How to grow Ruben blackberries on your site?
Blackberry Ruben, whose variety description cannot fail to attract attention, belongs to the remontant. This is largely the reason for her special popularity. With proper care, the berries grow unusually large and fragrant. To achieve high yields, you will have to remember several features of this variety and the rules for its cultivation.
Varietal features
The shoots of this blackberry outwardly resemble raspberry ones. They are upright and do not need a trellis tie. They have medium sized spikes. They are not located very often, so they do not obstruct the harvesting process.
According to the description of the characteristics of the Ruben blackberry, it belongs to early maturing varieties... You can start harvesting in early August. The last berries will ripen in November. At the same time, blackberries begin to bear fruit from the first year of life. With proper care, it is possible to get up to 6 kg of ripe juicy berries from one bush. Each of them weighs up to 16 grams. The fruits are distinguished by a refined taste with a slight sourness. They perfectly tolerate transportation and short-term storage.
Landing rules
In order for the description of the Ruben blackberry variety to be consistent with reality, it must be planted correctly. The plant propagates with the help of seeds, cuttings, layering or dividing the bush. If you want to feast on delicious berries already in the year of planting, then it is better to divide the existing bush or purchase a ready-made seedling. When planting, be guided by the following rules:
- It is better to choose slightly shaded places for planting. Blackberries will do well near trees or tall shrubs.
- If the groundwater at the site lies at a depth of less than three meters, then the organization of a drainage system will be required. Otherwise, the root system of the plant can quickly rot.
- Planting Ruben blackberries in open ground is carried out in early spring, as soon as the soil warms up. It is necessary to place the bushes at a distance of about 1.7 meters from each other. Otherwise, they will grow and begin to interfere with each other.
- At the bottom of the planting pit, pour a couple of buckets of humus mixed with the ground.
- Carefully place the seedling in the hole, cover with soil and pour abundantly with water. Cover the top with coniferous needles or peat.
Observing these planting rules, you can grow a strong, healthy Ruben remontant blackberry. She will delight you with a rich harvest for at least 10 years.
Care features
Ruben blackberries are easy to care for. It is enough to adhere to simple recommendations:
- Timely spend watering... If the weather is dry, then this should be done every day. In spring and autumn, blackberries are watered no more than a couple of times a month. At least a bucket of water is poured under one bush.
- Once a month, the plant is fed. For this, nitrogen fertilizers or humus are used. In the summer, top dressing is carried out using a mullein.
- In November, the bushes are pruned. All shoots are completely removed. This increases the frost resistance of the plant and allows it to rejuvenate.
- From the description of the Ruben blackberry variety it follows that the plant is resistant to disease.If the berries have been in contact with damp ground for a long time, then signs of gray rot can be found on them. Other diseases are extremely rare.
- Pests bypass blackberries. In rare cases, leaf aphid infections occur. Spraying plants with a solution of tobacco dust will help to cope with it. To prepare it, 200 grams of dust is diluted in 10 liters of water and insisted for about 2 days. About 50 grams of laundry soap is introduced into the resulting infusion and irrigated.
With proper planting and proper care, Ruben blackberries will delight you with their delicious berries before the onset of cold weather. They can be eaten fresh or used to make jams, jellies and compotes.