Navajo variety: an amazing and sweet hybrid baby

History of selection

The Navajo (thornless) blackberry variety is a fairly common species whose country of origin is America. But this plant also grows in other countries, such as Russia, Ukraine, and the Republic of Belarus. This variety was developed in 1987 in a laboratory at the University of Arkansas by crossing two types of blackberries - Cherokee and Thornfree. The new variety was named after the indigenous people of the United States - Navaho.

Did you know? Blackberry fruits have pronounced antipyretic properties. The berries of this plant contain natural components that can regulate body temperature.

Navajo blackberry: variety description and characteristics

Navajo blackberry: video

Blackberries are a subgenus of the Raspberry genus. The subgenus has eight varieties, two of which are cultivated. Blackberry is a subshrub with flexible vertically growing or creeping vines. The crop is grown for its fruits, which have a sweet or sweet-sour taste, resembling raspberries in appearance, but blackberries are not red, but dark blue or black.

General characteristics.

Navajo blackberry is a robust bush; shoots are vertical, grow up to two meters. They are quite powerful, but can bend due to the large number of fruits; for this reason, a garter is required after the shoots reach one and a half meters or more. The shoot-forming ability is high, therefore, a large number of shoots are formed.

In addition to the classic Navajo blackberry, there is also a hybrid variety that was obtained from it - Navajo Bigandearly. This species is not a full-fledged variety, which differs from the source in its characteristics, but a hybrid. Manufacturers claim that the hybrid grows vines that are higher in height (up to two and a half meters) than the shoots of the usual Navajo blackberry variety, and also say that the ripening of the fruits of the hybrid occurs faster, and the berries have a dessert taste. This is also suggested by the name of the hybrid form, which translates as “large and early.”

Fruit.

The fruits are shortened, conical in appearance, even in size and appearance, quite small (if compared with other types of blackberries) in size. The average weight is four to seven grams. The bush compensates for this trait with a large number of fruits that ripen on one bush. For example, one mature blackberry can contain more than half a thousand fruits.

Navajo blackberries are dark blue in color (at technical ripeness - bright black), glossy, and have an excellent, moderately sweet taste. Tasting score – 4.9 b/5 b, and most gardeners consider the taste almost a standard. The fruits retain their taste and appearance for five days. The grains are small, almost impossible to notice, and this is another advantage of the variety; blackberry lovers appreciate it. The fruits are plump and therefore have good transportability.

Botanical description

Navajo blackberries have the following characteristics:

1. The weight of the fruit is 7 g, but berries weighing 5 g are more common;
2. The absence of thorns on the bushes, as a result of which the process of collecting fruits is simplified;
3. The taste of the berries is sweet, no tartness;
4. The structure of the pulp is dense and juicy, painted in a characteristic black color;
5. The berries are cone-shaped;
6. Productivity is high - up to 7 kg of fruits per bush;
7. Good resistance to transportation.

Characteristics of the variety

The Navajo blackberry variety is a perennial plant. The bushes form strong, straight shoots, each of which can reach up to one and a half meters in length. The berries are not particularly large (up to 4.5 g each), but their size does not affect the yield of the variety. From one mature bush you can collect up to 500 berries per season.

Benefits of Navajo blackberries include:

• high tasting score (from 4.5 to 5.0 in different periods);
• absence of thorns on the shoots, which greatly simplifies manual picking of berries;
• good yield with simple care;
• the ability of fruits to maintain their shape and density for 5 days, which allows them to be transported to places of sale.

The description and characteristics of Navajo blackberries cannot but affect its taste. The berries are juicy, sweet, with slight sourness and a pronounced blackberry aroma. They ripen in late summer or early autumn, each bush bears fruit for about 3 weeks.

Characteristic

The following will present the distinctive characteristics of the Navajo blackberry variety.

Drought resistance, frost resistance

The plant tolerates arid climates well. As for low temperatures, blackberries can withstand frosts (-20°C) without significant losses. In regions where the winter temperature drops below this figure, it is necessary to cover the bushes with organic material (spruce branches, vegetable tops, sawdust, burlap).

