Description and characteristics of the Elizabeth blueberry variety, planting rules and care

Blueberry Elizabeth is one of the best breeding hybrids that came to Russia from the USA. The domestic gardener fell in love with the culture for the bright aroma and taste of berries. Attracted by the decorative and winter hardiness of the bushes, a rich vitamin and mineral complex in the composition of the fruit.

Elisabeth Blueberry Breeding History

The daughter of an American farmer, Elizabeth White, became interested in growing berry bushes from a young age, and devoted her whole life to her beloved business. By selecting wild blueberries with the fruits of a marketable type and planting on their plantations, I achieved the cultivation of the plant. But Elizabeth was not happy with the size of the berries.

A meeting with botanist and breeder Frederick Covill changed everything. Thanks to joint efforts, crops with varietal properties were obtained. A hybrid variety named Elizabeth, named after a farmer, was bred much later by crossing Scammell, Katharine and Jersey. The first batch of berries went on sale in 1966.

The merits and demerits of culture

Among the advantages of the Elizabeth blueberry variety, gardeners note:

• high plant productivity - 5–7 kg per bush;
• rich taste of berries with a blueberry-grape flavor;
• frost resistance up to - 32 ° С;
• preservation of varietal properties during temperature jumps;
• stable built-in immunity against diseases characteristic of blueberries;
• a strong connection between the berries and the stalk;
• presentation of fruits after transportation.

The culture is not devoid of minor drawbacks that you should pay attention to when growing. These include:

• long onset of fruiting — sixth or seventh year after planting;
• partial death of flower buds during late frosts;
• uneven ripening of berries - 2-4 weeks;
• lack of time for the harvest to ripen when the early cold weather sets in.

Another drawback is the short shelf life of the crop, so it is recommended that the berries can be preserved, frozen or consumed fresh immediately after harvest.

Feature and Description

The culture refers to tall, medium-late ripening varieties with excellent taste characteristics.In the southern regions of Russia, the first berries of Elizabeth's blueberries are enjoyed starting from the second decade of July, in the middle lane and further north - in August.

The appearance of the bush and the branching of the root system

In spring, blueberry green with a red tint, multiple shoots begin to grow vigorously. The branches are of medium thickness - erect, spreading, intertwining with each other. Flower-bearing shoots of brick color grow stiff with age, brighten. The bush reaches a height of 1.8 meters and a width of 1.5 meters.

Small matte light green leaves acquire yellow and red tones closer to cold weather. The leaf plates are elongated, pointed towards the ends, slightly pubescent on the inside. The root of the plant is fibrous, up to 40 cm in size.

Flowering and fruiting

Elizabeth blueberry blooms in the spring-summer period - late May – early June. The buds bloom with white flowers, shaped like a bell. The length of the petals is 1.5 cm.

The culture belongs to self-pollinated varieties. Despite this, other blueberry varieties are planted nearby, blooming at the same time. Cross-pollination increases the quantity, quality of the crop.

Blue large berries with a white bloom have an excellent dessert taste, characterized by sweetness, notes of grapes, blueberries, currants. Among late-ripening varieties, Elizabeth stands out for its exquisite taste, rich aroma.

The size of the berries is 1.6–2.5 cm in diameter. The flesh is liquid, the skin is not thick, but strong, retains the rounded, slightly flattened shape of the fruit during transportation in its original state. The ripening of the crop is uneven. Fresh berries, collected in loose clusters, are picked by gardeners throughout August. The separation from the peduncle is light and dry.

An adult bush produces an average of 5 kg of berries annually. When planting in the southern regions and following agricultural practices, the yield rises to a maximum of 8 kg.

Low temperature resistance

According to the international frost resistance classification, Elizabeth blueberries belong to USDA zone 4b. This means that the plant can withstand cold temperatures down to - 31.7 ° С.

Some plants are not so afraid of frosts as a sharp thaw, May frosts. The Elizabeth variety survives under these unfavorable conditions, although it loses part of the crop from return frosts.

Resistance to diseases and parasites

Elizabeth blueberry, due to its artificially built-in immunity, has a high resistance to root rot, late blight, and stem cancer. The plant is prone to spotting, gray rot. Of insects, the greatest harm to the culture is caused by the scale insect, aphid.

Take a look also

Planting, growing and caring for blueberries in the Moscow region, choosing the best varieties

The nuances of planting crops on the site

In order for blueberries to develop correctly, abundantly and stably bear fruit, the composition of the soil, timing and technology are taken into account when planting.

