Blackberry varieties /

Reuben blackberry variety

Rating [ 3.7 ]

Two-season ripening prickly erect blackberry cultivar with high crop

Originated from a cross of A-2292T x APF-44

Plants are thorny

Bushes have erect canes

Fruit weight is 14 g

Berries have a ovate shape

Fruiting habit - primocane-fruiting (everbearing)

Flowering on floricanes starts in the third week of June

Ripening date (regular) - first week of August

Blooming on primocanes starts in the second week of July

Ripening date (remontant) - first week of September

Productivity is 3,5 kg per plant

Soluble solids - 11.5%

Acidity - 0.47%

Cold hardiness is moderate

Country of origin - United States

Patent US PP23,497 P3 dated March 25, 2013

Current status - cultivated (actual)

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's 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.

Download Reuben patent US00PP23497P3

Useful Growing Guides:

1

Berry Soil and Nutrient Management – A Guide for Educators and Growers. M. Pritts, C. Heidenreich, L. McDermott, and J. Miller; Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

2

Caneberries Nutrient Management Guide. J. Hart, B. Strik, and H. Rempel; Oregon State University

3

Blackberry cultivars comparison table (2021). Compiled by myblackberryplants.com

4

High Tunnel Raspberries and Blackberries. AJ Both, Kathy Demchak, Eric Hanson, Cathy Heidenreich, Greg Loeb, Laura McDermott, Marvin Pritts, and Courtney Weber; Cornell Cooperative Extension

5

Raspberry and Blackberry Production Guide. L. Bushway, M. Pritts, D. Handley; Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service Cooperative Extension, Ithaca

6

Growing blackberries in your home garden. B. Strik, E. Dixon, A.J. Detweiler and N. Sanchez; Oregon State University Extension Service

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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.

Review from [HERTFORDSHIRE ALLOTMENT LIFE]

Reuben Blackberry: A New Amazing Vatiety.
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.

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.

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Discussions about variety Reuben

MosBerry

2022-01-31 10:22

#1

It seems to me it will be better to cultivate Reuben as primocane-fruiting only. I have tried to cut all stems on one of my plants last November. I will look at the result this year

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