Black Raspberry Cumberland: Description And Characteristics Of The Variety, Advantages And Disadvantages, Planting And Care Features + Photos And Reviews

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 22:26

Black raspberry Cumberland - a "novelty" of a century ago

Among other fashionable garden curiosities, the black raspberry Cumberland stands out by the contradictory opinions of those gardeners who happened to grow this crop on their site. Someone praises her from the bottom of their hearts, someone scolds her as sincerely … And the truth, as always, is in the middle.

Content

• 1 Description of the Cumberland variety

  1.1 Advantages and disadvantages (table)

• 2 Site selection, planting, reproduction

  • 2.1 When and where to plant raspberries
  • 2.2 Step by step planting process
  • 2.3 Breeding methods
• 3 Care rules

• 4 Diseases and pests of black raspberry Cumberland

  • 4.1 Table: methods of control and prevention
  • 4.2 Photo gallery: how to recognize diseases and pests
• 5 Harvest and its use
• 6 Video: an overview of the Cumberland variety
• 7 Reviews of gardeners

Description of the Cumberland variety

The Cumberland black raspberry variety was developed in the United States over 100 years ago. This is a sprawling deciduous shrub, reaching 2–2.5 meters in height. In general appearance and in the shape of the leaves, it resembles ordinary raspberries and blackberries, with which it is closely related. Unlike red raspberries, Cumberland does not form root shoots, but reproduces by rooting the tops of shoots, similar to some varieties of blackberries.

Cumberland does not belong to remontant varieties, but has a rather long period of fruit ripening. Unripe berries are red, hard, sour in taste; when ripe they become black, soft and sweet, with a characteristic aftertaste slightly reminiscent of blackberries. It is precisely the taste of these berries that has caused numerous debates about the value of this variety.

Fans of the classic red raspberry, with its unique "raspberry" flavor and aroma, are likely to be sorely disappointed. For the Cumberland does not look like a "real" raspberry. It should be compared rather with a blackberry. And here Cumberland will have an advantage, at least due to the "pure" collection of berries without sepals and cores.

Black raspberry Cumberland - fruits close up

Advantages and disadvantages (table)

pros	Minuses
Undemanding care	Too peculiar taste of fruits, "for an amateur"
Lack of root growth	Comparative difficulty of reproduction
Attractive plant appearance, original fruits	Propensity to form thorny "jungle" if not tied up in time
Sweet berries with an exotic taste	Not very high winter hardiness (relevant for the northern regions and for regions with snowless winters)
Long period of fruit collection, they do not crumble
Berries are easier to store and transport (compared to regular red raspberries)
Late flowering (in June, after the end of frost)
Good resistance to pests and diseases

Site selection, planting, reproduction

When and where to plant raspberries

You can plant Cumberland black raspberries in spring or autumn, at the same time as regular raspberries. This crop does not have any special requirements for the soil. Planting is standard: in pits or trenches filled with well-rotted organic matter. Planting depth and distance between seedlings are the same as for simple raspberries or blackberries. It is convenient to grow Cumberland on a trellis, preferably stationary, which is installed during planting. One or two bushes can simply be tied to stakes.

When choosing a site, it should be borne in mind that this culture is demanding on light and especially moisture, but does not tolerate waterlogging and too close groundwater. The lack of root growth allows black raspberries to be planted close to other plants, they do not spread throughout the entire district. If there are few seedlings and in the future it is planned to reproduce and grow your own planting material, you must immediately provide two free spaces near the planting meter for rooting shoots.

Raspberries may need a place to root their shoots - consider this when planting

Step-by-step planting process

1. At a distance of 2-3 meters from each other, dig out grooves about 50 cm deep.
2. Fill them up to half with a mixture of garden soil with leafy humus or rotted compost.
3. Place the seedlings 1–1.5 meters apart, gently spreading the roots.
4. Cover with the remaining mixture of soil and organic matter.
5. Water abundantly.
6. After soaking up water, mulch with straw, sawdust or fallen leaves.
7. If not done before planting, trim the seedlings shortly.

Reproduction methods

Due to the lack of root suckers, Cumberland black raspberries have to be propagated by cuttings or apical layers (rooting of the tips of the shoots), like some varieties of blackberries. At the end of summer, when the shoots of the current year begin to lean to the ground, they are bent to the dug groove, the tops are pinned and buried in the place of the bend with earth. Water regularly, gently remove weeds. The resulting layers for the winter are insulated by hilling, and in the spring they are transplanted to a permanent place.

