Blackberry Black Magic

The United States is the leader in the cultivation of blackberries on an industrial scale. It was in America that its best varietal forms were created. Russian breeders do not pay special attention to this beautiful plant. Blackberry Black Magic from America is one of the most popular and widespread.

The name translated from English means "black magic".

A brief excursion into history

Blackberry Black Magic was developed at the University of Oregon in 2003. Authors - James Moore, John Clark. The variety was obtained by crossing "Arapaho"With" APF-12 ". Tested it in Arkansas and Carolina. In general, this variety is considered a numbered one, it is patented as "APF-77", and "Black Magic" is just an attractive marketing name.

Blackberry Black Magic: variety description and characteristics

Blackberry Black Magic: video

Blackberry Black Magic is a Nessian variety capable of re-blooming and fruiting. Russian gardeners say that the plant is excellent for its characteristics and resistance to negative environmental influences. The culture is decorative, it is a decoration of the garden area from the spring season to the last autumn days.

General characteristics.

The plant is fast growing, medium dense. If you form a bush in a timely and competent manner, then it will be beautiful and compact. Shoots are upright. The branches of the last year grow up to two and a half meters, the whips of the first year - one and a half meters. Thirty days after the growing season has begun, young shoots stretch up to one hundred cm.

Spines on the lashes are present, but in small quantities. In the fruiting zone, thorns are a rare occurrence, but on the fruiting branches they are not at all. In this particular feature of the variety lies its main difference from other blackberry remontant forms, characterized by the presence of sharp thorns on the entire lash.

The variety we are considering can grow five to ten replacement shoots, or root suckers, per year. Their number depends on the strength of the shrub. To get more shoots, the roots must be purposefully damaged with a shovel.

Blackberry black magic is wonderful because it can bear fruit both on the whips of the last year and on the shoots of this season.

Fruit.

The variety produces large, up to four cm in diameter, white flowers. The characteristics indicate that the flowers are collected in six to seven pieces in bunches. Maybe in the North American territory this is so, but in Russia, and even with proper agricultural technology, the flowers are collected in five to twelve pieces.

The fruits are large, black in color, with a glossy effect. They are oblong, oval or conical, and also have a plump cap. One fruit weighs six to seven grams.

The taste is excellent, the assessment of the tasters is five points. This blackberry is a dessert and one of the sweetest. The aromatic properties are highly pronounced. Professionals feel notes of black currant in the aroma. The variety has excellent taste not because of sweetness (there are sweeter varieties), but because of the wonderful harmony of sugar content and acidity.

When the cold season comes, the level of sugar content decreases, but the taste remains the same.

Blackberry Black Magic is self-fertile. Pollination occurs with its pollen; it is not necessary to plant another blackberry without fail.

Characteristics

Blackberry Black Magic: photo

The Black Magic variety has been cultivated in the CIS countries for quite a long time, so that Russian gardeners have their own idea of ​​it. I must say right away that the reviews are mostly very good to excellent. Those gardeners who have not fully understood the characteristic varietal features speak about the variety a little worse.

This article will tell you not only about the cultivation of blackberries of the Black Magic variety, but also identify the most popular mistakes.

Main advantages.

Blackberry Black Magic has already shown itself perfectly when cultivated in Russian garden plots, but has fully shown itself in the south. It is recommended to grow it outdoors and in protected conditions (in greenhouses, film tunnels).

This blackberry form perfectly adapts to different climates and soil. Resistance to dry periods is high. However, do not think that the plant can grow without watering, especially in the southern regions.

Mistake number one. The drought resistance of the variety only means that watering is carried out less often, compared to other types of blackberries. The plant loves moisture, water is required in large quantities.

In the south, the variety bears fruit again, even under elevated temperature conditions (twenty-nine to thirty-two degrees). Other remontant forms in such a sultry time cannot pollinate or form a small number of small fruits that dry out if they have not reached ripeness.

Resistance to frosty periods is not very great, it tolerates temperatures down to minus twelve to thirteen degrees. Bushes need to make shelter, regardless of where they grow.

The shoots are covered with thorns, they are not very sharp, there are few of them. There are also few of them on fruiting whips. On the branches that bear fruit, they are generally absent.

