Who does not want to harvest blueberries on their plot? To the greatest joy of gardeners and gardeners, breeders have bred many varieties of this fruit shrub, and now the juicy berry pleases with its taste not only residents of the northern regions, but also the southern ones. Planting and caring for garden blueberries requires some effort and skill, and if everything is done correctly, the result will fully justify itself.

We are accustomed to thinking that blueberries are a low-growing shrub that grows in the cool wetlands of the North. But in reality, this name hides a number of different varieties that are cultivated almost everywhere today.

Blueberries can be divided into two types:

• Common blueberry (swamp, marsh)- this is the same berry that is found in the wild in northern latitudes. Its reproduction successfully takes place in the conditions of the Urals and Siberia, where it grows well among coniferous and mixed forests in damp, flooded places.
• Blueberry garden- comes from North America and it is she who mainly grows in the cultural conditions of our country. The height of this shrub can reach up to 3 m, and the size of the berries is several times larger than that of the "wild". One bush yields up to 6-7 kg.

Blueberry breeding in America began 100 years ago. And only half a century later, the best varieties were finally bred, numbering more than 45 today.

To grow blueberries at home, you need to focus on the precocity of varieties. The fruiting of some begins too late for the region, others are distinguished by an early harvest.

Taking into account the climatic zones, American blueberry varieties are divided into the following groups:

• northern tall blueberry, resistant to frost and does not require shelter for the winter. Varieties of this group are bred for regions with severe weather conditions. The most popular are Coville, Herbert, Elizabeth, Toro.
• Southern tall blueberry, drought-resistant, but not tolerant of frost. Known varieties: Northland, Bluecrop, Bluray, Berkeley, Patriot, Ashy.
• medium blueberry- varieties of this group are bred on the basis of Canadian narrow-leaved blueberries, which are distinguished by a short growing season. Blueberry narrow-leaved is very resistant to sudden changes in the weather, winter-hardy, undemanding to the soil. The best varieties are Chandler, Aurora, Liberty.
• Blueberry Ashy- It is also called "rabbit eye". This is a group of varieties obtained from blueberries. It is drought tolerant and hardy in poor soils. The growing season is very long, so they are planted mainly in the south of the country.

Blueberries are self-pollinating and for its productivity it is better if several varieties are planted in one area at once.

Preparing for landing

Blueberries are a demanding crop. It just won't work to plant it. She needs attention and certain conditions for growth. With proper care, the culture will delight the summer resident for more than 20 years. You can plant it in the autumn, but it is better in the spring. Then the plant will have enough time to get stronger for the first upcoming wintering.

Choosing good seedlings

Usually two- and three-year-old seedlings are planted. These are small bushes growing in containers or in pots with acidic soil. An open root system is unacceptable, since a saprophyte fungus lives in symbiosis with the plant, helping to absorb nutrients.

If the seedlings have leaves, they should be free of spots and holes, and the bark should be even in color. The shrub must be grown in the same climate zone where it is sold. So it will be adapted to the environment and take root faster.

If a seedling with young, non-lignified branches was bought, such a plant may freeze in the ground in winter. It is better to let him spend the winter in the basement at low temperatures and land in the spring, when the frosts pass. The yield of blueberries directly depends on the growing conditions.

Good and strong blueberry bush

Choosing the best place to land

Growing conditions for cultivated blueberries are very different from the requirements of common blueberries. Garden berry prefers well-lit, open spaces with deep groundwater (at least half a meter) and wind protection.

Unlike the wild sister in dark, damp places, she will not give a good harvest and will begin to degenerate over time. It is ideal if the place for future planting has rested from other crops for several years: blueberries do not like their predecessors.

Wind protection is a must. This is because the branches of the culture rub against each other from the air currents, the bark is injured and an infection is introduced. The bush is sick. Berries lose their qualities and are stored worse.

preparing the ground

Soil requirements are serious. This is because blueberries absolutely do not like neutral and alkaline Ph. She needs acidic soil, with a Ph value of up to 3.5, and at the same time light, aerated, without stagnant water. It can be a peat bog, a peat bog with sandy loam or loam - the main thing is that the earth "breathes" and its acidity corresponds to the required one.

To check the Ph level, you can use a special device.

If it is not available, a simple litmus test will do, which is dropped into the ground for a few minutes. The result is judged by the change in its color. Another way to determine acidity is to test with vinegar. To do this, take a portion of the soil and pour acetic acid into it. If at the same time a reaction occurs as when soda is quenched, then the soil needs to be acidified. The absence of a reaction indicates its normal acidity for blueberries.

How to acidify the soil? To do this, pour half a glass of 9% vinegar into a bucket of water and irrigate the area with the resulting solution. Citric, oxalic acid with the calculation of 3 tbsp is also suitable. to a bucket of water. You can use sulfur for acidification.

With acidification, the main thing is not to overdo it. After each procedure, you need to check the pH of the soil, the norm for blueberries is 3.5-4.5 Ph. If the soil is clayey or purely peaty, for better crop growth, it is mixed with some sand to facilitate.

Planting seedlings

Usually blueberries are planted in rows in pre-prepared holes or in raised raised ridges. The depth of the planting holes should be 0.5-0.6 m, the gap between them should be 0.8-1.2 m, the row spacing should be 1.5-3 m. The blueberry needs space and individual conditions, so the neighborhood of trees and other shrubs are undesirable.

A pit for planting is prepared with a diameter of up to 0.8 m. Its walls are slightly loosened for aeration, and drainage from crushed stone or expanded clay is laid out on the bottom.

Then a mixture is prepared from pine or spruce needles, coniferous bark (mushroom root loves it) and twigs, rotted sawdust, acidified peat and a small amount of sand. For additional acidification add 3 tbsp. sulfur or ammonium sulfate (10 gr. per 10 l.). The resulting mass is well mixed, filled with a pit "with a slide" and rammed a little. The landing site is ready.

No organic fertilizers are required as they alkalize the soil. Peat, if desired, is replaced with earth from a pine forest.

Blueberry planting technology

Planting technology is the same for spring and autumn planting. The difference exists only in the preparation of the seedling. In autumn, all weak branches are cut off from the biennial bush, and the stronger ones are cut in half. Three-year-old pruning is no longer needed. Planting blueberries is carried out as follows:

Garden blueberry care

Care for blueberries is required in the same way as for other horticultural crops. To do this, the following activities are carried out regularly:

Loosening and removing weeds

First of all, young seedlings are protected from weeds. They are removed at the first detection, preventing them from growing. You should also periodically, but not too often, loosen the soil around the planting along with the mulch layer. Loosening depth - 6-8 cm, it is not worth it deeper, because the root system can be damaged. For the entire growing season, mulch is poured 2-3 times.

Watering

You need to water, but you can not overdo it - garden blueberries in conditions of high humidity may die. The irrigation scheme must be developed taking into account the local climate, but most often it is watered in the morning and evening every 2-3 days.

One bucket of water is enough for one bush, half a bucket for a young seedling. In the hot season, plants can be additionally sprayed.

Particular attention should be paid to watering during the period of ripening berries. At this time, future flower buds are being laid, so insufficient water will lead to a poor harvest next season. About once every two weeks, the culture is watered with acidified water.

top dressing

Garden blueberries do not tolerate organic fertilizers at all, so mineral complexes are perfect for her. Top dressing is applied twice - during the periods of sap flow and flowering. The older the culture, the more nutrition it needs. Biennials are scattered under a bush 1 tbsp. top dressing, after which it is watered. This dose is increased every year by 1-2 tablespoons until the plant is 5-6 years old. An adult shrub needs up to 8 tbsp. mineral fertilizer. A one-year-old seedling does not need this.

The appearance of the shrub allows you to determine which mineral it lacks. To prevent this, you can use complex fertilizers, the composition of which is selected specifically for growing garden blueberries. The most famous are Florovit and Target, which include soil acidifiers.

pruning

A young seedling needs pruning to form a strong base. To do this, sick, frozen branches are cut every spring. Upon reaching 6-7 years of age, the bushes rejuvenate. In the spring, they remove the old shoots, keeping only the strongest of them. And next year they are also removed, leaving only last year's growth.

If there is excessive thickening of the shrub, it is thinned out so that neighboring plantings do not touch - this can significantly reduce the yield.

Disease control

Garden blueberries are sensitive to soil moisture levels. Excessive moisture leads to the appearance of different types of fungus, from which the culture suffers very much. There are the following types of fungal diseases:

• stem cancer- provoked by excessive moisture and an excess of nitrogen. It appears as red-brown spots on the stem, which grow and lead to the death of the branches.
• Phomopsis- drying of the stems, begins with the tips of young shoots. Outwardly, it resembles stem cancer, but it spreads from the tops.
• Botrytis - known as gray mold. It spreads to all parts of the plant. Affects crops during storage.
• Fruit monoliosis - affects all parts of the plant, which take on the appearance of "beaten" by frost. The fungus lives in dried berries.
• Physalosporosis - makes itself felt by the end of summer in the form of swollen brown spots on the shoot. In the spring, the affected area grows and the branch dies off.
• Septoria- manifests itself in the form of small light spots on the leaves, which then fall off.
• Anthracnose - when it spreads, the leaves become stained and crumble from the bush. The berries rot and become covered with brown or orange spores.

