Arapaho blackberry description. Description of the blackberry variety Arapahoe

Arapahoe blackberry: variety description and characteristics

The characteristics must be indicated in order to form an accurate opinion about the variety. This blackberry is similar in appearance to other blackberry varieties.

General characteristics.

The shrub has strong vertical shoots. The shoots have lateral fruiting branches. In Russia, the bush grows up to three meters. The leaves are green in color, they are formed by 5 plates, and have serrated edges. The flowers are white in color and consist of five petals, which are collected in a brush of six pieces.

Fruit.

The berries are black in color with a glossy effect. The largest weigh ten grams, however, the average weight is five to six grams. The grains are small. The fruits are regular, plump, and their transportability is good. The taste is sweet and delicate.

Main advantages.

Blackberries are an undemanding crop, however, if you care for them properly, they will reward you with a rich harvest every year. The plant is resistant to dry and frosty periods, but it must be covered for the winter. The main advantage is that there are no thorns, making it easy to collect fruits and comfortable to care for the bushes.

Flowering and ripening.

The bush begins to bloom in June-July days. In the south, berries are set in the first days of July, in mid-latitudes - in the twentieth of July. The time depends on the weather. If the spring season has come early, then the plant may begin to bloom and bear fruit a week and a half earlier.

Productivity, fruiting.

The variety bears fruit during the July-August days, as a rule, this lasts four weeks. The time depends on the cultivation area. In the north, the harvest time is shifted by one and a half weeks.

The yield indicator is at an average level - four kg / bush. In the north the harvest is smaller.

Where are the fruits used?

Bushy blackberry Aropakha is rich in beneficial microelements and vitamins. Used in cooking. Leaf teas will be beneficial. An extract from the fruit is added to perfume, medicines and herbal preparations.

Immunity to diseases and harmful insects.

The patent states that the variety is resistant to diseases. But it is still necessary to create conditions that would exclude morbidity.

Description: according to the originator, summarizing reviews

Fruiting time is average. Fees within 4 weeks - as described by the patent holder. In fact, as you move north, the fruiting time increases and harvesting is more extended. In the center of Ukraine, in the southern regions it ripens in mid-July, in central Russia, the Moscow region - the third ten-day period of July can be called the starting point, from which ripening begins. In cool, rainy years, ripening is delayed, and vice versa - in years with early spring, you should expect the first berries 1.5-2 weeks earlier. According to reviews, it ripens after Natchez, earlier Navaho at 11-14 days, a few days later than Orcan.

The photo shows Arapahoe blackberries - the first harvest does not characterize the variety, but it will say something

The inherent productivity reaches 3 years after planting. However, productivity is distributed along regional lines - so let’s joke bitterly about the declining productivity in most of Russia, both in the central zone and in the southern Urals.

Externally similar to Navaho, it is estimated that there are similarities in taste. According to comparative estimates, it is slightly superior to Apache in productivity, while inferior in berry size.

The yield declared by the patent holder ranges from 4 t/ha in North Florida to 4.48 13.45 t/ha in Arkansas. Such a gigantic spread can be explained by planting density, growing technologies, and soil and climatic conditions. In the continental climate of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, the results are different, however, they are not inspiring to farmers - with a stretch they can be called truly commercial. More precisely, commercial - perhaps, but not industrial: rather, suitable for low-volume, medium-sized production, small farms as a component of the overall assortment.

Comparative characteristics of Arapaho, briefly about the main thing - a non-fictional description.

