Description and cultivation of Giant blackberries, care features

Judging by the few reviews from gardeners and advertising of Becker Bis LLC products posted on the official website, the Gigant blackberry variety has many advantages, the main one of which is abundant yield. It is alarming that the stated description and photograph of the berry bush correspond to the Black Butte blackberry variety.

The article was written based on information from forums and from the supplier’s company page.

Description and characteristics of blackberries

Remontant blackberry varieties bred in America are distinguished by the presence of thorns. Blackberry Giant is the only variety that combines remontability with the absence of thorns.

The vine of the crop grows up to two meters, so the shoots require support. The decorative nature of the branched and flexible shrub, blooming from early summer until September, is used in landscape design.

The white flowers are large (4cm in diameter), as are the fruits. If berries weighing 10 g are collected from bushes of large-fruited varieties, then berries weighing twice as much grow on bushes of the Gigant variety. The length of the blue-black berries, which ripen in July, reaches the size of a palm (6 cm), the shape is elongated, pyramidal, rounded at the end. The pulp is juicy, with a characteristic blackberry aroma.

The fruits have a balanced sweet and sour taste and a vitamin and mineral complex in their composition that is not inferior to raspberries. The body's daily need for ascorbic acid is covered by 10 blackberries of the Gigant variety..

Fruiting, starting from the second year of the crop’s life, lasts from July to September. The plant is suitable for growing in regions with winter temperatures down to -30° C.

Fruits are included in the diet fresh, frozen or dried. Housewives use the berries in cooking, making compotes, preserves, jam, and adding them to baked goods.

Advantages and disadvantages

Among the advantages of the Giant blackberry variety, gardeners note:

• harvesting twice per season;
• abundant fruiting - up to 30–35 kg of berries per plant;
• low maintenance requirements;
• frost resistance;
• absence of thorns, making it easier to care for the crop;
• resistance to transportation, preserving the original appearance of the fruit;
• late flowering periods, preventing the death of buds from recurrent frosts;
• dessert taste;
• benefits for the body;
• versatility of use;
• large berries.

The disadvantages of the crop include its requirement for irrigation. The development of powerful shoots, ovaries and the formation of juicy fruits requires a lot of moisture, which the roots of the bush cannot provide on their own.

Specifics of growing the “Giant” variety

Pre-planting land preparation, selection of site, seedling, planting technology are quite simple and similar to the activities carried out with other varieties of large-fruited blackberries.

How to choose seedlings

It is recommended to choose an annual seedling with developed roots at least 10-15 cm long with a growth zone. Giant blackberries are purchased online from a single supplier or from gardeners who have managed to propagate the crop.

High-quality planting material should have two shoots 40–50 cm high with green leaves, a whole bark without deformations, dry areas.

If the shoot under the bark is green, it means the choice was made correctly. Brown color indicates that the bush is dry and needs to be discarded.

When is the best time to plant

Blackberries of the Gigant variety with an open root system are planted in March–April before sap flow begins. Plants purchased in a container take root well in the fall a month before frost.

Selection and preparation of a landing site

Wetlands and windblown areas are not suitable for growing blackberries. The better the sun exposure, the sweeter the fruits, although the crop develops well and bears fruit in partial shade. A suitable place is along the fence on the south side of the garden plot.

Do not plant Giant blackberries in places where plants belonging to the rose family - raspberries, strawberries, rose bushes - were previously grown.

The crop does not make any special demands on the soil, but does not tolerate heavy, undrained substrates. The best option is fertilized slightly acidic loam.

The planting pit is prepared in advance, no less than a month in advance. If planting is planned for spring, a hole for blackberries half a meter deep and 40 cm wide is dug in the fall.

The top fertile layer is combined with half a bucket of compost, 15 g of potassium salt and 30 g of superphosphate.

How to plant correctly?

If blackberries are planted near a fence or wall of a building, step back 1 meter from them. A distance of at least two meters is maintained between bushes. If you choose a site not near the fence, first install a support next to the planting hole.

An hour before planting, the seedling is stimulated to root formation with the drug Kornevin by placing the shoot in a solution of the product.

Algorithm for planting blackberries of the Giant variety:

• the roots are straightened in the hole, eliminating creases and wrong direction;
• fill the plant gradually, shaking it periodically to avoid the formation of voids;
• the surface is compacted;
• make a groove near the trunk, pour a bucket of water into it;
• Place mulch around the seedling.

When planting, the root collar of the crop is buried in the soil no more than 3 cm.

Nuances of caring for blackberries

According to reviews from gardeners blackberry care The giant is not burdensome. Standard measures are carried out, including irrigation, fertilizing, and tying up vines. For full development and normal fruiting, the crop is protected from diseases and pests, and winter frosts.

Watering regime and feeding rules

If the Giant blackberry does not have enough moisture, the bushes drop flowers, ovaries or already formed berries. Plants in their first year of life especially need irrigation.

The crop is watered regularly, making sure that the top layer of soil does not dry out. It is recommended to spray the above-ground parts of blackberries that require moisture with warm, settled water in the evenings in the summer, when there is insufficient rainfall.

Watering is suspended after the autumn harvest. The bushes are irrigated for the last time during the season before sheltering for the winter.

Every fourth year, when planting blackberries, organic matter is added to the soil.

Watering mulch, including humus and peat, replenishes the soil with nutrients. If the bushes are not mulched, then complex mineral fertilizers (Ideal, Nitrophoska) are suitable as an alternative.

