Blackberry Giant

Blackberry Giant is a masterpiece created by breeders in the culture of gardening, this berry belongs to the remontant species, there are no thorns on it, one berry occupies the entire palm and one bush is capable of producing about 35 kilograms. Believing this or not is up to you. In numerous reviews of the Giant blackberry, you can see how people who grow this variety are enthusiastic about the uniqueness and benefits of these berries. Below, the characteristics of the Gigant blackberry variety will be given and all the facts obtained thanks to the reviews and stories of the professionals involved in its distribution in our country will be told.

Origin

Repaired blackberry Giant: photo of the variety

The repairing blackberry came to us quite recently, it happened at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century. Since this berry has been more popular in the United States for a long time, it was there that the selection work was mainly carried out. The state of Arkansas has become a hub for many eye-catching varieties that can delight twice a year, both on last year's branches and on new ones.

Remontant varieties have many advantages, including such as the ability to completely cut off all shoots before winter begins. This makes it possible to cultivate southern-born berries even in areas with very severe frosts. The varieties can withstand temperatures lower than -40 degrees.

In addition, the fact that you can completely cut off the branches, the displacement of development and the formation of fruits at a later time, can significantly reduce the likelihood of developing various diseases and the appearance of harmful insects. For this reason, practically no misfortunes are terrible for blackberry varieties belonging to remontants, which means that they do not require processing using chemicals, and this makes it possible to get high-quality, healthy and completely harmless fruits to people.

It is important to notethat the blackberry of the remontant varieties has thorns. At the moment, no matter how bitter it is to admit, the breeders have not yet managed to achieve such a result. All varieties have thorny shoots, making harvesting difficult.

In our country, there is one seller and supplier of the Gigant blackberry variety, which on its website offers the Gigant remontant blackberry under the article 8018, where Blackberry thornless Giant is written in English next to it in small print, from English it translates as Giant brambleless blackberry.

However, it is impossible to find out exactly the origin of this variety, since the supplier company does not indicate data on this and does not answer questions about buyers as to whose selection the variety belongs to.

It makes no sense to look for information in the State Register of Russia, but, in fact, like most blackberry varieties that have appeared recently and bred abroad.

Blackberry Giant: variety description and characteristics

In the description, which is presented on the supplier's website, it is said that the Giant blackberry variety grows by 1.5 meters, and can reach 2.5 meters in height. Its shoots are flexible, which makes it possible to grow it on trellises, thus, the plant can not only be used not only for picking berries, but also as a decoration in the garden. Taking into account the repaired quality of the variety, as well as the manufacturer's assurances, you can enjoy the beautiful flowering of the Giant blackberry variety from the first summer days until autumn.

The diameter of the flowers does not exceed 4 centimeters.

It should be noted that the cultivation of the remontant blackberry Gigant in most of the country does not make sense without complete pruning of the shoots before the onset of the winter cold. Because you have to deal with the shelter, and there will be problems with harmful insects and various diseases. But then it will not be possible to expect the flowering of the shoots of the first year of life until mid-summer or even in August.

I would like to note that even leaving the shoots for the winter in the south of the country, in order to get the first early harvests, the blackberry will still not be able to bloom without a break from the very beginning of summer to September. Repaired varieties, as a rule, bloom and bear fruit in two waves, between which there is a short break.

As the sellers assure, the remontant blackberry bears fruit in the period July-September.

There is no information on whether the creeping or erect type of shoot growth is on the supplier's website.

As for the berries, they are truly unique. They have an elongated and at the same time rounded shape, reminiscent of a thumb. The level of nutritional value is at a height next to other outstanding varieties. The fruit has a sweet and sour taste and emits a blackberry aroma. When fully ripe, the berry becomes a rich black color.

The length of one berry of the remontant blackberry Gigant reaches 6 centimeters, and its weight is about 23 grams. No wonder this variety got its name.

It should be noted that fruits weighing 10 grams already belong to large-fruited varieties of blackberries.

Blackberry Giant: the pros and cons of the variety

Repaired blackberry Giant: photo of the variety

Blackberry varieties Gigant are distinguished from other remontant varieties by the following characteristics.

According to Giant's suppliers, this variety has many benefits.

• It has a high frost resistance up to -30 degrees, but with full pruning before the beginning of winter, it is able to withstand a much larger drop in temperatures, without using any special shelters.
• It is quite simple to take care of, as it is distinguished by its unpretentiousness, and also does not need special protective measures.
• good shelf life and transportability.
• You can harvest twice a season.

Productivity:

The information provided by the supplier is especially impressive. It says that you can get more than 35 kilograms of berries from one blackberry bush. In addition to this, there are no other details, but it is worth noting that earlier the highest yields of blackberries, which were given by other varieties, were considered 20 kilograms.

Usage:

Blackberry Giant has an excellent taste and can be consumed fresh. In addition, it can decorate holiday dishes and be used for various preparations.

Minuses:

All the advantages of the variety have been described above. The disadvantages of the Gigant remontant blackberry include the fact that the plant is not tolerant of drought and heavy and dense soils are not suitable for its cultivation.

