Description and characteristics of the Spartan blueberry variety, planting and care rules

Spartan blueberries are one of the favorite crops of the CIS residents. A variety of juicy berries is easily grown in a private garden or industrial plantations. In order to plant a crop safely and achieve a bountiful harvest, you should familiarize yourself with all the nuances.

History of selection

Blueberries became popular in 1977 and were introduced to the United States. During the development of the variety, wild varieties of blueberry bushes growing in the swampy areas of North America were used. In the countries of the former USSR, the variety has gained recognition since the late 1990s. Spartan blueberries are loved by gardeners because of their early ripening, rich taste of fruits and ease of care.

Pros and cons of Spartan blueberries

The blueberry variety offers a number of positive and negative aspects. They will help you make your choice.

Characteristics and description of blueberries

Distinctive features of the variety:

• pale bluish color;
• round shape of berries;
• average weight is 1.6 grams;
• fruit size – from 16 to 18 mm;
• the pulp is dense.

Blueberries have a pleasant taste and smell good. Tasters rated the taste of the fruit at 4.3 points.

Bush and root system

Blueberry variety Spartan is a deciduous perennial bush, growing up to 1.5-2 meters high. The shoots are strong and erect. The leaves are simple, elongated, dark green in color. Young foliage is bright green, turning red in September. The shrub serves as a garden decoration in the fall.

The rhizome is branched, fibrous, and lies 40 cm deep. The root system grows as the earth warms up and until the end of spring.Afterwards, its growth stops and resumes after the onset of autumn. When the temperature drops, the roots stop growing. Flowers form at the ends of branches. The buds are located along the entire length of the shoots. Each one produces 5-10 flowers.

Crop ripening and fruiting of Spartan blueberries

Blueberries begin to bear fruit within 3 weeks, from mid-July. During the ripening period, the crop is harvested in 3 approaches. You can remove the berries from the bushes when they become fully colored. Fruits collected in 1-2 approaches have the best presentation; they are the largest. From one bush you can pick about 6 kilograms. The first berries are harvested in the 3-4th year of the crop’s life; a stable harvest is observed in the 6-8th year. The plant blooms quite late.

How to use blueberries

Spartan blueberries can be used universally; fruits are grown from them for fresh consumption or for winter storage. The berries make delicious vitamin teas and are added to baked goods. Due to their beneficial properties, blueberries are added to medicinal decoctions, mixtures and infusions are prepared. The rich taste is not lost after freezing or heat treatment. The aroma remains unforgettable, sweet and fresh.

Bush resistance to sub-zero temperatures and drought

The berries do not dry out and can withstand the scorching sun and short-term cyclones. The bush can normally exist at an air temperature of at least -30 degrees. If the frosts are long, it is better to cover it for the winter. The crop does not like drought and can withstand it only for short periods.

Resistance to diseases and pests

Blueberries are famous for their powerful immunity to moniliosis, the death of branches. If preventive treatments are not carried out, there is a high risk of attack by harmful insects on the variety.

Blueberry planting algorithm

Before planting blueberries, prepare the seedlings, pits, and fertilize the soil. Work must be done within a certain time frame, taking into account a suitable location. After planting, mulch the area around the bush. The variety does not require special planting technologies; it is only important to follow the rules.

Recommended dates for planting

It is better to do planting work in March, before the sap flows. Then the seedling will have time to take root before frost. In the South, the crop can be planted in the fall if the air temperature is above 10 degrees Celsius. In the northern regions and central zone, it is advisable to plant the berries in the spring, as severe frosts will destroy the young seedling.

Deciding on a place to plant blueberries

In order to collect 6 kg of crop from a bush in the future, you need to worry about choosing the right place on the plot.

1. The site should not be low, clayey, or swampy. Constant stagnation of water at the rhizome is fraught with inhibition of their growth and deterioration in the taste of the fruit.
2. The place should be well lit; blueberries love sunlight. Then the berries will be more tasty. It is also possible to plant a bush in partial shade, but its growth will slow down, the yield and the concentration of sugars in the berries will decrease.
3. Blueberries do not like to “live” in places where other crops used to live. The bushes may die or grow poorly.
4. The planting site should be well protected from drafts; winds are especially dangerous in winter.

You should not plant blueberries next to trees, they will block the sun's rays.

Preparing the soil and pit

Blueberries prefer to grow in humus-rich, light soils with an acidity level of pH 3.5-4.5. There should be a distance of 1.5 meters between the bushes, and 2.5-3 between the rows. For industrial purposes, a different crop cultivation scheme is practiced.The distance between shrubs is 1 meter, and 2.5 between the beds.

The hole is filled with an organic mixture consisting of 30% humus, 30% high peat. The rest includes rotted litter of pine forest, pine needles, bark, and river sand. The planting material is taken out of the container and the rhizome is straightened. It should not be gathered into a ball or bent.

The seedling is immersed in the ground 2-3 cm deeper than it grew in the container and watered. The tree trunk circumference is mulched with peat, rotted bark, and needles. The layer creates nutrition for the mycorrhiza, the crop itself, and keeps the soil loose and moist from drying out.