• The bush grows horizontally, straight - belongs to the brambles. The shoots are thornless, of medium vigor, strong, powerful at the base, with good lateral branching, on which the crop is mostly formed. Gives a sufficient number of replacement shoots. In the conditions of the USA, according to the authors, the length of the shoots is about 1.5 m, in the continental climate of Ukraine and Russia the results are different - there is data on a height of 2-2.5 m, and up to 3 m. Young ones of the current year reach 70-100 cm by May -June.
• The leaf is bright green, with a jagged edge, five-lamellar. The side plates are bent towards the base of the petiole.
• The flowers are white, occasionally with a slight pinkish tint, with 6 petals, in a cluster of 5-6 pieces.
• The fruits are black, shiny, rounded-elongated (wide-conical). Weight up to 7-9 g, the largest are about 10 and above, with an average weight of 5-6 g. The diameter along the center line of the fruit is 1.92 cm. The seeds are small, 2.7 mg - for comparison, Natchez has seeds of 10 mg, Navaho, Reuben - 3.9 mg, drupe size 5.2 mm – small. The berries are dense, strong, transportable, with correctly formed drupes.
• The taste, according to reviews, is wonderful - sweet and sour, with a decent aroma - sweet, soft, some tasters feel distant notes of cherries in it. According to experts, there are similarities in the Arkansas line; the taste is not identical, but similar to Apache and Navaho.

Initially declared as frost-resistant down to -24 C. According to the first reviews, in the south of Ukraine it was possible to grow without shelter for the winter, in fact, winter hardiness is insufficient for wintering without shelter. In particularly warm regions, the southern ones, in some years you can take a risk - but just take a risk, being prepared to lose part of the harvest.

Caring for Arapah is a classic of the genre for upright growers. What are the nuances, features: briefly and concisely.

• Planting and care are classic for straight-growing brambles. A common planting scheme is 1 m between bushes, sometimes 1.2-1.5 m, and 2.5-3 m between rows. The greater the distance, the less intensive pruning will be required. Lateral growth between rows is eliminated. Replacement shoots are normalized, removing the weakest ones, leaving from 5-7 to 10 pieces per bush, depending on the vigor of growth, the condition of the plants, and fertilizing. According to observations, it reacts negatively to overload.
• It is grown on a trellis: the supports are arranged with a height of 1.7-2-2.5 m, three rows of wire are pulled.
• To simplify installation for the winter, the shoots are trained to a horizontal tilt: nettles 30-40 cm high are pinned so that the vine in the lower part begins to spread along the ground. Of course, it will not spread, as dewbirds do, but it will be much easier to lay it down.
• Once the young shoots reach 90-100 cm, the tops can be pinched - if there is a need to stimulate lateral branching. The agricultural technique, called pinching, is carried out at the end of May-June.

Reproduction of Arapaho, according to breeders, is difficult with bark shoots - it is best propagated by shoot tips, less often by root cuttings, and sometimes in the hands of professional craftsmen - by the mother root.

They shelter for the winter in most regions of the post-CIS countries - except that in the southernmost regions you can experience wintering without shelter. In the Kherson region, in the Odessa region, it partially winters without damage, sometimes the buds freeze. But you shouldn’t over-insulate it unless absolutely necessary - it threatens to dampen the buds. Agrofabric with a density of 50 or two layers of 30, with a layer of snow on top is quite enough. In regions with harsh winters, it keeps pace with desperate sissies, freezing, and losing productivity the next year.

Read also: How to properly store cranberries at home

Sweet, balanced taste, dense, moderately juicy berry with very small seeds - one of the most delicious among brambles; No thorns; Transportability, density; Unpretentiousness in care - this is what we call the absence of special requirements for nutrition, exercise and pruning. Thermophilia with sufficient winter hardiness is not included in this category.

Disadvantages - unfortunately, they are worth listing. The main one is a decrease in productivity in northern latitudes; low productivity is observed in the Moscow region, Ufa, and Samara. In the milder climate of the south of Ukraine, the center, the yield is not brilliant, but average: below the classics of the Thornfree genre, on average comparable to analogues from Arkansas.

The most difficult thing is to summarize the opinion about the variety, to which a lot has been said - the Arapahoe blackberry has numerous reviews, and often diametrically opposed. Gardeners are unanimous in assessing the taste - without exaggeration, it is sweet, balanced, pleasant. Variations on the theme of flavor shades are a matter of individual taste sensations: there are no special fruity notes in the taste, just ordinary blackberry, and soft, not sharp, sweet - without waiting for full ripening, in a hardness equated to technical.

Medium size, neat shape – no complaints. But something needs to be done with the yield - the breeders decided there in Central Russia, the Moscow region - regions where cold winds visit in winter, incl. Eastern Siberia. In addition, with the first frosts in September, the last harvest may not ripen in the same Moscow region. In more southern regions, the yield may be sufficient, but in northern latitudes, according to reviews, it is low.