Find out what blackberries on your site are incompatible with.

Productivity, fruiting

The yield of this variety is quite high - it is possible to collect 9 kg of berries from 1 m² of plantings. Fruiting lasts from 3 to 4 weeks. In the first year after planting, you should not count on a high yield. High yield of fruits is observed only in the fourth year of the plant’s growing season.

Video: Navajo blackberries

a brief description of

Advantages of the variety

• self-fertility - even 1 bush in the garden will bear fruit successfully;
• smooth shoots without thorns greatly simplify all operations for caring for shrubs;
• abundant fruiting without special requirements for plant care;
• high immunity, reducing the cost of chemical treatment;
• the plant bears fruit well even in partial shade;
• berries grow in clusters - harvesting is quick and convenient;
• fruiting is extended over 3-4 weeks;
• the tasting score of the berries is almost maximum (4.9 points out of 5 possible);
• universal-purpose fruits can be eaten fresh, used for processing and freezing;
• beautiful one-dimensional berries easily tolerate transportation and storage for up to 10 days;
• for the Middle Zone, winter hardiness is quite sufficient - up to 20 degrees below zero.

Disadvantages of the variety

• Navajo does not tolerate excess moisture - in rainy summers, yields decrease;
• in the shade, the harvest ripens a little later, the berries are not sweet enough;
• simple care does not eliminate the need for proper pruning;
• Already at the latitude of Moscow, bushes need to be covered for the winter.

So many advantages and only a few conventional “disadvantages”. It is this ratio of characteristics that makes the average gardener want to purchase a Navajo blackberry seedling and plant it in his dacha.

All blackberry varieties developed at the University of Arkansas are named after Native American tribes. Particularly popular among gardeners in Russia are: Arapaho, Cherokee, Apache and the hero of our article - the Navajo variety.

Landing Features

Growing the Navajo variety involves watering, loosening, and getting rid of weeds. Blackberry bushes need to be watered with plenty of water, especially during flowering. In a small (in area) area where blackberries grow, it is recommended to install drip irrigation. Such an irrigation system will allow you to evenly moisten the bushes and use water sparingly.

Deadlines

The best time to plant blackberries is the end of April - beginning of June. During this period, there is enough solar heat and light, but at the same time it is not yet hot. The most favorable temperature conditions are from +15°C to +20°C. It is not recommended to plant Navajo in the fall, since the young bush will not have time to take root before winter and may die from frost.

Selecting a location

When choosing a place to plant plants, you need to take into account some characteristics of the crop. The representative of the Navajo variety is a light-loving plant, so it must be planted on the sunny side of the site.

Important! It is very important to choose a windless place when planting. It is better to plant blackberries near a building.

The plant also tolerates partial shade well, but with a clear lack of light, the fruits will be small and sour.

Selection and preparation of planting material

When choosing seedlings, you need to pay attention to the absence of diseases - the leaves should be green, without obvious spots. The material for planting must be free of deformation and flexible. The roots of young plants are well developed and strong. Before planting, seedlings must be immersed in growth stimulating preparations (Epin or Matador) overnight.

Planting scheme

Bushes must be planted at a distance of 1.5–2 m from each other. The holes for planting should be deep - 0.6 m, and the same in diameter. In each hole you need to pour 1 bucket of humus and add 2 cups of ash. It is necessary to pour a layer of soil on top of the humus so that the roots do not come into contact with the humus.

The scheme for planting seedlings is as follows:

1. Water the hole generously.
2. Place the blackberry bush in the middle of the hole and straighten the root system.
3. Cover with soil up to the level of the growth buds.
4. Shorten the shoots, leaving 2-3 buds on them.
5. Place mulch (hay or sawdust) on top of the soil to retain moisture in the soil.

