Content
- 1 History of selection
- 2 Description of blackberry variety Heaven can wait
- 3 Characteristics of blackberry variety Heaven can wait
- 4 Pros and Cons of Blackberries Heaven Can Wait
- 5 Blackberry Planting Heaven Can Wait
- 6 Blackberry Care Heaven Can Wait
- 7 Reproduction methods
- 8 Conclusion
- 9 Gardener Reviews of Blackberries Heaven Can Wait
Blackberries have been confidently “squeezing out” raspberries lately. Most of its varieties were bred abroad, and new products appear regularly. One of them, already recognized as very promising, is the Heaven Can Wait blackberry, which is distinguished by its outstanding taste and high concentration of nutrients.
History of selection
This hybrid variety was bred in the USA. It appeared on sale recently (in 2013), but breeding work began much earlier - in 1992.
Two “auxiliary” forms took part in the development of the variety under the working name A-1960 - Ark-1482 and Ark-1583. The selection was carried out in Arkansas, near the city of Clarksville. The process was led by famous specialists John Clark and James Moore, who received a patent for their achievement in 2015.
According to breeders, the blackberry Heaven Can Wait is definitely worth the time and effort spent on its creation
The authors did not provide an explanation for the original name. But according to the most common version, the berries are distinguished by a very high concentration of substances beneficial to health. Accordingly, those who regularly eat them prolong their life and delay the onset of old age.
Description of blackberry variety Heaven can wait
The blackberry bush Heaven Can Wait reaches 2.5-3 m in length and 1-1.5 m in diameter. The shoots are devoid of thorns, they cannot be called either erect or creeping; under the weight of the harvest, they gradually bend in an arched manner, turning into “arches”. The internodes are short, this contributes to the formation of a larger number of flower buds. Flowering occurs in the first half of May.
Unlike many blackberry varieties, Heaven Can Wait does not actively form basal shoots
The weight of the berries varies from 5-6 to 10-13 g. The fruits are elongated, blunt-conical, glossy black. The pulp is purple-violet, dense, but very juicy and tender.
The seeds in the berries are small and cannot be felt at all when eaten.
The taste of the berries is sweet, with a slight “balancing” sourness. Ratings from professional tasters vary between 4.5-5 points.
Characteristics of blackberry variety Heaven can wait
The size and taste of the berries are important, but not determining factors when choosing a variety. It is necessary to study other characteristics in order to understand whether the cultivation of blackberries is possible in principle. Heaven can wait in a certain region.
Ripening time and yield
Blackberry Heaven Can Wait is an early ripening variety. The first wave of fruiting occurs on the 15th-20th of June. The crop is then harvested within 8-10 weeks.
During the season, about 10 kg of berries are harvested from an adult bush. High-quality care can increase this figure to 25-30 kg.
The harvest volume is not particularly affected by heat, drought, or other negative weather factors.
Winter hardiness
In Russia, the variety can overwinter without damage or with minimal damage only in southern regions with a subtropical climate. The frost resistance of the blackberry Heaven Can Wait (-13-15 °C) is insufficient even for planting in the Moscow region and central Russia, not to mention the Urals and Siberia.
The root system of bushes has better cold resistance than shoots and flower buds
Resistance to diseases and pests
The variety does not have “innate” immunity to any diseases. But the experience of gardeners shows that the general resistance of plants to them is high, and proper care is quite sufficient prevention.Cases of infection by anthracnose or rust typical for the crop are extremely rare.
Pros and Cons of Blackberries Heaven Can Wait
The berries have good transportability. But the fresh shelf life of this variety is relatively short - up to 5-6 days (in the refrigerator).
Ripe berries have an unusual aroma with light “fruity” notes.
Pros:
- quite compact and neat bush;
- shoots without thorns;
- self-pollinating;
- consistently high yields, little dependent on the vagaries of the weather;
- heat and drought resistance;
- early fruiting periods combined with fairly late flowering;
- high resistance to pathogenic microflora;
- amazing taste, original aroma;
- almost a record concentration of health-promoting substances in fruits for blackberries, confirmed by laboratory tests;
- versatility of berries, suitable for both fresh consumption and home canning;
- suitability of the variety for cultivation on an industrial scale.
Minuses:
- insufficient cold resistance for almost any Russian region;
- a significant decrease in the volume and quality of the crop due to a lack of light and dense plantings;
- rapid root rotting at high humidity;
- fragility of the stalks, easily broken by the wind;
- special love from rodents.
Blackberry Planting Heaven Can Wait
Planting is permissible both in spring and autumn. In the south of Russia, gardeners traditionally prefer the second option, choosing the time so that there are 4-6 weeks left before the first frost. Autumn planting helps protect seedlings from extreme summer heat and drought, which are very likely in this region.
Requirements for the planting site for garden blackberries Heaven Can Wait are standard for the crop:
- Good illumination in the morning and evening and protection from direct sunlight during the hottest time of the day. Although, due to the structural features of the bush, they harm blackberries. Heaven can wait less than other varieties and hybrids.
- Availability of protection from sharp gusts of wind and cold drafts. In its absence, the gardener loses a significant part of the harvest at the stage of its ripening.
- Soil that combines nutritional value and looseness with a neutral or close to this acid-base balance. In “heavy” soil, the roots of the blackberry Heaven Can Wait quickly rot; “light” soil does not provide the bushes with a high need for nutrients due to their productivity.
