Blackberries are not yet a very common berry on gardeners' plots. Farmers are afraid, first of all, that the fruits will not have time to ripen before the onset of frost. In addition, they are not very interested in the procedure of picking berries from thorny shoots. Polish breeders have developed blackberries of the Polar variety, without thorns, capable of withstanding temperatures down to -25°C. Below is information about growing berry bushes, caring for them, propagating them, as well as harvesting and storing the crop.
- Characteristics and description of blackberries Polar
- Selection
- Description of the plant
- Description of fruits
- Yield indicators
- Area of application of berries
- Resistance to diseases and pests
- The main advantages and disadvantages of culture
- Features of growing berry bushes
- Deadlines
- Site selection
- Planting process
- Recommendations for caring for blackberries
- Watering
- Feeding
- Shrub pruning
- Preparing for winter
- Garter
- Diseases and pests
- Reproduction methods
- Harvesting and storing blackberries
Characteristics and description of blackberries Polar
The crop can be grown in both southern and northern regions. The quality of its berries is high, so it is an almost ideal variety for personal farms and industrial plantations.
Additional Information! All parts of blackberries are used in folk medicine to treat various diseases..
Selection
The variety was bred in 2008 by Polish breeders in Brzezne, on the basis of the Institute of Horticulture. We worked on developing Polar for about 30 years. The goal of the specialists was to breed a plant without thorns, with large berries, and resistant to frost.
Description of the plant
Blackberry Polar is a bush 2.5-2.7 meters high. Its powerful, erect shoots bear bright green jagged leaves and dark, almost black berries. Young lashes, initially colored green, turn brown by autumn. The Polar variety is devoid of thorns.
Description of fruits
Blackberries begin to bloom in May. The petals of the buds are large and painted white. Oval berries appear in July, fruiting lasts until September. The fruits weigh 9-11 grams and are black. They taste sweet, with a slight sourness and a pleasant aroma.
Yield indicators
Polar blackberries are valued, among other things, for their mid-early, abundant fruiting. A gardener can collect about 5 kilograms from an adult bush. A bountiful harvest begins with 4-year-old bushes.
Area of application of berries
Blackberries are tasty, so their scope is wide: they are used to make compotes, preserves, make wine, and use them as a filling in confectionery products. The berries can be frozen for winter consumption. They are easy to collect due to the absence of thorns on the shoots.
Resistance to diseases and pests
The Polar variety has good immunity and is rarely susceptible to diseases and pest attacks. But, nevertheless, in the spring it is necessary to carry out preventive treatment of the bushes. Blackberries can get sick due to improper care, for example, dense plantings.
The main advantages and disadvantages of culture
The advantages of the variety include the following characteristics:
- ease of assembly due to the absence of spikes;
- large fruit;
- good winter hardiness;
- excellent yield;
- high taste qualities of the berries;
- good keeping quality and transportability;
- resistance to diseases and pests.
The variety has much fewer disadvantages. These include the requirement of bushes for shelter in late autumn in the northern regions, as well as in winters with little snow in the southern regions. Blackberry stems are dense and elastic, so it is difficult to bend them towards the ground.
Features of growing berry bushes
In order for blackberries to bear fruit for a long time and abundantly, you need to choose the right place and planting time for it.
Deadlines
Polar blackberries are planted on the site in spring or autumn. The procedure is carried out at an air temperature of 10-12°C. In the northern regions, it is better to plant the crop in the spring so that it has time to take root well by winter. In the south, preference is given to planting in the fall.
Site selection
The place for Polar blackberries is chosen to be sunny, protected from drafts. It is advisable that the area is well lit throughout the day.The root system of the crop goes to a depth of 1.5 meters, so high groundwater levels are not allowed. As a soil, blackberries prefer slightly acidic loam, flavored with organic matter.
Planting process
The area is prepared in advance by clearing it of weeds and digging it up. Poor soils are fertilized. Then proceed to planting the bushes as follows:
- Dig holes measuring 40x40 centimeters at a distance of 1.2 meters from one another. The interval between rows is 2-2.5 meters.
- A drainage made of broken bricks, stones, or expanded clay is laid at the bottom of the planting hole.
- A substrate consisting of fertile soil, compost, with the addition of ash, superphosphate and potassium salt is sprinkled on top.
