is compact, the shoots are straight, growing vertically, and do not take up much space. Young shoots are green, then become grayish. The bush reaches a height of 1.5 m. The surface of the branches is thornless, which makes it easier to care for and harvest.
Black Jam blackberries are large, reaching 20-25 g in weight. The shape is conical, elongated, and the color is rich black. The surface is glossy and shines in the sun.
The fruits have an attractive presentation
The taste has a pronounced sweetness, the sourness is almost invisible, which distinguishes Black Jam blackberries from many other varieties. The pulp is juicy, the mass fraction of dry matter is no more than 12%, the remaining 88% is water (cell sap).
Keeping quality is low - at room temperature no more than four days. Although if you put it in the refrigerator, the period increases to three weeks.
Characteristics of Blackberry Black Jam
The variety is characterized by good yield, disease resistance and winter hardiness. Berries can be picked not only in July, but also in August and even September, if there is no frost.
Flowering period, ripening period and yield
Black Jam blackberries are remontant varieties. It bears fruit twice a season. The main wave occurs in July, the second - at the end of August and September. Accordingly, flowering occurs in June and July. Fruiting can continue throughout September, until the onset of the first frost.
The yield of the Black Jam variety is quite high - from one adult plant you can collect 5-6.5 kg of tasty berries, sometimes a little more.
Frost resistance and drought resistance
The Black Jam blackberry variety is winter-hardy (withstands temperatures down to -28 degrees). There is evidence that in the climatic conditions of the Rostov region (Taganrog), young bushes winter well even without shelter. In central Russia, the Urals, and Siberia, plants need shelter.
The culture is responsive to watering and needs a regular supply of water. Bushes can survive drought and recover. But a prolonged lack of moisture will adversely affect the taste of berries and yield.
Resistance to diseases and pests
The Black Jam blackberry variety has fairly good immunity to common pests and diseases. With improper care and unfavorable weather, it can suffer from purple spot, septoria, gray rot, shoot botrytis and other pathologies.
An invasion of mole crickets, various types of aphids, beetles and other insects is possible. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out preventive treatments using folk remedies and chemicals.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Despite the fact that Black Jam blackberries have appeared recently, many Russian gardeners have already managed to appreciate its benefits. Most often they write in reviews that blackberries are large and sweet and have a pleasant aroma. Moreover, the berries have absolutely no sourness, and the pulp is very juicy.
The berries are quite large and sweet in taste.
Pros:
- attractive appearance;
- the nutritional value;
- high productivity;
- resistance to diseases and pests;
- compact crown that does not take up much space;
- there are no thorns on the surface;
- high winter hardiness;
- good transportability.
Minuses:
- low keeping quality;
- in regions with harsh winters, shelter is required;
- There is little data about the variety due to its low prevalence.
Landing Features
Black Jam blackberries can be planted in both spring and fall. If planted in April, it is possible to harvest the crop in the same year. Autumn planting has its advantages - the seedling manages to take root before the cold weather and immediately begins to grow in the spring.
Places for planting are selected that meet several criteria simultaneously:
- good lighting;
- fertile, loose soil;
- neutral or slightly acidic environment (pH = 6.0-7.0);
- protection from draft winds;
- absence of stagnation of water (lowlands are excluded).
The area for planting Black Jam blackberries is first cleaned and dug up. Apply compost, humus or complex mineral fertilizer. If the soil is heavy and contains a lot of clay, it is necessary to cover it with sawdust, vermiculite or sand.
Black Jam blackberry seedlings are purchased only from trusted suppliers. If the root system is open, you can soak it overnight in a solution of a growth stimulator (Kornevin, Zircon, Epin or other products).
When planting blackberries, Black Jam works like this:
- Prepare a hole 50*50 cm.
- A small layer of small stones is placed at the bottom.
- Place the seedling in the center and sprinkle it with fertile soil.
- Compact so that the measles neck goes to a shallow depth (up to 2-3 cm).
- Water with a bucket of settled water.
- Lay a layer of mulch - sawdust, hay, straw, needles or other natural materials.
It is better to prepare planting holes 2-3 weeks in advance
Rules of care
As for the agricultural technology for growing Black Jam blackberries, it is not complicated. Experienced gardeners recommend following these rules:
- Watering should be regular and sufficiently abundant. If there is no rain, water is given weekly. Young seedlings require at least 5 liters, adults - 10-20 liters. The water must be pre-settled. It is necessary to monitor the surface layer of soil - it must have time to dry out.
- After watering or heavy rain, the soil is loosened and weeding is done at the same time. To keep the soil moist for as long as possible, the tree trunk circle is mulched with straw, sawdust, and pine needles.
- Since Black Jam blackberries are remontant varieties with two waves of fruiting, fertilizing should be done regularly at intervals of 3-4 weeks. In spring, give ammonium nitrate or urea. At the flowering stage, superphosphate and potassium sulfate are added. The same composition is given a month later. In the fall, after harvesting, you can feed it with wood ash (water infusion).
- In early spring, preventive treatment against diseases and pests is carried out. To do this, use Bordeaux mixture, "HOM", "Fundazol", "Ridomil Gold" or other fungicides.
- Also in the spring you need to do sanitary pruning of Black Jam blackberries. In the fall, they also carry out pruning, thinning the crown and getting rid of old shoots.
- Despite the high winter hardiness of the Black Jam variety, shelter will be needed in most regions. The branches are removed from the support, bent to the soil and pinned. Throw sawdust, straw on top and cover with burlap, agrofiber or other fairly dense material.
Regular watering and fertilizing guarantee good yields even in unfavorable weather conditions.
Reproduction methods
Black Jam blackberries are propagated in all possible ways, including from seeds. But most often they choose vegetative methods.They are much simpler, allow you to preserve all varietal characteristics and obtain the desired result relatively quickly.
Most often, Black Jam is propagated using the following methods:
- green cuttings;
- root suckers;
- dividing the bush.
Cuttings are taken from mature Black Jam blackberry bushes at the end of May. Plant in fertile, moist soil, grow until autumn, and mulch. Next spring they are transplanted to a permanent place.
For propagation by root suckers, several formations that grow near the bush are separated. They are cut out so that the length is at least 30 cm. Then they are planted in fertile soil, watered, and fed.
The bush is divided only if it does not produce root shoots. In the spring, they dig it up and cut the rhizome into several parts. In this case, each division should have several healthy shoots.
Conclusion
Black Jam blackberries are a rather interesting variety, which is primarily valued for its sweet taste and large berries. The fruits can be used fresh for preparing various dishes and preparations for the winter. They do not last long, although transportability is good. Therefore, the berries can be used both for personal consumption and for sale or processing.
Reviews from gardeners about Black Jam blackberries
This is my second year growing Black Pearl. The berries are good, tasty, beautiful. But the sun—abundant—dries them out if you don’t remove them in time. In the fall, I cut off a large branch that had borne fruit. Two left. There are no root shoots. Of course, it’s already covered in leaves and flower buds. It is now early April 2023. I don’t know how to reproduce now. I'll try with cuttings.
A very impressive plant - beautiful and quite unpretentious. It looks regal in the garden. And it is amazingly responsive to watering and fertilizers. Excellent variety.