- Lack of groundwater approaching closer than a meter to the surface of the earth. Also, you can’t plant blackberries. Heaven can wait in the lowlands, at the foot of the hills, where rain and melt water always sit for a long time, and moist, cold air accumulates.
When planting in the shade, it is impossible to collect good harvests even with proper care
Blackberries Heaven Can Wait are planted in holes with a depth and diameter of 40-50 cm or in one long trench. A minimum of 1.5 m is left between seedlings, the optimal row spacing is 2.5 m. Any drainage material is poured to the bottom with a layer of 5-7 cm, and nutrient soil is placed on top of it.
Drainage prevents water from stagnating at the roots
When the planting of blackberries Heaven Can Wait is planned for spring, the hole dug in the fall “stands” all winter. When planting in autumn, it is dug 15-20 days before the procedure.
If you plan to tie the bushes to the trellis, it is installed during the preparation of the hole or trench
Planting blackberries Heaven can wait according to the standard algorithm. The most important nuances that should not be forgotten:
- abundant watering of the soil in the hole before planting and the plants after it;
- maintaining the vertical position of the seedling;
- the need to periodically carefully compact the soil when filling a hole;
- the root collar, which eventually ends up at ground level;
- mulching the tree trunk circle;
- shortening shoots to 20-25 cm.
It is more convenient to plant any berry bushes together
Blackberry Care Heaven Can Wait
Even gardeners who do not have much experience in growing this crop are quite capable of getting a good harvest:
- Watering. Bushes tolerate drought better than most varieties and hybrids, but this does not mean that you can forget about irrigation. The soil is moistened weekly, twice as often in hot weather. An adult bush consumes 25-30 liters of water.
- Loosening and weeding. Blackberries need these activities Heaven can wait only if the bed is not mulched. They are carried out every 2-3 weeks, as needed.
- Feeding. Fertilizers begin to be applied in the second spring after planting in open ground. In mid-April, the Heaven Can Wait blackberry needs nitrogen to stimulate active shoot growth and the formation of green mass. At the stage of bud formation, after flowering and the first wave of fruiting, complex store-bought fertilizers are used. In preparation for winter - any preparations containing phosphorus and potassium.
- Tying. Tying blackberries Heaven Can Wait to the trellis is recommended not only because of the fragility of the fruit clusters. This has a positive effect on yield, providing uniform access to light and heat to the berries, and is an effective prevention of the development of pathogenic microflora.
- Prevention of diseases and pest attacks. Gardeners' experience suggests that blackberries can only wait two sprays of insecticides and fungicides - when the leaf buds are in the "green cone" stage and in preparation for winter. During the season, it is recommended to repeat the treatment once every 2-3 weeks in case of a “massive” invasion of certain pests in the garden or if the weather is favorable for the activation of pathogens.
Excessive or frequent watering for blackberries Heaven can wait worse than drought - roots quickly rot in waterlogged soil
The need for a structure for blackberries Heaven can wait for shelter for the winter and the degree of its “capitalization” directly depends on the characteristics of the local climate and long-term weather forecast. Sometimes you can get by with updating the layer of mulch, but often you have to remove the shoots from the trellis, wrap them in 2-3 layers of spunbond or other similar material and lay them in a pre-dug trench on a “cushion” of spruce branches. For better thermal insulation in winter, the entire structure is covered with snow.
How to Prune Blackberries Heaven Can Wait
Twice a year, bushes require sanitary pruning, which includes the removal of dried, dead, broken, and twisted shoots. Formation begins in the third season after disembarkation.
If you plan to cover the blackberry Heaven can wait for the winter, all shoots that grow to 35-40 cm in length are bent and pinned to the soil, so that later it is easier to remove them from the support and lay them on the ground.In regions with a warm climate, they limit themselves to shortening them at the desired height and regularly rejuvenate the bush by cutting off 1-2 of the oldest shoots and replacing them with new growth.
Without pruning, bushes quickly turn into almost impenetrable thickets, which negatively affects productivity
Reproduction methods
Blackberry Heaven Can Wait is a hybrid, so it reproduces exclusively vegetatively. It is not very prone to the formation of root shoots, so to obtain new specimens, gardeners resort to:
- Rooting of cuttings. At the end of spring, the top of the shoot is bent to the ground, the bark is slightly cut on the underside, and fixed in this position with a wooden or metal “pin.” A “mound” of humus is poured on top. During the summer, it is watered abundantly, replacing the water with a solution of complex fertilizer every 2-3 weeks.
- Cuttings. Planting material – parts of shoots 12-20 cm long with 3-4 growth buds. They are harvested in May-June. The cuttings are “planted” in any loose, moisture-intensive substrate, having previously been “soaked” in a biostimulant solution for 2-3 hours. For rooting, you will need a “greenhouse” and daylight hours of 10-12 hours. It takes 3-4 weeks.
Green blackberry cuttings Heaven can wait take root reluctantly, it is better to use semi-lignified shoots
Conclusion
Blackberry Heaven Can Wait does not yet have a sufficiently long “experience” of cultivation, but the experience of gardeners indicates that the description of the hybrid given by the originator is generally true.Especially those who have experience in growing it note the outstanding taste of the berries, consistently high yields and relative ease of care.
Gardener Reviews of Blackberries Heaven Can Wait