Blackberry Giant: planting varieties

The information provided by the supplier does not say anything about root growth, so it is not clear whether it is possible to use this popular breeding method or not.

However, it is known for sure that you can get new bushes using cuttings or layering by rooting the tops of the shoots.

When to plant:

The best time for planting Giant blackberry seedlings is between March and November. If the seedling has a closed root system, then these terms are really justified. However, for planting in the south of the country, it is best to choose early spring or autumn, because the hot southern sun can interfere with the good survival of a young plant.

A place:

The repairing blackberry Giant loves open sunny areas, so you should choose a place in accordance with his desire. However, in the south of the country, during the heat of summer, a plant grown in such an area may suffer from sunburn appearing on fruits and leaves.

The soil:

Blackberry Giant loves light, with good water and air permeability, with a low level of acidity or neutral soils. With a high content of lime in the soil, the plant can get sick with chlorosis, which manifests itself in the form of yellowing of the leaves.

Buying a seedling:

Buy Gigant blackberry seedlings in nurseries or in specialized stores. When choosing a plant, it is important to pay attention to the root system, which should be well developed, the main root should be 15 centimeters in length or more and have root branches from 2 to 4. The height of the plant should be 40 centimeters or slightly higher. Before planting a blackberry in the garden, it must be immersed for a short time in an issecticide solution and add tobacco dust there.

How to plant:

There are no differences between the planting of the Gigant blackberry variety from the planting of other varieties of this berry.

To begin with, you should prepare the landing holes, which will go to a depth of 30 centimeters. The distance between them must be kept at one or a little more meters. Since the plant belongs to climbing crops, you should immediately tie the shoots to the trellises.

Blackberry Giant: variety care

Repaired blackberry Giant: photo of the variety

Gardeners who are already cultivating the Gigant remontant blackberry variety argue that caring for the Giant blackberry variety is quite simple.

The most important thing is watering activities that must be carried out regularly and use a large amount of water for this. But one should not forget that the plant is not tolerant of moisture stagnation, therefore, it is also not worth overmoistening.

It is necessary to feed the plant only a few times during the season. At the beginning of spring, it is necessary to use complex mineral fertilizers, and in the summer, fertilizers based on potassium and phosphorus are suitable.

In order to preserve moisture in the soil for a longer time, which will reduce watering, as well as additionally feed the plant, it is necessary to apply a layer of mulch under the bush, using humus for this.

How to prune:

Before you start pruning a remontant variety, you need to decide what is more important, get a bountiful and reliable harvest in the last summer days, or pick berries throughout the summer. If you choose the second option, then it will be necessary to provide the blackberry with a good shelter for the winter, as well as take preventive measures to combat harmful insects. In this case, pruning is carried out only on last year's shoots and immediately after the entire crop has been harvested.

If you choose the first option, then you just need to cut off all the branches under the base before the onset of the winter cold. If the cultivation takes place in regions where winters are especially harsh, then the root circle should be covered with dry grass or sawdust.

Wintering:

If the choice fell on the second option, and we want to collect delicious berries throughout the summer, then the shoots of the first year of life are removed from the trellis, bend down to the surface of the ground, covered with dry grass, and are covered with non-woven material on top.

Possible troubles:

If chlorosis is detected, which is determined by yellowed leaves, it is necessary, as soon as the snow melts, to add fertilizers to the soil, which contains all the microelements.

On the plant you can find aphids, red mites, flower beetles. For that. To provide the plant with protection, it is necessary to carry out an insecticide treatment during preparation for winter, and with the onset of spring, spray the bush twice with an insecticidal acaricidal preparation of biological origin.

To combat fungal diseases, treatment of the plant with Brodsky liquid will help, which is carried out when the buds begin to open.

Blackberry Giant: reviews of gardeners

Repaired blackberry Giant: video about the variety

Reading the reviews on the site of the supplier of the Giant blackberry variety, you can see that most of them are the best.But it should be noted that most of the gardeners only recently planted this variety of blackberries on their site, and the first crop will appear only three years later, which, in fact, is what the managers themselves say. There are people who have already managed not only to harvest for themselves and feed their family with berries, but also to sell them, because the bush produces about 35 kilograms of fruit, but there are not many such people.

You can also read the answers of managers on the supplier's website, which are very contradictory. In the first case, they say that there are no remontant varieties without thorns, and in the second case, they say that the remontant blackberry Giant does not have thorns.

If you read reviews about the Blackberry Giant on other forums, then you can find very negative ones. There, gardeners complain that the product was sent to them in a semi-dried state, that they do not take root well, or that the variety is not at all the same as described on the label.

Outcome

Blackberry Giant - Myth or Reality ?. If reality, then this is a really fantastic variety, which differs from others in fruit size, yield, winter hardiness and its unpretentiousness. One gets the impression that this variety contains all the advantages of all varieties, which is a huge rarity in nature. The most suspicious moment is the fact that only one company (LLC "Becker Bis") and no one else is engaged in the sale of the Giant blackberry variety. It is also impossible to meet him in foreign countries. Therefore, only you should make a purchase decision.