Description of the Patriot blueberry variety, planting, cultivation and care

The Patriot blueberry variety is widely grown for industrial purposes in America, Australia and Europe. The berry variety has gained popularity in the CIS countries. Blueberries are a tall species, yielding up to 10 kilograms per bush. To get a decent harvest, before planting it is important to familiarize yourself with all the nuances of selecting seedlings, caring for them, harvesting fruits and storing them.

Description and characteristics of the variety

Blueberry Patriot is a mid-early ripening variety. Flowering begins at the end of May. Since the second half of July, active yields have been observed. The garden is decorated with flowering blueberry bushes, the inflorescences hanging in caps from the branches.

Description of the Patriot blueberry variety:

1. The bush produces a harvest 5-6 years after planting, once a year.
2. The variety is self-fertile and does not require pollinators. According to experienced summer residents, the presence of several trees of a different variety on a plot, for example: Bluecrop, Toro, Elizabeth, can increase the level of fruiting by 40%.
3. The shrub is characterized as slightly spreading and straight. Due to this, the density of planting per 1 square meter slightly increases. Then it will be possible to freely harvest without bending the branches.
4. The average yield of Patriot blueberries is about 5 kilograms per bush. Fruiting is observed from May to July.
5. The plant is resistant to pests and diseases.

Flowering lasts up to 55 days, the crop is classified as decorative fruit bushes. About 90% of flowers become berries when they ripen.

Positive and negative sides of the Patriot dove

The blueberry variety offers a number of pros and cons. They will help you make sure of your choice.

Rules for growing berries

The Patriot blueberry species prefers garden, sandy soil and loam.The bush grows best in acidic, aerated soil, easily warmed by sunlight and containing at least 3% humus. Groundwater should not rise to 70 centimeters. It is advisable to take care in advance about the drainage of excess moisture from the bush.

The acidity of the soil should be 4.2-4.5 pH. A higher level entails an increased risk of fungal infection. The bush's metabolic processes deteriorate, nitrogen digestibility decreases, and susceptibility to chlorosis increases. If the acidity of the soil decreases to pH 6, Patriot blueberries die.

When to plant?

The best period for planting seedlings is spring, until mid-April, or autumn, in mid-October. In northern latitudes, it is advisable to give preference to spring planting. Autumn planting allows you to adapt to winter and new conditions; in the spring, more active growth of the bush is observed. Patriot blueberry seedlings with a closed rhizome can be planted in open soil throughout the season.

Selection of seedlings

Planting material for Patriot blueberries should be purchased from trusted sellers, at the market or in a special store. It is necessary to choose the right seedlings:

• do not buy seedlings with bare roots, they dry out quickly;
• inspect the appearance, the seedling should be undamaged, rich green in color.

If the seedlings selected are of poor quality and stale, the bush may not take root.

Dates, place and stages of planting

Blueberry Patriot prefers places where the sun constantly shines and there are rarely drafts and winds. It is better to plant it next to a fence or outbuildings, they protect from windy gusts. If the bush grows in partial shade, the yield decreases, the berries become smaller, and their taste is less sweet. It is better to grow berries in elevated areas and dig trenches in advance to drain the liquid.If we are talking about predecessors, they should be perennial grasses. The plant should not be planted after crops fertilized with organic matter.

Stages of planting Patriot blueberries.

1. Dig a hole 45 centimeters deep and 1 meter in diameter.
2. Spread a strong film or tarpaulin on the ground, mix the substrate for filling. Pour high-moor peat, river sand, and rotted pine needles onto the prepared surface and stir.
3. Fill the hole with the prepared mixture, without compacting it too much. Young bushes should be deepened to 10 centimeters.
4. Before planting, immerse the root system in water for 1 hour.
5. Straighten the roots, make a hole in the center of the hole corresponding to their size. Place them horizontally. The planting depth is 2-3 centimeters lower than the previous level.
6. Pour acidified water - 100 ml of 9% table vinegar per 10 liters of water.

Mulch with peat, dust, pine needles and a mixture of these components. The height of the shelter should be 10 centimeters.

Subtleties of crop care

The Patriot blueberry variety is practically no different in terms of care from other varieties of berries.

