Loch Tay blackberry variety
Floricane-fruiting commercial early-ripening thornless variety, which is popular in many areas
Rubus subgenus Rubus Watson 'Loch Tay'
Originated from a cross of Loch Ness x Unknown blackberry
Variety denomination - 'Loch Tay'
Plants are thornless
Bushes have semi-erect canes
Fruit weight is 8 g
Berries have a conical shape
Fruiting habit - floricane fruiting (summer-bearing)
Flowering on floricanes starts in the second week of May
Ripening date (regular) - third week of June
Productivity is 9 kg per plant
Soluble solids - 10.72%
Acidity - 0.97%
Cold hardiness is good
Heat tolerance is low
Current status - modern or widely used
Country of origin - United Kingdom
Adrienne Ashton Cross Bedford Giant Black Cascade Buckingham Tayberry Dirksen Thornless Fantasia Helen Loch Mary Loch Ness Loch Tay Merton Thornless Tayberry Veronique
Loch Tay is a floricane variety (produces fruit on last year's stems). Canes are semi-erect, average canes length is from 4 to 5 m. Flowers are normally produced in early May (depending on weather and region).
It is one of the most early ripening blackberry variety (about a week before Loch Ness) and certainly the best in terms of organoleptic characteristics of the fruit, even just picked. Average berry's weight is from 7 to 10 g. The color is glossy black. Transportability and storage ability is good. That makes Loch Tay the most suitable cultivar for fresh consumption. It has very few thorns at harvest time which is mid to late in the season. Fruit production is slightly longer than average starting in late July and finishing in early September. Expect a 9-10 kg harvest from a mature plant with individual fruits being smaller than average.
Cold-resistanse is low, Loch Tay isn't tolerate for winter wind and icing. But this variety has sufficient resistanse to most part of diseases and pests. Susceptible to purple blotch Septocyta ruborum and blackberry cane and leaf rust Kuehneola uredines.
Plants require winter shelters.