Blackberry Karaka Black: variety description, photos, reviews, characteristics, planting and care

In recent years, gardeners are increasingly paying attention to blackberries. This crop attracts small farmers, and large farms are testing overseas or Polish varieties. Unfortunately, for many years, domestic breeders paid little attention to blackberries, and the market dictates its own laws. Thanks to the Internet and the abundance of print media, the consumer has become literate and picky. The information that blackberries are not only healthier than raspberries, but can be sweet, aromatic and devoid of thorns, contributed to the growth of the popularity of culture in the post-Soviet space.

Breeding history

We are used to new blackberry varieties coming to us from North America or Poland. But scientists from New Zealand also contributed to the selection of this culture. The variety Karaka Black is often positioned as new. In fact, work on its breeding began in 1982. Karaka Black is a complex hybrid, in the creation of which blackberries and ezhemalina took part. The parent varieties are Oregon Aurora and Comanche bred in Arkansas.

Harvey Hall, an employee of the Hort Research Station (New Zealand), first obtained several promising seedlings from the crossing of the above cultivars. Then he combined the genes of the largest-fruited and densest berry specimen. This is how the blackberry variety Karaka Black, registered in 2003, was obtained.

Interesting! Although originated in New Zealand, Karaka Black is most popular in the UK.

Description of berry culture

Karaka Black is very decorative throughout the season. This variety of blackberries can not only bring a rich harvest, but also beautify any garden.

General understanding of the variety

Karaka Black is a typical dewdrop. Its shoots of moderate thickness are flexible, which makes it easier to shelter for the winter, not too long - from 3 to 5 m in an adult plant. The bush cannot be called powerful, but the thorny lashes with short internodes are quite strong, they are easy to bend, but not break. Shoot-forming ability of the Karaka Black variety is average.

There are many fruit branches, because each of them carries no more than 3-6 berries in an adult blackberry, and 2-3 in a young bush. The overgrowth of the Karaka Black variety gives little, unless the well-developed root is specially damaged.

The leaves of this blackberry are green, with 3-5 elongated toothed lobes. Young ones can be colored yellow - this is not a disease, but a feature of the variety. Karaka Black spines are numerous, sharp. But they are not as large and tough as most spiked varieties.

Important! When harvesting and laying shoots under winter shelter, thick gloves should be used.

Fruiting occurs on the growth of the last year.

Berries

The berries of the Karaka Black blackberry are beautiful, black, with a glossy sheen. Not fully ripe fruits are purple in color, in the early stages of ripeness they are red.From a distance, the berries of the Karaka Black variety look like a large mulberry - their shape is elongated, narrowed towards the top, and may be slightly curved.

The average length of fruits is 4-5 cm, weight is about 10 g. It is noteworthy that the berries on young bushes are smaller than on adult plants. After the fourth year, blackberries weighing about 14 g or more are not uncommon. Individual berries can gain weight at 17 g.

The taste and consistency varies with the degree of ripeness. Fruits that have not reached ripeness are reddish, sour. At the stage of technical maturity, they become sweeter, with a pleasant sourness and aroma. They are well transported and do not lose their consumer qualities in a cool room for 4-5 days. Gourmets claim that the taste of Karaka Black cannot be confused with other varieties.

Overripe berries become soft and lose their piquant sourness. They tend to crumble, so gardeners need to make sure to pick the fruit on time, especially if it is for sale.

Tasting assessment of blackberries Karaka Black - 4.5 points. People's experts rated the variety more restrained and gave 4.07 points.

Important! In cool summers, especially when there is a lack of sunshine, the taste of Karaka Black berries becomes worse.

Characteristic

The Karaka Black variety in England and other European countries is grown as an industrial variety in the open field and under film shelters. This blackberry came to us not so long ago, but small farmers and gardeners have already appreciated it. In large farms, the Karaka Black variety is still being tested for resistance to the whims of our climate.

Main advantages

Karaka Black is not designed for freezing winters. Its shoots and flower buds are not able to withstand temperatures below -16-17⁰ С. They shelter it even in the south of Ukraine, with the exception of areas where winters are mild and frosts are rare.

The drought resistance of the variety is low, regular watering is needed, especially if you want to get a decent harvest. Extreme heat can damage those berries that are exposed to the scorching sun all day, but this only happens in the south.

Transportability of fruits at the stage of technical or full ripeness is excellent. Overripe berries become soft. Not only do they become difficult to transport, their taste gets worse.

Blackberry Karaka Black cannot be called a capricious or unpretentious variety. His care requirements are moderate, but you can't just plant a bush and ignore it. Shoots equipped with dense small thorns make it difficult to leave.