- A cutting with straightened roots is placed in the middle of the hole and covered with soil.
- The blackberries are watered and covered with sawdust or peat mulch.
Important! The root collar should not be buried more than 2 centimeters.
Recommendations for caring for blackberries
Polar does not require special care. Like blackberries of other varieties, it requires timely watering, fertilizing, staking and pruning of vines.
Watering
After planting, the bushes require abundant watering. With the abundance of moisture they will quickly strengthen and begin to grow. Since plants have a powerful root system, they can go without water for a long time, but still, during drought, the berries become small and their taste is lost.
Therefore, in hot and dry summers, blackberries require watering.
Feeding
The crop can do without fertilizing, but in this case it will produce less yield. Fertilize blackberries several times per season as follows:
- At the beginning of spring, nitrogen-containing substances are added to promote the growth of green mass.
- Before flowering, the bushes are fed with complex mineral fertilizer.
- After fruiting, potassium monophosphate is added, which promotes the formation of flower buds for the next year, as well as the successful wintering of the plant.
Shrub pruning
Each blackberry shoot lives for 2 years: in the first season it gains strength, in the second it bears fruit. After this, it is not viable, and if left, it will only thicken the plantings, preventing young shoots from developing. Therefore, immediately after fruiting, 2-year-old shoots are cut out.
If the procedure could not be carried out in the fall, it can be performed in the spring, after the onset of warm weather. The bushes are inspected, old, broken, diseased shoots are removed. To do this, you need to use sharp, disinfected pruning shears.
Preparing for winter
The Polar variety can withstand frosts down to -25°C. If frostier weather is expected, the bushes need to be covered for the winter. To do this, they need to be bent to the ground, pinned, and covered with spruce branches. In warmer regions, it is enough to mulch the root circle.
Garter
Long shoots blackberries need staking, otherwise they will bend to the ground, creating inconvenience during harvesting. In addition, untied lashes can break from strong winds and rain, and they also do not receive enough sunlight. The crop is tied up several times a season as the shoots grow.
Advice! The gardener will get the greatest harvest when growing blackberries on trellises. To do this, dig in 2 pillars and install horizontal crossbars made of boards, wire or rope between them.
Diseases and pests
Blackberries Polar are resistant to diseases and pests. It can be affected by various diseases, mainly due to improper care, for example, when planted in contaminated soil.To eliminate this, you need to sow green manure six months before the plant is supposed to be planted to improve the health of the soil.
In addition, bushes cannot be planted after berry and nightshade crops, with which they have blackberries have the same diseases. To prevent the appearance of pests, you need to remove weeds that may be their carrier. To prevent diseases, bushes are sprayed with copper-containing preparations in spring and autumn.
Reproduction methods
The Polar variety can be propagated on a plot in several ways: by dividing the bush, cuttings, and apical layering. In the first case, the blackberries are dug up and divided into parts, each of which must have a shoot and a root system. Old cuttings are discarded, young ones are planted in the garden.
Propagation by cuttings is carried out in the fall. To do this, cut annual shoots 40 centimeters long and dig them halfway into the ground. In the spring they are dug up, trimmed a little on both sides, and buried again. Soon bushes with 2-3 true leaves will grow in the garden bed, after which they are dug up and planted first in pots for growing, then in a permanent place.
To grow Polar blackberries using apical cuttings, perform the following steps:
- The ends of annual shoots are bent to the ground and pinned. A 15-20 centimeter long top is left on the surface. The place where the shoot comes into contact with the ground is cleared of leaves.
- The cuttings are watered and hilled. In a month the first roots and leaves will appear.
- In spring, young plants are separated from the mother bush and planted in a permanent place.
Reproduction by layering is carried out at the end of summer. At this time, both the one-year-old shoot is ripe and the layering during the procedure has time to take root by winter.
Harvesting and storing blackberries
Blackberries are harvested when the berries are fully ripe, since they do not have the ability to ripen after being picked. The procedure is carried out in dry weather: there should be no traces of dew or raindrops on the fruits. Wet berries will quickly begin to mold.
The fruits can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 days, then they begin to deteriorate. You can preserve them by freezing them immediately after collection, then use them in the winter as needed. Another way to preserve healthy berries is to dry them in the oven at low temperature.