The fight against fungal diseases consists in removing diseased shoots and burning them. The issue of maintaining the required level of humidity at the landing site must be resolved.

To destroy fungi, fungicides like Fundazol, Euparen, Topsin, Skora, Tercel are used. Bordeaux liquid is suitable for prevention.

Among the viral diseases of garden blueberries, dwarfism, necrotic and red ring spots, threading of shoots and mosaics are terrible. Sick shrubs are dug up and burned. The strongest and most stable blueberry variety is Bluecrop.

Pest control

Pine silkworm caterpillar, aphids, leafworms, May beetles, bud mites, and beetles are noted among the crop pests. All these pests undermine the plant to one degree or another, significantly reducing the yield of the crop. Their attack occurs irregularly, but it happens. Beetle larvae are harvested by hand, then destroyed.

And in relation to other pests, insecticides "Karbofos", "Aktellik", "Iskra", "Karate" are used. Processing is carried out in early spring for prevention and during the invasion.

Preparing for winter

Garden blueberries are predominantly hardy. This is especially true of northern tall varieties. Other varieties can withstand up to -20 ° C or less, especially if the winter has little snow.

It is advisable to cover the shrub for the winter - this will protect it from frost and piercing cold winds. They cover after harvesting by bending the branches to the ground and carefully tying them with a rope. The bush is wrapped in burlap (not PVC) and covered with coniferous paws on top. In winter, make sure that the shrub is covered with snow - this will protect it from freezing.

The protection is removed in the spring, then the frozen branches are cut off. Blueberry flowers are resistant to frost down to -7°C. In the south, where there are no severe frosts, it is not necessary to cover the shrub.

Reproduction of garden blueberries

Harvesting

The harvest season depends on the precocity of the variety, from July to October-November. The fruits ripen in turn, so they are harvested for about a month or longer. Berries that are bluish in color and are easily removed from the bush are considered ripe.

The first of them are the largest and juiciest - they are eaten fresh or sold. Smaller berries will be next, so they are usually processed.

Growing various crops is not only a hobby for gardeners, but also a great help in providing the family with vitamins and other useful substances all year round. Blueberries, planting and caring for which require some knowledge, are not the leader in popularity. Few people know about its beneficial properties and the ease of caring for shrubs.

Blueberry is a fairly large bush, the height of which ranges between two to two and a half meters. Most often strongly branched. The leaves are 10-12 cm long and over 6 cm wide. Shrubs are quite unpretentious when breeding, however, the variety of varieties should be taken into account and the most optimal one should be planted in a particular area.

What varieties exist:

• "Blucrop" is considered mid-season, it is often called one of the reference and most common varieties. Bushes of medium size - rarely exceed two meters. Characteristic large fruits (from 14 mm) are collected in small brushes. The approximate volume of the annual collection is 6-9 kilograms per plant. A variety of blueberries is quite resistant to frost and drought. By the end of summer, the fruits can already be harvested;

• "Spartan" is a late-ripening variety. Its height is about one and a half to two meters. The fruits are large - 15-17 mm. Characterized by a special aroma and excellent taste. Their ripening ends at the end of August. An important feature is that shrubs hardly tolerate waterlogging of soils. From one bush you can get about 4-7 kilograms of fruits;

• "Blue Ray" is another mid-season variety, the height of which ranges from 1 to almost two meters. The berries are light blue (large) - about 21 mm, the weight of one - an average of 2 grams. The fruits ripen by mid-July. The duration of fruiting is one to two weeks. About 5-8 kg of berries are “removed” from one bush. This variety is one of the most frost-resistant;

• "Duke" - an early variety, bushes grow about two meters in length. The berries are large - up to 20 mm in diameter. Most often, the berry is used for freezing (it is believed that after cooling the taste improves) or consumed immediately after collection. Fruiting begins in July. Harvest from one bush - about 8 kg. The variety tolerates frost well;

• "Patriot" refers to the middle early cultures. The berries are slightly flattened, their size is 15-19 mm. Unripe fruits have a characteristic reddish tint. The bushes are not afraid of frost (temperature below -30 C is not critical for them), they are not susceptible to fungal diseases (for example, stem cancer, root rot). Harvest can be harvested as early as July;

• "Berkeley" refers to late-ripening varieties. The height of the shrub can slightly exceed 2 meters, strong branching is characteristic. Berries of various sizes - 14-19 mm, due to their strength, they easily endure long-term transportation. Ripening occurs in the second half of August. The variety tolerates temperature extremes, as well as excess moisture in the soil. From one shrub you can get from 4 to 7-8 kg of fruits;

• Airlie Blue is considered one of the earliest - by the end of June it is already possible to harvest. Large light blue slightly flattened berries weigh just under 2 grams. The average yield is about 4-7 kg per bush. It is worth noting that the berries stay on the branches for a long time even after full ripening. Long term storage is not recommended.

It should be noted that shrubs can live up to hundreds of years. Blueberries make delicious jam, but most often the berries are mixed with other fruits (for example, blueberries or cranberries). Interestingly, blueberry juice will not leave stains on fabrics after drying.

How to plant blueberries?

Planting features are associated with the fact that the shrub feels good in acidic soil (pH from 3.5, but not more than 5.5), but most crops do not tolerate such acidity, so the area for blueberries will have to be specially prepared.
The roots of the bushes are located close to the surface of the earth, so that the culture can develop normally, the soil should not interfere with the flow of water and air. Ideal soil types to use:

• acid peat plus sand additive;
• land from pine forests;
• sandy loam.

Clay types are completely unsuitable for planting.

It is important to plant bushes in a well-lit place, otherwise the development of the culture will be difficult. But at the same time, due to the fact that the bushes are quite high, it is recommended to provide protection from the wind, otherwise they may die in winter. It is best to build a low hedge or fence.

You should monitor the constant moisture of the soil - water the earth about 2-3 times a day.
The planting process is most often carried out in the spring, so that the plants take root and get stronger long before the onset of cold weather.

The procedure comes down to several steps:

Step 1

Preparation - digging a well or trench with a depth of about half a meter, a width of 1/2 to one and a half meters. Side surfaces can be laid with polyethylene (but not the bottom).

Step 2

Falling asleep of the earth with the necessary acidity. The most optimal solution is high-moor peat (sphagnum peat can still be used), mixing it with clean sand, sawdust of needles and small branches. Do not add manure, as well as other additives rich in alkali.

Important: if the local soil is clayey, you will have to make a high bed, otherwise the accumulated water will damage the bushes.

Step 3

The vessel with the plant must be soaked for half an hour in water so that the roots are saturated with moisture.

Step 4

The plant is taken out of the water and introduced into the prepared place so that the neck of the root enters the soil by 6-10 cm. The hole should be covered with earth and slightly compacted with your hands around the stalk.

Step 5

Water the soil.

If the soil is unsuitable (too clayey), plantings are often arranged on ridges, poured by hand. For each individual shrub, you can make something like a sandbox on a hill, which is convenient to do in small areas.

Video - Blueberry garden: planting and care

How to care for blueberries?

Blueberry is a very unpretentious culture. The most important thing is to provide it with moisture, especially during the periods of bud formation and fruiting - from mid-summer to early autumn.

For irrigation, you should not use plain water, but a solution with some organic acid, for example:

• oxalic (lemon is also suitable) - in the proportion of one small spoon per three liters;
• acetic - 200 milliliters per ten liters.

Experienced owners use electrolyte for batteries, preparing a solution with its use - 10 milliliters per 10 liters of water.

Features of care

For standard top dressing, it is recommended to use mineral or organic fertilizers: sphagnum moss, pine needles.
The shrub bears fruit for about two to three months, the berries hang on the branches for about 10 days. One plant brings 3-6 crops during the summer.

Blueberries most often suffer from the following diseases:

• stem cancers;

• late blight;

• monilial burn;

• and other diseases.

To combat ailments, conventional compounds for shrubs are used. To ensure that the bushes are protected from diseases, they are sprayed in the spring months - at the end of the pruning process.

The average minimum temperature that most varieties of blueberries tolerate is approximately minus 24-24 degrees. If there is not enough snow in winter, the risk of freezing of the roots is high. Late-ripening shrubs are especially often affected by early frosts. They are recommended to be covered with burlap or similar (well breathable) materials.

