Description of the blackberry variety Black Magic (Black Magic)

Giving:

• What is this grade
• A brief history of breeding
• Characteristics and description of the variety, bushes and fruits
• Features of the variety
• Advantages and disadvantages
• Variety resistance
• Growing blackberries Black Magic
• Landing
• Care
• Reproduction
• Wintering
• Possible problems and their elimination
• Preventive measures
• The harvest
• Farmers reviews

 

Elite varieties of blackberries in terms of taste boldly compete with everyone's favorite strawberries. There are no less nutrients in the berry, for the body it is a real storehouse of vitamins and minerals. You can grow a culture on your own plot or by setting up a garden on several hectares. In either case, the business is considered profitable, you can provide harvesting for your family and earn money on the sale of part of the harvest. The features of agricultural technology of the elite blackberry variety Black Magic with its detailed description will be discussed in the article.

What is this grade

Russian farmers began to actively master the agricultural technology of new horticultural crops, the cultivation of which had previously received insufficient attention. The blackberry was considered an exclusively southern plant and can now be grown in areas where the warm season is fleeting. One of the popular varieties is Black Magic.

A brief history of breeding

Black Magic (translated as Black Magic) was obtained by American breeders in 2003. Employees of the University of Oregon James Moore and John Clark, after receiving the first seedlings, tested the variety in the states of Carolina and Arkansas. The results were amazing: large berries, almost black in color, turned out to be incredibly juicy and tasty, earning a score of 5 points out of 5 possible.

Reference! In the International Register, the variety is listed as form APF 77. Black Magic is a trade name.

Characteristics and description of the variety, bushes and fruits

Belonging to the remontant variety allows you to take 2 crops per season. The fruit bush forms quickly, forming an average density of shoots. Competent and timely pruning makes the plant compact and neat. The branches grow straight, reaching lengths from 1.5 m (annual) to 2.5 m (last year). After planting, the seedlings reach a meter height one month after the start of the growing season.

There are few thorns on the plant, there are practically no thorns on the fruit branches. Due to this, when picking berries, there is a low probability of injury to the hands. For a year, the bush gives from 5 to 10 replacement shoots. The offspring cut off with a shovel will bear fruit next year.

Flowering occurs in late April or early May. Inflorescences are formed in groups of 5-12 pieces, the color of the petals is white. The plant is self-pollinating, so planting other crops for pollination is not required.

The berries are characterized by large sizes (up to 4 cm in diameter) and inky, almost black color with a beautiful gloss. The cone-shaped fruits are collected in bunches of 6-7 pieces. The first crop ripens by the end of June, the second in September. The weight of one berry is 6-8 g. The yield per bush is 6-8 kg.

Reference! Tasting evaluation of Black Magic fruits - 5 points. The high palatability is due to the unique balance of acid and sugar.

Features of the variety

The culture belongs to remontant varieties, but due to its high resistance to diseases, environmental conditions and strong immunity blackberries manage to grow in the northern regions with a single harvest. Other features of Black Magic include:

• the adaptability of the plant to different types of soils;
• drought resistance;
• the possibility of cultivation in open ground and under cover.

Advantages and disadvantages

Black Magic in the regions of Russia began to grow not so long ago, but in a short period of time the culture won recognition among gardeners and farmers. This popularity is due to the following advantages:

1. the possibility of cultivating the variety in areas with a cool climate;
2. high palatability of fruits (5 points on a scale of 5 points);
3. can be planted in open ground and under cover;
4. drought resistance;
5. strong immunity, which is manifested in inertness to many common diseases;
6. unpretentiousness to growing conditions, care;
7. quick adaptation of seedlings to a new place;
8. when growing a variety as usual with a single picking of berries, no shelter is required for the winter (only for the southern regions);
9. a small number of thorns, which simplifies the harvesting process;
10. universal use of fruits; high yield (up to 100-130 kg per one hundred square meters);
11. fruiting is observed on last year's growths and shoots of the current season.

The variety also has disadvantages:

1. strong shoots are difficult to tuck when creating a shelter for the winter;
2. the presence of thorns;
3. in the northern regions, the crop is grown only indoors with a single harvest per season.

Variety resistance

Black Magic variety is characterized by resistance to common diseases of members of the Pink family, including fungal and viral infections. Leaf rust is extremely rare, a little more often with anthracnose.

With proper care, it is possible to avoid damage to the plant by pests. Among the main enemies: aphids, raspberry and common ticks.

