Blueberries: characteristics of growing, planting and care

If earlier blueberries could only be found in the forest, then these berries are grown by many gardeners these days. The berry successfully grows even in the northern regions. The plant is considered rather unpretentious, and the harvest yields annually. The first berries can be collected three to four years after planting. If you provide competent care for blueberries, the plant can live up to several decades.

Selection of a variety for planting

Breeders have created a variety of blueberry varieties for growing on a garden plot. All of them are divided into:

• Early ripening. The first berries are ready already in the beginning of July. These include: Duke, Spartan, Stanley, Northbloom, Blyuette.
• The middle-aged people are pleased with berries at the end of July. It's the Patriot, Toro, Elizabeth, Nelson, Rankosas, Bluewold.
• Late ripening ripens not earlier than the end of summer. The most in demand are Eliot, Gorbert, Jersey.

These are the best varieties of blueberries recommended by many gardeners. However, when choosing a variety, it is necessary to take into account a number of nuances: climatic conditions, site features, taste preferences.

Blueberries are small, medium-sized and tall. For northern territories, shrubs of low growth are more suitable. Srednosrosly grow in any climatic conditions.

To taste the variety is not subdivided, much depends on personal preferences. A lot of positive feedback from gardeners has acquired a variety of Blyukrop because of large juicy fruits.

Choose a place

Blueberry prefers an open area, protected from winds. Shady territories will not suit her, they will get sour berries.

Blueberries feel great on peat soils with an acidity level of 3.5-4.5. Neutral and alkaline soils are not suitable, since the root structures of blueberries will not grow on them. Important is the drainage of the soil for blueberry, bogging unfavorably affects the development of the bush. Increase the acidity of the soil can be by adding citric acid (3 teaspoons per bucket of water).

Before planting the pit is prepared with dimensions of 60 to 60 cm, to a depth of 60 cm. The walls need to be loosened - so it will be better to drain the soil.

A nutrient substrate consisting of sawdust, peat, needles, sand and sulfur is covered in the pit. All thoroughly mixed and compacted.

Adding manure and ash is not necessary, it is harmful for blueberries. The optimal interval between the bushes is one meter.

How to plant blueberry?

Of the seeds, the gardeners do not grow berries, too troublesome occupation, suitable only for specialized nurseries. It is easier to plant a plant with a seedling.

You can buy seedlings from experienced gardeners or nurseries. When buying, you need to carefully inspect the future bush. It should not be damaged by diseases and insects. The most successful survivors are seedlings with a closed root system, they are sold in pots.

It is better to plant blueberry in spring. When summer planting there is a risk that the plant will not have time to take root.

How to plant blueberry? Planting a seedling, adhere to the following algorithm:

• The container, where the seedling is located, is lowered into the water for 15 minutes.
• Soil around the seedling is gently kneaded. With the roots you need to handle carefully.
• The plant is buried in the soil for 5 cm.
• The land is watered, the bush is mulched with sawdust.

Then you need to exercise competent and regular care for blueberries, and then the plant will bring good yields.

Care measures

An experienced gardener will not make much effort to grow blueberries, because caring for her is about the same as for other crops.

Watering the blueberries carefully, so as not to fill the plant. It is important not to allow the stagnation of water on the site. Timely watering is needed especially during the appearance of flowers and berries.

A couple of weeks after planting, the bush can be fed. The feeding of blueberries is carried out with mineral compounds from phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen. After applying the fertilizer, the bushes are watered. Next year blueberries are fertilized in April and in June. With organic do not overdo it.

The best feeding of blueberry is sour peat. If there is no peat mixture, you can mix in the ground the overgrown coniferous fall. They mulch trunks.

Caring for blueberries also means regular loosening of the land under bushes. This must be done three times per season. Too often, it is not worth loosening, so as not to destroy the roots.

The trunk circle is mulched with a layer of 12 cm. This will help the blueberry to survive the hot summer and frosty winter. For mulching, sawdust, needles, peat, and oak leaves are suitable. You can update the layer a couple of times in a season.

Pruning begins no earlier than the sixth year. Remove dead and diseased branches. Crop is best when winter and spring come. The lower shoots are removed, the bush should not be strongly thickened, it will help prevent fungal lesions.

In severe winters, blueberries are covered with nonwovens or sawdust.

Cultivation of shrubs

If the cultivation of the berry on the site has succeeded, it is possible to begin its reproduction. This is done in two ways:

• Cuttings. One of the best options. Preparation of shoots should start in autumn or winter. The shoots are lowered into a bag and put in a cold darkened place. In the spring, shoots are cut into cuttings 20 cm long and are rooted in a sandy-peat mixture. In the soil cuttings can be planted in the fall, beginning in September.
• Layering. The method can be applied at a time when the plant is already preparing for bed.

The lower branches bend down and fall asleep with nutrient soil. Top cover with a film. In spring, you can land on a permanent location. It is important to make sure that the roots reach a sufficient size.

Prevention of diseases and pests

To protect bushes from invasion of pests and the appearance of diseases, it is necessary to take a number of measures:

• In spring, bushes are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid and a solution of polycarbacin.
• With the appearance of leaves, the bushes are treated with any fungicidal treatment repeated three times.
• After harvesting, the fungicide treatment is done again.
• The last treatment is carried out before the onset of winter.

Possible diseases

Blueberry is infrequent in diseases. Of the possible diseases occur:

1. Stem cancer. The disease is caused by a fungus. First, brown spots appear on the branches, which increase and cover all shoots and leaves. The disease can cause complete loss of the bush. To prevent it, it is important not to allow bogging of the soil under blueberries and do not plant bushes too close to each other. From the spots that appear, the solution of Topsin and Euparen will help.
2. Gray rot. Also fungal infection. The disease seizes the entire bush, starting with reddish spots that gradually lightens. To combat rot, Bordeaux liquid is needed.
3. Moniliosis. Fungal disease, dangerous for bush and fruit. It manifests itself in the drying out of berries and other parts of the blueberry bush. The Bordeaux liquid is effective from moniliosis.
4. Fizalosproroz. The disease affects branches usually at the end of summer. First there are spots that turn into wounds the next year. The disease helps foundation, Bordeaux fluid.
5. White spotting. Leaves strike white spots, gradually the leaves fall off. It is important to burn sick foliage and change mulch. The Bordeaux liquid helps with spotting.

There are also viral diseases. As a rule, there are no methods to combat them, we have to eradicate planting.

Pests

Insects-parasites, as a rule, bypass the blueberry side. This can not but please its owner.

The gardener should be watched, that in bushes caterpillars of silkworm pine are not got. They weave cobwebs and reduce the yield of bushes, using greens and kidneys as food.

Danger may be a scab and aphid. It happens to manually collect butterflies from the bushes. If this does not help, you can apply chemicals. Sprinkle after the harvest is harvested.

Birds really like blueberries, for them this is a real treat. To protect the planting from the birds will help garden bogey. You can hang on the branches of bright ribbons, which will scare away birds.

These simple measures to care for blueberry bushes will help to grow a good berry harvest on your site.