Preparing for the winter:

1. The branches are bent closer to the surface of the earth, after which they are fixed with ropes or wire;
2. A heater is laid over the bushes (it is not recommended to stretch the film).
It does not hurt to additionally throw spruce branches, and with the advent of snow, add it.
With the departure of frost, shrubs free and cut off the ends of frozen branches.

When should blueberries be pruned?

The pruning process is carried out in the spring months. For the first time this should be done after the bush is 2-4 years old. This is necessary for the correct formation of a strong skeleton.

The procedure is reduced to the removal of branches with buds.
The next time the branches should be cut when the bush reaches 5-6 years. It is necessary to cut off old and diseased branches, as well as growths at the base.

Video - How to prune blueberries?

top dressing

As soon as 2 years have passed after planting, the soil composition should be adjusted.

Table 1. Signs of deficiency in blueberries of various useful elements

Element name	visual signs
Phosphorus	The leaves turn red and cling to the stem.
Potassium	Spots are visible on the leaves, and their tips die off. The upper parts of the shoots turn black.
Calcium composition	The ends of the leaves turn yellow, and they themselves are deformed.
Magnesium	Reddish margins at the leaflets, normal (greenish) color is preserved near the middle veins.
Bor	The leaves turn noticeably blue, yellowness appears between the veins of the old leaves, the shoots die off.
Iron	New leaves turn yellow, while a green mesh of veins is clearly visible.
Sulfur	The leaves become white-yellow or completely white.
Nitrogen	The growth of shoots is greatly slowed down, the old leaves turn yellow, and later acquire a red tint. The berries are shrinking.

The amount of fertilizer applied per shrub (in tablespoons):

• 2-year-old - 1;
• 3-year-old - 2;
• 4-year-old - 4;
• 5-year-old - 8;
• If the bush is more than 5 years old - 16.

Experts advise top dressing in the first spring month - when the buds begin to swell (the juice begins to move).

Important: Zn, Mg and K sulfates should only be applied once a year.

Features of blueberry breeding

You can use seeds, cuttings, and also apply propagation methods by dividing the bush or layering. The latest way is the easiest.

Separate branches are placed on the ground, falling asleep with sawdust near the base. After two or three years, roots may sprout. The branch is cut off from the bush and planted separately. If there is a risk of damage to the seedling by pests, the use of special chemicals is allowed, for example, "Spark - double effect".

Common mistakes when growing garden blueberries

Although blueberries are not considered a capricious plant, breaking a number of rules can greatly damage the shrub.

One of the common mistakes is choosing the “wrong” seedlings when planting. They must be absolutely healthy, which can be determined by the leaves (without spots), if they are not, you need to look at the bark: if there are brownish (or burgundy) spots, the seedling should be set aside.

You can not buy plants with bare roots, they must be in a container (pot) with appropriate soil. Before planting, be sure to soak the root (from 30 minutes to 2-3 hours), otherwise you will have to forget about the harvest.

It is very important to carefully prepare the soil for blueberries: the bush may not tolerate the wrong composition - the presence of ash, manure or bird droppings in it.

If you choose the wrong place for planting, the result can also be disastrous. There should be enough sun and as little wind as possible, from which the bark on the bushes deteriorates, and various infections penetrate the wounds. Also, due to the impact of bad weather, some properties of the berries are lost: for example, they deteriorate much earlier during storage.

It is important to understand that blueberries tolerate a dry period much calmer than excess moisture. Excess water accumulated near the roots deprives them of the necessary amount of air, the bush begins to suffocate and die.

Around the seedlings, it is recommended to mulch the surface with sawdust - a layer a little less than 10 cm thick is enough. This will save you from weeds, help regulate temperature and air-water conditions: the soil will stop overheating and drying out.

Advice: in case there is clay soil in the area, a good solution would be to create a drainage system before planting, and then you can start digging wells.

Storage and use of blueberries

Under normal conditions - a temperature of + 20-25 degrees, the berries will deteriorate in a couple of days. The refrigerator will extend the period for a few more days.

The easiest way to store blueberries for a short time is to wash blueberries, dry them and carefully place them in glass jars - in this form, the crop can be kept for up to a week and a half.

Common methods for preparing blueberries for long-term storage:

1. Freezing - begins with the sorting of fruits. Next - rinsing in running water. Drying - if you freeze wet berries, then their taste will deteriorate significantly, and the skin will be tough. After that, the berries should be placed in a container, but leave a gap between the top layer and the lid - about two centimeters. Be sure to sprinkle blueberries with a little sugar. Now you can close the lid and place the container in the freezer, where the berries can be stored for a very long time;
   2. Soaking in water - the berries are washed, placed in jars and filled with cold boiled water. After that, the blueberries should be boiled for about ten minutes, if small jars (0.5 liters) are used, and if large (liter) jars were taken, then boiling is carried out for about 20 minutes. Banks need to be rolled up and placed on shelves in the cellar or refrigerator upside down;
   3. Sugaring - washed blueberries are driven through a meat grinder, and sugar is added to the resulting slurry - 0.5 kg per 1 kg of berries. Everything is mixed and heated on fire. Banks should also be heated and pasteurized. Transfer the resulting mixture to jars and roll up. Storage - in the refrigerator or other cool place, the period is about a year;
   4. Drying - the easiest way is to use a conventional oven. A clean and dry berry is poured onto a baking sheet in a thin layer. The temperature should be set in the region of 40-50 degrees. Place the baking sheet in the oven, but do not close the door completely. Blueberries are dried for 1.5-2 hours at 50 degrees, and then another hour at 60 degrees. You can store it in tightly closed containers for several months (either in the refrigerator or in cellars).

Some gardeners use blueberries to make homemade wine.

Beneficial features:

• iron, which is part of blueberries, is absorbed by almost 100%, which has a positive effect on human immunity and endurance;
• recommended for people with diabetes, as it can increase the effectiveness of drugs that reduce sugar levels;
• restores metabolic processes;
• helps to break down fats;
• the elements that make up blueberries help strengthen the walls of blood vessels, improve hematopoiesis;
• use in any form has a good effect on the work of the gastrointestinal tract, the nervous system.

The berry is especially useful for people who are fond of dietary nutrition, since its calorie content is low.

Conclusion

Wild berries are very useful and tasty. Blueberries, unlike other crops, are quite easy to grow in almost any area, and if the process of preparation and planting is carried out according to all simple rules, the owner is guaranteed to get a rich harvest.

Blueberries are a capricious horticultural crop, as they require not only careful care, but also certain growing conditions. First of all, this concerns the soil: it must be acidic, since the shrub does not take root well on black soil or sand. But, despite certain difficulties, by growing blueberries on your site, you will be fully rewarded for your work with a rich harvest of tasty and healthy berries.

Since proper planting plays a key role in the successful cultivation of blueberries, we will pay attention to this stage of the cultivation of the shrub. From this article, you will learn not only the technology of planting a plant in open ground, but also get acquainted with tips on choosing a seedling and choosing a suitable place to place a crop.

How to plant blueberries correctly

In nature, blueberries grow on boggy, acidic soils. It is these nuances that should be taken into account when planting a shrub on your site. It is also important to take into account that the culture absolutely does not tolerate stagnant moisture at the roots, since this can cause rotting of the root system and the death of the seedling. In addition, the site for placing the shrub should be well lit by the sun. If the crop is in partial shade, the crop will be small, and the berries will be small.

Despite the fact that the planting technology as a whole remains the same, there are still some features in planting blueberries. Firstly, it cannot be planted in a lowland due to the risk of waterlogging of the soil at the roots and the accumulation of cold air flows. Secondly, each hole must be completely covered with special nutrient soil, and only after that it will be possible to make a recess in the center of the hole and plant a plant in it.

There are certain rules that should be considered when planting blueberries:

1. Soil acidity: should be within 4-5.5 units. You can measure the acidity of the soil on the site using special testers that are sold in gardening stores (Figure 1). If the acidity is within the limits indicated above, you can safely plant blueberries. However, if the soil is not acidic enough, it should be watered with a weak solution of sulfuric acid.
2. Soil composition: peat-bog or peat-sandy soil is considered ideal for blueberries, since it passes water and air well. Unfortunately, such soil is rarely present on an ordinary personal plot, therefore, when planting in each hole, it is imperative to add a nutrient mixture consisting of high-moor peat and sand in equal proportions. For additional acidification, a little sulfur can be added to the soil mixture (100 grams of the substance per bucket of soil). It is advisable to prepare planting pits a few months before the direct planting of seedlings.
3. Compliance with growing conditions: blueberries are very sensitive to temperature changes and soil moisture levels. In order to prevent moisture stagnation at the roots, the soil must be drained, and it is advisable to mulch the tree trunks. In addition, it is desirable to plant shrubs in areas protected from drafts and strong gusts of wind.