However, even in the Moscow region they grow it in the garden, for themselves, for a sweet berry, and only the last harvest goes into winter, but for commercial production, alas, the indicators are not encouraging. It is used, however, in moderate quantities, to fill windows in the berry conveyor.

So, after unsuccessful attempts, some breeders regretfully part with a heat-loving breed that does not want to adapt to the realities of the local climate. And some of them rejoice at a successful purchase for the garden and field, encountering shiny black berries with a delicate aroma and a delicate blackberry taste; I am collecting, if not a record high, but quite a decent harvest. Happy harvest!

Pros and cons of the Arapahoe blackberry variety

Arapahoe blackberry: photo

Pros.

• The taste is sweet, juicy, the aroma is pleasant.
• The grains are small.
• The fruits are well transported.
• Undemanding.
• No thorns.

Minuses.

• Not fully resistant to frosty periods.
• Average yield.
• Productivity decreases towards the northern regions.

Arapahoe blackberry: reproduction

The most optimal method to propagate the variety is to bend the apical part of the shoot to the ground, secure it with a pin and sprinkle it with earth. Next, rooting will begin. For the next spring season, the bush is separated from the parent plant and used as an independent seedling.

Blackberries are also propagated using root layering. It is necessary to leave the most powerful vertical shoots until the autumn season until they have formed their own root system. The young plant is dug up and planted in a new area.

Diseases and pests

Osage is a new variety and is rarely affected by diseases or pests. To avoid problems, you need to place blackberry plantings away from raspberries, since they have the same pests and diseases, and secondly, carry out prevention. Remove weeds on time, loosen the soil, avoid stagnant water under the bush, and carry out seasonal spraying of the bushes. But if something goes wrong, here are the most common blackberry problems and their solutions.

Blackberries can be affected by fungal diseases, such as:

1. Purple spotting affects the entire plant, dark spots appear there, they grow together and the shoots dry out, not producing a harvest.
2. Anthracnose, caused by high humidity. The leaves and branches become sick: first, purple spots appear, then gray sores with a purple border form.
3. Septoria - first spots with brown spots appear, then everything becomes covered with mucus.
4. Powdery mildew - leaves become covered with a white coating that resembles flour.
5. Gray rot - a gray fluffy coating appears on young leaves, which then damages buds, flowers and berries.

If fungal infections are detected, the plant must be treated with fungicides. For prevention, spraying with these preparations is carried out: the first time immediately after the plant awakens, the second time before flowering, the third time after it. During the fruiting period, it is recommended to use biological preparations or traditional methods.

Important! It is prohibited to spray plants during the flowering period.

The most effective folk method for fighting fungi is ash. To do this, sift 500 g of ash, add water and boil. Let the infusion cool, strain, add water to make 10 liters of infusion, and process the bush, starting from the top and then from all sides. Spraying is carried out once every 10 days.

Viral diseases:

1. Curly hair is very dangerous. It affects shoots that bear fruit: they become short, the leaves darken and fall off. If this problem is identified, the bush must be removed as quickly as possible.
2. Mosaics - the virus is carried by aphids; spots of different colors appear on the leaf blade, similar to a mosaic.
3. Yellow reticulation - yellow and green areas appear on the veins of the leaves, which spread across the leaf plate in the shape of a fan.

For prevention, plants are treated with karbofos or insecticides. But if a viral infection is detected, such a bush must be removed immediately to avoid damage to the entire planting. The uprooted plant must be burned outside the site.

Also, blackberry plantings are most often attacked by aphids and mites. Prevention against aphids is necessary with insecticides, against ticks - with acaricides. If a lesion is detected, areas with insects must be removed and burned.

You will be interested in learning how to deal with blackberry diseases and pests.

For aphids, you can use spraying with soda solution:

1. Dilute a little baking soda (2 tablespoons) with a glass of hot water and cool.
2. Add 20–30 g of liquid soap.
3. Dilute this composition in a liter of cold water.

