Blakely
Date: 2021-11-15, updated: 2024-02-04
Medium-sized berries with sweet flavor, produced on very healthy plants with erect, thornless canes, that are primocane-fruiting
Rubus subgenus Rubus Watson 'Blakely'
Originated from a cross of APF-27 x APF-77
Variety denomination 'Blakely', tested as APF-238T
Plants are thornless
Bushes have erect canes
Fruit weight is 6 g
Berries have a rounded shape
Soluble solids - 12.8%
Acidity - 0.113%
Fruiting habit primocane-fruiting (everbearing)
Flowering on floricanes starts in the fourth week of April
Ripening date (regular) - second week of June
Blooming on primocanes starts in the third week of June
Ripening date (remontant) - fourth week of July
Productivity is 2.1 kg per plant
Cold hardiness is good
Country of origin United States
Patent US PP33,329 P2 dated August 09, 2021
Current status - modern or widely used
Plants have moderate vigor, primocanes and floricanes have erect stems without barbs. Size is medium - up to 140 cm in height and up to 100 cm in width when using proper tipping. Canes are not thick, diameter at the basal is 1.25 cm on floricanes and 1.45 cm on primocanes. Anthocyanin coloration mildly present on floricanes and primocanes with color most prevalent on sun-exposed canes. Blakely usually give 4-5 new primocanes per year. Leaves on primocanes are large, palmate in shape with five leaflets. On floricanes leaves are medium in size with three leaflets. Color of leaves is yellow-green.
Date of bloom on second-year canes is the middle of April. Flowers are big, up to 50 mm in diameter, have five white-colored petals. Date of bloom on primocanes is the second week of June. Flowers are larger than that on floricanes, up to 60 mm in diameter, also are white in color.
On floricanes berries typically ripen in the first week of June. Fruit have medium size and about 6 g in weight. Average first ripe date of fruit on primocanes is second week of July, average fruiting period is 40 days and can extend longer. Berries are medium, about 6 g each, up to 20 mm in diameter. Shape is round, drupelets are large, color is black-purple. Fruit on primocanes and floricanes are uniformed. Fruit yields of Blakely on floricanes are on average 2.1 kg, lower than that of APF-45. Primocane's yield is unknown, probably is comparable to or exceeing that of Ark. 45. Fruit firmness and postharvest potential also is lower than that of Prime-Ark 45. The fresh fruit rates very well in flavor and is a noteworthy attribute of the cultivar and is comparable to or exceeing that of APF-45. The flavor of Blakely berries is sweet and low acid with desirable aromatics.
The primary tendency of Blakely APF-238T is commercial use for local-market production and home garden.
Plants and fruit are resistant to anthracnose, shown no evidence of susceptibility to orange rust. Low susceptibility to cane and leaf rust. Blakely is hardy to minus 17 C.