Planting and care

The variety is unpretentious in care and cultivation, however, you should adhere to some rules for planting and caring for shrubs so that there is a high yield and the berries have excellent taste.
For a good harvest, you need to choose sunny places, otherwise the berries will be small in size, and the clusters themselves will thin out. In addition, although this species is not picky about the type of soil, it is worth remembering that blackberry bushes can die in wet soil, which is why plantings need to be organized away from any sources of water (ground deposits, rivers, lakes and others). An excellent place for Navajo bushes would be an area one and a half meters from the property line.

It is better to plant shrubs in the spring, since when planted in the fall, seedlings that have not yet matured may not survive the winter.

2 weeks before planting, you need to prepare holes with parameters (depth and diameter) of 40 centimeters. In addition, you should mix soil, compost (bucket), two glasses of ash, 50 grams of superphosphate and 50 grams of potassium sulphide.

After 2 weeks, it is necessary to pour water into the hole, after absorbing the liquid, plant the seedling so that the growth bud is no deeper in the soil than 2 - 3 centimeters. After digging, you need to apply a layer of mulch.

Ozhina is prolific in shoots, so it is worth placing planting rows at least a meter apart from each other. In addition, upon completion of planting, it is necessary to limit planting to sheets of slate, including from the side of the fence. It is also necessary to place trellises, between which it is worth stretching the wire in two rows (the bottom one is at a height of 50 centimeters).

Hydration is an important part of caring for the Navajo. It is imperative to pour ten liters per bush during ripening and flowering on a day without precipitation. Just keep in mind that blackberry crops do not like excess moisture, and remember about a sense of proportion. Then you should water each tree monthly with one bucket of water.

As mentioned earlier, Navaho actively produces shoots, which is reflected in the ripening of berries. To avoid problems, you need to prune from the second year of plant growth.

Bushes can be formed using various methods: in the form of a fan, ropes or waves. To form a fan, you need to prune the bushes in the autumn. At the same time, the stems are cut off in front and behind the bush. Three shoots are left on the sides; only 3 or 4 fresh stems are left in the central part. When using the method of forming bushes with ropes, shoots producing fruit are located in the direction of the wire, and all stems extending beyond the boundaries of the wire are removed.

Three or four new shoots remain in the core of the bush. To form plants in waves, stems that produce fruit are directed in waves in the outermost row, and new shoots, without berries, in the second row. Subsequently, the row is cut out from the edge, and the grown shoots become fruit-bearing.

By winter, after the leaves have fallen, the plants should be bent down. At the top it is worth insulating the bushes with spruce branches or using a special covering. In this case, you need to be careful, as the plants can break off if you overdo it with shelter.

Blackberry propagation by shoots

Rules of care

Proper care of blackberry bushes involves watering, loosening the soil, pruning and fertilizing.

1. Each bush must be treated with special preparations against diseases and pests, which will be discussed below.
2. You also need to apply fertilizers, preferably in March, by adding 20-25 g of nitrogen compounds (urea, ammonium nitrate) to each plant. During the period of berry ripening, the bushes are “fed” with 30 g of fertilizers containing potassium (potassium sulfate, potassium chloride, potassium nitrate).
3. The bushes need to be fed with humus - once every three years, 4 buckets per 1 blackberry bush.
4. At the beginning of summer and autumn, young branches must be pruned when they reach 1 meter in height. They are shortened by 20–25 cm. Thanks to this, shoot growth is stimulated and the yield level increases.

Reproduction

Navajo blackberries are propagated by rooting the tips of the shoots. When the branches reach 60 cm, they are shortened by 10 cm. New shoots grow from the axils, which are pressed to the ground and buried to a depth of 5 cm.

In spring or autumn, the tops of the shoots are cut off from the main plant. Young blackberries are planted in a new place or left in the same place.

The Navajo variety produces large numbers of basal suckers. These shoots appear on the roots and develop on the mother plant. By autumn their height reaches 1 m.

For propagation, shoots 15 cm high are taken and transplanted together with a clod of earth. The work is carried out in May or August. After digging, the branches are cut to a height of 30 cm.

Reproduction methods

Navajo blackberries have the ability to quickly spread throughout the site.

