Obsidian
Date: 2020-05-14, updated: 2023-03-29
Thorny trailing blackberry variety with early ripening, firm, uniform shaped berries and very good yields of excellent quality fresh fruits
Rubus subgenus Rubus Watson 'Obsidian'
Originated from a cross of ORUS 828-43 x ORUS 1122-1
Variety denomination 'Obsidian', tested as ORUS 1369-3
Plants are thorny
Bushes have trailing canes
Fruit weight is 6 g
Berries have a conical shape
Soluble solids - 12.4%
Acidity - 1.7%
Fruiting habit floricane fruiting (summer-bearing)
Flowering on floricanes starts in the second week of May
Ripening date (regular) - second week of July
Productivity is 7 kg per plant
Cold hardiness is moderate
Country of origin United States
Current status - obsolete or rarely used
Recommended replacement - Columbia Sunrise
Plants are large and vigorous. Obsidian is thorny, similar to Marion, but less thorny than Kotata and Metolius. Obsidian cultivar has moderate resistance to different diseases.
The fruit ripening season starts at the end of June, peaks in early July and continues for 14-15 days.
Average yield is about 19000 kg/ha, fruit weight is about 6 g. Berries are conical in shape with a drupelet arrangement that produces a very uniformly shaped fruits. Berries are very glossy with excellent black color. The fruit of Obsidian blackberry separate easily from the plant. Flavor and taste is better than Black Diamond and Chester Thornless, but worse, than Marion. Firmness is superior, which is very good for shipping.
Winter hardiness is moderate, about minus 13 C.
Cultivar | Fruit weight, g | Yield, t/ha | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1998-2000 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | |
Obsidian | 5.5 | 55.0 | 18.2 | 18.6 |
Marion | 5.1 | 20.0 | 9.2 | 18.2 |
Kotata | 4.6 | 20.6 | 6.9 | 19.5 |
Waldo | 5.4 | 13.8 | 13.0 | 17.8 |
Douglass | 5.2 | 7.0 | 2.4 | 9.5 |
Cultivar | Fruit weight, g | Yield, t/ha | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
2001-2003 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
Obsidian | 6.8 | 40.8 | 20.1 | 24.0 |
Silvan | 6.2 | 31.7 | 16.8 | 21.4 |
Black Diamond | 5.8 | 29.2 | 15.5 | 19.0 |
Marion | 5.1 | 26.3 | 13.0 | 18.3 |
Metolius | 5.6 | 31.3 | 12.5 | 12.5 |
Waldo | 5.5 | 25.8 | 11.0 | 17.2 |
Siskiyou | 6.9 | 20.9 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
Useful Growing Guides:
Reviews of the variety Obsidian
I grew Marionberry and several others in pots. That’s going to do way better than outdoors in your area. The yield is really pretty darn good for small pots.
These are all in pots about 3 gallon. That works with frequent watering.