Description of blueberry varieties, how the berry grows, planting and care, cultivation and propagation

Gardeners often grow blueberry bushes in their summer cottages, which regularly produce juicy and tasty berries. Having figured out how blueberries grow in different conditions, it will be possible to create a favorable environment for the active and proper development of the berry crop.

General information about culture

Blueberries are compact and highly branched shrubs that belong to the Heather family. The crop tolerates winter cold easily and without consequences, which makes it possible to grow it even in the northern regions. In the wild, the berry grows in coniferous and mixed forests.

Popular varieties

Breeders are constantly developing new varieties of crops, and among the wide variety, it is difficult for novice gardeners to make a choice. When planning to grow blueberries, it is worth familiarizing yourself with popular varieties, which include the following:

1. Top Hut. The variety is a plant up to 40 cm high. The fruits are large, with juicy pulp and a pronounced aroma. Suitable for growing in open ground or at home.
2. Legacy. Tall bushes reach a length of 1.5-2 m. The berries are medium-sized, with a sweet taste. The variety is valued for its stable and high yield.
3. Bluecrop. The variety was obtained by crossing with blueberries. Productive shrubs bear up to 9 kg of medium-sized berries with a tart taste.
4. Spartan. The main advantage of the variety is the large size of the berries. The weight of one berry can reach 5 g. The variety is resistant to frost and is valued for its abundant fruiting.

Subtleties of cultivation

When planting blueberry bushes, you must follow the correct technology. To get a large harvest and ensure the active development of plantings, it is also important to prepare seedlings and a suitable place in the garden.

Choosing a time and place to land

Blueberries can be planted in the spring, after the likelihood of return frosts has disappeared, or in early autumn. In practice, plants planted in late September - early October take root best..

Garden culture loves semi-shaded places and high humidity levels. You can plant bushes in sunny areas, but you will need to additionally spray the ground part.

Preparation of planting material

When choosing seedlings, you need to pay attention to the roots. Plants with an open root system require special conditions for transportation and storage. It is recommended to give preference to two-year-old seedlings. Before planting in the ground, blueberry roots are soaked in water for 15-20 minutes.

If you plan to grow blueberries by seed, you first need to sort the planting material and select seeds without damage or rot. Selected planting material is disinfected in a weakly concentrated solution of potassium permanganate. The disinfection procedure can also be performed by heating at a temperature of 40 degrees. The seeds are then soaked for germination. The seed can be immediately transferred to the ground or started growing in separate pots on the windowsill.

Landing technology

Before planting the seedlings, holes measuring 1.5 x 1.5 m and a depth of about 60 cm are dug in the garden plot. The bottom of the soil is fertilized with organic fertilizers for the active development of roots. When growing on heavy soil, it is recommended to add river sand or rotted oak leaves to the soil mixture.

Prepared seedlings are placed in the center of the holes and sprinkled with earth. Then the plants are watered abundantly. If planting is carried out in the fall, depending on weather conditions, it may be necessary to use covering material for immature plants.

Care Tips

Regular and proper care is one of the main conditions for obtaining a good blueberry harvest.The berry crop requires standard agricultural practices, including watering, fertilizing, shaping, protective treatments and shelter from frost.

Fertilizer and fertilizing of crops

They begin to use fertilizers from the second year of seedling development, since annual plants do not need them. To fertilize blueberries, you should use organic and mineral fertilizers. Organic matter is added in late autumn using compost, bird droppings, rotted manure and peat chips. Mineral fertilizing is applied in the spring, after the snow cover has melted.

Nitroammophoska is best suited as a mineral fertilizer. When the bushes begin to bloom, it is allowed to use extraordinary fertilizing.

Watering

The roots of garden blueberries, located at a depth of 15-20 cm, develop under conditions of constant exposure to a moist environment. In summer, during periods of drought, the berry crop is watered 2 times a week, using a bucket of liquid for each bush. Watering is carried out monthly with an acidified solution to maintain optimal soil acidity. When performing abundant irrigation, it is important not to allow excess moisture, as this can lead to rotting of the roots and death of the plants..

Trimming

Garden and forest blueberries are characterized by a strong thickening of the above-ground part. The formation of bush blueberries is carried out annually, starting from the 3rd year of life. Plants are pruned so that flower buds are evenly spaced on the crown. Damaged, weak and diseased shoots are removed during the pruning process.

The tops of old branches are pinched, leaving 5-6 buds on them, which helps to increase the size of the berries. Mature shoots that bear fruit for more than 4 years are cut off at the root.Shrubs older than 15 years need radical shaping - the top is completely cut off, leaving a stem no more than 25 cm high, which helps to intensively rejuvenate the planting.

Pruning should be done in early spring before the buds swell or in the fall, after the leaves fall. Plants grown in the garden at the dacha and plantings that are intended for development at home need pruning.

Wintering

Frost-resistant types of berry crops do not need to be covered for the winter. In this case, blueberries may suffer from returning spring frosts. To prevent the death of plants, you should use a covering material, which is thick fabric, burlap or opaque polyethylene film. To shelter large shrubs for the winter, you will need to use supports that will help hold the material.

Diseases and pests

Unfavorable environmental conditions or violation of care rules lead to an invasion of harmful insects. Most often, scale insects and aphids appear in garden plots with blueberries. Sucking parasites absorb sap from leaves and stems. Large insects can be removed by hand, and to combat small pests, spraying with insecticidal preparations is carried out, for example:

• "Aktellik";
• "Aktara";
• "Inta-Vir".

For preventive purposes, after the leaves fall, it is necessary to clear the area around the bush from plant debris. With the onset of spring, it is recommended to carry out preventive spraying of plantings.

Also, berry crops can be affected by diseases caused by fungi. These diseases include: rust, gray mold and miscosphereliasis. Signs of damage are:

• the appearance of spots and holes on the leaves;
• rotting of roots and above-ground parts of plants;
• crushing berries;
• general depressed state of the bushes.

You can save blueberries from diseases using fungicides. Infections at the primary stage of development can be easily eliminated only by treatment with drugs. In advanced cases, several treatments and pruning of damaged parts of the bushes may be required.

Plant propagation: methods

Blueberries are propagated in a summer cottage in several ways. Common options include rooting cuttings and sowing seeds.

Cuttings

In order for plants to propagate by cuttings, it is necessary to prepare planting material from adult bushes. To do this, select the most powerful bushes and cut off healthy branches from them for cuttings. The material is then placed in containers with peat and watered regularly. With the onset of autumn, the cuttings are rooted into prepared planting holes.

Seeds

To obtain seeds for propagating blueberries, you need to mash the ripe berries and rinse the resulting pulp in water. When immersed in water, the seeds will float to the surface. The seed material is dried, disinfected and planted in pots with peat. Before transplanting plants to a permanent location, you can germinate them at home.

Features of planting in different regions of Russia

When planning to plant blueberries, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the specifics of growing in a particular region. It is important to take into account climatic conditions, humidity levels and soil type. The Moscow region, the central part of the country and other regions are characterized by individual conditions.

Harvest

Harvest time is in August-September.Ripe berries are collected from plants by hand, and when grown on an industrial scale, by mechanization.

How to prepare

To preserve the beneficial characteristics of the berries for a long time, you can prepare blueberries for the winter. To do this, the berries are washed, ground with sugar, the resulting mixture is placed in sterilized glass jars and hermetically sealed. The berries can also be used to make compote, jelly and eaten fresh.