Important! When growing blackberries, it is important to use the pinching procedure (removing the tips of the shoots of a young bush).

But to obtain full-fledged plants, the crop is propagated purposefully - by offspring and layering.

1. Offspring - young shoots from the root. For propagation, it is necessary to dig up the shoots along with part of the main root system and plant them in a prepared hole. This method can only be used in spring.

2. Reproduction by layering. This method involves rooting annual shoots. At the end of summer (August), it is necessary to dig the young layer to a shallow depth (half a shovel), leaving only the top on the surface. Regularly water the buried fragment and the mother plant. Within 2 months the cuttings should take root.

Subtleties of care

Basic care for Navajo blackberries is no different from caring for other garden hybrids. On the contrary, given that this variety is characterized by erect stems, we can say that it is simpler, although it has its own subtleties:

• It is recommended to pinch (cut) young shoots not only in autumn, but also in early summer, when their height exceeds 1 m, while shortening the top by 20-25 cm, as well as side shoots - the procedure stimulates the growth of lateral branches, increases flowering and ovary formation ;
• for tying up plants, it is more convenient to use T-shaped trellises, but if the shoots are properly pruned and normalized, you can do without support;
• rationing of the bush is carried out in the fall according to the standard scheme, which assumes a remainder of 7–8 productive shoots per bush;
• Preparation for winter includes removing fruit-bearing old and underdeveloped young shoots at the root, removing branches from trellises, covering the bush with organic mulch, as well as insulating material.

Standard care measures include periodic watering 1–2 times/1 week, fertilizing, loosening the soil in the inter-rows and near-trunk circles. While the seedling is small, it is necessary to loosen the soil and remove weeds more often. When the bush grows, it is undesirable to loosen it around it, since if the integrity of the root system is damaged, shoots often appear, which grow and lead to thickening of the bush.

Blackberries are undemanding when it comes to fertilizing. As a rule, autumn mulching is enough for it, but for better growth and vegetation in the spring, you can apply 20–25 g of nitrogen fertilizer (urea, ammonium nitrate) under the bush, and 30 g of potassium during the ripening period of the berries. Once every 3–4 years, the bushes are fed in the spring with compost or humus in the amount of 4–6 buckets/1 adult bush.

Experienced gardeners who have dealt with growing Navajo blackberries claim that the cultivation technology of the crop is much easier than that of other garden varieties. The bushes practically do not get sick, are not damaged by pests, bloom profusely at the beginning of summer and are literally strewn with berries at the end of the season - in August.

Diseases and pests

There are a number of diseases and pests that must be dealt with immediately, otherwise the blackberry bushes will die. The following are the most common diseases and pests, and measures to combat them.

1. At septoria and powdery mildew The main signs of diseases are brown or gray spots on the leaves. Bordeaux mixture should be used as a medicinal preparation - it should be used to irrigate the bushes before flowering and after harvesting.

2. At anthracnose Red spots appear on the foliage, it begins to dry out and fall off. In order to cure this disease, it is necessary to irrigate the plant itself and the soil with the drug “Skor”, in a proportion of 20 ml per 10 liters of water - before flowering and after the formation of fruits.

3. If a whitish coating appears on the plant, this means that the plant is infected ashtray. After winter, the bushes must be irrigated with warm water, and during the process of ovary formation, sprayed with Oxychom, Vectra, and Fundazol.

4. During the invasion spider mite Small beetles are visible on the leaves, and the bushes themselves begin to turn yellow and dry out. When such a pest appears, it is necessary to treat the plants with a tincture of tobacco, onion peel or garlic with the addition of 100 g of laundry soap. Repeat the procedure every 7 days.

5. Raspberry beetle - a parasite that infects leaf blades by eating holes on them. To combat it, it is recommended to treat the leaves with Actellik or Fufanon (instructions for preparing the solution are indicated on the packages). Spray every 10 days.