Preparing seedlings

When choosing a seedling, you should pay attention to 2-year-old specimens with a closed rhizome. This seedling is located in a pot. It’s convenient to buy them because you don’t have to rush with planting work. If planting is delayed, water the seedlings with settled water.

Before planting, prepare the material in this way:

• place in a clay mash for 15 minutes;
• Remove the blueberries from the container, inspect the rhizome, and straighten them with your hands.

If you ignore the last point, the roots may not break through the dense earthen ball and die.

Technology and planting scheme

Spartan blueberries should be grown according to the following rules:

• dig a hole in the plot with a diameter of 60 and 50 cm deep;
• Pour a drainage layer of crushed stone and pebbles onto the bottom of the hole, place the prepared substrate on top to form a mound;
• carefully plant the seedling on a hill, straightening the root system and covering it with soil;

Water the planting material, cover the ground with peat, straw and bark in a 5 cm layer.

How to care for a blueberry bush

Caring for blueberries does not require much effort.It consists of the following aspects:

• timely watering;
• fertilizer;
• pruning;
• weeding;
• mulching.

Covering the bush for the winter is also required.

Watering and fertilizing

Blueberries love moisture and require constant watering. Irrigation is especially important in the summer, when the berries begin to ripen and flower buds begin to form. If the crop lacks moisture, the harvest will be poor. Water the bushes 2 times a week. For 1 adult plant, 1 bucket of water is required, in the morning and after sunset. In hot weather, you can spray the leaves with a spray bottle, but when the sun goes down.

The bush easily takes root in scanty areas and produces a lot of fruit. It is advisable to feed the culture with mineral fertilizers. You can buy them ready-made; complex fertilizers for conifers, heathers and rhododendrons are suitable. It is advisable to feed blueberries in the spring, before the buds swell.

With each year of the bush's life, increase the number of tablespoons by 1. Two-year-old blueberries are fertilized with 1 tablespoon. feeding, 5-year-old - 8, 6-year-old - 16. The variety does not need to be fertilized with manure, humus, or chicken feces.

Loosening and mulching blueberry beds

Mulching and regular loosening of the soil are required for bushes to thrive. The mulch layer should be 2-10 cm. Take spruce branches, straw, rotted leaves, sawdust. After the procedure, young bushes grow slowly, as living bacteria decompose the fresh layer of mulch and draw out useful nitrogen components from the soil. This problem can be avoided by adding additional nitrogen supplements.

Loosen carefully so as not to damage the rhizome. It is not worth weeding the circle often, as this will cause the bush to dry out.

Formative pruning of the bush

Young blueberry bushes under 4 years old require sanitary pruning. Plants older than 3-4 years can be pruned for the purpose of formation. The bushes have a spreading form; the lateral branches that are hanging and the central shoots begin to be cut off. It is important to form the maximum number of axial branches. The force of pruning affects fertility patterns. The weaker it is, the greater the harvest, but the berries will be small. Otherwise, the fruits will grow large, but in smaller quantities.

During manipulation, follow these rules.

1. Light pruning involves cutting out dead and damaged branches and old shoots that do not produce new growth. This pruning involves removing those branches that are located near the surface of the soil.
2. After 4 years of life, remove spreading branches near the surface of the ground every year. It is necessary to leave erect shoots.

Avoid thickening the bush by removing old and damaged shoots.

Preventative treatment of blueberries

Preventive pruning of bushes involves removing growth in the lower part. Shoots older than 6 years are also excised, leaving 3 to 5 of the largest specimens. Preventive pruning stimulates growth and increases yield. The event takes place in November or spring before the growing season.

Wintering the bush

Provided that blueberries are properly planted and cared for, they will survive the winter well. If we are talking about the Moscow region, the plant does not need shelter. In autumn, 100 g of superphosphate is added under it. Young seedlings are insulated with agronomic fiber and pine needles. A layer of snow is thrown on top.

What to do with the harvest

The blueberry crop is harvested by hand or mechanically. The berries are frozen, dried or processed into blanks.Due to its thick skin, the variety tolerates long-term storage. The fruits are kept in a refrigerator.

Reviews about the variety

Feedback from gardeners about the Spartan blueberry variety is positive. They indicate that the variety is worthy of cultivation, it is easy to care for, and the bushes do not freeze in the climatic conditions of winter in the CIS countries.

Ekaterina Vasilievna, 57 years old, Samara

I found out about Spartan blueberries on one of the country forums and decided to try it for myself. I had to tinker with it for a couple of years, it doesn’t like frosts, it requires attention and care, just like everyone else. But then my worries paid off for me with a generous harvest. I advise everyone to get acquainted with this interesting variety.

Dima, 32 years old, Sverdlovsk region.

It so happened that I inherited from my parents a dacha where, among other things, Spartan blueberries grew. I haven’t noticed any particular problems with care; the variety is responsive to fertilizer and loves warmth. The harvest is good, I like the taste, in general everything is quite satisfactory.