Blackberry Navajo

Blackberry is a garden plant bred in North America, Russian gardeners have appreciated it and also cultivate it on their plots. There are a large number of blackberry varieties that are able to grow and bear fruit perfectly in the climate of Russia. For example, most gardeners cultivate Navajo blackberries in their gardens. From this article, you will learn about the signs of such a blackberry, its characteristics and agrotechnical methods of cultivation.

A brief excursion into history

The Navajo blackberry variety has been around for over twenty years. It was bred in 1987 by American breeders from the University of Arkansas together with other blackberry species, the common characteristic of which is that there are no thorns on the whips. The name "Navaho" comes from the name of the Indian people. Mother plants: "Thornfree", "Cherokee". Currently, the Navajo blackberry variety is popular not only in the United States, but also in Europe, as well as among Russian gardeners.

Blackberry Navajo: variety description and characteristics

Blackberry Navajo: video

Blackberry is a subgenus of the genus Raspberry. The subgenus has eight varieties, two of them are domesticated. Blackberry is a semi-shrub that has flexible, upright growing or creeping lashes. The culture is grown because of the fruits that are distinguished by sweet or sweet-sour taste, resembling raspberries in appearance, but only blackberries are not red, but dark blue or black.

General characteristics.

The Navajo blackberry has a sturdy bush; erect shoots, grow up to two meters. They are quite powerful, but they can bend due to the large number of fruits, for this reason, a garter is required after the shoots reach one and a half meters or more. Shoot-forming ability is high, therefore, a large number of shoots are formed.

In addition to the classic Navajo blackberry, there is also a hybrid variety that was obtained on its basis - "Navaho Bigandearly" (Navaho Bigandearly). This species is not a full-fledged variety, which differs from the source in its characteristics, but a hybrid. Manufacturers assure that the hybrid grows whips that are higher in height (up to two and a half meters) than the shoots of the usual Navajo blackberry variety, and also say that the ripening of the hybrid's fruits is faster, and the berries have dessert taste. This suggests the name of the hybrid form, which translates as "large and early."

Fruit.

The fruits are shortened, conical in shape, even in size and appearance, rather small (when compared with other types of blackberries) in size. The average weight is four to seven grams. The bush compensates for this feature with a large number of fruits that ripen on one bush. For example, one adult blackberry can have more than half a thousand fruits.

Navajo blackberries are colored in dark blue (with technical ripeness - in bright black), glossy, have excellent, moderately sweet taste. The tasting score is 4.9 b / 5 b, and most gardeners consider the taste to be almost a standard. The fruits retain their taste and appearance for five days. The grains are small, it is almost impossible to notice them, and this is another advantage of the variety, lovers of eating blackberries appreciated it. The fruits are plump, therefore, they are distinguished by good transportability.

Features of blackberry varieties Navajo

Blackberry Navajo: photos

The Navajo blackberry variety has characteristics that attract the attention of a large number of horticulturists with varying experience in growing blackberries. In this regard, it is increasingly being chosen for cultivation on their territories by Russian summer residents.

Main advantages.

The Navajo blackberry is an undemanding variety and does not require any special care. It has good tolerance to the dry period, is able to grow on almost any soil (but likes to grow on nutrient-rich sandy loam and loamy soils), has good resistance to frost periods (up to minus twenty degrees), therefore, in areas where temperature conditions decrease in winter of the year occurs at least -20 degrees, it can not be covered. In other regions, shrubs will need shelter. The shoots do not have thorns, which means that picking berries by hand will be much easier.

Blackberry Navajo: ripening timing

The ripening period of the Navajo blackberry is late, which means that the flowering is later, in the middle Russian latitudes, flowers appear from the 15th of June. Fruit ripening, as indicated in the description, occurs on August or September days. This is influenced by the weather of a certain time of the year, the well-being of the bushes themselves and, to some extent, the planting site (in a well-lit or shady area).

Productivity, fruiting.

Due to the many fruits, the yield indicator is quite high - nine kg / one square. The bush bears fruit stretched out - three to four weeks.