Flowering period and ripening time

The flowering of blackberries Karaka Black in the southern regions begins in early or mid-May, in the north - a little later. There, the first buds open from mid-to-late May.

One of the features of the Karaka Black variety is that flowering (and therefore fruiting) occurs in waves. First, the upper buds open, located at the ends of well-lit shoots raised on a support. Then the flowering flows downward, as it were. When the buds open on the lower fruit branches located almost at the level of the ground, the upper bunches are already ripe.

Comment! This is a definite plus for private and small farms. But on industrial plantations, extended fruiting is a minus.

The blackberry of Karaka Black is one of the first to ripen. In Ukraine, the first berries are harvested in early to mid June, in the middle lane - by early July. And fruiting in Karaka Black is really extended - 6-8 weeks.

Yield indicators, fruiting dates

The blackberry variety Karaka Black is considered promising and fruitful. An adult bush gives an average of 10-12 kg of berries, and with a good location and good agricultural technology - up to 15 kg. 15 centners are harvested per hectare, at home, in New Zealand, the yield of Karaka Black blackberries reaches 25 centners / ha. There is evidence that some European farms are approaching this indicator, but only with active feeding and good care.

The fruiting of the Karaka Black blackberry lasts two months.This is not always convenient on large plantations. But the early terms (June-early July) of ripening of the berries make it possible to sell them at a high price. When grown in small areas, long-term fruiting makes it possible to feast on fresh blackberries for a long time. If there is not enough space, you can not grow other varieties.

Scope of berries

Blackberry Karaka Black belongs to the elite varieties. You can eat it fresh, freeze it for the winter, prepare wine, juices, and jams. At the stage of technical maturity, the Karaka Black variety withstands transportation well, is stored for a long time and can be sold in markets or in supermarkets.

Disease and pest resistance

Blackberry Karaka Black is resistant to diseases and pests. Despite this, preventive treatments are done without fail.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Karaka Black variety is uniquely promising for cultivation in private and small farms. In our conditions, planting it on large plantations is still in question. The undoubted advantages of this blackberry include:

Large beautiful berry.
Good taste.
Flexible whips that are easy to bend to the ground and cover for the winter.
Karaka Black is one of the earliest varieties.
If the root is not specially damaged, the variety produces little growth.
High yield, like for dessert blackberries.
Prolonged fruiting (good for private households and small farms).
High resistance to pests and diseases.
Good transportability at the stage of technical maturity.
Long shelf life of berries.
Dense juicy pulp.

The disadvantages of the Karaka Black variety include:

Low frost resistance.
Thorny shoots.
Medium resistance to heat and drought.
Elongated fruiting (for large farms).
Overripe berries are prone to shedding.

Reproduction methods

Blackberry Karaka Black is easily propagated by layering and pulping (rooting of the apical shoots). The variety gives little growth, but if the root is specially damaged with a shovel's bayonet, the bush will give more young plants that can be transplanted. In nurseries, Karaka Black is often propagated as green or rooted cuttings.

Landing rules

The planting of the Karaka Black variety is not much different from other blackberries. In order for the rooting of seedlings to be successful, you need to choose the right place, prepare a nutrient mixture and do not forget to water the young plant.

Recommended timing

Blackberries should be planted in the spring, when the soil warms up to 40-50 cm. This will enable the seedling to adapt in a new place and take root before the cold weather. Only in the southern regions, planting is done in the fall. The late onset of frost makes it possible for the blackberry to take root. Spring planting in the south is extremely unfavorable - the heat can come suddenly and destroy the plant that did not have time to take root.

Choosing the right place

Blackberries of the Karaka Black variety prefer sunny locations protected from the cold wind. Lack of light will negatively affect the taste of the berries. Only in southern areas with scorching sun shading may be required.

The soil should be loose, ideally fertile, slightly acidic loam.

Soil preparation

To provide the blackberries with the best conditions for growth and fruiting, a fertile mixture should be prepared for planting. To do this, the top layer of soil is mixed with a bucket of humus, starting fertilizers are applied - 120-150 g of phosphorus and 50 g of potassium.

Alkaline or neutral soils are acidified with red (high-moor) peat. Carbonate soils require additional organic matter, very dense clayey soils require sand. Too acidic soil is improved with lime.

Planting holes are dug with a diameter and depth of 50 cm. They are filled 2/3 with a fertile mixture, filled with water and allowed to settle for 10-14 days.

Selection and preparation of seedlings

Those who talk about the thornless blackberry variety Karaka Black have either never seen it or are trying to sell you something you don't know. Small dense spines on the shoots are one of the signs of varietal compliance.

In addition, the root system should be well developed - with several thick processes and many lateral filiform roots. The bark on the shoots should not be wrinkled or cracked.

