Blackberry Polar: variety description, photo, cultivation guide

The article presents the Polar blackberry: a description of the variety, a photo, instructions for growing, care, reproduction.

Blackberries have been deprived of the attention they deserve over the years. The varieties grown by gardeners in their gardens very often had a bad taste, their branches and leaves were strewn with thorns, and they did not have time to reach full ripeness before the frosts began, even if they grew in the central part of Russia. This is the reason for the joy and excitement around every new product that appears in our markets. European varieties are especially attractive, due to the fact that climatic conditions there are similar to ours, rather than North American ones. One of these varieties is the Polar blackberry variety, created by Polish scientists.

Blackberry Polar: the history of the origin of the variety

Blackberry Polar: photo

The Polar blackberry bush was created thanks to scientists from the Institute of Horticulture in Brzezn, Poland. It was registered in the 8th year of the 21st century. The breeders set themselves the task of breeding blackberries, which will not need shelter for the period of winter cold.

The Polar blackberry was created for cultivation on an industrial scale, but due to the high quality of the berries and undemanding care, it began to be actively cultivated in the territories of private gardens.

Blackberry Polar: description and characteristics of the variety

Blackberry Polar: photo

Blackberry Polar is a semi-shrub with powerful upright shoots 2.7 meters long. The uncut tops on the whips sometimes look drooping, but there is nothing to worry about because this is a strain.
On the shoots of this variety, thorns are completely absent. At a young age, the color of the whips is bright green, and by the end of the season they acquire a light brown color. The shoots of the first year of life, on which the fruits are formed, are brown, section in the form of an oblate circle. The branches are covered with rich green, large, five-segment or three-segment leaves. The roots of the Polar blackberry are powerful. The overgrowth is practically absent.
Blooming with large white flowers begins in the first days of May. Fruits are large in size with dense skin, mostly uniform. Their weight is from 9 to 11 grams. The ones that appear first are usually the largest. The berries have a beautiful oval shape and a glossy sheen on black.

The sweet taste of Polar blackberry is diluted with a slight sourness, does not have a bitter aftertaste and the fruit emits a pleasant aroma. This berry earned a high tasting rating of 4.5 points, which fully coincided with the reviews of amateurs.

Blackberry variety Polar: photo

The characteristics of the Polar blackberry make it possible to cultivate it not only in the southern part of the country, but also in the north. Given that this variety is very unpretentious and the quality of the fruit is at a high level, it turns out that it is almost ideal for growing in private gardens or for industrial production on large plantations.

The creators of the Polar blackberry gave a description that completely coincides with the reviews of those who have already planted it on their plots. Probably the reason for this was the fact that the breeding took place in the state bordering with us and the variety was created for industrial production.This suggests that it meant light maintenance, which is necessary when grown on large plantations.

The Polar blackberry is highly drought tolerant. However, it is important to remember that blackberries are a moisture-loving plant and in order to get good yields, you need to water the bushes periodically.

Since the main task for Polish breeders was to create a variety that does not need to be covered, the result was the most frost-resistant blackberry bushes. Plants require shelter only if they are grown in regions where for a long time the thermometer is below -23 degrees. At the same time, it should be noted that experts talk about the plant's ability to endure 30 to three degrees of frost in a short time.

Blackberries growing on the territory of the Moscow Region must necessarily take cover.

However, cultivation gardeners say that by harboring powerful shoots, which is not so easy to do, the yield will increase threefold, or even fivefold. The reason is that the flower buds freeze, while nothing happens to the shoots. So there is reason to think.

The Polar blackberry variety has no special requirements for the type of soil and they tolerate transportation well.

Blackberry Polar: flowering and yield of the variety

Flowering occurs in early or mid-May, it all depends on which region the plant is grown in and what weather conditions are. Polar is a mid-early variety; the first batch of fruits ripens in July, around the second week.

Full harvests will be harvested after three years of life in the garden. You can harvest delicious berries from July to the last days of September.

It should be noted that in the middle latitudes, harvesting begins in the last days of July or August.
On the territory of Poland, an average of 4 kg is removed from one three-year-old bush. berries. If you provide the plant with shelter for the winter cold season, then the yields will be much higher. When the flower buds freeze, the yield falls.

What is the reason for such a great popularity of the Polar blackberry? The reason for the ability to plant more densely and harvest crops in a mechanized way. There is no need to spend time, effort and money creating shelters for the winter. For these reasons, this berry becomes not only tasty and healthy, but also beneficial in growing from an economic point of view. In garden plots, planting can be free, it can be easily covered and, as a result, a high yield can be obtained.

Blackberry Polar: advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Polar blackberry fruits have excellent taste, high lightness, long shelf life and the ability to be transported over long distances. All this makes it possible to sell fresh berries in any corner of the country. In addition, they lend themselves well to freezing, suitable for making juices, wines and various blanks.
Resistance to diseases and harmful insects:

The immunity possessed by this variety protects the plant from various diseases. However, preventive measures should not be canceled. It is especially important to carry out them in industrial cultivation, where, as a rule, the plantings are heavily thickened.

We can safely speak about the pros and cons, since the plant has been tested on the territory of the country and they were studied quite well, although a little more than 10 years have passed since the breeding. Positive qualities the variety has much more than negative ones:

• The berries are very beautiful and large
• High taste rating
• Excellent commercial quality and transportability
• No need for shelter
• The most winter hardy
• Tireless grade
• Can be planted tightly to each other
• Proved itself worthily in industrial and private cultivation
• Resistance to diseases and harmful insects
• You can use mechanized harvesting equipment
• The ability to increase productivity at times, using a shelter for the period of winter cold
• The leaders among the varieties that are very easy to care for.

