Blackberry Chief Joseph (Cheif Joseph)

The blackberry cultivar Cheif Joseph was bred in the 1990s at the University of Arkansas. Named after an Indian chief. Advantages of the variety: two waves of fruiting, lack of thorns, strong growth of shoots, large berries. Among the shortcomings: poor taste of the first fruits.

Characteristics of the variety

Bushes – semi-shrub with a strong root system. Shoots without thorns, semi-creeping up to 3-4 meters in length, flexible. The foliage is bright green, trifoliate, similar to crimson. Flowers white large. Berries are formed in clusters.

Fruitsround-elongated, large, weighing up to 25 gr. The color of ripe berries is black, with a glossy sheen. At the stages of early and middle ripeness – red and dark purple. The pulp is juicy, fragrant. The taste of blackberries is sweet – in the first year of fruiting may be mild, but gains strength in subsequent seasons.

Productivity varieties are high – up to 35 kg of berries from a bush (from the 3rd-4th season). If grown as a remontant, Chief Joseph will produce two crops per season. The first ripe berries in the southern latitudes can be expected in July, in the middle lane and north of – at the beginning of August. The main harvest of berries takes place within six weeks.

Immuneto most diseases and pests. Preventive treatments  recommended.

Destination. Blackberry "Chief Joseph" good for fresh consumption, reveals its taste in desserts, jams, compotes. Dense fruits retain their presentation during transportation, so the variety is suitable for growing for sale, incl. on an industrial scale.

Growing conditions. Blackberry cultivar Chief Joseph easily adapted to a variety of  climate of Russian regions. Confirmed the declared drought and heat resistance, unpretentiousness to the composition of soils, weather conditions. It is able to produce crops both in open and protected ground. In regions with frosty and little snowy winters, bushes must be covered at the end of the season.

Preparations