Figure 1. Tester for testing soil acidity and selecting a site for shrubs

These recommendations are general, although the success of growing shrubs depends on them. However, there are other nuances that should also be considered when cultivating a plant. Let's consider the main ones in more detail.

When is the best time to plant

It is believed that blueberry seedlings can be planted in open ground not only in spring, but also in autumn. During these periods, the plant is in a state of comparative dormancy, and will survive the transplant more successfully.

Seedlings, which are sold in containers with a closed root system, can be planted at any time of the year (Figure 2). However, experienced gardeners still agree that the procedure is best done in the spring, especially if you live in a region with a cold climate. Only with spring planting will the likelihood of the plant take root in a new place will significantly increase. If you bought a seedling with a closed root system, but did not have time to plant it in the ground in the spring, you can easily keep it until next year in a dark, cool room.

Figure 2. Quality seedlings with a closed root system

However, if you want to increase the culture's chances of adapting, planting is still best done in the spring, before the buds swell. So you will be sure that the plant will fully take root in a new place before the onset of winter cold. But young seedlings, like adult plants, must be covered for the winter to prevent freezing of the roots and tops of young shoots.

Where to plant blueberries

When choosing a site for blueberries, you need to pay attention not only to the acidity of the soil, but also to the features of the future garden itself.

First, the site should be well lit by the sun. Blueberries not only take root poorly in the shade, but also bring much less yield. Even if you manage to grow a healthy shrub in a shaded area, there will be few berries on it, and they will be small and watery.

Secondly, you can not plant shrubs in the lowlands. Cold air flows accumulate in such areas, which can adversely affect the health of the plant. It is better to choose areas on a hill for blueberries.

It should also be borne in mind that the soil in the garden should not be too wet. Stagnation of moisture at the roots can provoke rotting of the root system and fungal diseases.

How to choose a blueberry seedling

An equally important role is played by the selection of high-quality planting material. The seedling should be strong and healthy, and two- or three-year-old plants should be preferred. By this age, the plants have already grown strong enough and developed a full-fledged root system, therefore, they will take root much faster in the new site.

Note: Experienced gardeners recommend buying seedlings in special containers with a closed root system. Such plants receive all the necessary nutrients from the container soil and are characterized by increased survival.

In addition, it is better to buy seedlings in specialized stores or nurseries. So you will be sure that the plant has been properly processed, and there are no pest larvae or pathogens on its roots or aerial parts.

Making planting holes for blueberries

One of the common mistakes when planting blueberries is the fact that the seedling is simply placed in ordinary soil. Under such conditions, the probability of a quick survival of a seedling on the site is significantly reduced, but even if the plant takes root, its fruiting will not be high enough.

It should also be borne in mind that this crop has a superficial root system, but it grows in width, therefore, planting holes must be prepared taking into account these features (Figure 3).

Planting pits for blueberries are prepared as follows:

1. The depth of the hole should be 40 cm, and the width should be 80 cm. A layer of drainage from pine bark, needles and cones should be poured onto the bottom of the hole. This layer should be approximately 10 cm.
2. To strengthen the walls of the hole, slate or boards are placed around the perimeter. They will prevent the growth of the root system beyond the fossa with acidic soil.
3. The seedling is placed for 30 minutes in a bucket of water. This will help to easily remove the plant from the container without damaging the roots.
4. The planting hole is completely filled with a special nutrient substrate for blueberries. It can be bought at a gardening store or replaced with a mixture of red peat and sand in the same proportion. You need to fill the entire hole with soil, carefully compact the soil, and to acidify the earth, sulfur must be added to it (about 50 grams per plant).
5. A small hole is made in the center of the hole and a seedling is placed in it. The roots need to be spread out in width, but it is important to ensure that they are not outside the hole. The root system is sprinkled with soil and the bush is watered abundantly.

When planting, it is advisable to bury the seedling in the ground 5 cm more than it grew in the container. In addition, after disembarking, the trunk circle must be mulched with coniferous needles. This will prevent rapid evaporation of moisture and prevent the rapid growth of weeds.

Figure 3. Planting technology and preparation of planting holes

Organic fertilizers do not need to be applied during planting, as they are completely unsuitable for blueberries.

Immediately after planting, a small formative pruning of the plant is carried out. You need to choose 4-6 of the strongest shoots and shorten them by a third of the length. All other branches that look weak are cut to the root. Such a procedure helps not only to speed up the adaptation of the seedling in a new place, but also allows you to form a suitable shrub crown.

Garden blueberry nutrition

The capriciousness of blueberries is expressed not only in the special requirements for soil conditions, temperature and lighting, but also in the feeding of an adult shrub.

Note: It is forbidden to feed blueberries with organic matter. Any organic fertilizer makes the soil alkaline, which is absolutely unsuitable for the crop and the shrub may die. In addition, compost, humus or manure may contain weed seeds, pathological microorganisms or pest larvae, which can adversely affect the health of the shrub.

Ammonium sulfate is best suited for blueberries, as well as complex mineral fertilizers, and preparations for heather crops (for example, azaleas) should be preferred. It is in such preparations that all the substances necessary for blueberries are included.

spring

Spring is the most important season for blueberries. From the correct care during this period will depend on how plentiful the harvest will be.

Spring top dressing of blueberries is carried out even before bud break. For this, it is recommended to use ammonium sulfate. It not only saturates the soil with the necessary nutrients, but also acidifies the soil, which is extremely important for the normal development of the crop and the growth of green mass. In order for the fertilizer to be absorbed into the soil faster, it must be applied in liquid form. It will be enough to add 70 grams of the drug to a bucket of water and pour the bush with the resulting mixture.

It should be borne in mind that spring top dressing begins from the second year of planting, since annual plants have enough nutrients that are in the peat-sand mixture added to the wells during planting.

Summer

Summer top dressing is carried out twice: the first time a month after the first fertilization, and the second - during the formation of ovaries. Unlike spring top dressing, special complex fertilizers for azaleas should be used in summer (Figure 4).

Figure 4. The best mineral fertilizers for a crop

The nutrients contained in such preparations have a beneficial effect on plant health and increase yields.

autumn

The main purpose of autumn feeding is to saturate the soil near the roots with nutrients that the plant will use for nutrition in the winter. Superphosphate and potassium sulfate are best suited for this purpose. It will be enough to add 100 and 40 grams of the drug under each bush, respectively.

It is important that liquid fertilizers are not used in the fall. In order for top dressings to be evenly dissolved in the soil during the cold season, they must be applied to the soil in a dry form. To do this, a hole is dug near the bush, no more than 10 cm deep, fertilizers are placed in it and sprinkled with soil. You need to dig a hole carefully so as not to accidentally damage the surface root system of blueberries.

After fertilizing the soil, the soil around the shrub should be watered with a bucket of water, covered with a fresh layer of mulch and the plant prepared for wintering. To do this, bend the shoots to the ground, fix them on the surface of the soil and cover with any mulching material. Agrofibre or sacking is best suited for this purpose, covered on top with a layer of dry leaves or spruce branches. It is necessary to cover not only young, but also adult plants for the winter, since the roots and tops of the shoots of the culture are sensitive to cold and can freeze slightly without shelter.

Planting blueberries: video

Blueberries are in many ways different from other berry bushes, and the features of this crop must be taken into account when planting seedlings in open ground.

Details of planting blueberries are shown in detail in the video.

They began to breed high-quality blueberries in the USA and Canada from a wild-growing species - Vaccinium corymbosus, or high blueberries. In promotional articles, garden blueberries are often referred to as blueberries or blueberry trees, because they look similar in appearance to the leaves. In English, both blueberries and blueberries are called the same - Blueberry (blue berry), because of this confusion can occur. However, these berries are different.

Table: difference between blueberries and blueberries

There are currently no blueberry cultivars. In our forests, common blueberries and swamp blueberries grow. A favorite place for the growth of these plants is wet places with good lighting. These wild-growing species can also be grown on a personal plot, but in terms of yield they are inferior to varietal blueberries, and their berries, as a rule, are solitary, and not in clusters.

Blueberries and blueberries are very similar, but still have differences both in the structure of the bush and in the taste of the berries.

Conditions for growing garden blueberries

This plant is unpretentious, but for successful growth and obtaining a large yield, it requires certain growing conditions:

Planting blueberry seedlings

Do you want to get good annual harvests? Choose the right place to land on your site.

Choosing a place for planting blueberries

It should be the most sunny place, not blown by the winds. In shading, blueberries will also grow, but you will not expect large yields - the berries will be small and sour.

Blueberries bear fruit best in group plantings. Although it does not require pollinators, planting 2-3 different varieties side by side will increase your yield. And, of course, in this case, you need to take into account the flowering time of the selected varieties: it should be approximately the same. Late-ripening varieties begin to bloom when early flowering has already ended.