By cons can be attributed:

• Requires shelter in mid-latitudes
• Due to powerful shoots, preparation for the winter period in the north of the country is difficult;
• Some flower buds freeze when the temperature drops and there is no shelter;
• Root growth is practically absent, which makes reproduction in this way somewhat more difficult.

Reproduction and planting of Polar blackberries

Reproduction is quite simple with apical shoots. However, some effort will still have to be made, since it will be necessary to tilt the selected branch from a young age. Root shoots are practically absent, and propagation with the help of green cuttings is rather difficult due to their thickness and tendency to rot. To grow several new bushes, you need to put on a large number of shoots. You can propagate the plant by dividing an adult bush.

Landing dates

It is so easy to care for and plant Polar blackberries that even a novice gardener who has never done this before can easily cope with them. To avoid unnecessary labor costs, you need to follow only a few rules.

Planting in the south of the country is carried out in the fall after the hot days are over. The bushes will have plenty of time to adapt and take root before the frost hits. With the arrival of spring, they immediately begin to grow.

Planting in the territories of the Moscow region and the middle latitudes is carried out in the spring, after warming up the soil and the disappearance of the threat of return frosts.

Pick-up location

For growing on an industrial scale, you need to choose a flat area so that the technique can pass without difficulty. On a personal plot, a place should be chosen that is well lit by the sun's rays and protected from strong winds. The location of groundwater should be at least one and a half meters below the surface of the earth.
The best soil will be nutrient-rich loams with low acidity levels.

Soil preparation

A couple of weeks before planting, you need to dig planting holes 50 centimeters deep and the same diameter. The hole is filled 2/3 with an earthen mixture and filled with water. To prepare an earthen mixture, you must mix the top fertile soil layer with humus (1 bucket), potassium (50 grams) and phosphorus (150 grams). With increased acidity of the soil, it should be diluted with lime. If it is too dense, then sand should be added there. If alkaline or neutral, sour peat should be used.

How to choose and prepare Polar blackberry seedlings for planting

Purchasing Polar blackberry seedlings should be done in specialized stores to avoid cheating. Pay attention that the roots are developed, there is no damage and smelled fresh, the shoots should be green.

If the plant was bought with an open root system, then they must be soaked 12 hours before planting.

How to plant

For growing Polar blackberries on an industrial scale, planting can be done at a distance of 90 centimeters, if it is possible to intensively feed, then the distance can be reduced to 80 centimeters. In a private garden, planting is best done at a distance of one and a half, or even two meters, this will very well reflect on the taste of the fruit. The distance between the rows should be kept at 2.5 meters.

During planting, first of all, you need to shorten the branches, leaving a length of 20 centimeters. A mound is made in the center of the hole on which the Polar blackberry seedling is installed and the roots are gently straightened. Then you need to fill the hole with an earthen mixture so that the root collar goes to a depth of 1.5 centimeters. Further, the earth is compacted, abundantly watered with 10 liters of water and mulching is carried out.

Blackberry Polar: care description

Watering a young plant is carried out twice every 7 days.In the future, no difficulties will arise.

Blackberry Polar needs a must-have garter to trellis... They can be multi-row, T-shaped, fan-shaped. Last year's gains are tied to one side, new ones to the other.
What will be the yields is influenced by how intensively fertilizing is carried out, whether the bush takes cover for the winter period, whether it pinches young shoots and whether irrigation is carried out during a drought.

Watering is carried out if there is no rain, this is especially important during hot periods. It is important to remember that Polar blackberries love moisture and it is better to water it once more than letting the root dry.

Top dressing is optional, but in the absence of them, the yields will be much lower. It is better to feed and do it three times a season. The first top dressing is carried out with the onset of spring using nitrogen fertilizers. Second, when flowering begins, a complex of minerals is used here. Third, after harvesting with potash fertilizers.

If you see yellowing of the leaves on your plant, but the veins on them remain green, then the plant is sick with chlorosis. This disease occurs due to a lack of iron. In order to rid the plant of the disease, chelates must be used.

Polar blackberry loosening is carried out twice, in early spring and autumn. In the middle of the growing season, it is necessary to mulch the soil using red peat for this. It will serve for acidified soil, retain moisture, prevent weeds from developing and allow air to penetrate well to the roots of the plant.

Pruning rules

As soon as the whole crop is harvested, it is necessary to start pruning the shoots. You should not postpone, it is necessary that there is enough time before the frosts begin, the wood on new lashes to mature.

After trimming, there should be from 4 to 7 lashes, the number depends on which pattern was used for planting. In order for the lateral shoots to branch better, they must be pinched as soon as they grow 45 centimeters in length. All branches with signs of damage, weakened and improperly growing are cut off under the base.

Preparing Polar Blackberries for Winter

There is no need to cover the plant in the southern regions, but in the rest of the territory, this should be done. Where the thermometer drops below -15 degrees is extremely rare, it will be enough to huddle the roots, and without removing the lash from the trellis, cover them using agrofibre. The main thing is to prevent icing of the covering material.

As for regions with colder winters, more efforts will have to be made there. Having removed the shoots from the trellises, they must be lowered to the ground and secured. Next, cover the plant with spruce branches, straw or agrofibre.

Preventive actions

The plant's high resistance to diseases and harmful insects avoids many problems. However, as a preventive measure, it is necessary to carry out treatment with preparations based on copper in early spring and during preparation for winter. It is also important that the blackberry bushes are 50 meters away from nightshade crops, strawberries and raspberries.

Outcome

Blackberry Polar is a proven variety as undemanding and producing consistently good yields. The taste of its fruits is amazing and they are able to maintain all their qualities during transportation. Blackberry Polar can be safely used for cultivation on an industrial scale and in personal plots.

Blackberry Polar: video about the variety