Arapahoe blackberry: planting

Arapahoe blackberry: photo

Planting and caring for shrubs is required according to certain rules to ensure its good growth and development, as well as to obtain a rich harvest.

Optimal time for planting.

The blackberry variety "Arapahoe" is planted in the spring before the buds open at temperature conditions of plus fifteen degrees.

You can also plant it in the fall, a month before the onset of cold weather, for successful rooting of the seedling.

In Central Russia, blackberries are planted in April or October.

How to choose a suitable site.

When choosing a site, keep in mind that it must be protected from the scorching rays of the sun and winds. It’s good to plant along the fence; you need to step back 1.5 m from it.

How to prepare the soil.

The bush needs soil filled with nutrients and with good drainage; sandy loam soil is suitable; compost or humus fertilizer is added to it.

How to select and prepare seedlings.

• The seedling must have four developed roots, ten cm in length, and must also have a basal bud.
• The aerial part should have two stems and fresh leaves. Planting material must be healthy and undamaged.
• When purchasing a seedling in a container, simply spill the soil to nourish the root system. Damaged roots and branches are removed, and excessively elongated ones are shortened.

Progress of planting work.

Bushy, thornless Arapahoe blackberries are easier to plant. The stems are vertical, the interval between them is 1 m, the row spacing is two to three meters.

• Planting pits are prepared fourteen days before planting. The size of the hole is 40x40x40 cm. Humus, superphosphate and potassium fertilizer are added to each hole. The root collar is deepened by three cm on light soils, and by two cm on loamy soils.
• After the roots have been covered with soil, water the seedling and mulch the tree trunk circle. Watering is carried out systematically for 1.5 months.

Arapahoe blackberry: care

Arapahoe blackberry: photo

Agrotechnical techniques are similar to those for berry crops. Watering is carried out, the soil is loosened, bushes are pruned, the crop is harvested, and the plant is prepared for the winter season.

Cultivation rules.

• Strong shoots need to be tied up. A support is constructed from racks, up to two meters high, and three rows of wire are attached. The shoots bend toward the ground to avoid breakage when they are placed under shelter for the winter.
• The shoots between the rows are cut out. There are up to six replacement shoots left on the bush, thanks to them there will be good yield.
• The apical parts of young shoots are cut down to 1 m to obtain lateral fruiting branches.

Agrotechnical practices.

• It is necessary to water, feed the bush, loosen and mulch the soil.
• Bushy Arapahoe blackberries are drought tolerant and require watering when planted. Then watering is carried out during a severe dry period and before the winter season.
• If you sufficiently fertilized the soil when planting, then you do not need to feed the bush in the first three years. You can simply mulch the soil. Humus, manure or peat are used for this.
• When you loosen the soil, you enrich it with oxygen and remove the crust of soil. Instead, you can mulch the soil. A layer of mulch prevents the growth of weeds and acts as a protective barrier against drying out and overheating of the root system.

Procedure for pruning a bushy Araphoe blackberry.

• In the year of planting, inflorescences are removed for better development of the root system. Next year, in the spring season, before the buds bloom, the apical parts of the shoots are cut off to one and a half to two meters.
• Every year, broken and dried shoots are cut off and shortened to a living bud.
• In the first summer days, young shoots are removed, leaving six trunks. They pinch the apical parts by five cm so that they branch better.
• In the autumn season, the shoots from which the fruits are collected are completely cut out.

How to prepare a shrub for the winter season.

• In the autumn season, at almost zero temperatures, the stems are removed from the supports, tied into bunches, bent to the ground and secured to prevent them from being lifted.
• You can cover it with agrofibre, lutrasil, spruce branches.
• The root system is mulched using peat, leaves, and humus. Snowfall will complete this matter. This shelter is enough for wintering the bush.

general characteristics

Arapaho is a fairly new variety, but has already gained popularity among gardeners. It is famous as a dessert and productive fruit and berry bush. Let's take a closer look at its main characteristics, supported by photos for clarity.