Advantages and disadvantages

Analyzing these qualities, it should be admitted that it is not so easy to find shortcomings in blackberries, while the advantages of the variety are obvious:

• the absence of thorns - this is a big plus for blackberries, since it is the thorns that complicate the harvesting process and caring for plants;
• relatively high frost resistance - most hybrid varieties of blackberries are not able to survive temperatures of -15 °C, and the “Navajo” variety can remain without shelter in a cold winter (up to -20 °C);
• high immunity to diseases - blackberries of this variety practically do not get sick, they do not require additional treatment against pests and diseases, which greatly facilitates the care of the crop;
• high yield - with a relatively small size of berries, the variety is characterized by high productivity due to abundant fruiting;
• ease of care - blackberries with erect stems are easier to care for and trim;
• unpretentiousness to growing conditions - of course, the berries will be larger and sweeter if the bush is planted in a sunny place, but shade is also not a problem for this variety;
• good preservation and transportability of berries - despite the fact that blackberries of this variety are quite juicy, the berries remain elastic for a long time and do not flow;
• long fruiting (3–4 weeks);
• ease of harvesting - the berries are arranged in clusters consisting of dozens of drupes, so picking berries is a real pleasure;
• the excellent dessert taste of the berries is perhaps the main argument in favor of the Navajo variety.

According to gardeners, “Navajo” is the most “problem-free” variety among all garden hybrids of domestic and foreign selection. It is ideal for you if you cannot devote a lot of time to caring for the berry garden.

Harvesting and storage

It is recommended to pick blackberries by hand. During harvesting, it is necessary to select overripe and rotten berries. The first ones need to be consumed immediately or recycled. It is recommended to store blackberries in wooden or plastic boxes at a stable, cool temperature (basement, cellar, refrigerator).

The humidity level in the room where berries are stored should not exceed 80%. The Navajo variety is a fairly unpretentious plant, but still requires some attention, especially to the choice of planting site and watering regime. By following simple rules of agricultural technology, you can get a guaranteed harvest of tasty and healthy fruits.

Description

Fruit

Blackberries are conical-shaped, small, compared to other types. The weight of 1 copy is about 4-7 grams. There are about 500 berries on one bush - dark blue, shiny, with an excellent sweet taste.

Tasters rated it 4.9 points. The fruits retain their presentation for 5 days.

The seeds are small, almost invisible.

Navajo blackberries are excellent for shipping due to their thick skin.

Bush

The bushes are erect, the shoots are smooth, without thorns, and grow up to 2 meters. Stems have a dense structure, emerald hue. The plant does not require the installation of trellises or complex forming prunings.

Flowering period and ripening time

Navajo blackberries bloom in the second half of June in central Russia. The inflorescences are small, inconspicuous, cream-colored with a hairy center. It takes 2 months from the formation of the ovaries to the ripening of the fruit.

Yield indicators, fruiting dates

From 1 blackberry bush of the Navajo variety, up to 7 kilograms of fruit are collected. The harvest ripens from August 15 and lasts until early September. The timing of fruit ripening is affected by the planting location and the weather conditions of the season.

Scope of application of berries

Blackberries can be used for fresh consumption, as their taste is dessert and sweet. You can add berries to baked goods and make preparations for the winter from them.

Resistance to pathologies and harmful bugs

Navajo blackberries are practically not susceptible to diseases or beetle infestations due to their powerful immunity. When bushes do not receive proper care, their protective properties are reduced.

Reviews

I'm very pleased with it. It is also without thorns (thorn free) - it’s strange that you call the variety that way (thorn free), because it’s just a characteristic. As far as I know, there are a lot of varieties of thornfree - I have three of them. I’ve been trying to bring out the other two: “Triple Crown” and “Chester” for a year now, I don’t like them. They differ from the Navajo in that they are climbing, curly. The lashes grow up to 7-10 meters, if they fall to the ground, they immediately take root. You won’t find berries in the gigantic mass of stems and leaves. In short, they got me. But getting them out was also not an easy task. Now they are crawling out here and there throughout the area.

dimach

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