Terms of planting works

Elizabeth blueberries are planted in May after return frosts or in September, so that the culture has enough time to root before the onset of frost. The advantage of planting in autumn is a stronger, more viable planting material. Even weak seedlings take root well in the spring.

Sapling selection

Elisabeth blueberries are safer to purchase from specialized nurseries or large horticultural farms. The seedling should not have dried out areas of the bark, deformed, broken or with signs of shoot disease. Seedlings with a moist, closed root system take root faster.

Preparing the soil and planting pit

Blueberries love acidic soils. Suitable soil for culture is high peat, land from coniferous forest. If the pH is higher than 3.5–4.5 in the area, acidifying agents must be added. Gardeners use acetic, citric, oxalic acid, electrolyte, but the safest remedy for plants is sulfur powder. Sulfur is scattered over the moistened soil (15 g per 1 sq. M.), Dug up.

Natural acidifiers include sawdust, coniferous needles.Before planting Elizabeth's blueberries on 1 sq. m. of soil make 35 g of potassium, 20 g of phosphorus and nitrogen, rotted manure or humus 7-8 kg. The earth is dug onto a shovel bayonet, sand is added. Drainage (crushed stone, vermiculite or perlite) is laid in a hole 60 cm deep and 60 cm wide, then spilled with warm water or a solution of a growth stimulator.

Blueberry planting technique

The transshipment method is considered less painful. Elizabeth blueberry seedling in a container is abundantly watered, placed on the bottom of a prepared pit, removed from the container. On an earthen coma filled with roots, vertical grooves are made to activate growth. Further, the seedling is covered with soil, deepening the root collar by 10 cm.

Water the plant with warm water with the addition of manganese or fungicides to disinfect the earth. Enough 5 liters for each bush. The planting procedure ends with mulching of the peri-stem circle with a 5-centimeter layer of sawdust, straw, bark.

We organize the right care

If you want to get a high and stable harvest, it is important to properly care for blueberries - water, feed, loosen and mulch the soil in a timely manner, prepare the crop for winter.

Irrigation and fertilization of bushes

Elizabeth blueberry belongs to moisture-loving plants, so regular soil moisture is an integral part of crop care. Berry bushes do not tolerate drought and stagnant water. If there is not enough rain, the plant is watered twice a week. Irrigation in two steps contributes to the constant moisture content of the soil. The first time a bucket of water is poured under the bush early in the morning, the second time the same volume in the evening.

If irrigation is not enough for blueberries, spraying is used. The event is held in the evening, when leaves are not burned from direct sunlight on drops of water.

The yield of Elizabeth blueberry increases after fertilization. Before bud break and during flowering, the crop is fed with carbamide, azophos, ammonium sulfate or any other complex fertilizer with an emphasis on nitrogen, which stimulates plant growth. At the end of June and beginning of July, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are applied, which affect the formation of fruit ovaries, the amount of harvest.

Organic matter is enough for the first three years. Every fourth year, a bucket of compost is added under each bush.

Application time and amount of fertilization depending on the age of the blueberry.In the first year, the plant does not need soil fertilization if the soil was fertilized when planting.

Table of norms of complex mineral fertilizers depending on the age of Elizabeth blueberry.

Blueberries are actively developing up to six years old. At an older age, the amount of fertilizer remains unchanged.

Loosening and mulching of beds

Moisture, which is important for Elizabeth's blueberries, is achieved by frequent irrigation and loosening of the soil, which increases water and air permeability. But more often gardeners go the other way, using mulching.

The procedure is carried out at least three times per season.

Shredded tree bark, rotted leaves, straw, coniferous sawdust are used as mulch, which are placed under the bushes in a 5-15 cm layer.

Benefits of Elisabeth Blueberry Mulching:

• moisture retention;
• no weeds;
• an increase in the concentration of organic substances;
• smoothing out negative consequences with sharp temperature fluctuations;
• improvement of wintering conditions.

Agrotechnical measures maintain the acidity of the soil at the proper level.

Preventive treatment

Protection of Elizabeth blueberries from diseases and pests includes preventive measures:

• maintaining a distance between the bushes of at least two meters when planting;
• sanitary pruning of diseased, damaged branches;
• removal of shoots thickening the crown;
• mulching the soil with sawdust, weeding row spacings;
• preventive treatment of bushes with Bordeaux liquid in April;
• spraying blueberries three times at weekly intervals with fungicides in late autumn.

