Blackberry Triple Crown: description of the cultivar, photo, features of cultivation

Blackberries are rarely found in Russian gardens and undeservedly ignored by many lovers of delicious, healthy berries. This culture is abundant in yield and suitable for growing in temperate climates, where the summer is quite warm, and the winter temperature does not drop below -15 ° C. In the northern regions, the blackberry develops slowly and poorly fructifies. Cultivated varieties are most common in the West: in the United States, agronomists are constantly creating new hybrids and growing these plants on an industrial scale.

Best Blackberry: Triple Crown

One of the best is the Blackberry Triple Crown (or Triple Crown). This variety is bred in Oregon and is distinguished by very large berries, as well as smooth shoots without thorns. It is something middle between creeping and erect hybrids. The berries are clustered with large, juicy foliage. The plant is fixed on the trellis and tied, then the bush begins to grow more actively. Branches develop very quickly and in the first year reach 2 meters in length.

Blackberry Triple Crown: description

This hybrid is not cold-resistant and requires careful shelter for the winter. In the late autumn shoots are removed from the trellis and placed horizontally, and from above are placed covering material, additionally protecting the plant with a film. Blackberry fruit Triple Crown matures gradually, closer to the second half of August. With proper care for the season from the bush, you can remove up to 13 kg of berries. The weight of the fruit is 7-9 g, they are glossy, round in shape, slightly elongated and have a piquant sweet taste with a slight sourness. Judging by the reviews about the triple Crown blackberry, its pulp is juicy and dense, in the aftertaste there are cherry and plum notes. Rind black berries with burgundy tint.

Features of the variety

The difference of this variety is that the fruits are practically not baked in the sun, if the watering is regular and the soil does not dry out. On hot days bushes are desirable to pritenyat or use a covering material to protect from the scorching sun. Berries almost do not grow small until the last harvest, decreasing in volume by no more than 10%. The aroma resembles cherry and cherry. Thanks to the dense texture, the blackberry triple crowns do not crumple during transportation. Harvest can be stored at a temperature of + 5 ° C for several days.

How to choose a place to plant a blackberry

The bush is well established and is rarely damaged by diseases or pests. Planted blackberry seedlings in spring or autumn. In the autumn version, the seedlings are protected from frost by special materials. The best location for them will be a sunny and warm section, protected from drafts. The correct choice of location is the pledge of abundant harvest of large and sweet berries. If the blackberry Triple Crown is in the shade, its fruits will grow sour and crushed. The soil for planting blackberry seedlings in spring, any, but the best results can be obtained on loam with alkaline reaction. In the acidic soil, it is recommended to make wood ash or lime powder. It is desirable that the earth is loose, light and water-permeable.

Correct landing of a blackberry

With the correct planting and care, the average life expectancy of the Blackberry Triple Crown is 13 years. During this time, the roots are greatly expanded, which should be taken into account when preparing the landing pit. Its width should be at least 60 cm. The soil is mixed with humus and wood ash, then the mixture is divided into equal piles. One of them is combined with a complex mineral fertilizer and placed on the bottom of the pit. From above it is necessary to pour a small layer of the earth so that the root system of the seedling does not come into contact with top dressing ahead of time. Then the triple Crown blackberry is placed in the pit in such a way that the root neck is superficial. The roots are spread and covered with the remaining soil. The soil around the root canopy is rolled up and watered abundantly. Shoots are cut off, leaving hemp height of 10 cm. The soil around the plant is mulched with sawdust or with a rotting compost. If several plants are planted, the distance between adjacent bushes should be 1.5-2.0 m.

Care and Growing Blackberry Triple Crown

The Blackberry quickly develops and for the first year increases two-meter shoots. Therefore, with insufficient distance between plantings, an impenetrable grove may result. You can plant the plant along the fence, which will serve as a support for the long branches. Judging by the numerous photos of the berries, the blackberry will quickly turn into a hedgerow. Abundant and frequent watering of a young plant is not required, but from time to time it will be necessary to moisten the soil, especially when the blackberry blossoms and begins to tie fruit. For active growth, it is enough to water the bush once a week, if the weather is dry and windless. Increase watering should be at the time of harvest ripening, so that the berries have enough moisture. Growing blackberries and caring for it begin with weeding and regular loosening of the soil. After rooting the seedlings, the loosening is stopped, otherwise a radical growth may appear.

Shoots need a support installation, so it is desirable to fasten them on a high trellis with a stretched wire. Its height should be approximately 2 m. The wire is stretched in several places, up to a height of 1.5 m. The plant will develop and be fixed on the support. When the shoots reach the upper mark, they are cut to stimulate branching. Extra branches are removed after harvesting, leaving about 5 healthy.

Feeding and reproduction of blackberry

Because of active and rapid growth, the plant quickly depletes the nutrients in the soil and requires the addition of fertilizing. Blackberry for proper development requires a complex of substances, including nitrogen, boron, zinc and copper. For top dressing, phosphate-potassium fertilizers are used in spring and nitrogen fertilizers in autumn. You can take organic, ammonium nitrate and superphosphate. Fertilizers are brought in spring. No more than once in 2 years around the bush lay a mixture of minerals and humus. It is useful to introduce urea into the soil and mulch the near-bottom circle with humus or manure. Before the appearance of root offspring in the aisle, plants are fed with phosphorus and potassium, the soil is loosely loosened and mulched with organic.

Blackberry Tripple Crown reproduces by apical cuttings. They are cut in spring from remote yearling shoots. The part is removed, the leaves are torn off and buried at a depth of 10 cm, fixed with a hairpin. The stem requires abundant watering. Then a baby appears, which in autumn is cut with the roots and transplanted to a permanent place.

Pests and diseases

This blackberry variety is practically not sick and is rarely damaged by pests. It can be subjected to fungal infections (septoria and rust). When infected, the fruits are not tied up or ripened, the leaves lose their color, and the shoots are covered with black dots. Treat these diseases with fungicides or folk remedies. Well helps infusion of garlic and milkweed: 300 g of crushed grass and denticles are poured with three liters of warm water, insist for 24 hours and filter. The resulting liquid is diluted with water at a ratio of 1:20 and sprayed with plants.

The triple crown variety is suitable for beginner gardeners, since in the care of it there is nothing difficult. In the photo the berries of blackberries look very impressive, because you can boast to your friends harvested crop, not making special efforts to grow it. Juicy and delicious fruits of blackberries will please any gourmet, and the spectacular foliage of the bush will decorate any garden.