Characteristics and description of Erliblue blueberries, planting and care

Erliblue blueberries are considered one of the healthiest berries due to their high vitamin content. The variety is characterized by early fruiting and high resistance to frost. Due to its early ripening, it is actively used in the fresh berry market, as it better retains its quality during storage and transportation compared to late varieties. Let's consider the advantages and disadvantages of the variety and learn how to properly plant and care.

History of variety development

Erliblue was bred by breeders in the mid-twentieth century in North America, after which the variety came to the Soviet Union. In modern times, fruit crops are grown mainly in European countries.

Pros and cons of culture

The main advantage of Erliblue blueberries is their taste. The berries have a pleasant sweet taste. After ripening, the fruits are able to remain intact for a long time. In addition, Erliblue is characterized by high resistance to frost and immunity to powdery mildew..

The main disadvantage of the plant can be considered its pickiness to the type of soil. The soil for planting should contain a large amount of humus and have an acidity in the region of 3.5-4.5. Also, the bushes are sensitive to gusts of wind, and the berries do not have the best transportability.

Description and characteristics of Erliblue blueberries

Erliblue is a medium-sized blueberry variety characterized by early fruiting. Its fruits are characterized by a pleasant sweet and sour taste and the presence of a large amount of vitamins.

Bush and root system

The Erliblue variety belongs to the medium-sized type. The stems are of medium length. Vertical shoots reach a height of one and a half meters. The leaves are elliptical in shape and dark green in color. The leaves of young bushes have a pinkish tint. Blueberries do not need frequent pruning and reproduce without problems.

All about flowering and fruiting

The ripening period of the plant begins in early July. Blueberries are blue in color with a dark blue bloom, spherical, reaching from one and a half to two centimeters in diameter. The average weight of the berry is two grams. From the first fruiting to the last, the fruits gradually become smaller. They have a sweet and sour taste.

Erliblue is characterized by irregular fruiting, which, according to many gardeners, is its disadvantage. On average, the yield per bush is from 4 to 7 kilograms, but in some seasons it can drop to two. This often occurs in five-year-old bushes due to thickening or improper feeding.

Useful properties and uses of berries

The berries of the plant have a beneficial effect on the heart, blood vessels, normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and slow down the aging of the body.

Blueberry fruits have beneficial effects on eye health. Eating blueberries relieves eyestrain and helps restore visual acuity.

Blueberries contain pectins, which remove radiation from the body. Therefore, this berry is valued by workers in hazardous industries.

Resistance to diseases and pests

Despite the fact that blueberries are slightly susceptible to diseases, the choice of low-quality seedlings and soil can provoke infection. Erliblue blueberries are immune to powdery mildew, but are susceptible to gray rot, a fungus that attacks the above-ground part of the plant and causes rotting of the fruit. In addition, improper growing conditions can cause brown rot, anthracnose, and white spot.

Of the insect pests, the greatest danger to blueberries is aphids. Aphids feed on the sap of a young plant, deform leaves and shoots, and contribute to the spread of mold.In addition, parasites such as the white butterfly and leaf gall midge cause harm to the plant.

Resistance to low temperatures and drought

Erliblue has high resistance to frost and the ability to recover after freezing. Usually she does not need additional shelter for the winter. The only exceptions are regions where low temperatures in winter can last for a long time. In addition, blueberries are drought-resistant.

How to plant blueberries

The most important condition for planting blueberries is to maintain the acidity of the soil. In addition, it is necessary to choose the right place for planting - the plant must receive a sufficient amount of sunlight and heat.

Timing and preparation of planting material

The optimal time for planting Erliblue blueberries is autumn and early spring. In addition to Erliblu, it is recommended to grow several different varieties of crops on the site at once. This principle will contribute to earlier ripening of fruits.

Soak the pots of seedlings in water for ten minutes before planting to saturate the root system. Then remove the plants from the pots and mash the roots. When planting in the ground, it is recommended to deepen the seedling into the soil about five centimeters above the level that the soil reached in the pot.

Creating soil for blueberries

Before planting seedlings in the ground, measure the pH of the soil. Blueberries of any variety prefer soil with an acidity ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 pH. In order to create soil with the necessary acidity on your site, use foliage, sawdust, peat and other materials.

To avoid waterlogging, seedlings should not be planted on low ground.This is fraught with a lack of oxygen and excess moisture, as a result of which the roots of the plant will begin to rot and die. For the same reason, clay soils should be avoided.

Blueberries need to be grown in a place well lit by the sun. In the shade, the crop will produce less yield, and it will have lower taste and beneficial properties.