Growing blackberries Black Magic

Landing

You need to start arranging a plantation with elite berries with the selection of a high-quality seedling (preferably from a nursery or obtained on your own) and a place. The site should be on a hill and well lit by sunlight.

Important! With a high groundwater table (about 1 m), a drier place should be selected. Blackberry roots go deeper than raspberries, so moisture stagnation can form, and, as a result, root rot.

Blackberry planting operations are usually scheduled for late fall or early spring. The process itself includes the following steps.

• At least 2 weeks before planting, they dig a hole (50x50x50 cm) and fertilize it with a mixture of humus (bucket), potassium salt (45-50 g), phosphorus fertilizer (120 g). Too dense soil is lightened by sand.
• High-quality seedlings are selected that have 2-3 thick root processes and a large number of fibrous roots.
• 12 hours before planting, the seedlings are watered abundantly or simply soaked.
• On the day of planting, at the bottom of the pit, a small tubercle is built from the ground, a seedling is installed on it, the roots are straightened.
• The shoot is filled up with a nutrient mixture to a level of 2 cm above the root collar.
• The soil in the near-trunk circle is compacted and filled with a bucket of water.

Reference! When forming rows between the bushes, an interval of 1-1.5 m is left; for a row spacing, 2.5-3 m are required.

Care

After planting seedlings, it is necessary to carry out regular irrigation to ensure quick adaptation in a new place. The first 4 weeks watering is done 2-3 times a week, then the frequency is reduced to 1 time per week. After survival and gaining growth of the bush, irrigation is carried out 1 time in 2 weeks. Before each watering, the degree of soil moisture is checked; it should not dry out or become waterlogged.

Reference! After flowering, intensive watering is required: 2-3 times a week. In hot weather, irrigation is carried out daily.

As the bush forms, a garter of branches is made. When growing a variety as a remontant culture, you need to install a T-shaped trellis or a multi-row support structure up to 2.5 m high.If Black Magic is cultivated as an ordinary plant (the fruits are removed 1 time), then the garter is made on a support of a simple structure (such as a column).

If, during planting, the pit was enriched with fertilizers, then the next top dressing is applied during the flowering period. At this stage, a complete mineral complex is important. When forming ovaries, the plant needs root feeding. For these purposes, liquid fertilizers are used, which are applied simultaneously with watering to the near-stem circle. In the fall, blackberries need a phosphorus-potassium composition.

When choosing a fertilizer for blackberries, you need to exclude chlorine-containing compounds. To prevent insect infestation, it is recommended to carry out weeding 2-3 times a month. After watering, it is advisable to mulch the loosened soil.

Black Magic belongs to remontant crops, but in regions with a cool climate, the crop is harvested once a season. In this case, pruning should be carried out after the end of the fruiting period. All shoots are cut at the same level.

Cultivation of blackberries in the south of the country is carried out according to the following pruning rules:

1. young shoots are shortened to 1.3-1.5 m;
2. next season, 7-10 good branches are left, the rest are shortened to 50 cm;
3. shoots that have reached a length of 1.2 m are cut off 10 cm.

 

Reproduction

Black Magic has been cultivated in Russia not so long ago, and the variety belongs to the elite varieties of blackberries, so it is expensive to buy seedlings in nurseries. You can start breeding yourself, especially since there are many options.

• One of the simplest is to deposit root suckers. To do this, dig in the root system, find a solid branch from the main root and cut it off with a shovel.
• The layering that has made its way from under the soil can simply be dug in. The shoot takes root quickly and in the spring it will be possible to disconnect the finished seedling by cutting it off from the main rhizome.
• The plant can also be propagated by pulping - cutting off the tops and rooting them in a convenient way.
• Division of an adult bush, in which the root is divided into two powerful root systems.
• By rooting the cuttings.

Wintering

With the cultivation methodthornless blackberry Black Magic with a single harvest per season, it is recommended to root the plant. Some gardeners simply mow bushes. Further, the landing is covered with a thick blanket of humus and remains in this form until the onset of spring.

As soon as the snow melts from the ground, it is necessary to remove the shelter so that the roots are not identified. You should not be afraid of small night frosts, they will not cause any harm to the plant.

In preparation for the winter of remontant bushes, more complex manipulations are done. Long branches need reliable shelter, but you cannot cut them short, you cannot get an early harvest. Warming is done by freeing the shoots from the trellises, then bending them and laying them on the ground surface. Before fixing the twist, you need to wrap the bush with agrofibre. To prevent the wind from removing the protection, it is recommended to dig in the workpiece with a 10 cm layer of earth.