History of origin

• In the US state of Arkansas, University workers decided to develop a universal blackberry variety for growing in different areas. In 1982, experimental varieties of Ark blackberries were crossed. 631 and Ark. 883. As a result of breeding work, a hybrid variant was obtained under the code Ark. 1536. Its creator is considered to be James N. Moore.
• The variety was observed in research fields for three years and then selected. It was named after one of the tribes. That's how they got Arapaho.
• The goal of the university workers was to develop a variety of blackberries with strong and powerful shoots that do not have thorns. The following task was also set: the ripening time of the berries should be early.
• The task was completed perfectly. And in 1992, Arapahoe “saw” the light and quickly gained popularity for its high characteristics and quality of fruits. In addition, among the thornless varieties it stood out for its really early fruiting.

Biological general description

1. The shoots of the bush are really powerful, erect and thornless. In various regions of the Russian Federation, the height with proper care reaches 1.5 - 3 m. The fruits are mainly formed on lateral shoots, which are recommended to be pinched at a height of 1 m so that the bush grows.
2. The foliage is a bright green hue. The leaf plate consists of 5 segments. The edges are jagged. Flowering is represented by pure white flowers, consisting of 5 petals. Flowers are collected in inflorescences of 6 pieces.
3. The berries have a conical shape and have a pleasant sweet taste with a characteristic sourness and aroma. The taste characteristics are recognized by many gardeners as one of the best among other blackberry varieties.
4. The plant is hardy and frost-resistant. If frosts in the region do not fall below -20 - 24 degrees and are short-lived, then they can be left without shelter. In cases where winters are harsh, the crop should be covered in the cold.
5. Blackberries are one of the few plants that are almost never attacked by harmful insects. This Arapahoe variety is no exception.

Properties of the berry

The weight of the fruit can even reach 10 grams, but usually stays at around 4 - 6 grams. From one hectare you can collect from 6 to 10 tons per season. Much depends on the place of cultivation and timely care taken.

The fruits are black in color, with a glossy, shiny surface. They have a sweet taste. Dry substances - 9.1% per 100 g. The shape of the fruit is regular, well-formed, dense in structure, and can withstand transportation over long distances.

The seeds are very small, they are almost invisible. Blackberries are very healthy. You can make tea from the leaves. The extract from the berries is used for medicinal preparations and for cosmetic purposes.

Productivity

The bush blooms in June - July. It all depends on the place of growth. In southern areas, fruiting begins in the first ten days of July, and in regions with a temperate climate, the first harvest can be seen only in the third ten days of July. If spring begins early, the berries ripen about a week and a half earlier.

• The harvest is harvested within a month. Usually this is July. The further north the area, the later the harvest ripens. It shifts by about 1.5 weeks. This way you can get the first berries in August.
• If you grow bushes in your dacha in small quantities, then the yield from one specimen is about four kilograms.

Important: the further north the region, the fewer berries we get.

Diseases and harmful insects

Blackberry mite. Symptoms: appearance of unsightly berries. How to fight: treat with Fitoverm, Fufanol, Actellik before the bush begins to bloom, and after.

Raspberry beetle. Symptoms: holes on leaves and fruits, rot on berries. How to fight: treat with Fitoverm, Fufanol, Actellik every ten days, before the bush begins to bloom, and after.

Powdery mildew. Symptoms: leaves and fruits are covered with a white coating. How to fight: spray the bushes with Oxychom, Fundazol, Vectra before the bush blooms and when the ovaries appear.

Diseases and pests

Waldo blackberries have good immunity to diseases and pests, but if the gardener makes mistakes when planting bushes or does not provide the plants with appropriate care, then the variety’s resistance to infections and insects is significantly reduced.

The problem is much easier to eliminate at the initial stage, so every farmer needs to know the signs of the problem and methods of treatment.

Did you know? The healing properties of blackberries were known back in the days of Ancient Greece - the ancient physician Dioscorides described them in his writings.

