Reuben
Date: 2020-12-08, updated: 2023-07-03
Two-season ripening prickly erect blackberry cultivar with high crop
Rubus subgenus Rubus Watson 'Reuben'
Originated from a cross of A-2292T x APF-44
Variety denomination 'Reuben', tested as HPB3
Plants are thorny
Bushes have erect canes
Fruit weight is 14 g
Berries have a ovate shape
Soluble solids - 11.5%
Acidity - 0.47%
Fruiting habit primocane-fruiting (everbearing)
Flowering on floricanes starts in the first week of June
Ripening date (regular) - first week of August
Blooming on primocanes starts in the third week of June
Ripening date (remontant) - third week of August
Productivity is 3,5 kg per plant
Cold hardiness is moderate
Country of origin United States
Patent US PP23,497 P3 dated March 24, 2013
Current status - modern or widely used
Reuben is a late-season primocane blackberry bred at the University of Arkansas, USA, using specific targeted breeding, and selected in the UK for growing in UK and Northern Europe.
Rueben was introduced to broaden the choices of this innovative, prickly primocane-fruiting blackberry cultivar. This unique type of blackberry Reuben fruits on current-season canes (primocanes) and probably on second-season canes (floricanes), potentially providing for two cropping seasons, both traditional summer fruits in addition to late summer to fall production. Traditional blackberry cultivars fruit on floricanes, requiring canes to be overwintered to produce a crop.
This fruiting habit has the potential to expand blackberry production much like that which has occurred for primocane-fruiting red raspberries.
The average primocanes length is about 2 m. Primocanes are strong and vigorous, have prickles like Kiowa. Reuben bushes don't like full-sun placement. High temperature and low humidity prevents Reuben blooming and ripening.
Reuben berries are large size, average weight of berry is about 14 g. Color is glossy black. Each plant produces groups of berries, 8-10 pcs in each. The first yield starts forming at primocanes in the middle of June and continues three to four weeks. During this first harvest season, Reuben intensively produces floricanes, which soon begin to bloom. This is the second harvest season, which continues up to first frosts. After the end of the second harvest season, Reuben requires winter shelter from frost or completely cropping for current-season stems, freezing and cold wind, because the cold-hardy of this blackberry variety is moderate, about minus 13 C.
Rueben was introduced to broaden the choices of this innovative, prickly primocane-fruiting blackberry cultivar. This unique type of blackberry Reuben fruits on current-season canes (primocanes) and probably on second-season canes (floricanes), potentially providing for two cropping seasons, both traditional summer fruits in addition to late summer to fall production. Traditional blackberry cultivars fruit on floricanes, requiring canes to be overwintered to produce a crop.
This fruiting habit has the potential to expand blackberry production much like that which has occurred for primocane-fruiting red raspberries.
The average primocanes length is about 2 m. Primocanes are strong and vigorous, have prickles like Kiowa. Reuben bushes don't like full-sun placement. High temperature and low humidity prevents Reuben blooming and ripening.
Reuben berries are large size, average weight of berry is about 14 g. Color is glossy black. Each plant produces groups of berries, 8-10 pcs in each. The first yield starts forming at primocanes in the middle of June and continues three to four weeks. During this first harvest season, Reuben intensively produces floricanes, which soon begin to bloom. This is the second harvest season, which continues up to first frosts. After the end of the second harvest season, Reuben requires winter shelter from frost or completely cropping for current-season stems, freezing and cold wind, because the cold-hardy of this blackberry variety is moderate, about minus 13 C.
Useful Growing Guides:
Reviews of the variety Reuben
Review from [Dmitrii Z]
My Reuben plant in one-year mode (bearing on primocanes only). I cut off all stems in late fall.
The main disadvantages - very prickly blackberry variety, low yield. Advantages - Reuben blooms and bears fruit until first frost.
The main disadvantages - very prickly blackberry variety, low yield. Advantages - Reuben blooms and bears fruit until first frost.
Review from [HERTFORDSHIRE ALLOTMENT LIFE]
Reuben Blackberry: A New Amazing Vatiety.
No Dig Organic Allotment Kitchen Garden And Fruit Orchard
No Dig Organic Allotment Kitchen Garden And Fruit Orchard
Review from [JEFFREY]
We have 2 Reuben plants, now in their second year. We live in North Yorkshire and the plants are at the top end of our South-facing garden, protected from the north by our greenhouses.
Early this year I cut down the first year's canes. Growth of new canes, 5 on each plant has been very vigorous, with lots of flowers. Fruit set well, but late, and is now only ripening in mid October. Fortunately the Autumn has been mild so far so we are gathering a little fruit, (HUGE, sweet and flavourful) but most is still green and will inevitably be cut off by the first sharp frost.
I did double dig the narrow, long beds, incorporating a lot of well rooted compost and manure into the clay soil. In future years I think I will drop fleece screens from the eaves of the greenhouses to extend the ripening period.
Early this year I cut down the first year's canes. Growth of new canes, 5 on each plant has been very vigorous, with lots of flowers. Fruit set well, but late, and is now only ripening in mid October. Fortunately the Autumn has been mild so far so we are gathering a little fruit, (HUGE, sweet and flavourful) but most is still green and will inevitably be cut off by the first sharp frost.
I did double dig the narrow, long beds, incorporating a lot of well rooted compost and manure into the clay soil. In future years I think I will drop fleece screens from the eaves of the greenhouses to extend the ripening period.
Review from [MosBerry]
Low-height moderately vigorous bushes. Two-season harvesting. Berries are not big or medium size, closer to small. Taste is sweet and acid (50 on 50). Aroma is typical. Really gives fruit up to late fall. My plant is similar to Prime-Ark 45, but fruit are smaller. New replacement canes can be very thorny. Some drupelets often were red, even other are ripened.