Preparing holes for planting

Site preparation should be taken seriously. This is the most time-consuming process in caring for blueberries. It consists of the following steps:

1. They dig a hole 80 × 80 cm in size and 50 cm deep. On heavy clay soils, the depth of the hole is increased by another 10–15 cm for drainage.
2. Stones and sand are poured at the bottom of the pit (you can use broken brick, large gravel or expanded clay).
3. Then the pit is filled with a mixture of three parts of high-moor peat, one part of forest land and one part of sawdust of coniferous trees.
   

   If there is no forest land, then it can be replaced with pine bark, coniferous litter, or a mixture of them in various proportions.

4. Add a little sand, 40-50 g of sulfur and mix everything well and compact a little.

Sour (horse) peat must be added to the planting pit for blueberries

Distance between bushes

When planting several plants, consider their adult size. Bushes should not obscure each other. Depending on the height of the bush, the distance between them is made different:

Seedling selection

Blueberries grow slowly; they begin to bloom and produce crops from the fourth year after planting. This feature allows you to plant and transplant plants of "respectable" age. Even five- and six-year-old bushes take root well. However, it is still better to opt for 2-3-year-old seedlings with a closed root system.. They are easier to work with for a beginner gardener.

Planting material is best purchased in proven large nurseries. You can also take a cutting from your relatives or neighbors in the area, who have been growing blueberries for several years and get good yields. They will give you not only a cutting, but also a lot of tips on planting and caring for this plant.

When choosing blueberries for planting, preference should be given to 2–3-year-old seedlings with a closed root system.

planting blueberries

The process of planting blueberry seedlings consists of several stages:

Mulching is good for any plant. It retains moisture, prevents the soil from overheating and prevents the growth of weeds. Blueberry roots are located close to the surface, and the drying of the upper layer, as well as overheating in the heat, have a bad effect on the condition of the plant. Mulch solves this problem, it is only necessary that its layer be at least 5-7 cm.

blueberry care

Caring for blueberries is not very difficult.

Proper watering

The main thing is watering. One adult plant requires an average of at least 20 liters of water per week. It is best to break this norm into two times. You need to water in the morning or evening, when the sun's rays are still or no longer so scorching. In very hot weather, water more often and more. A sufficient amount of moisture is very important in July and August, when the berries ripen and flower buds are laid - your future harvest. To this is added spraying the bushes with water in the afternoon.

At the same time, it is not necessary to abuse watering. Stagnation of water in the pit for more than two days can lead to rotting of the roots and weakening of the plant.

Blueberries need to be watered in the morning or in the evening when the sun is not very hot.

Ensuring soil acidity

To maintain the acidity of the soil at the required level, plants are sometimes watered with acidified water. It is prepared from the following ingredients:

• table 9% vinegar (100 ml per 10 liters of water);
• citric acid (1-2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water) or electrolyte for acid batteries (20-30 ml per 10 liters of water).

Three to four times per season, such an additive to water will maintain the acidity of the soil at the right level.

Loosening for oxygen access

In addition to watering, loosening the soil is also important. This should be done carefully and at a shallow depth, since blueberry roots are superficial and easy to damage. Loosening reduces the evaporation of moisture and saturates the upper layers of the soil with oxygen. If necessary, peat and mulch are sprinkled under the plants.

top dressing

Blueberries respond well to feeding. Don't neglect it. A minimum of 2 foliar and 1 root top dressing per season is required for the plant. They are held from the beginning of June for a month and a half - until mid-July. On sale there are special complex fertilizers for blueberries. They are easy to use and have a balanced composition. Both root and foliar top dressing are required:

It is best to carry out root dressing in rainy weather so that fertilizers are better absorbed into the ground, but if it is hot and dry, it does not matter. Water the plant, sprinkle fertilizer and water again.

Preparing for winter

For the winter, plants are mulched with an additional layer of peat or sawdust. Young blueberry bushes can be covered with any breathable material (for example, spunbond), especially if winters in your area are not very snowy. Under no circumstances should plastic sheeting be used.

pruning bushes

In order for the bushes not to be too thick and bear fruit well, it is necessary to cut them correctly. There are several types of pruning, each of which is carried out with specific goals.

Table: Types of blueberry pruning

Trimming type	What work is being done
Sanitary	Remove dry, broken and infected branches. It is better to do this in the spring, but you can carry out such pruning at any time when there is a need.
Formative	Remove shoots that thicken the crown, and branches growing inside the bush. And also remove low-growing shoots. This type of pruning is used for bushes from 4 years old.
Anti-aging	In 10-year-old bushes, all shoots older than 6 years are cut out. This stimulates the growth of new shoots, which allows you to increase the yield of the plant.

Blueberry transplant

If it becomes necessary to transplant an adult plant, perform the following procedures:

1. The bush is shortened by half, and weak and thin shoots are completely removed.
2. The cut bush is transplanted to a new place.
3. The next spring, cut off all the flowers that appear.
4. From the third year, only those branches that are well lit by the sun are left on the bushes. This stimulates the growth of new flower shoots.

As practice shows, plants up to 5–6 years of age tolerate transplantation well.

blueberry breeding

You can propagate blueberries:

• cuttings,
• layering,
• seeds.

Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, you need to choose the most convenient for a particular situation.

From cutting to bush

Propagation by cuttings is a convenient, but not a quick way to increase the number of bushes of this plant on the site. The procedure is as follows:

After all these operations, we will get a healthy seedling suitable for planting.

Receiving layering

To obtain a seedling using layering, proceed as follows:

1. For selected annual shoots, the top is slightly shortened and pinned to the ground.
2. Sprinkle layering with sawdust.
3. For better rooting, constantly moisten the ground and, as the layer grows, increase the layer of sawdust.
4. After 2-3 years, the shoots are separated from the bush and transplanted. During this time, the seedling is already quite viable and takes root well in a new place.

Blueberry cuttings are attached to the ground with a metal bracket.

From seed to fruiting plant

Growing blueberries from seeds is a laborious and time consuming process. Blueberries grow slowly, and a full-fledged seedling from a seed will grow in three years, and it will begin to bear fruit in another four years.

This method is often used by breeders, since the chance of a successful genetic mutation when introducing a new species or improving certain qualities of an existing variety is much higher than when working with a plant propagated by cuttings.

It is better to buy a seedling. But if you have time and desire, you can plant blueberries with your own seeds or those bought in a specialized store.

To get your own seeds:

1. Take fully ripe berries, which are kneaded into a pulp.
2. The resulting mass is stirred in water. Good seeds will remain at the bottom, and part of the pulp, berry peel and unripe or empty seeds will float, after which the resulting surface layer is drained.
3. Seeds are slightly dried on the fabric. They can be planted immediately or left for planting in the spring. If the seeds are left until spring, then they are dried to the end.
4. In the spring, the seeds are placed in wet sand or moss and kept in it for 3 months.
5. After that, they are sown on wet peat, without deepening, and covered with a small layer of sand.
6. Moisten from a spray bottle, cover with glass or film and put in a warm place. The seeds will germinate within a month.
7. During this time, greenhouses periodically ventilate and, if necessary, moisten the soil.
8. After the emergence of seedlings, the film is removed and the containers are placed in a warm, well-lit place.
9. When the sprouts give 3-4 true leaves, they are planted in separate containers and transferred to growing in a greenhouse for 2 years.
10. After all these procedures, the plants are planted in a permanent place in open ground.

Diseases and pests of blueberries

Blueberries are quite resistant to diseases and pests, but prevention has never been superfluous. It is carried out twice:

• in spring, before bud break, plants are sprayed with Azofos against fungal diseases;
• before flowering, they are sprayed with Skorom against fungal diseases and rot.

In the fall, after harvesting, the processing is repeated with Skor. Do not leave fallen leaves under the bushes - pests and pathogens can winter in it.

Common diseases

With a decrease in immunity, the plant can get sick.

Table: blueberry diseases and how to deal with them

Disease name	Pathogen	Symptoms	Ways to fight
stem cancer	Fungus Godronia cassandrae Peck	Brown spots appear on the branches. Over time, an ulcer forms at the site of the spot. Leaves turn brown	Before flowering, treat 2 times at weekly intervals and once after harvesting with Topsin or Euparen; cut and burn all affected branches
black spot	Fungus Phomopsis viticola	Brown spots appear on the leaves. Tops of young shoots darken and wither	Sprinkle twice before flowering and once after harvesting with Topsin, Euparen or Fundazol
Mummification of berries	Fungus Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi	Young branches and inflorescences wither, and the berries dry up and fall off.	Remove and burn all affected berries; treat plants with Bordeaux liquid
Gray rot, or botrytis	Mushroom Botrytis cinerea	The berries are affected, then the entire bush. A gray fluff appears on rotten fruits. The branches turn brown, gray, as if covered with frost	Cut and burn all affected branches; treat the bushes twice before flowering and 1 time after harvesting with Topsin or Euparen
Moniliosis	Mushroom Monilia oxycoccii Wor.	All parts of the plant are affected. The first sign is the yellowing of the top of the shoot during flowering, then the branch dies off.	Cut and burn affected branches. Treat with fungicide in spring and autumn
Anthracnose	Mushroom Colletotrichum gloeosporioides	Leaves become blotchy and fall off. The fruits rot and become covered with orange dots	Same as for moniliosis

The best way to keep plantings healthy is prevention. Regularly inspect plants and sanitary pruning. Before bud break and after the leaves fall, spray the bushes with Bordeaux mixture. Do not let weeds grow near the trunk circles.

