Black raspberry: description, planting and care

Black raspberries are extremely rare in summer cottages. More often you can see yellow varieties. But the berries painted in black are often mistaken for blackberries. Scientists were able to breed garden blackberries and black raspberries in such a way that it is extremely difficult for an uninvolved young gardener to distinguish these berries from each other.

Below we will share with you information about the Cumberland raspberry variety. And also how to care for it and how to distinguish it from a blackberry.

What is the difference between black raspberries and blackberries?

The best way to understand what kind of berries are growing in front of us is to pick one. when removed from a bush from raspberries, a receptacle remains. The inside of the berry is hollow. The blackberry comes off with the stalk.

You can also define them by their shape. The shape of the blackberry is very similar to the shape of the red raspberry. It is the same oblong. And in black raspberries, the shape of the berries is hemispherical.

Still, these two fruit and berry crops differ from each other in terms of ripening. Almost all blackberry varieties ripen later than raspberries.

If you carefully examine the bushes of both plants, you can find differences between the shoots. The length of the branches of a blackberry bush reaches three meters. As a rule, they are covered with sturdy needles. They are also painted green. They are very close to each other. And they look like rigid wiring in a ball.

As for raspberries, here the branches are shorter. Their length, as a rule, does not exceed 2.5 meters. They are thinner, painted in a pale color with a bluish tinge. And also they do not have as many sharp thorns as blackberries.

The history of the emergence of a hybrid of blackberries and red raspberries

There is a very interesting hybrid that was obtained thanks to the work of Scottish scientists in the 70s of the twentieth century. They crossed a blackberry called Aurora with raspberries. Thanks to this, the Tayberry variety appeared. The fruits of this variety have a given shape. And also a red color with a pronounced purple tint. Tayberry always gives high yields of incredibly tasty and aromatic berries.

The shoots of this plant reach 2.5 meters. They are also covered with small thorns. Crops can be removed from mid-summer to early winter. The variety is very resistant to cold weather, various diseases and harmful insects. It is necessary to care for it in the same way as for other varieties of raspberries. Reproduction takes place through cuttings, layering. And also by dividing the roots.

Tayberry differs from black raspberry in berry color. The first has a deep red and has a shade of purple. And black raspberries have a deep dark color.

Black raspberry: varieties

For the first time, black raspberries appeared in the 19th century, thanks to the work of American scientists. In the territories of our country, the following types have become especially popular:

1. Cumberland - this variety appeared due to the crossing of raspberries with blackberries and at the moment, it is most popular among gardeners. It ripens early, has consistently high yields, its shoots are long, very powerful and capable of taking the shape of an arc. Large-colored fruits are colored black with a blue tint, and their taste is reminiscent of blackberries. The plant is resistant to frost, so it can be grown in most regions of our country. Differs in high immunity capable of resisting various diseases and harmful insects.
2. Boysenberry - this variety takes an honorable place in the list of the most popular. Early ripening bushes always yield large yields, and their fruits are large in size and have an incredibly pleasant sweet taste. There are absolutely no thorns on the shoots, which makes it easy to harvest. It has high resistance to cold and high immunity, which copes well with diseases and pests.
3. New Logan - this variety was brought to us from overseas countries. The height of the plant is no more than 2 meters, but despite its small growth, it gives excellent yields. The variety belongs to the early ones. The plant is not very resistant to cold weather, so it must be covered well for the winter.

Russian varieties of black raspberries

1. Coal is an early variety that gives large yields of small fruits with a sweet and sour taste.
2. Gift of Siberia - this variety bears fruits of small fruits that have a dense structure and dessert taste. Possesses increased resistance to severe frost, therefore it can be grown in any corner of our country.
3. Luck and Twist - these varieties are very similar. Both give high yields; about 6 kilograms of large berries can be harvested from the bush. Due to its density, the fruits retain their attractive appearance during storage.
4. Litach - this variety was bred in Poland in 2008. The fruits are rounded and covered with a bluish bloom. It grows long shoots covered with sharp thorns.

Cumberland Black Raspberry

Since Cumberlent is the most popular variety among black raspberries, it is he who will serve as an example for considering the features.

Fruits of large sizes are colored black, the weight of one berry can reach 6 grams. One bush is capable of producing 10 kilograms of harvest, if you follow the rules of care.

The variety is resistant to prolonged frost, however, it is better to cover it for the winter. If you follow this procedure, then it will be possible to grow black raspberries throughout Russia.

When growing them in the middle lane, it is necessary to choose places protected from wind and drafts.

The root system of black raspberries is different from red ones, it is more powerful and goes 1.5 meters deep into the ground, which helps the plant to survive during long periods of drought. However, its drought tolerance does not mean that irrigation can be neglected, as this negatively affects the formation of ovaries, and therefore the volume of the crop.

The bushes of the Cumberland variety look incredibly beautiful and adorn the garden, especially at the moment when the fruits begin to ripen on them and completely cover them. The length of the shoots is 3 meters, the stems covered with a bluish bloom are strewn with thorns.

Black raspberry: pros and cons

At the moment, black raspberries have not yet become as popular as red and yellow, but they have much more advantages than their relatives.

The main advantages include consistently high yields, resistance to long periods of drought, excellent immunity to many diseases and harmful insects. The plant is not demanding on the soil, can be used in landscape design as a hedge, does not spread its roots over large areas, so it can be planted anywhere. The fruits of this variety have medicinal properties.

As for the disadvantages, they include a weaker resistance to frost than that of red varieties and a low resistance to viral diseases.

Beneficial features

Black raspberries are a storehouse of vitamins, micro and macro elements. Their amount significantly exceeds the content in red and yellow berries. It contains a large amount of vitamin P, which strengthens blood vessels.