For planting seedlings, prepare holes 60 centimeters wide and 40-50 deep, filled with soil of the required acidity. The distance between seedlings should be one meter, and between adjacent rows - at least two meters.

Planting blueberries on a ridge

When planting in the ground, dig a trench one meter wide and ten centimeters deep. Peat with pine needles, sawdust or sand is poured into the trench as a substrate. You should not add alkaline fertilizers, such as manure or humus, to the soil, since blueberries only thrive in acidic soil. The substrate is filled with a mound and a bush is planted on top of it. After planting, the bush must be watered.

Planting in special wells

To plant blueberries using this method, you must first dig trenches or holes 40 centimeters deep and 60 to 150 centimeters wide. Fill the holes with substrate. Before planting seedlings in containers, they need to be soaked in water for half an hour.

Planting plants in containers

Blueberries are great for growing in specialized containers. In pots and containers it is much easier to provide the soil acidity necessary for the plant than in open ground.

There should be holes for drainage at the bottom of the planting container. The dimensions of the container itself should be 5-10 times larger than the size of the plant’s root ball. It is better for the container to be large in width, since the blueberry root system spreads out wide.

Features of crop care

Garden blueberries require proper care, which consists of timely, regular watering, feeding the bushes with the necessary fertilizers, sanitary pruning and treatment for diseases and pests.

Watering and using fertilizers

Blueberries require proper and regular watering. Moisture at the roots should not stagnate for long, but its lack also harms the plant. The bushes should be watered two days a week, morning and evening, one bucket at a time. Blueberry productivity directly depends on watering. In hot weather, the plant should be sprayed to protect it from overheating.

In early spring, mineral fertilizers should be added to the soil. Organic fertilizers for blueberries are contraindicated. Nitrogen fertilizers should be added to the soil three times a season. In summer and autumn, add 100 grams of phosphorus fertilizer to the soil once.

Mulching and loosening beds

Sawdust is best suited for mulching beds, as it helps retain moisture and decomposes slowly. The thickness of the coating should be equal to one decimeter. Mulch must be laid around the bush within a radius of 50 centimeters. The procedure is carried out once after landing. Afterwards, the coating is changed if necessary if it begins to rot and deteriorate.

Formative pruning

Erliblue blueberries generally do not require annual pruning. Starting from the third year, sanitary pruning of the bushes is carried out - root growths are shortened, strong main branches are formed. The strongest shoots should be left. Weak shoots are eliminated. Starting from the age of six, the bushes undergo anti-aging pruning: old, outdated shoots are removed and young, fruit-bearing ones are left.

Preventive treatment of the bush

To prevent diseases and pests in early spring, treat plants with Bordeaux mixture. Remove damaged branches in a timely manner, prune blueberries in time to allow air circulation. After harvesting, the bushes should be treated with fungicides.

Wintering

The Erliblue variety is highly frost-resistant, so it practically does not need additional shelter for the winter, except in areas with very low, prolonged winter temperatures. In winter, the soil should be mulched using pine needles or bark.

In cold regions, non-woven fiber can be used to cover blueberries after pressing the branches to the ground with bricks or pieces of wood. First of all, shelter is needed to protect the plant from burns on sunny frosty days, since at night during this period the branches freeze very much, and during the day they heat up sharply. Because of this, cracks form on the branches.

Propagation of blueberries

Garden blueberries are propagated using seeds, cuttings and layering. Propagation by seeds is used mainly by breeders; this method is not suitable for summer cottages, since it is a long and labor-intensive process.

Reproduction by layering also takes a lot of time. Therefore, the cutting method is more often used. For this purpose, woody and semi-woody cuttings are used.

Plant propagation by cuttings occurs due to the formation of new adventitious roots from plant tissues of the stem. Shoots grow from existing buds.

Woody cuttings are harvested in winter; annual shoots are chosen for this. They are cut and formed into bunches, which are put aside until the time comes to root them.Woody cuttings should be stored in the refrigerator or cellar. Most often, woody cuttings are prepared for transfer over long distances and planting for the next season.

Semi-lignified cuttings are harvested in mid-summer. To make them, young shoots of the plant are torn off, along with a small piece of last year’s bark. The leaves on the cuttings are cut to about a quarter. The lower part of the shoot is treated with preparations for root growth. The cuttings should be planted so that the remaining leaves on them do not touch each other.

Before the cuttings are completely rooted, the plant should be watered regularly and provided with oxygen.

Reviews about the variety

Many gardeners positively note the taste and beneficial qualities of Erliblue berries and its ability to bear the first fruits. However, the variety has obvious disadvantages - poor transportability, compared to late varieties, and a long fruiting period. It is also worth noting the unevenness of fruiting - in different years the plant produces different yields.