A long summer
Fruit ripens successively from mid-July to late August.
Rubus NAVAHO® ‘Summerlong’ 13cm
Normal price
€9,50
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Rubus Navaho® Summerlong®
The summer’s biggest yields — and without thorns 🍇
- Thornless
- Long summer harvest
- Large sweet black fruit
- Upright sturdy growth
Rubus Navaho® Summerlong® combines upright thornless canes with large glossy blackberries that ripen in succession through summer. Its fruiting laterals carry several stages at once, from small green berries to deep dark fruit ready to pick. This changing display keeps the planting lively beyond a single harvest, while the rich flavour of fully ripe berries gives every visit to the garden another small pleasure to look forward to.
A supported row can define the edge of a fruit garden while keeping the berries within reach. Beside lower planting, its laden canes create a taller layer whose appearance changes as the harvest ripens.
What makes it special
‘Summerlong’ was selected for duration: large fruit, thornless canes and a steady harvest flow for around six weeks.
Sweet firm fruit
Large black berries combine good firmness with juicy fruity flesh.
Upright and thornless
A smooth cane surface and vertical habit simplify care in a narrow row.
Why you will love it: It provides frequent fresh picking through much of summer without scratches or difficult trailing canes.
In the garden & on the terracePositioning & plant combinationsA bright position with a fan on three wires, cool roots and free picking access.
Ideal position
Plant in sun or bright partial shade, allowing 1–1.5m between plants. In very hot areas choose morning sun.
Compatible combinations
Aromatic flowers, flat flower heads and low evergreen groundcover support insects and clear access.
- Agastache foeniculum — Purple aromatic spikes bring pollinators beside the summer row.
- Achillea millefolium — Flat white flowers create a light contrast and space for beneficial insects.
- Waldsteinia ternata — Low evergreen groundcover closes the front soil without entering the crown.
Care at a glance
Light
Sun or bright partial shade; afternoon protection during prolonged heat.
Water
Even moisture from flowering until the end of harvest.
Climate & hardiness
Good winter hardiness to about −20°C, with protection from cold drying wind.
Safety
Wash fully ripe fruit before eating.
Detailed careComplete care guideSoil, watering, support, feeding and cultivar-specific prevention.
Soil & roots
Plant in deep fertile soil that drains well yet stays cool. Add organic mulch around the roots without covering the cane bases.
Watering
Water deeply when the top few centimetres dry. Even moisture from flowering to harvest helps fruit fill uniformly.
Support & shape
Fan 4–6 last-year canes over three wires and tie new canes separately in the centre.
Feeding
In early spring add mature compost and a balanced fruit-plant feed according to its label. Avoid excess nitrogen.
Summer care
Mulch the roots, remove weeds by hand and pick frequently. During prolonged heat, provide light afternoon shade.
Prevent problems
Remove fruited canes as August ends, thin the centre and pick every two days.
From flower to basketFruiting & harvestSimple guidance on pollination, ripening, picking and protecting the crop.
Pollination
It is self-fertile and crops alone. Bees and bumblebees help large berries develop evenly.
When it ripens
It ripens successively from the second week of July into mid or late August.
How to harvest
Wait until fruit is fully black, loses a little of its high gloss and releases without pressure.
Fruit protection
Secure netting to a separate frame as fruit begins to colour and leave easy access.
After planting: tie the main cane, keep roots cool and allow new canes to reach the wires.
Clear pruning planHow to prune this fruiting plantImmediately after harvest, with a winter check of laterals
When to prune
Immediately after harvest, with a winter check of laterals
‘Summerlong’ fruits on canes grown the previous year. After the final picking remove only fruited canes at the base and tie new green canes into their place.
01
Build
New generation
Action: Train new green canes separately from fruiting ones.
Retain: Retain 4–6 strong new canes.
02
Train
Fruiting cane
Action: Spread last year’s canes over the wires and remove only overlong laterals.
Retain: Retain short well-lit laterals with flowers and fruit.
03
Renew
Changing generations
Action: After picking cut brown fruited canes at the base.
Retain: Tie green new canes to the vacant wires.
New / productive — retainOld or exhausted woodCut point
Clean tools
Use sharp, clean tools suited to the diameter of the wood.
Winter check
Renew ties and remove only broken or diseased wood.
Do not do this: Do not confuse new green canes with brown fruited ones; the green canes are next year’s harvest.
Development over timeHow the plant developsA realistic path from establishment to mature form.
New growth
New canes rise in the centre while last year’s canes open over the wires.
Flowers and fruit
Short laterals produce large black fruit successively for many weeks.
Mature renewal
After August fruited canes leave and new ones take over the fan.
Trained habit & dimensions
On support wiresHeight 2–3 mSpread 0.8–1.2 m
Trained spread; canes are opened out and tied to support.
Form through time
FloweringWhite flowers on fruiting laterals.
SummerFruit on older canes, new canes rising from the base.
The plant loses its leaves in winter; the perennial base or woody framework remains.
What to expect after planting: New canes rise in the centre while last year’s canes open over the wires.
History & originCultivar originSummerlong® in the Navaho® blackberry collection
Lubera offers Summerlong® in its Navaho® collection of upright, thornless blackberries. This selection provides successive ripening through summer, with large black fruit carried on strong canes.
The name Summerlong® accompanies that extended harvest period. Its exact parental cross and original selection date have not been published.
Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScientific details nobody asked forBotanical detail behind the plant's appearance and behaviour
Flowering laterals on second-year canes
New canes first develop as vegetative shoots. After winter, their lateral buds produce flowering growth. The presence of these fruiting axes alongside fresh replacement canes creates two distinct generations within the same crown.
Each drupelet starts from a separate ovary
A blackberry flower carries many small ovaries on the same receptacle. After fertilisation they form the drupelets of the aggregate fruit. Their development explains the blackberry’s textured surface and distinguishes it from a smooth, single berry.
Frequently asked questions
Six practical answers for choosing, growing, harvesting and pruning this cultivar.
01Does it need another plant?
It is self-fertile and crops alone. Bees and bumblebees help large berries develop evenly.
02How large does it become?
Its canes can reach 2–3 m high. The illustrated 0.8–1.2 m spread is an example of trained coverage on a support and varies with the way the canes are arranged.
03Is it suitable for a container?
Yes, in a very large container of 60 litres or more with a heavy stable frame to 2m.
04When is the fruit picked?
It ripens successively from the second week of July into mid or late August.
05Does it give a second autumn crop?
No. It is a summer cultivar with one long ripening period on last year’s canes.
06When should it be pruned?
Immediately after harvest remove brown fruited canes and spread the new ones.
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