Pests

Blueberries have few pests. It may appear:

• kidney tick,
• leaflet,
• flower beetle

In such cases, spraying is carried out with any preparation that is used to treat trees. Aphids are carried by ants, so make sure that there are no anthills in your garden. To protect against birds, plants are covered with a fine mesh net.

To protect against birds, blueberry bushes are covered with a fine mesh net.

Selecting the right blueberry variety

When choosing a variety for planting, be sure to consider the climatic features of your region. The ripening period of berries affects the possibility of obtaining a crop. Early varieties begin to sing already at the end of June, mid-season - from mid-July, late - from the second half of August. For example, in the Moscow region, late varieties do not always have time to reach the desired ripeness. And in the Kuban or in the Crimea, heat can stay until late autumn, which allows late-ripening varieties to bring a good harvest.

The height of the bush is important in ensuring a trouble-free wintering of blueberries. If winters are harsh and snowy in your region, then it will be easier for a stunted plant to overwinter without freezing in a snowdrift than for a taller one.

Table: overview of popular blueberry varieties

Variety	a brief description of	Advantages	Flaws
Berkeley	Height up to 2 m. Berries of medium size, medium ripening (beginning of August)	yield up to 8 kg per bush; frost-resistant; resistant to diseases and pests	bears fruit irregularly; berries fall off
bluegold	Plant height up to 1.2 m, early ripe, berries of good taste	yield up to 7 kg per bush; frost-resistant; maturation is friendly	Requires regular pruning
Bluecrop	Height up to 2 m. High quality berries, mid-season variety	resistant to diseases and pests; frost-resistant; yield up to 9 kg per bush	Ripening stretched
Taiga beauty	Tall, medium maturity. Berries are sweet	frost-resistant; resistant to pests and diseases; fruits do not fall off	No data
Patriot	Height up to 1.8 m. Early ripe. Good tasting berries	yield up to 8 kg; frost-resistant; disease and pest resistant	The first berries are large, subsequent smaller
Northland	Undersized - up to 1.2 m. Mid-season. Berries are sweet	frost-resistant; yield up to 8 kg per bush; berries are well stored; doesn't grow too much	Berries shrink over time

Features of growing blueberries in different regions of Russia

Growing blueberries in Siberia, you should give preference to varieties bred in the Central Siberian Botanical Garden. They are better adapted to local conditions and withstand temperatures as low as -42°C. Suitable varieties:

• taiga beauty,
• marvelous,
• Yurkovskaya.

For Central Russia and the Leningrad Region, early and mid-ripening varieties are suitable. Early cooling is not uncommon in this region, and late-ripening varieties do not always have time to fully mature. The best varieties:

• bluecrop,
• Patriot,
• Taiga beauty.

In Belarus, even late varieties can be grown. For example, the Berkeley variety begins to bear fruit from the last decade of August. In addition, the following varieties have become widespread and have proven themselves well:

• Bonus
• Blue Ray,
• bluegold,
• Northblue.

In the Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov Region, it is better to give preference to tall plants. The following varieties grow and bear fruit well:

• bluecrop,
• Patriot.

Low-growing varieties of blueberries (up to 1.2 m) are popular in the northern regions of Ukraine. Dense plantings of low-growing blueberries are successfully used in landscape design of plots. Of these varieties can be noted:

• Notreblue (90 cm);
• Notrecountry, Chippewa (0.8–1 m);
• Bluegold (1.2 m);
• Notland.

All varieties are frost-resistant and in terms of yield are not inferior to tall counterparts.

Low-growing varieties of blueberries (for example, Chippeva) are popular in Ukraine

Despite the time-consuming process of planting, further care for blueberries is quite simple.

Plant common blueberry (lat. Vaccinium uliginosum), or swamp blueberry, or marsh, or undersized is the type species of the genus Vaccinium of the Heather family. This deciduous shrub is found in temperate and cold regions of the entire Northern Hemisphere - in Eurasia, the species range begins in Iceland and reaches the Mediterranean and Mongolia, in North America it extends from Alaska to California. Among the people, blueberries have many names - drunkard (drunk berry, drunkard, drunkard), gonobobel (gonoboy, gonobol, gonobob), cabbage roll (dove), cocklebur (fool, fool, fool), blue grapes, titmouse. All the names with a negative connotation were given to blueberries by mistake: people complained that it caused a headache (it drives pain into the head, like a hangover - hence gonobol, cockleyard, drunkard, etc.), and the culprit of the headache is actually the ever-growing next to the blueberry wild rosemary.

The blueberry itself is the most valuable natural product, which is increasingly attracting the attention of gardeners. In addition to common blueberries, which grow everywhere in regions with a cool and temperate climate, there is such a species as tall garden blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)- An American relative of the common blueberry, which has long become a full-fledged horticultural crop in its homeland. In Canada and the USA, this tasty and healthy berry is much more popular than blackcurrant. Varieties and hybrids of garden blueberries, bred by American and Canadian breeders, are gradually gaining popularity among our gardening enthusiasts, and now Canadian blueberries in the garden of the middle lane or hybrid American blueberries in the country somewhere in the southern regions of Russia and Ukraine are not so rare.

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Planting and caring for blueberries

• Landing: it is possible in the spring, before the buds swell, but it is better in the fall, during leaf fall.
• Lighting: bright sunlight.
• The soil: rested and recovered in a few years under fallow, well-drained, peaty-sandy or peaty-loamy, with a pH of 3.5-4.5 pH.
• Watering: in the mornings and evenings twice a week, with the consumption of at least a bucket of water for each adult bush. That is, under each bush you must pour twice a week in the morning and in the evening a bucket of water. On the hottest days, blueberries are not only watered, but also sprayed early in the morning or after 17.00.
• Pruning: in the spring, before the buds swell.
• Top dressing: only mineral fertilizers at the very beginning of the growing season.
• Reproduction: seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush.
• Pests: may beetles, cockchafers, silkworm caterpillars, scale insects, aphids, leafworms.
• Diseases: gray rot, fruit moniliosis, physalsporosis, septoria, phomopsis, double spotting, stem cancer, dwarfism, red ring and necrotic spotting, threading of branches, viral mosaic.

Read more about growing blueberries below.

Blueberry garden - description

To the genus Vaccinium, scientists rank lingonberries, cranberries, blueberries and blueberries, with which some botanists identify blueberries, although this does not seem fair to all specialists. The root system of blueberries is fibrous, without root hairs, the branches are erect, cylindrical, covered with dark gray or brown bark, the shoots are green. The common blueberry bush reaches a height of only one meter, the tall blueberry species grows to a height of two or more meters. Small, hard, whole smooth blueberry leaves up to three centimeters long and up to two and a half wide grow in the next order on short petioles. They have an obovate or lanceolate shape with a blunt apex and slightly curved down edges, the upper side of the leaf plate is bluish-green due to wax coating, the lower side with strongly protruding veins of a lighter shade.

Small drooping five-toothed flowers with a pinkish or white jug-shaped corolla up to 6 cm long and 8-10 stamens sit in several pieces on the tops of last year's branches. Blueberry berries are oblong, up to 12 mm long and weighing up to one gram, blue in color with a bluish bloom, thin-skinned, with greenish flesh. The berries of American tall blueberries weigh from 10 to 25 grams, up to 10 kg are harvested from one bush in America, in our conditions in warm areas and with favorable weather, you can get up to 7 kg of berries from one bush of tall blueberries.

The fact is that not all foreign varieties are suitable for growing in our climatic conditions, since those of them that begin to bear fruit late have time to ripen only by 30%. Therefore, those who wish to grow this wonderful berry on their site are better off cultivating common blueberries or acquiring early and mid-ripening varieties of garden blueberries.