Mistake number two. Gardeners who have never grown this crop plant Black Magic on their plots. After reading the testimonial, they think the thorns will look like raspberry thorns. Faced with reality, there may be little blood loss, but a lot of frustration in the blackberry form itself. Before criticizing, get acquainted with the thorns of another blackberry.

The fruits of the repairing blackberry Black Magic are moderately ready for transportation. Transportability is higher in the Russian climate. Maybe the content of the fruit is influenced by our climate. Americans refer to the disadvantages that when the berries are stored, some of them turn red.

Flowering and ripening.

The blackberry bush Black Magic wakes up early and blooms profusely. The opening of the first buds on the shoots of last year occurs by the last April numbers or by the first days of May, here it all depends on the growing area. The branches of the current season begin to bloom in the last days of June or the first days of July.

Black Magic is a remontant variety. This means that he gives 2 crops per season. The first fruits appear on the shoots of the last year in the first summer days, the second - on young lashes in the last summer days or in the first autumn, again depending on the growing area.

Productivity, fruiting.

In the first year after planting, last year's shoots give three to four kg of fruit, young ones - from two hundred grams to one kg. In the future, the yield indicator of these terms becomes even and it is already possible to collect up to eight or nine kg from one shrub.

The variety can be cultivated as a non-remontant plant. For this purpose, all shoots are cut out at the root in the autumn season, so only 1 crop is obtained. Ripening of fruits occurs on young strings, and even earlier in time, compared to if the fruiting was repeated.

Black magic remontant blackberry shows the same yield indicator, and this does not depend on whether there will be repeated fruiting or once.

Fruit collection is stretched. The bush bears fruit for about 1.5 months.The plant adapts well to the Russian climate; it can bear fruit even in the midst of a hot period.

In open conditions, with repeated fruiting, the first falls on the last June-July days, the second - on the last August dates. When cultivating a cultivated plant that bears fruit only on the shoots of this season, the ripening of berries begins in the last days of July.

Fruiting times may vary from area to area.

In closed conditions, the first berries are picked on May days.

Mistake number three. Wanting to collect fruits 2 times, gardeners living in cool climatic conditions cultivate the variety as a remontant. As a result, some fruits may not have time to ripen to the end. The harvest comes out poor, and in dessert varieties it is generally less than in forms with sour fruits. Gardeners do not remember that the total weight of the crop will be the same, regardless of the fact that fruiting is repeated, or the bush produces berries at one time.

Tip: if you live in the southern region or are cultivating the Black Magic remontant blackberry in a greenhouse, then do it so that fruiting is repeated. If you live in the north, then think, why do you need renovation? It may be better to harvest one crop, but in large quantities, and the fruits will be sweet, with dessert taste.

Where the fruits are used.

• Black magic fruits are considered the most delicious. This is evidenced by most of the experienced gardeners who grow blackberries. It is advisable to eat fresh berries. If more than one bush grows on your site, then you can make jam, juice, wine from the fruits. They will delight you with their exquisite aroma and benefit. The blanks are tastier than raspberries.
• The fruits lie cool for 3 days.
• Berries are best stored in cardboard containers rather than plastic.

Immunity to diseases and harmful insects.

Black magic variety has resistance to harmful insects and the most common diseases. Blackberries in rare cases can be affected by leaf rust, and to a moderate extent anthracnose can attack them.

Pros and cons

Blackberry Black Magic: photo

Unrivaled benefits. The Black Magic repairing blackberry has perfectly revealed its potential when cultivated in various Russian regions and countries of the post-Soviet space.

Pros.

• Repairability. But in the north, fruiting should be only 1 time.
• Excellent taste of the fruit. Tasting score - five points out of five.
• Can be grown outdoors and in greenhouses.
• Drought resistance - fruiting occurs even at elevated temperature conditions.
• The variety perfectly adapts to negative environmental conditions.
• Disease immunity and resistance to harmful insects.
• If you grow the variety as a yielder once, then no shelter is required during the winter season.
• For dessert blackberries, the yield indicator is extremely decent.
• Fruits are tied both on the shoots of the last year and on the branches of this season.
• There are few thorns, and they are absent at all on fruit branches.

Minuses.