To prevent the development of spots and gray mold on the culture, the bushes are sprayed with solutions of Medox, Skor, Horus, Azophos.

Formative pruning

Sanitary pruning of Elizabeth blueberries is performed annually in the spring, until the sap flow begins and in the fall after leaf fall. Sick, deformed, broken off branches are removed. In the third year, all shoots are cut out except for skeletal branches. A year later, flowering shoots grow on them, which are directed upwards, tied up. In the fifth year, branches of the second order grow.

Formative pruning is performed only in the sixth year after planting. Leave four fruiting and as many young shoots, the rest are cut out.

Shelter for winter

Preparatory measures for winter:

• mulch the near-stem circle with a thick layer of bark, sawdust, straw;
• closer to freezing, 6–7 buckets of water are poured under each blueberry bush;
• the branches of the plant are bent to the ground, fixed with arcs, agrofibre, burlap, spruce branches are fixed on top.

Despite the frost resistance of Elizabeth blueberries, it is better to play it safe and use a covering material. This is especially true for young bushes up to four years of age and the northern regions.

Reproduction methods

The culture is propagated in the following ways:

• seeds;
• green, lignified, root cuttings;
• layering;
• dividing the bush;

The most popular blueberry propagation method among gardeners is cuttings.

Seminal

To obtain seeds, ripe berries are ground, dipped in a container with water. Specimens that have sunk to the bottom are suitable for planting. Seeds are buried in the ground in early autumn or planted in containers in March, after keeping them in the refrigerator for 3 months.

Algorithm for planting blueberries Elizabeth:

• peat substrate in containers is moistened;
• sow planting material without deepening;
• sprinkle with a 2 mm layer of peat;
• stretch a film on top or place glass;
• regularly moisten the soil, ventilate;
• the shelter is removed after the first shoots appear;
• in the three-leaf phase, blueberries are planted in individual pots;
• taken out into the street before the onset of cold weather;
• in the fall, plants are brought onto a veranda or other room without heating, they are insulated.

The culture is planted in a permanent place after 2 years.

The disadvantages of this method of reproduction are considered to be the late onset of fruiting - after 7 years, the lack of guarantees for the preservation of the varietal characteristics of the plant.

Vegetative methods are more preferable, they do not change the varietal properties of the culture.

Vegetative

Elizabeth blueberries are propagated by:

1. Cuttings

Lignified cuttings of 15 cm are obtained from mature shoots, excluding flower-bearing ones, collected during the winter. The bottom is cut obliquely under the kidney, the top is even at a distance of at least 2 cm from the kidney. They are planted in greenhouses or in a garden bed, covered with a film, in April.

Green cuttings take root faster and in greater numbers. Strong shoots of the current year are selected in the middle of summer. Separate from the trunk with a sharp jerk. The lower half of the cutting is freed from the leaves, the remaining ones are thinned out so that they do not overlap each other when planting. For rapid rooting, greenhouse conditions are created for the planting material - a temperature of 20-24 ° C, regular moistening and ventilation. In winter, they are left in the same place, pre-insulated.

2. Layers

The method of propagation of Elizabeth's blueberries by layering, although practiced by Russian gardeners, cannot be called effective, since the outcome of the event is unpredictable. Young flexible shoots of the plant are pressed to the ground, placed in prepared grooves. Press with wooden or metal pins, sprinkle with peat along the entire length.After 2-3 years after the formation of new plants, they are planted.

3. By dividing the bush

The blueberries are dug up and cuttings are made, consisting of two or three shoots and roots of at least 5-7 cm in length. Each part is immediately planted in a permanent place. The crop appears in 4 years. For early adaptation, cuttings and cuttings of the culture are kept in Kornevin's solution, which stimulates root growth.

Variety reviews

Gardeners describe varietal blueberries in different ways, but there are more positive descriptions.

Marina Viktorovna, 60 years old:

I have been growing blueberries for the ninth year. The harvest ripens by September. The berries are large, tasty, do not crumble for a long time. One problem - the bushes are affected by aphids. I tried all the folk remedies. It is useless, no soap solutions have rid the culture of insects. Only Aktara's drug helped.

Svetlana Vladimirovna, 45 years old:

I agree that Elizabeth is one of the best blueberry varieties. I could not resist, I bought two seedlings. Unfortunately, the berries do not have time to ripen in our climate. I live in the Urals.

Maria, 25 years old:

I'm looking forward to August, when Elizabeth's blueberries will ripen at my mother's dacha. The berries are delicious. The balance of sugar and acid, bright aroma captivates.