The Waldo variety may be threatened by the following pests and diseases:

1. Khrushch (chafer beetle). This insect feeds on the pulp of leaves, shoots and inflorescences of blackberries, and its larvae live in the soil and gnaw at the roots of the bush. Signs of the appearance of beetle are the gnawed leaves of the plant, and if the roots are damaged, the bush stops growing, withers and dies. Large chafer larvae can be selected from the soil by hand, and special pest control chemicals are used against adult insects.
2. Stem raspberry gall midge. The insect lays eggs on green shoots of blackberries, and the emerging larvae penetrate under the bark and gnaw the cambium. As a result, swellings (galls) form on the shoots of the bush, the plant begins to lag in growth and may die. You can get rid of the pest using insecticides by spraying the bush with them.
3. Blackberry mite. The pest causes damage to the ovaries and fruits of the bush, feeding on their pulp. Damaged berries stop growing and do not ripen, and ripe fruits lose their taste and attractive appearance. Insects are destroyed using insecticides.
4. Anthracnose. The infection spreads well with increased density of plantings in combination with abundant watering of plants. Gray spots with a purple edge appear on the leaves and shoots, the inside of which dries out over time and falls out, forming through holes. Subsequently, the spots spread to the inflorescences and fruits, causing them to fall off, and the bush withers and dies. All parts of the plant damaged by the disease must be cut off and burned, and the plantings should be treated with fungicides.
5. Purple spotting. A characteristic feature of this disease is vague purple spots on the surface of the stems, which later turn brown and increase in size. Affected shoots become dry and brittle, and the yield of the bush decreases. Infected branches should be pruned and destroyed, and the bush should be treated with a solution of antifungal drugs.
6. Gray rot. This disease is fungal in nature, and its occurrence can be caused by high humidity combined with cold. A sign of gray rot is watery brown spots on the stem and a gray fluffy coating on the surface of the berries. The affected parts of the plant rot, and the harmful fungus spreads to all plantings. To get rid of the problem, you need to remove all damaged shoots and fruits, and then spray the bush with antifungal drugs.
7. Powdery mildew. The disease appears in June, and its main symptom is a white coating on the surface of the leaves, which leads to a stop in the growth of the bush, deformation and rotting of the berries, as well as drying out of the green mass of the plant. Parts of the bush affected by infection are removed, and the plant is sprayed with fungicides.

It is easier to prevent the occurrence of the listed problems than to eliminate the consequences of infection, so experienced farmers when growing Waldo blackberries perform the following preventive actions:

• compliance with the recommended bush planting scheme;
• growing bushes in well-lit areas;
• selection of high-quality planting material;
• regular removal of weeds and loosening of the soil;
• compliance with the watering and fertilizing schedule;
• autumn digging of soil between rows;
• collection and destruction of garbage and plant debris in the tree trunk area;
• mulching the soil around plants;
• compliance with crop rotation.

Important! For prevention, it is recommended to spray blackberries every autumn with Actellik and a solution of copper sulfate.

Even a novice gardener will be able to grow Waldo blackberries. The plants do not require specific care and produce a high yield of sweet berries, which can be used for various purposes.

And compliance with the listed recommendations and systematic implementation of preventive measures will protect plants from diseases and pests.

Arapahoe blackberry: reviews

Arapahoe blackberry: video

Alevtina Aleksandrovna, Krasnodar region: “I planted the Arapaho blackberry variety from America. I live in Krasnodar, the climatic conditions are completely suitable. The bush has been growing for 3 years, I have not seen the harvest indicated in the description, but the fruits from five bushes are enough for my family. We eat sweet Arapahoe blackberries straight from the bush. I did not remove it from the support for the winter, covered it with lutrasil, and mulched the root system with dry leaves and soil. The winter season was successful.”

Andrey, Tula region: “We grow blackberries in the local area, and put up the excess for sale. We tried different varieties, mostly zoned for the Moscow region. They are frost-resistant and are convenient to grow in areas during the cold winter season. The Arapahoe blackberry variety was planted for the younger generation; the bushes are thornless; the grandchildren pick the berries from the branches on their own. To get a bountiful harvest, the Arapahoe blackberry variety is not suitable, it’s just a matter of playing around.”

Botanical description

Shrub with straight shoots, without thorns. The plant can reach a height of up to 3 m. Arapahoe has bright green leaves. Blackberries bear fruit 3-4 years after planting. The berries ripen early. The fruits are sweet, have a pleasant aroma, bright black color, and regular conical shape.