For flowering and ovary formation, use a mixture consisting of:

• 2 tbsp. l. ammonium nitrate;
• 1 tbsp. l. potassium sulfate;
• 100 g ammonium nitrate;
• half a bucket of humus.

It is useful to feed the crop with an ash solution prepared from a glass of ash and a bucket of water.

Garter bushes

The fragility of shoots from the wind or the weight of the harvest, uneven lighting from the sun's rays forces gardeners to garter the Giant blackberry bushes.

The recommended and safe material for tying vines is twine made of nylon threads or polyethylene.

Several effective garter methods have been experimentally developed:

1. If you grow one bush, then a single support is enough - a firmly standing metal pole.
2. When tying in a bunch, a stake is driven into the center of the bush, the vines are tied to each other, and tied to a support.
3. The fan garter involves deepening a stake between young blackberry bushes and tying the outer branches of neighboring bushes to it.
4. With the trellis method, a structure is built consisting of pillars dug in every 3 m with two rows of wire stretched transversely (1 and 1.5 m from the ground).

When performing this activity, it is recommended to tie up the blackberries so that the shoots come into less contact with the wire or twine due to the risk of damage to the bark.

Preparing blackberries for winter

The two-year growing season of the Gigant variety of blackberries involves pruning the fruit-bearing branches of the current year after harvesting, which increases frost resistance. In addition to two-year-old ones, weak shoots damaged by diseases and pests are cut out. Annuals are shortened by a quarter, leaving at least 1 cm above the upper bud.

Follow-up activities in preparation for winter include:

• getting rid of plant debris under the plant;
• pouring 30 liters of water under each bush for frost resistance of the root system;
• mulching bushes with sawdust, hay, peat;
• treatment with copper sulfate.
• freeing tied vines from twine.

Blackberries are insulated after the first frost. The vine is tied in bunches, carefully bent down, and the position is fixed with staples. There should be a layer between the ground and the shoots - boards, roofing felt, cardboard, mulch. The crop is insulated from above with covering material.

Treating plants against diseases and pests

Among the pests, the Giant blackberry is attacked by the following insect pests:

• raspberry and blackberry aphids;
• spider mites, raspberry mites, blackberry mites;
• weevil;
• caterpillars;
• stem gall midge.

To protect the crop from insects in the fall, the soil is spilled with Aktara's solution; in the spring, the bushes are treated twice with Actofit, Fitoferm or Akorin until the leaves appear. It is effective to spray blackberries with hot water on dormant buds and wrap the bushes with film for 2 hours. It is recommended to remove fallen leaves and damaged parts of the crop, cut out shoots in the fall at the root, without leaving stumps.

Fungal diseases that affect the crop are anthracnose, rust, and blight. They fight diseases by treating the bushes with Fundazol, Topaz, Topsin M. Preventive spraying in the spring with Bordeaux mixture and sanitary pruning help prevent infection and the development of spores.

When there is a shortage or excess of microelements, various types of chlorosis appear in the crop, and the structure of the leaf blades changes. The solution to the problem is rationing and timely fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers.

Breeding methods

The seed method of propagating the Gigant blackberry variety does not guarantee the preservation of varietal characteristics. Full fruiting occurs only after 5 years.

More often, the crop is bred using vegetative methods, which are faster and more reliable:

1. By layering

In August, lateral annual shoots are placed in pre-dug grooves. The branches are secured on both sides with pins and sprinkled with substrate without touching the top. Next, water and mulch. Young plants are planted in a permanent place next year in the spring.

2. Tops

The top of a 1.5-meter annual blackberry shoot is bent and buried in a hole 30 cm deep, folded into a ring or half-ring. After a month, a root system is formed and young shoots appear. Before preparing for winter, cut off the shoot of the mother plant, leaving a 30-centimeter section. A full-fledged seedling is replanted next spring.

3. Cuttings

In the fall, cuttings 40 cm long are cut. Until spring, planting material is dug into the soil. In April, the cuttings are planted one at a time at a distance of 10 cm from each other, with a film attached to metal arches stretched over the top.

In a greenhouse, plants develop until they grow 3 leaves on shoots. The bushes are removed from the ground and planted one at a time in containers for growing.

Giant blackberries are propagated by green cuttings taken from the tops in the summer. The further algorithm of actions is the same as for stem cuttings. Or they take a 15-centimeter piece of shoot with two buds in the fall, and in the spring they put the cuttings in a glass, filling it with water, covering one dormant bud. After waking up, a shoot with roots grows from it, which is later transplanted into the ground.

4. Offspring

In spring or autumn, strong root shoots 10–15 cm long are selected. They are dug up, the root is separated from the mother plant with pruning shears, and immediately transplanted to a prepared place.

5. By division

This method involves digging up a blackberry bush in the fall or spring, dividing the root into parts with 2–4 shoots.

Harvesting and storage

For personal consumption, Gigant blackberries are collected fully ripe. The harvest is harvested in several stages from July to September in small containers that do not require transferring before processing. If transportation is planned, the fruits are picked slightly unripe.

Unwashed, placed in a container in one layer, the berries remain fresh in the refrigerator for up to four days..

The chemical composition of fruits prepared for processing and beaten with a wooden spoon with sugar remains unchanged for up to three weeks.

Blackberries can be stored frozen for up to a year. The berries are dried, homemade preparations and liqueurs are made.

Blackberry Giant is a variety with ideal properties. Gardeners are attracted by the fantastic yield, gigantic fruit size, winter hardiness, and unpretentiousness to growing conditions.