Planting blueberries garden

When to plant blueberries

Blueberry planting is carried out both in spring and autumn, but spring planting is more reliable than autumn planting, because during the summer season blueberry seedlings have time to take root on the site and get stronger so that the risk of freezing in winter is minimal. In this article, we will introduce you to the agricultural technology of the plant and tell you in detail about how to properly plant blueberries, how to grow blueberries and how to care for blueberries, namely, how to feed blueberries, how to water blueberries and how to propagate blueberries. Growing blueberries is a simple process, it will be more difficult to harvest and preserve the crop, but we will also tell you about this.

soil for blueberries

If you choose to grow blueberries in your garden, set aside a sunny but sheltered spot for them, and don't try to hide them in the shade - there will be few berries and you won't like their taste. Take seriously the choice of soil for blueberries, since it can only grow on acidic soils - the optimal pH for it is pH 3.5-4.5. In addition, it is highly desirable that the site where you plant blueberries has been fallow for several years: blueberries do not tolerate predecessors.

So, in a sunny, quiet place with well-drained peaty-sandy or peaty-loamy soil, blueberries will show you their best qualities. If your garden does not have a plot with soil that will be to the taste of blueberries, do not be discouraged, it can be created man-made.

planting blueberries in spring

Blueberries are planted in the ground in spring before the buds swell. Before planting blueberries, you need to decide which species or variety will grow best in your area. In cool climates, low-growing Canadian blueberries are preferred, while in warmer areas, where summers are hot and long, varieties of garden blueberries can be cultivated. The most important thing, when making a choice, is to compare the ripening dates with the climatic features of your area, otherwise the blueberries may not have time to ripen, and then your selfless care for garden blueberries will be in vain.

It is better to purchase seedlings with a closed root system - in pots or containers, but you can’t just transfer them from a container to a hole, because the fragile blueberry roots themselves will not unfold in the ground, and the plant will not be able to fully develop. Before planting blueberries lower the container with the seedling for a quarter of an hour into the water, then remove the seedling from the container and try to carefully knead the earthen ball and straighten the blueberry roots.

planting blueberries, like common blueberries, it is preceded by digging holes measuring 60x60 and a depth of half a meter at a distance of half a meter from each other for low-growing varieties, one meter for medium-sized varieties and 120 cm for tall varieties. Between rows, the distance should be from three to three and a half meters. It is advisable to loosen the walls and bottom of the pit so that they can pass air to the roots. Then it is necessary to create an acidic substrate in the pit so that the blueberries develop normally - lay high-moor peat mixed with sawdust, needles and sand on the bottom, add 50 g of sulfur to oxidize the soil, mix everything thoroughly and compact.

Do not add any fertilizers to the substrate, especially organic ones that alkalize the soil - everything has its time.

Now you can lower the seedling into the pit, spread its roots in different directions and sprinkle them with earth so that the root neck is immersed in the soil by 3 cm. After planting, the seedlings are watered, and the soil around them is mulched with a twelve-centimeter layer of coniferous sawdust, bark, straw peat.

planting blueberries in autumn

The order of planting blueberries does not depend on the season, and it is described in the previous section, however, after the autumn planting, all weak branches should be removed from the seedling of the first year of life with secateurs, and it is desirable to shorten the developed ones by half. If the seedling is more than two years old, pruning after planting is not performed.

blueberry care

Growing garden blueberries

Several times during the season you will have to loosen the soil in the area with blueberries to a depth of about eight centimeters, but try not to overdo it, because loosening too often can dry out your blueberries, and too deep can damage the horizontally located root system, which is only fifteen centimeters from the surface . And that is why soil mulching on the site is of particular importance. You can loosen the soil without removing the mulch, which must be replenished every two to three years. Do not allow weeds to grow on the blueberry plot, remove them immediately after detection.

In addition to loosening and weeding, blueberry care includes timely watering, pruning and fertilizing blueberries.

Watering blueberries

Proper watering is very important for blueberries. The task is to develop such a scheme for moistening the soil, in which the roots will have enough moisture, and at the same time it will not stagnate for longer than two days, otherwise the bush may die. Blueberries need to be watered twice a week, pouring one bucket of water under each adult bush early in the morning and after sunset - that's right: a bucket of water under each bush twice a day, twice a week. Blueberries especially need watering in July and August, during fruiting, when flower buds of the future harvest are laid on the bushes, and if the plant experiences a lack of moisture, this will negatively affect the quantity and quality of berries, not only for the current, but also for the next harvest.

On the hottest days, blueberry bushes should not only be watered, but also sprayed so that they do not overheat. This should be done early in the morning and after four in the afternoon.

Blueberry nutrition

Blueberries, which are not particularly demanding on soil fertility, nevertheless respond well to mineral fertilizers, which are best applied at the very beginning of spring, during the period of sap flow and bud swelling. Organic fertilizers for blueberries are strictly contraindicated!

The best fertilizers for blueberries- ammonium sulfate, potassium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, superphosphate and zinc sulfate. It is these forms that are best absorbed by blueberries. Nitrogen fertilizers (ammonium sulfate) are applied in three stages: during the beginning of sap flow, 40% of the nitrogen fertilizers needed for blueberries per year are applied, in early May - 35%, and in early June - 25%. On average, this is 70-90 g of fertilizer per bush. From summer until next spring, blueberries will not need nitrogen fertilizers.

Phosphate fertilizers (superphosphate) are applied in summer and autumn at the rate of 100 g per bush. Magnesium sulfate is applied once per season at the rate of 15 g per bush, and potassium sulfate and zinc sulfate - once 2 g per bush.

blueberry breeding

Blueberries propagate by both seed and vegetative methods. Seeds are harvested from healthy bushes of full-fledged berries, they are slightly dried and sown in autumn on training beds dug up with sour peat. If you decide to sow the seeds in the spring, they must first be stratified for three months in the refrigerator, and then sown in grooves to a depth of one centimeter, covered with a 1:3 mixture of peat and sand on top. Seeds need to create conditions for germination: air temperature 23-25 ​​ºC, humidity about 40%, as well as regular watering, loosening the soil and weeding. Fertilizing seedlings with nitrogen fertilizer is carried out in the spring only in the second year of growth. After two years, seedlings are planted in a permanent place.

Reproduction of blueberries by cuttings gives faster and more reliable results than generative reproduction. For this, blueberry rhizomatous cuttings are used, which are cut in late autumn after leaf fall or in early spring before sap flow begins. The optimal cutting length is 8-15 cm, and it is better to take a thicker shoot so that the roots form faster and growth begins as early as possible. To activate the survival rate, the cuttings are stored for a month at a temperature of 1-5 ºC, after which they are planted obliquely in a mixture of sand and peat in a ratio of 3: 1, and a layer of the same substrate 5 cm thick is poured on top. If you properly care for the cuttings, in two years, you can get well-developed seedlings that can be planted in a permanent place.

Blueberries are propagated by dividing the bush. Part of the excavated bush is divided in such a way that each part has a rhizome 5-7 cm long, the divisions are immediately planted in a permanent place. The bushes obtained by the seed method begin to bear fruit in the seventh or eighth year, and those obtained by the vegetative method of reproduction may begin to bear fruit as early as the fourth year.

blueberry pruning

For regular fruiting, blueberries need pruning, which is best done in the spring, before the buds swell, but if you find diseased branches in the summer or autumn, it is not necessary to wait for spring - remove suspicious shoots immediately and burn them. Remove all flowers from the bushes of the first year - this will have a good effect on the proper development of the plant. In young bushes aged 2-4 years, it is necessary to form a strong skeleton by pruning, which will allow the plant to withstand the weight of a good harvest, so they cut out weak, sick, frostbite after winter and branches lying on the ground, and also remove root shoots.

In bushes of four years of age and older, in addition to weak and diseased branches, shoots older than five years are cut out, and 3-5 of the strongest are left from annuals. Bushes of upright varieties are thinned out in the middle of the bush, lower drooping branches are cut out from sprawling bushes. It is important that the branches do not close between adjacent bushes, because this can adversely affect the taste of the berries and the ripening time.

blueberries in autumn

Picking blueberries after the start of fruiting is carried out once a week, and it is better to do this in the morning after the dew has evaporated. From the moment the berries acquire the desired color, they should ripen on the bush for several more days until they become soft from dense ones. During this time, the mass of berries increases and their sugar content increases. The collected fruits are immediately placed in the refrigerator and stored at a temperature of 0 to +2 ºC for up to two weeks, isolated from other products to prevent the berries from absorbing odors.

For longer storage, washed and dried blueberries are laid out in one layer and placed in the freezer, after freezing through they are poured into a container and again placed in storage in the freezer. You can also dry blueberries and cook compote from them in winter, make medicinal decoctions and infusions.

If there are severe frosts in your area, you will have to cover blueberries, because at a temperature of -25 ºC they have every chance of freezing, especially if there is no snow during frosts. The preparation of blueberry bushes for winter begins after harvesting - the blueberry branches should be slowly pulled to the ground, throwing a loop of twine or wire over them, then fix the bush on the surface of the site, cover it with burlap (it is better not to use polyethylene, because the blueberries will not be able to breathe) and throw spruce branches on top.