• Winter resistance is not so high.
• The presence of thorns, albeit few in number.
• You cannot cultivate the variety in the north as a remontant one, because most of the berries will not have time to ripen.
• The whips are strong, not as flexible, therefore, with trellis they take off with difficulty and it is difficult for them to do shelter for the winter season.

Blackberry Black Magic: reproduction

Elite blackberry varieties are expensive, they disappear from nurseries for one or two. And all because blackberries in the Russian regions have not previously enjoyed such popularity, now they are appreciated. It is not difficult to propagate the Black Magic variety on your own.

• An easy way is to transplant root suckers. To increase their number, the root system is specially damaged by a shovel.
• You can propagate Black Magic by layering. Rooting will be fast.
• Propagate with the apical parts of the shoots (pulbs). Also a good method.
• Cutting is also a great way to propagate Black Magic.
• You can spread the variety by dividing an adult shrub that has grown well.
• A large number of plants are obtained when using root cuttings in propagation.

Blackberry Black Magic: Landing

Blackberry Black Magic: photo

Black magic varieties are planted similarly to other varieties. The main thing in this business is to find a suitable site and purchase good planting material.

Optimal planting time.

In the southern regions, planting is carried out in the autumn season or early in the spring, if it was not possible in the fall, this is an extreme case.

Mistake number four. If it says "last resort", then it is not recommended. Let's say you were given a gift - a sapling, and they gave it in the spring season, no one will throw it away, this is logical. Or a neighbor cut off the shoots after the snow melted, in which case the blackberries will be on your territory or in the compost pit. Take your pick. But people living in the south should not buy a plant in the spring season. There is a risk that it will not adapt.

In the north and in temperate latitudes, blackberries are planted in the autumn season.

How to choose a suitable site.

A sunlit, wind-protected area is required. Groundwater should lie below one meter to one and a half meters from the surface soil layer. The culture is remontant, in the south, when it blooms and re-fertilizes, the bushes may have to be shaded.

Culture loves moisture. This is taken into account when planting, as well as the fact that the root system is deeper than the roots of raspberries, stagnant liquid is not allowed.

Black Magic variety is more adaptable to different soils than other blackberry varieties. But nevertheless, he likes to grow on loamy soil with weak acidity, fertilized in large quantities with organic substances.

How to prepare the soil.

The landing pit is being prepared in advance. It is dug up a couple of weeks before planting. The root system is deep, so dig a hole according to the 50x50x50 cm scheme. The nutrient-filled surface soil layer is mixed with humus (bucket), phosphorus (120-150 grams) and potassium (40-50 grams). Sand is added to the compacted soil, lime is added to the very acidic soil, and sour (red) peat is added to the alkaline soil.

The planting pit is three-quarters filled with substrate and filled with water.

How to choose and prepare seedlings.

• To get a good bush that gives an excellent harvest, it is necessary to choose seedlings responsibly. Inspect the root system first. The roots should be well developed, have two or three thickened processes and many fibrous roots that resemble tangled hair.
• If you purchase planting material in the autumn season, then the wood of the lashes should mature well, not have cracks and not wrinkle. When purchased in the spring, the seedling may have thin branches of green color, especially if the bush was propagated by cuttings.
• Purchase planting material exclusively from the nursery or from experienced gardeners who value their reputation.
• Before planting, seedlings need to be watered or soaked open roots for twelve hours.

Planting progress.

• After preparing the pit for planting and its subsidence, the following algorithm of actions is performed.
• In the middle of the hole, you need to form an earthen mound, install a seedling on it, and spread the roots.
• Next, the hole is covered with a substrate, the root collar is covered with soil one and a half to two cm.
• Then the soil is well compacted.
• Watering is in progress (one bucket of water / bush).
• Ripe lashes are cut, you need to leave only fourteen to twenty cm (in some sources it is recommended to cut the shoots to three to five cm).
• Acidic soil is mulched with humus, alkaline or neutral - with acidic peat.
• If you are planting more than one bush, then the spacing between the seedlings should be one and a half meters, the row spacing should be two and a half to three meters.

Blackberry Black Magic: care

Blackberry Black Magic: photo

In the first days after planting, the bushes should be watered regularly. The volume of water is half a bucket per bush.

Cultivation rules.

Bushes need to be tied up. If the blackberry is grown as a remontant, then a support in the form of the letter "t" or multi-row, reaching two and a half meters in height, is required. The shoots of the last year are equally tied to one side, the young ones to the other.