The presence of anthocyanins helps to strengthen the capillary, cleanse blood vessels from plaque. Also, eating the fruits of this plant, you can lower prothrombin, and thus improve blood clotting. The berries also contain large amounts of copper, iron and manganese. Their taste is sweet with the presence of sourness like that of blackberries.Fresh berries can be stored for several days and can perfectly carry transportation over different distances.

Black raspberry: characteristic

Black raspberry bushes differ in appearance from traditional bushes.

Shoot length up to 3 meters. The plant looks great in the garden, as their branches hang down almost to the very ground, form arcs, and thus create an arch. However, this is not so beneficial for the plant, so they need to be tied up.

Black raspberries are biennial plants, as the fruits develop on lateral shoots that grow up to 100 centimeters. They appear on the stems of the first year of life, it is for this reason that pruning the shoots located on the sides is important to carry out correctly, as well as cut off the old stems. It is necessary to leave only the stems of the first year of life, which are capable of giving fruit bearing shoots.

Pruning

Prune the plant twice. The first time it is carried out in June, then the shoots are cut at the top at the level of human growth. This contributes to the acceleration of the formation of shoots located on the sides. It is necessary during this period to remove all weakened shoots that thicken the bush.

In the autumn, all last year's shoots are cut off and only those that are one year old are left. They must be cut in such a way that no more than 50 centimeters remain from the base to their ends.

Pruning should be done before the first frost.

Reproduction

Reproduction of Black Raspberries is a fairly simple exercise. To do this, you can use layering. Such a procedure is carried out in September, after the shoots have ceased to bear fruit. It is necessary to take a long process, tilt it to a previously prepared groove, made to a depth of 10 centimeters, put the tip of the shoot there and cover it with soil. A small load of sawdust or straw should be placed on top. With the onset of spring, the layers will take root and shoots will appear, then the plant is separated from the mother and transplanted to another place.

Black raspberries in the garden

Before planting the plant, choose a sunny and wind-protected area for it.

An excellent solution would be to plant it along the fence, so there will be not only protection from the wind, but also support for the branches. The plant can also serve as a defense against hooligans, because its sharp thorns can scare away many.

You should not choose for planting a place where vegetables of the Solanaceae family were previously grown and no closer than 10 meters from red raspberry bushes.

An excellent site will be the one where it was previously grown, peppers, onions, carrots and marigolds.

When preparing the planting holes, keep in mind that the distance between plants in a row should be 1 meter, and the row spacing should be 2 meters.

Black raspberry prefers loamy or black soil soils, but it will develop well on other soils. Planting occurs either in early spring or late September or early October.

Before planting, it is necessary to prepare the landing holes in advance. They should go 50 centimeters deep into the ground. Fertilizers must be put at the bottom. Humus, phosphate and potassium in proportions of 8 kg are good. x 200 gr. x 80 gr. Wood ash in the amount of 0.5 kilograms is also good. The prepared mixture is mixed with the soil and a small mound is made on which the seedlings are planted. The roots should be neatly spread out and pointed downwards. They are covered with earth, which is compacted in layers by hands.

Make sure that the neck of the plant remains above ground level. Further, the seedlings are watered abundantly, the soil is covered with a 5 cm layer of mulch from sawdust, straw or humus.

In order for the plants to grow compactly and at the same time be strong, it is necessary to stimulate the growth of shoots on the sides. For this, the shoots of the first year of life are pinched at a distance of 50 centimeters from the ground.

Fertilization

In order for the plant to grow well and develop, bringing large yields of tasty berries, the bushes must be fertilized.

Compost should be added to the soil at least once every 3 years, using 5 kilograms for one bush.

The first feeding is carried out after flowering ends. To do this, use liquid organic fertilizers from cow dung mixed with water in proportions of 1 part to 6. Add 1 liter of wood ash and 50 grams of phosphate to the infusion. Further, the same dressing is carried out during the ripening period of berries and before harvesting.

Diseases and pests: control methods and prevention

Black raspberries have excellent immunity, so they are able to cope with many different diseases and pests. Verticillium wilt, a virus capable of killing a plant without being able to cure it, is extremely rare in Jelimalina than in the classic red. In order not to provoke this disease, it is necessary to plant red and black raspberries at a distance of 10 meters.

It is very important to ensure that there is no stagnation of water in the soil, since the plant does not like this and fungal diseases can develop. As a prophylaxis against them, preparations containing copper and insecticides are well suited.

Anthracosis is a disease that can infect black raspberry bushes. You can determine its appearance by the white bloom on the leaves. Fungicide and horsetail-based decoctions will help to cope with the disease. To prepare the broth, you will need a kilogram of horsetail and a bucket of water. The infusion should stand for 24 hours after which it is boiled for 30 minutes. Next, the solution must be filtered, diluted with water 1 to 5. Instead of horsetail, you can use nettle, in which case it will be necessary to insist for 14 days.

As for pests, here you can be wary of a raspberry beetle, which can harm ezemalin. A 2% nitrophene solution will help to cope with them, which need to process plants before the buds begin to wake up. The next treatment is carried out when flower buds appear with the help of an infusion made from wormwood and marigold. To do this, you need to dilute them with water in a proportion of 200 grams. for 1 bucket of water and let it brew for 24 hours.

Conclusion

Black raspberries have the best qualities that have come from blackberries and classic raspberries. The fruits have excellent taste and many medicinal properties. The bushes always give high yields, are not demanding to care for and are resistant to frost, diseases and pests.

Thanks to their unpretentiousness, even a novice gardener can grow them and get a high yield.