Where are the Navajo blackberry fruits used?

For the most part, the berries are eaten fresh, but they are also used for harvesting for the winter. Compote, jam, preserves are prepared from the fruits, pies are stuffed with them, and used for freezing.

Immunity to diseases and resistance to attacks of harmful insects.

It is noticed that the Navajo blackberry variety does not get sick, and harmful insects do not attack it, therefore, the bushes do not need to be treated with pesticide agents if not necessary. In this regard, the waste of time, money and effort that a summer resident would spend on cultivating blackberries is reduced.

Pros and cons.

Pros.

• The variety is self-fertile (no pollinator assistants are needed to form the ovaries).
• A decent indicator of productivity, since the fruits are formed in large quantities.
• Unpretentiousness to growing conditions.
• Easy to care for (as the shoots are upright).
• You can easily pick the fruits, because there are no thorns, and the berries are in large clusters.
• The fruits are well preserved and transported (although the berries are juicy, they retain their elasticity and do not spread for almost seven days after they are harvested).
• Excellent dessert taste of berries.

Minuses is also there. Gardeners say that with increased moisture and in the summer season with cool temperature conditions, the yield indicator becomes lower, the taste of the fruits is influenced by the radiation of heat and light, which is absorbed by the shrubs. Also, the disadvantages include the fact that it is necessary to cut off excess lashes that thicken the plants.

Blackberry Navajo: variety breeding

Blackberry Navajo: photos

Reproduction of Navajo blackberries is carried out with the help of basal offspring, and the apical parts of the shoots are also rooted. The procedure is easy: when a young growth reaches sixty cm, its apical parts are cut off. Then, new lashes begin to grow from the leaf sinuses. Together with the shoot, they bend to the ground and dig a little deeper. In the autumn season or for the next spring season, they are dug up, cut off from the mother bush and transplanted to a new site. Root shoots, when they reach twenty cm, are dug out together with an earthen clod and transplanted to new places.

Blackberry Navajo: Planting

If you properly care for the shrub, then it grows and bears fruit well for ten to fifteen years, this is mainly influenced by the place and how the planting was carried out. That is why planting and agricultural technology in the spring season play an important role for the further development of blackberries and their yield indicators.

Optimal time.

The recommended time for planting Navajo blackberries is the spring season, in the north, planting can be carried out in the first days of summer. In the autumn season, blackberries are not planted, because young bushes have poor tolerance to the winter period, especially a long and harsh one.

How to choose a suitable site.

The site for planting Navajo blackberries is selected well-lit by the sun and warm, however, a semi-shaded place is allowed. It is forbidden to plant blackberries in the shade, as there will always be a lack of light and heat, because of this, the fruits will be small and have a sour taste. You can plant bushes on an open plain or on a small hill, next to fences, farm buildings, it is important that there is protection from strong gusts of wind and drafts.

How to prepare the soil.

The plant is undemanding to the type of soil, but the quality of the soil must be at a high level. It must be necessarily filled with nutrients, humus, light, loose, breathable and with a neutral level of acidity (possibly slightly increased). Blackberry prefers soil moist, but not swampy, because excessively high moisture content is prohibited, since the root system can rot in moist soil.

Site preparation for planting is carried out in the autumn or spring season. For this purpose, it is cleared of vegetation remnants, dug up, organic substances or minerals are introduced. A couple of days before planting, the soil is leveled with a rake and planting holes are dug.

How to choose and prepare seedlings.

Choose seedlings that are healthy, intact, free from diseases, and well developed. They must have a strong root system and powerful shoots with green leaves. Planting material that has dried roots or poorly growing lashes will not be suitable for planting. Before planting the bushes, the roots are moistened and placed in a solution of the drug "Kornevin" to stimulate the formation of roots. They are kept there for as long as indicated in the instructions.

Planting progress.