1. Water in a timely manner, irrigate the leaves in hot weather.
2. Fertilize at the appropriate time with suitable fertilizers.
3. Trim, form a bush.
4. Cover shrubs for the winter, protecting them from freezing.
5. Treat against pests and diseases.
6. As the bush grows, you should expand the hole, digging around the circumference, adding acidic soil. It is important not to damage the root system. An adult bush occupies 1.5 meters of land, as do its roots.
7. Near the blueberries, remove all weeds with a hoe, loosen the soil no deeper than 3 centimeters. Weeds inhibit the growth of the bush and take useful elements from the soil.
8. As the soil subsides, add mulch and hill up the bushes.

These tips will help you grow fruitful bushes that produce ripe, juicy and sweet berries.

Watering

If the groundwater in the plot runs deeper than 60 centimeters from the surface, you need to water the berries often - 2 times a week, 2 buckets each. Pour liberally at the root. Divide the daily dose into 2 doses, morning and evening. If it is not possible to visit the dacha so often, you can install drip irrigation. In hot weather, irrigate Patriot blueberry leaves after 16.00.

Top dressing

Patriot blueberries should be fertilized with an acidifying form of nitrogen, a mineral complex: 50% in March, 25% before flowering, 25% during the formation of the ovary. Experienced gardeners feed the plant 2 times a year: before pollen and at harvest. You can buy special fertilizer for azaleas. The dosage of liquid fertilizers depends on the degree of soil moisture. Usually 5-10 liters are used per 1 adult bush.

Beginning summer residents are recommended to immediately buy ready-made fertilizer and dilute it strictly in accordance with the instructions.

Formation and pruning of the bush

Start pruning in the 3rd year of the bush’s life.

1. Lightening is carried out in the center, gradually moving to other parts.
2. The growth is cut out at the base - up to 40 centimeters.
3. It is necessary to leave 5-7 shoots.
4. Bushy, small growths, weakened and diseased branches should be excised.
5. After 5 years from planting, pruning becomes more complicated by removing old branches.
6. After 10-15 years of blueberry life, its fertility will decrease and the berries will become smaller. To restore previous productivity, you should cut off the entire bush near the ground, leaving only the root system. Due to rejuvenating pruning, shoot growth is activated.

In 2-3 years, Patriot blueberries will again produce a lot of large fruit.

If blueberry bushes are pruned correctly and promptly, they will live for about 100 years. All manipulations should be carried out in March, before pollen begins.

Wintering

Patriot blueberries are frost-resistant, but to prevent freezing, it is better to mulch the bush before the first frost. Spunbond is used for covering, with spruce branches on top. Young, low bushes should be completely wrapped in air-permeable material. Press branches over 1 meter high to the ground and insulate them in the same way.

Pathologies and pests

Patriot blueberries are famous for their stable immunity to pathologies and pests, especially late blight and root rot. If the plant is affected by necrotic spotting, dwarfism, mosaic or netting of branches, it must be removed and burned. You can protect the blueberry bush from birds using a net or scarecrow. Pests are eliminated with fungicides and insecticides.

Breeding the variety

There are 3 main methods of propagating Patriot blueberries:

• by seeds - a long and labor-intensive process, usually used to obtain new varieties;
• cuttings are the most convenient option; they can be harvested in the fall;
• layering - produces a small amount of planting material, but there are no difficulties in rooting the resulting bushes.

For inexperienced gardeners, it is better to propagate Patriot blueberries by cuttings.

Harvesting: how to store, what to prepare

The harvest begins in mid-July.

1. The fruits ripen unevenly and are picked in several stages.
2. The first berries will be large, but by the end of the harvest they will become smaller. The dense peel makes storage and transportation safe.
3. In the refrigerator, in an airtight container, the Patriot variety is stored in its original form for about 2 weeks, and frozen for a whole year.
4. It is advisable to consume the first berries fresh, and from small blueberries - make jam, compotes, jams, candied fruits, and use them in baking.

If the harvest of fruits is delayed for certain reasons, they will not fall off quickly. Within 2 weeks you need to have time to pick the blueberries.