Blackberry varieties /

Smoothstem blackberry variety

Rating [ 4 ]

Old and proven very vigorous high-productive trailing blackberry cultivar

Rubus subgenus Rubus Watson 'Smoothstem'

Originated from a cross of Merton Thornless x Eldorado

Variety denomination - 'Smoothstem'

Plants are thornless

Bushes have trailing canes

Fruit weight is 7 g

Berries have a conical shape

Fruiting habit - floricane fruiting (summer-bearing)

Flowering on floricanes starts in the second week of June

Ripening date (regular) - fourth week of July

Productivity is 20 kg per plant

Cold hardiness is excellent

Heat tolerance is low

Current status - obsolete or rarely used

Recommended replacement - Columbia Sunrise

Country of origin - United States

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Smoothstem is one of the old American varieties of thornless floricane-fruiting blackberry, selected in 1966 in USA as a cross from Merton Thornless and Eldorado. It's characteristics is very similar to Thornfree variety, because both have same parents. Plants are very trailing and vigorous, stems can achieve up to 5 m in length and up to 2 m in height. Large white (with low pinkish shade) flowers appear in June. It has long harvest season - gives mature berries from late July to October. Berries of Smoothstem are big (typically 6-8 g, and up to 14 g), oblong in shape, have black color and glossy, slightly larger in size than Thornfree. Oftentimes even ripen berries have sour taste. If such berries have been leaved on bushes, after few days with good weather conditions they gain sugar taste, but lose glossiness. Firmness is very low, berries are juicy. Yield is great, 15-25 kg/plant when using appropriate autumn and season cropping and fertilizing.
Pests and disease resistance are normal, winter hardiness is excellent, up to minus 23 C. Smoothstem doesn't give good yield in shadow areas, but plants are sensitive to high summer temperatures, laterals with fruit can shrink, so bushes need to be sheltered from direct sun rays.