In spite of the fact that, taste at garden bilberry not so saturated and fragrant as at her forest relative, many owners of the parcels are engaged in cultivation of this plant. The most widespread grades of garden bilberry: Bluecrop, Earliblue, Spartan.
Garden bilberry is the long-term berry bush relating to family cowberry. In height this plant reaches 50-60 cm, and begins to fructify in one and a half-two months after blossoming. As a rule, the first berries of bilberry appear in three years after landing of bush.
Landing of garden bilberry
Before landing of undersized bush of garden bilberry it is necessary to decide on the place. Most comfortably the plant feels in half-shade, in soil with the increased humidity. It is possible to plant bilberry and on the sun, however in that case the plant should be sprayed with water daily.
It is better to plant bushes of bilberry in one row, at the same time the distance between plants has to be not less, than one and a half meters. The best season for landing – August-September. The bilberry landed in the spring, as a rule, long enough takes root, and even in general can dry out. In the conditions of the wild nature bilberry grows on sour soil therefore for landing of bush in garden it is necessary to prepare the corresponding soil structure – to mix in equal proportions peat, bank sand, rerotten foliage and sawdust. To make pochvosmes sourer, it is necessary to add ¼ teaspoons of sulfur to it. Just before landing it is desirable to water the soil generously with solution of any food acid (1 tablespoon on 10 liters of water). At the beginning it is necessary to water with the same solution plant and after landing, but no more once a month. For fertilizing of bilberry it is necessary to use only mineral fertilizers acquired in specialized shop. It is necessary to add fertilizer to the soil in those quantities which are recommended by manufacturer. Special fertilizer for bilberry does not exist therefore it is possible to use universal mixes for garden plants.
Care for garden bilberry
Growing up garden bilberry, it is necessary to look after not only plant, but also the soil. The most effective care for the soil – mulching and frequent loosening. The mulch helps to get rid of plants wreckers and also keeps the necessary level of humidity in the earth. It is necessary to notice that even at accurate jumping, in several years the bilberry bushes so expand that turn as a result into impassable thickets. To avoid emergence of similar disgrace on personal plot, on spring it is necessary to thin out bilberry, having cut off excess plants. Old bushes which age is more than 15 years need to be cut off too as they will not yield of good harvest of berries any more.