Possible problems and their elimination

Blackberries can become infected with viral diseases, which are useless to treat. Among the most dangerous: mosaic, curly, yellow netting. When the first signs of infection are detected, the plant must be completely removed and disposed of by burning. It is not worth delaying the removal of the bush, the virus quickly spreads throughout the site, it can spread to raspberries and other fruit crops.

Fungal lesions are also dangerous. Spores penetrate through places of damage: sunburn; wounds, cracks, etc. The disease quickly covers the entire bush and spreads to other crops. Common diseases include:

• rust;
• septoria;
• anthracnose;
• purple spot;
• powdery mildew;
• gray rot.

Some problems can be solved using folk methods, but in case of severe damage, it is rational to use special fungicides:

• Switch Switch 62.5 WG;
• Fundazol;
• Topaz;
• Bardo Blue and others.

You can lose a significant part of the crop due to the invasion of pests. The main enemies of the blackberry are:

• bear;
• May beetle larvae;
• raspberry aphid;
• shoot gall midge;
• raspberry nut-making, etc.

The following pest control measures are used:

• pruning damaged shoots and burning them;
• frequent loosening of the soil, followed by mulching the trunk circle;
• spraying with tobacco-based tincture, sulfur preparations and other means;

Preventive measures

To avoid infection of the entire blackberry plantation and the loss of most of the crop, it is recommended to take preventive measures in a timely manner.

1. Apply fertilizer according to the schedule. Use mineral complexes in combination with organics.
2. Cut damaged branches and process the cut site.
3. For the prevention of pests, it is recommended to dust the soil around the bushes with wood ash or tobacco, as well as plant insect repellent plants near the garden. Among the popular ones: St. John's wort, calendula, basil, mint, lavender.
4. Purchase seedlings from a trusted seller. If in doubt, it is better to give preference to the proposals of nurseries.
5. To replenish the deficiency of nutrients, enrich the soil with rotted manure or a mixture based on peat every year in spring and autumn.
6. Control the watering regime. Blackberries do not like waterlogging of the soil, but there should also be no drying out.
7. Before wintering, the bushes are cleaned of dry branches, treated with a solution from pests (copper-containing preparations), after which the trunk circle is sprinkled with dry leaves and soil to prevent freezing.

The harvest

Black Magic is characterized by early awakening of buds after wintering, as well as abundant flowering. The fruiting period is extended, lasts about 1.5 months. Harvesting begins at the end of June if the crop is grown as a double-fruiting remontant variety. If the crop is harvested once a year, the ripening of the berries begins from late July to early August. 6 kg of large fruits are removed from the bush. When growing blackberries indoors, you can harvest from May.

The harvest is used to make juices, wine, preserves, purees and other culinary delights. The high sugar content in the pulp and juiciness refer the berry to table varieties, which are used fresh as a dessert.

Reference! With industrial cultivation, from 70 to 160 kg of fruits are harvested from one hundred square meters.

Farmers reviews

• Mikhail Andreevich, Stavropol Territory, Pyatigorsk

I have been growing Black Magic for the fifth year. I harvest 2 crops per season. I was very surprised that some gardeners manage to grow a thermophilic variety under shelter in regions with a cooler climate. In care, the culture is unpretentious, the main thing is to carry out prophylaxis against insects and diseases in time. The fruits are large, juicy sweet, quickly sold out on the market. There are no problems with the transportation of the crop, the berries retain their presentation during long-term transportation.

• Dmitry, Krasnodar Territory, Goryachy Klyuch

The easy-to-maintain and marketable blackberry variety Black Magic has been growing on my plantation for three years. The berry turns out to be very beautiful in an almost black color. I remove 6-8 kg from the bush. High fruiting results in proper care. Among the important stages: pruning in the 1st year of life when the shoot reaches 1 m; intensive watering after flowering; soil enrichment with organic matter and minerals.

• Olga Sergeevna, Oryol

I have been cultivating blackberries for more than two decades, this is our family business. I often buy varieties for testing, but for the most part, untested varieties turn out to be unsuccessful. I did not experience disappointments with Black Magic, the plant has perfectly adapted in our region. I harvest once a year, but the average number of fruits harvested is not inferior to the amount of double harvest. From a hundred square meters, 75-110 kg of blackberries are obtained.The berry has all the commercial qualities: it attracts the buyer with its appearance and exquisite sweet taste.

Analyzing reviews on the forums, it is believed that Black Magic is ideal for growing in the private sector and on an industrial scale. Commercial characteristics and high taste have made the variety popular for farmers in the southern part of the country and the middle zone.