The interval between seedlings is at least one and a half to two meters. Planting pits should have a large volume: diameter and depth - sixty cm. During planting, humus (one bucket) and ash (two tablespoons) are poured into each hole. Top dressing is covered with a soil layer to avoid roots coming into contact with it.

Landing algorithm.

• The soil in the pit is moistened.
• The bush is set in the center, the roots are straightened.
• The seedling is covered with soil at the level of growth buds.
• Shoots are cut, you need to leave two or three buds on each.
• The surface soil layer is mulched. For this, hay, sawdust, straw or non-acidic peat are used.
• A solid is placed near each bush. trellis, tie elongated whips to it. Another way: props are installed along the borders of the row, and between them the wire is pulled in two or three rows to support the bushes.

Further agricultural technology.

The care of the variety is very simple. If the planting is done correctly, then next year wait for the first fruits to appear, and in the fourth year the bush will give a generous harvest. The main goal of the gardener during this period of time is to provide the blackberry with the required amount of water and additional fertilizing, to form bushes and prepare them for the winter season.

Blackberry Navajo: Variety Care

Blackberry Navajo: photos

A garter of bushes is desirable, despite the fact that the variety is not very tall.The bushes are grown on supports, but an alternative can be the use of special cutting of the main and side lashes.

Agrotechnical techniques.

Agricultural technology is standard: watering, loosening (or mulching), weeding the soil. Watering is carried out abundantly, especially during flowering and during the formation of berries. It is impossible to overfill, because blackberries will not tolerate excessively moistened soil. If the area on which the shrub grows is small, then you can build a drip irrigation system. Thanks to her, there will be an even distribution of water and its savings. After the rains have passed or watering has been carried out, the soil is loosened, weeds are weeded or the soil is mulched, which protects it from drying out as soon as possible. Moisture-charging irrigation is carried out on condition that the autumn season is dry.

Circumcision procedure.

Navajo blackberries form a lot of growth, for this reason they are pruned, from 2 years of development. Late in the spring, the apical parts of young lashes that have grown to one meter are cut off. Because of this, the growth of lateral shoots begins, an increase in the volume of the shrub, more fruits are formed.

Navajo blackberries continue to form in the fall season, because the fruits are formed on the shoots of last year, which yield only one season. Hence, they must be cut. Pruning is carried out in the autumn season, shoots are cut at the very root. You need to leave only three or four brand new lashes, shorten them.

Blackberry Navajo: Preparing for Winter

In winter, Navajo blackberry bushes take cover. For this purpose, the shoots, after the leaves have fallen from them, are removed from the support, tied together and bent to the ground. They are covered with agrofibre or spruce branches on top. Under such a protective material, the bushes will definitely be safe, frost will not touch them.

Diseases and harmful insects

All American blackberry varieties, including the Navajo blackberry variety, are immune to disease and resistant to harmful insects. It was noted that the attacks of aphids and gall midges are quite rare. But still, the variety can be affected by spider and blackberry mites, raspberry beetles, powdery mildew, septoriasis, anthracnose. If pests or diseases appear, the bushes are treated with insecticidal or fungicidal preparations.

Summary

Blackberry Navajo: photos

Navajo blackberries are the most undemanding variety, and therefore are popular with gardeners from Russia. If properly looked after, then the bush will delight with a generous harvest for many years.

Blackberry Navajo: reviews of gardeners

Valeria, 29 years old, Tomsk region: “I got the Navajo blackberry variety not so long ago. Despite the fact that the fruits are not so large, the fruiting is abundant, and therefore the overall harvest is quite decent. I liked the fact that the Navajo blackberry bushes are thornless, thanks to this, the care and collection of fruits is carried out with ease, hands are not scratched. "

Valentin, 37 years old, Stavropol Territory: “I bought the Navajo blackberry variety for its productivity, unpretentious cultivation, immunity to diseases, and the fact that it is very easy to care for the bush. During the collection of fruits, a large number of black berries are removed from the bush, which differ in excellent taste and incredible aroma. I advise everyone involved in gardening and anyone interested in blackberries to cultivate Navajo blackberries. "