The second method of reproduction is green cuttings during the period of active growth of young shoots. Green cuttings with leaves are rooted in a greenhouse at a constant high humidity. After rooting and the beginning of growth, they are gradually accustomed to open air by frequent ventilation, then the shelter is removed.

Rooting of cuttings takes about a month, after - they begin to grow

Some hobbyists propagate black raspberries by seed, however vegetative propagation is much easier and provides more uniform offspring.

Care rules

Caring for Cumberland is almost the same as caring for regular raspberries and blackberries. This variety is rather unpretentious. In the spring, overwintered shoots are tied to a trellis or stakes. Weak and damaged branches are removed and burned. Fertilizer is applied, preferably organic.

During the season, weeds are pulled out, the soil is loosened, and young shoots are tied up as they grow. Summer pruning of black raspberries is to remove excess shoots. If breeding is not planned, too long tops can be shortened for ease of maintenance.

Use organic fertilizers - they are natural and affordable

Black raspberry Cumberland belongs to very moisture-loving crops. Regular abundant watering is especially important during the period of growth and ripening of fruits. Excess nitrogen and moisture in late summer - early autumn prevents the timely ripening of shoots and complicates the wintering of plants. After harvesting, the branches that bear fruit are cut and burned.

The winter hardiness of Cumberland is close to the winter hardiness of the first Russian varieties of remontant raspberries. In the conditions of the Middle Volga region (winter frosts up to -30 degrees for a short time) it successfully winters without shelter and without bending over. Winters normally in the Moscow region. In regions with a more severe climate (Ural, Siberia), it requires bending over for the winter and shelter with snow.

Diseases and pests of black raspberry Cumberland

In theory, Cumberland could have all the same problems as regular raspberries. Therefore, it is not recommended to plant them nearby. It is also advisable to avoid close proximity to potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries (to prevent verticillary wilting). In the absence of any special protective measures, the raspberry beetle infects red raspberries more than black ones if they grow within the same garden plot, but not close to each other. Compared to regular raspberries, Cumberland is considered less resistant to viral diseases.

Table: methods of control and prevention

Name	The likelihood of defeat	Prevention	Control methods
Raspberry beetle	Low	Acquire healthy planting material. Avoid close proximity to red raspberries, strawberries. Do not plant after nightshade crops.	No later than a week before the beginning of flowering, the plants should be treated with Inta-Vir, Iskra: 1 tablet per 10 liters of water. Cut off affected shoots. Spraying with tansy infusion. Insist 700 g per 10 liters of water for a day, then boil for 30 minutes and strain. Add an equal amount of cold water.
Verticillary wilting	Below average		It is almost impossible to cure the plant.
Viral diseases (anthracnose, mosaic, rust and others)	Average		Treatment with fungicides (Oxyhom, Cuproxat, copper oxychloride). With a strong spread, the bushes are best destroyed and the site disinfected.

Photo gallery: how to recognize diseases and pests

The larvae of the beetle are no less dangerous - they worsen the taste of berries, reduce the yield

Raspberry beetle can destroy 15% of the crop

It is easy to recognize verticillary wilting - the plant dries out

Rust manifests itself as rusty-brown spots on the leaves, stems, over time, the affected parts of the plant wither and fall off

The main sign of anthracnose damage is the presence of small light brown spots that expand over time

Harvest and its use

Cumberland black raspberries begin to ripen in July. Due to the long flowering period, the fruiting period is extended for a rather long period (longer than that of ordinary raspberries). In especially favorable conditions (good light, fertile soil, regular abundant watering) from one bush, you can get up to 3-4 and even up to 6 kg of berries. They are suitable both for fresh consumption and for homemade preparations (compotes, jam). When canning, can be mixed with red raspberries or other berries and fruits.

By mixing black raspberries with other berries, you can make a unique jam

Video: Cumberland variety review

Gardeners reviews

Sofia Poryvaeva, Russia

https://www.7dach.ru/Samdolis/chernaya-malina-kumberlend-6355.html

Tatiana Karpenko, Omsk

https://www.7dach.ru/Samdolis/chernaya-malina-kumberlend-6355.html

Svetlana Saraeva, town. Kavalerovo

https://www.7dach.ru/Samdolis/chernaya-malina-kumberlend-6355.html

To plant black raspberries or not to plant? The issue is controversial. Of course, this culture has its merits. She is unpretentious in care, looks attractive and does not create unnecessary problems. A very effective and original curiosity for the garden collection. As for the taste - this is all, as they say, well, very "for an amateur". If you don't try, you won't know. You can always plant a couple of bushes for an experiment, it deserves it.