Natchez
Date: 2020-12-07, updated: 2023-03-29
Erect-growing, high quality, productive, very early-ripening, floricane-fruiting blackberry
Rubus subgenus Rubus Watson 'Natchez'
Originated from a cross of Ark. 1857 x Ark. 2005
Variety denomination 'Natchez', tested as Ark. 2241
Plants are thornless
Bushes have semi-erect canes
Fruit weight is 8 g
Berries have a oblong shape
Soluble solids - 9.5%
Acidity - 0.94%
Fruiting habit floricane fruiting (summer-bearing)
Flowering on floricanes starts in the third week of April
Ripening date (regular) - third week of June
Productivity is 6 kg per plant
Cold hardiness is moderate
Country of origin United States
Patent US PP20,891 P3 dated March 28, 2010
Current status - modern or widely used
Canes of Natchez are thornless and are semi-erect (mostly) to erect. Average primocanes height is 120-180 cm, floricanes length - up to 4-6 m. If primocanes are tipped at one meter to control length and encourage lateral branching, Natchez blackberry can be grown in a hedgerow without trellis support. A common trellis used on erect cultivars by growers consists of two wires placed 1.0 to 1.2 m above the soil surface and separated horizontally 1.0 m. However, support of floricanes during fruiting is recommended and with a support trellis, the slightly less erect canes of Natchez should be easily managed by growers.
Average berry weight of Natchez cultivar is about 8 g. Berries of Natchez variety are elongated and somewhat blocky and very attractive with an exceptional glossy, black finish. Flower's color is white. Bloom starts at the beginning of May. First harvest - middle of June. Average health rating of Natchez is good, but variety is moderately resistant to anthracnose. Plant hardiness was observed to be good on Natchez in that it showed no to little injury to canes and buds.
Minimum winter low temperatures is about minus 15 C. Natchez needs to be planted in full-sun places (with protection from overheating in very hot regions) and sheltered for cold season.
Cultivar | Yield, kg/ha | Berry weight, g | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | 2006 | 2005 | 2006 | |
Clarksville | ||||
Natchez | 12773 | 8697 | 8.7 | 8.0 |
Apache | 13058 | 10699 | 8.6 | 8.2 |
Ouachita | 8913 | 7997 | 6.3 | 6.2 |
Hope | ||||
Natchez | 7169 | 8417 | 6.7 | 4.4 |
Apache | 4278 | 9957 | 7.9 | 6.7 |
Ouachita | 3159 | 21676 | 5.8 | 4.7 |
Main features | Variety | ||
---|---|---|---|
Apache | Ouachita | Natchez | |
Flowering date | |||
10% bloom | April 24 | April 23 | April 21 |
50% bloom | April 28 | April 24 | |
Harvest date | |||
First | June 19 | June 10 | June 3 |
Peak | July 7 | June 26 | June 8 |
Last | July 28 | July 20 | July 11 |
First-ripe rating (scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is the best) |
2.3 | 5.3 | 7.5 |
Berry weight, g | |||
First | 8.3 | 7.5 | 8.8 |
Peak | 10.1 | 7.0 | 10.2 |
Last | 8.8 | 5.7 | 8.0 |
Fruit (rating scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is the best) | |||
Firmness | 8.0 | 8.3 | 7.8 |
Flavor | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.5 |
Soluble solids, % | 10.6 | 9.8 | 8.7 |
Seed fresh weight, mg | - | 6.2 | 6.8 |
Seed dry weight, mg | - | 4.2 | 4.2 |
Plant (rating scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is the best) | |||
Vigor | 7.5 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
Health | 8.5 | 8.3 | 7.8 |
Useful Growing Guides:
Reviews of the variety Natchez
Both plantings fizzled out. The one in a huge barrel was pot bound within 18 months, putting out no new growth nor canes. The other in a selected part of the garden just put out leaf growth and stopped flowering as its runners spread underground at an undesirable rate like Asterina. Needless to say it was removed. None of these newer releases from the U.S are suited to the UK.