When or if it snows, it's a good idea to sprinkle the blueberries over the spruce branches with snow. It will be possible to remove all layers of protection from the cold only in the spring. If there are no such cold winters in your area, you can not cover the bushes for the winter, especially if you grow winter-hardy varieties on the site.

Pests and diseases of blueberries

Blueberry pests

Planting and caring for garden blueberries should be carried out in accordance with cultural regulations, and then your plants will be healthy and immune to diseases, but sometimes healthy plants have to be protected. Most often, blueberries suffer from birds that peck at ripening fruits.

In order to save the blueberry crop, carefully stretch a mesh with small cells over the bushes. As for insects, they do not cause noticeable damage to blueberries, although it does not happen year after year, and sometimes in spring blueberry bushes can be attacked by May beetles and beetles, which gnaw at the leaves and eat away the flowers of the plant, from which the blueberry yield decreases. In addition, beetle larvae eat up the roots of bushes. Blueberries can also suffer from pine silkworm caterpillars, leafworms, scale insects and aphids.

Beetles and their larvae must be collected by hand and drowned in a bucket of salt water, and in the fight against other pests, the best remedy is to spray blueberry plantings with actellik or karbofos, both preventive (in early spring and after harvesting) and therapeutic, when you find on blueberry pest.

Blueberry diseases

Blueberries suffer the most from fungal diseases, such as stem cancer, drying of branches (Phomopsis), gray mold (Botrytis), fruit monoliosis, physalsporosis, white spotting (Septoria) and double spotting. You should know that almost all fungal diseases of garden blueberries provoked by stagnation of moisture in the roots of the plant, which occurs due to improper watering or insufficient water permeability of the soil. Deal with this issue until fungal diseases have destroyed all the blueberry bushes in the area. As a preventive measure, we recommend annually at the beginning of spring and after harvesting the plants to be treated with a Bordeaux mixture, and as a treatment for diseases, double or triple treatment of the planting with topaz with a weekly interval. Instead of topaz, you can use the same Bordeaux mixture, as well as topsin or foundation.

In addition to fungal diseases, blueberries are sometimes affected. viral or mycoplasmal diseases- mosaic, dwarfism, red ring and necrotic spotting, filamentous branches, from which plants cannot be cured, diseased specimens will have to be removed and burned.

Blueberries have problems in violation of the rules of agricultural technology. For example, sometimes you can hear complaints that blueberries turn yellow - the leaves first turn light green and then yellow. Most likely, the problem is that the soil on the site is not acidic enough - add peat to it, and gradually the appearance of the foliage will become the same. Rather, new leaves will grow green. blueberry leaves turning yellow and as a result of a lack of nitrogen, in addition, for this reason, the berries become small, and the shoots stop growing. It is necessary to apply nitrogen fertilizer to the soil in the blueberry plot every year in the spring in three stages, remember this. But if blueberry leaves turn red, then these are the first signs of stem cancer or drying of branches.

Blueberry varieties

Currently, blueberry varieties are divided into four groups:

• undersized– they are based on the species of narrow-leaved blueberry, crossed with the genetic material of myrtle-leaved and northern blueberry;
• northern tall varieties they are distinguished by high winter hardiness and late fruiting, they were bred on the basis of North American species - tall blueberry using the genetic material of common blueberry;
• southern tall varieties are complex hybrids of northern tall blueberries and some blueberries found in the south, which helped make the new varieties drought tolerant. In addition, southern tall blueberry varieties are less dependent on soil pH;
• semi-tall varieties were formed by further saturation of tall blueberry varieties with common blueberry genes, which increased their winter hardiness - these varieties can withstand temperatures down to -40 ºC;
• rabbit eye– the basis of the varieties of this group is the blueberry species, which allows hybrids to show increased adaptation to hot conditions and low content of organic matter in the soil. The vegetative period of these varieties is very long, so it makes no sense to grow them in areas with a cool and temperate climate - not all berries will have time to ripen before winter.

Of these five groups, only northern tall varieties are suitable for cultivation in our region, and we provide you with a description of blueberry varieties that are easiest to grow in temperate and cool climates.

• bluegold- mid-season medium-sized variety with a semi-spreading bush and medium-sized berries of a sweet-sour taste. A variety with high winter hardiness, however, requires thinning and enhanced pruning.
• Patriot- tall mid-season variety with a sprawling bush one and a half meters in height, large light blue berries with dense skin, ripening in July-August. Gives consistently high yields - up to 7 kg of berries per bush. The variety is resistant to cold and diseases typical of blueberries.
• Chippewa- medium-sized early ripe variety up to one meter high with medium and large, very sweet berries of light blue color. The variety is characterized by high winter hardiness - it can withstand frosts down to -30 ºC. This variety is well grown in a summer cottage and even in containers.
• Duke- late-flowering, but early ripe tall variety, reaching a height of two meters. Late flowering occurs after spring frosts, and early ripening allows you to get high stable yields of medium and large berries that do not shrink over the years. The variety is extremely winter-hardy, but requires enhanced pruning.

• Sunrise- a medium-tall sprawling shrub with weak shoot formation, which allows pruning less often than other varieties. Large, slightly flattened dense berries of excellent taste ripen in mid-July, up to 4 kg of fruit can be removed from one bush. Unfortunately, the variety can suffer from spring frosts.
• Chanticleer- medium-sized bush with ascending branches, blooming after spring frosts. Medium-sized light blue sweet-sour berries ripen at the end of June. Up to four kilograms of fruit can be removed from one bush. The variety has a high winter hardiness.
• Northland- a low, spreading bush, only a meter high, capable of producing regular crops of 5-8 kilograms of medium-sized blue dense berries of excellent taste. The variety is characterized by high frost resistance and a short growing season - all the berries have time to ripen before winter. This variety is also valued in decorative floriculture for its compactness and short stature.
• Elizabeth- a tall sprawling bush with erect stems and shoots of a reddish hue, which is a sign of a particularly high winter hardiness of the variety. The yield is from four to six kilograms of berries from one bush. Late variety, but one of the best in taste: very sweet and fragrant large berries up to 22 mm in diameter begin to ripen from the beginning of August. Unfortunately, not all berries have time to ripen.

Blueberry properties - benefits and harms

Useful properties of blueberries

The harm and benefits of blueberries have long interested scientists, and as a result of scientific research, they found that this berry has a number of unique qualities. It protects the body from radioactive radiation, improves the functioning of the intestines and pancreas, slows down the aging of nerve cells, and strengthens the walls of blood vessels. Blueberries have choleretic, antiscorbutic, antisclerotic, anti-inflammatory, cardiotonic and hypotensive effects.

Blueberry fruits contain provitamin A, vitamins B1, B2, C, PP, which is responsible for the elasticity of skin capillaries and reduces the risk of varicose veins, six essential amino acids, calcium, phosphorus and iron, which, in the form in which it is found in blueberries, is almost completely absorbed by the human body. Blueberries are effectively used in the treatment of rheumatism, atherosclerosis, hypertension, capillarotoxicosis, tonsillitis and other diseases.

Juice from blueberries is prescribed for diabetes, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, fever. Blueberries relieve spasm of the eyes and help restore vision, the pectins contained in them help to bind and remove radioactive metals from the body. And due to the content of highly active antioxidants in blueberries, blueberries prevent the formation of cancer cells in the body.

In folk medicine, blueberries are eaten raw, as well as in the form of decoctions, infusions and tinctures. The benefits of blueberries are obvious for both sick and healthy people who, by eating fresh berries, strengthen their immunity and saturate the body with vitamins. However, not only berries are used as raw materials for medicines, but also leaves and shoots of blueberries.

A decoction of blueberries is indicated for heart disease. It is prepared as follows: two tablespoons of crushed young branches and blueberry leaves are placed in an enameled pan, poured with one glass of boiling water, covered with a lid and put the pan for half an hour in a water bath, then removed, cooled, filtered, squeezing out the remains. The resulting amount is added with boiled water to make a glass of decoction, which the cores need to take one tablespoon four times a day.

In case of dysentery or diarrhea, pour a tablespoon of dried berries with a glass of boiling water, heat for five minutes on fire, remove and insist under the lid for a quarter of an hour. Take this infusion should also be one tablespoon four times a day.

For diabetes, use this decoction: pour one tablespoon of chopped dry branches and blueberry leaves with two cups of boiling water (400 ml) and heat over low heat for five minutes, then remove from heat, cover, let it brew for an hour, strain and take before meals 100 ml three times a day.

Blueberries - contraindications

As for contraindications, blueberries do not have them, but this does not mean that you can eat them in kilograms. Even foods that are healthy for the body can be harmful if you forget about the sense of proportion. Overeating blueberries can cause nausea, vomiting, and even an allergic reaction. And an excess of antioxidants can lead to a decrease in the supply of oxygen to the muscles and, as a result, to a violation of the muscular functions of the body.