Preplant preparation of blackberries - watering a container seedling or soaking an open root for about 12 hours.

Algorithm and scheme of landing

Blackberry Karaka Black prefers a loose fit. In private farms (if space permits), 3 m is left between the bushes and in rows. On industrial plantations, compaction of more than 1.5 m is not recommended. Landing is carried out in the following sequence:

At the bottom of the planting pit, a small mound is poured. Blackberry roots are distributed around it.
When backfilling and compacting the soil, one should not forget that the root collar should be deepened by about 1.5-2.0 cm.
For watering the seedling, they consume at least a bucket of water.
The trunk circle is mulched with sour peat or humus.

Follow-up care of the culture

A video about growing blackberries Karaka Black will help not only learn the basics of caring for the variety, but also get to know it better:

Growing principles

Blackberries of the Karaka Black variety are grown on a trellis. Choose one that is convenient for you - multi-row, T-shaped. If the shoots are not tied up, they will fall on the ground, because the variety belongs to the dews. Not only will the berries get dirty, the lashes can take root. Then you have additional work to do, and given the studded shoots, it won't be pleasant.

Advice! It is convenient to tie up the fruit-bearing branches on one side of the trellis, the young growth on the other.

Fertilization, watering, and lighting in the northern regions affect the yield and quality of berries. With a lack of sun, the berries do not gain sweetness well and remain sour. Since the ripening of the fruits is uneven - from top to bottom, as the berries form, the leaves shading the brushes should be cut off.

Necessary activities

The Karaka Black variety, like other blackberries, needs regular watering, especially during flowering and berry formation. This means that the soil needs to be moistened throughout the season - the lower buds open when the crop has already been harvested from the upper fruit branches.

At the beginning and end of the season, the soil under the blackberry bushes is loosened. The rest of the time it is better to cover it with mulch. On acidic soils, humus or straw is used, on alkaline and neutral soils, red (high-moor) peat.

In the spring, blackberries are fertilized with nitrogen, during the flowering period - with a full mineral complex. During the pouring of berries and subsequent waves of flowering, it is useful to do foliar dressing with the addition of chelates (they will help to avoid chlorosis). After fruiting, the blackberry is fertilized with potassium monophosphate.

Shrub pruning

First of all, immediately after fruiting, old lashes are cut out. They are no longer needed, and will only interfere with the ripening of young shoots, drawing off nutrients and moisture.

In an adult blackberry, 6-8 strong lashes are left. The tops and side shoots do not need to be pinched - the fruit branches are already formed in sufficient quantities. Although the conditions are different for everyone, try shortening some of the main lashes and leaving some of them growing as they are. So in 2-3 years, you can determine which method of growing blackberries is the best for your site.

Preparing for winter

Shoots of blackberries Karaka Black bend well, like all dews. When sheltering for the winter, only thorns will be a problem. The branches are pinned to the ground and covered with spruce branches, dry corn stalks, spandbond or dry ground. Insulation should be the more thorough, the closer to the north your region is located.

Important! Open the brambles in time in spring! Damping out for her is worse than freezing out.

Diseases and pests: methods of control and prevention

If you do not plant raspberries, strawberries and nightshades next to blackberries, problems will be minimized. It is enough to treat the bushes with preparations containing copper in the fall and spring.

Conclusion

Blackberries are not always the best.Although the Karaka Black variety is supplied with unpleasant thorns, its berries are so beautiful and tasty that scratched hands are a small price for the harvested crop.

Testimonials

Tatyana Grigorievna Derevyanko, 56 years old, Sums

I have been growing blackberries for a long time, I love them myself, children and grandchildren eat with pleasure. I think that the main drawback of culture is thorns. On the Internet, I chose and ordered a blackberry without thorns. Karaka Black (bought this particular variety) was immediately unpleasantly struck by the presence of thorns. But there was nothing to do, she planted. When the first berries appeared, I couldn’t believe my eyes. They looked like a giant mulberry. In the first year, the grandchildren ate all the fruits without waiting for them to ripen. The next season there were a lot of berries, enough for everyone. Now I propagated the Karaka Black variety by layering, removed the rest. And the thorns? Yes, with such berries you do not pay attention to them.

Liliana Denisovna Fursova, 37 years old, Krasnodar region

I am very happy with the Karaka Black variety. Yes, it is prickly. But what a delicious berry! Fragrant, big, beautiful. When guests arrive, and I put a vase of blackberries on the table, how much delight and compliments I hear in my address! But I just chose the "right" variety. There are no problems with shelter at all. Although there are many thorns, they are small - just put on old leather gloves and tilt the flexible shoots to the ground.