When growing a plant that will only yield once, trellis can be easier. It should be such that you can easily tie up young lashes and collect fruits without problems.

How the bush will bear fruit is influenced by feeding, cutting, and if you grow the plant as a remontant, then it should be covered for the winter season.

Agrotechnical techniques.

The culture is hygrophilous, but it cannot be transfused, as this will only cause harm. Large volumes of water are required when the shrub is blooming and forming berries. In the autumn season, water-charging irrigation is carried out, so the culture will better endure the winter season.

If the soil was well fertilized before planting, then in the first 3 years only nitrogen-containing fertilizer can be applied early in the spring. When the bush blooms, then it is fed with a full range of minerals, in the autumn season - phosphorus and potassium. The culture is remontant, fruiting is abundant. Spraying is carried out in the summer season. The plant can often develop chlorosis, so chelates are added to the top dressing.

When choosing fertilizers, carefully study what components are present there, chlorine should be absent.

It is better not to weed the soil, but to mulch it, but after the fruits are harvested, loosen the soil five to eight cm deep.

Circumcision procedure.

A characteristic feature of the variety is that fruiting can be on the shoots of this year. This form can be cultivated as a plant that bears fruit once, this applies to areas with cool climates and a short summer season. In this situation, all branches in the last days of the period are cut to the root.

In the southern regions and when cultivating a plant in a greenhouse in the last autumn days, the shoots of the last year are cut into a ring, and the young ones are shortened to 1.5 m.For the next spring season, you need to leave seven to ten shoots that overwintered well. The lateral shoots that grow are shortened to fifty cm. Due to this, many fruit branches are formed. For this, young lashes, bearing fruit in the autumn season and in the next summer period, when they reach ninety-one hundred and twenty cm, are shortened, ten cm of the apical part is cut off.

How to prepare a bush for the winter season.

If blackberries are cultivated as fruiting once, then the shoots are cut in the autumn season to ground level. Someone can just mow the bushes. The plantings are covered with a thickened humus layer; you can not approach them until the spring season. When the snow begins to melt, open the bushes.

Covering a remontant variety is not easy. Because the culture has strong lashes that are reluctant to be removed from the support and bend poorly. But all the same it is necessary to cover. Then the shoots are pinned to the ground, then they need to be covered with spruce branches or covering material, then covered with a soil layer of ten to twelve cm.

Remember to open the bushes in the spring season before the buds awaken. Drinking them out is many times worse than freezing them out.

Diseases and harmful insects

Blackberry culture has better immunity to diseases and harmful insects than raspberry, its close relative.Black Magic is no exception, but at times it can be struck by anthracnose. To reduce the risk of this disease, you need to place the ridges farther from the blackberry bushes. This is especially true with regard to nightshade plants and strawberry crops.

Preventive measures against fungal infections: after the shelter has been removed and before the winter season, the bushes are treated with agents containing copper.

Summary

Black Magic variety is considered one of the best. In the southern regions and greenhouses, it can be cultivated on an industrial scale. In the cool, it has revealed itself to be the perfect plant for hobby garden plots.

Blackberry Black Magic: reviews

Blackberry Black Magic: video

Ivan Leonidovich, 43 years old, Kherson region: “I cultivate the Black Magic variety for commercial purposes, I get 2 harvests annually. Its cost is great, I am very happy with such a profit. The fruits are large, with excellent taste, diverges once or twice. I cut and feed so that the harvest is a success. I liked that the fruits are formed even in our hot climate, although I shade the bushes. One drawback of Black Magic is the difficulty in sheltering for the winter season. But I do not leave on the support, as I will lose one harvest for sure. "

Oksana Anatolyevna, 49 years old, Saratov region: “At first I cultivated Black Magic as a repair plant. Tortured to shelter for the winter season! The yield was small, because most of the fruits did not have time to ripen. Then I read on the Internet that the culture can be cultivated by cutting off all the whips for the winter. At first, my husband and I had doubts, but we decided. Now there are no problems and difficulties at all. A large number of fruits, and feast on and prepare. In the autumn season, the Black Magic bush was cut off, and the rhizome was spud like a rose. It turned out beautifully! "