Blueberry tasty and extremely useful berry. In the wild nature meets in areas frigid and temperate climate. Grows in forests, the tundra, on swamps and peat bogs. Have begun to cultivate plant more than 100 years ago, the first grades of blueberry garden or tall have been removed in America. In Russia, selection work is conducted since 1964.
Garden or tall blueberry
Until recently berry blueberry was in outsiders, but in recent years the interest of gardeners in it has considerably increased. Bushes at blueberry garden high (1.5-2 meters) and silnorazvetvlenny, berries large, fragrant with pleasant, slightly tart taste, collected in brush. The productivity from bush reaches five kilograms. Blueberry unpretentious in leaving, can grow on one place many years and yield good harvests. Culture is practically not surprised wreckers and extremely seldom suffers from diseases. The podmerzaniye of tall bushes in cold winters can become problem. Late grades because of approach of early cold weather can not ripen.
Landing of blueberry garden
Secrets of successful cultivation of blueberry garden in Moscow area consist in the choice of the correct grades having the short vegetative period and frost-resistant. Rankokas, mid-season Blyukrop, the Patriot are suitable for climate of Moscow area early grade. Elisabeth, Spartan have well proved the Bonus.
Plant two-three-year saplings in the early spring, the place for landing has to be solar, well protected from winds. The soil has to be special – sour and water-permeable. Under landing prepare wells or bathtubs of 40 cm in depth and 0.5-1.5 m wide. Cover them film in which pierce holes for water drain. Fill up with drainage – peat about pH of 4-5 units mixed with sawdust, sand, needles goes branches, fir twigs, bark, further. Peat can be replaced with the earth taken in the pine forest. Notice! It is impossible to add humus, manure and other alkaline organic chemistry to soil.
Plant bushes at distance of 0.8 m, and row-spacings do on width of 1.5 meters. Saplings with the closed root system ret in water for 30 minutes, then land in holes. Plants with open roots put in the prepared soil, burying root neck at 5-7 cm and is abundant water.
Care for blueberry
Care for blueberry consists in timely waterings, top layers of the earth have to be always humidified. To facilitate leaving, the soil in ranks is mulched straw, sawdust, bark. It helps to keep moisture, improves structure of soil – plants take root better. For maintenance of the necessary acidity 2-3 times during the summer acidify the soil. Part 1 h spoon of oxalic or citric acid in three liters of water or 200 ml of acetic essence in 10 liters and water soil.
Blueberry tall in low-snow winters can freeze slightly therefore needs the shelter. Preparation for winter is begun beforehand – in October the branches bend down to the earth by means of wire or twine. With approach of steady frosts the bushes close burlap or ukryvny material. From above fill up with fir twigs. In the early spring the shelter is removed if there are frozen slightly tips – cut off.
Adult plants need scrap. The first cutting is done at two-year age. Delete tops, branches with fruit kidneys. The following cutting is done in 2-3 years – remove the sick and old branches lying on the earth and gains at the bush basis.