Background

Polka was bred at the Fruit Experiment Station in Brzezna, Poland by Dr Jan Danek, one of the world's foremost raspberry breeders.

Hargreaves Plants holds the exclusive propagation rights to the variety in the UK as well as possessing many other exclusive sales territories, including North and South America.

Fruit Quality

Polka is well renowned for its fruit quality attributes.  Its flavour can be described as clean and fruity., with a convincing aroma.  Berries are large (an average of 6.6g in early tests), evenly conical, medium red with outstanding shelf life.

Brix tests carried out have shown Polka to average 11.7% sugar against 10.3% for Tulameen and 9.0% for Glen Ample.

Seasonality and Yield

Grower experience and experimental results from the Research Station in Tongeren, Belgium show Polka to be the earliest commercially accepted primocane variety.  This clearly gives the variety massive advantages in terms of continuity of supply into the market place.

Polka's yield is unquestionably high, which is certainly aided by its early start.  Experiments have shown the variety to yield 2.5kg per plant in ideal growing conditions.  Also, the variety came first in marketable yield with 96%.  These results were borne out in the commercial arena where yields of 20 tonnes per hectare can be achieved.

Agronomy

Hargreaves Plants has built up a wealth of knowledge on Polka and is very able to help in areas of cane types, agronomy, soil type, to planting density and feed regimes.

Market Acceptance

Polka is suitable for a whole range of market outlets.  From commercial sales and samplings over the past two seasons, the variety has gained wide retailer acceptability.

Plant Material

Hargreaves Plants can offer Polka in two formats; bare rooted standard canes and spring potted modules.

Fantastic Quality Fruit

At the prestigious and well-respected UK National Fruit Show held in Kent, Polka was selected as the leading raspberry variety available to all sectors of the growing industry for four consecutive years.  This is thought to be a record and shows that Polka has not only exceptional fruit quality, but also truly remarkable consistency.

GO FOR IT!!!

Grow Polka profitably

Yield results achieved in trials at Tongeren Fruit Research Station, Belgium