Description of the Patriot blueberry variety, planting, cultivation and care

The Patriot blueberry variety is widely grown commercially in America, Australia and Europe. The variety of berries has gained popularity in the CIS countries. Blueberry is a tall species, producing up to 10 kilograms per bush. To get a decent harvest, before planting, it is important to familiarize yourself with all the nuances of the selection of seedlings, care, collection of fruits and their storage.

Description and characteristics of the variety

Blueberry Patriot is a medium-early ripening variety. Flowering begins at the end of May. From the second half of July, there is an active yield. The garden is decorated with flowering blueberry bushes, inflorescences with caps hanging from the branches.

Description of the Patriot blueberry variety:

1. The bush yields a harvest 5-6 years after planting, once a year.
2. The variety is self-fertile, does not require pollinators. According to experienced summer residents, the presence of several trees of a different variety on the site, for example: Bluecrop, Toro, Elizabeth, can increase the level of fruiting by 40%.
3. The shrub is characterized as slightly spreading, straight. Due to this, the density of planting plants per 1 square meter slightly increases. Then you can freely harvest without bending the branches.
4. The average yield of Patriot blueberries is about 5 kilograms per bush. Fruiting is observed from May to July.
5. The plant is resistant to pests and diseases.

Flowering lasts up to 55 days, the culture is classified as decorative and fruit bushes. About 90% of the flowers become berries by the time they ripen.

Positive and negative sides of the Patriot dove

The blueberry variety offers a number of pros and cons. They will help you make sure of the choice.

Berry growing rules

Blueberry species Patriot prefers garden, sandy soil and loam. The bush grows best in conditions of acidic, aerated soil, easily warmed up by the sun's rays and containing from 3% humus. Groundwater should not rise to 70 centimeters. It is advisable to worry about the outflow of excess moisture from the bush in advance.

The acidity of the soil should be 4.2-4.5 pH.A higher level entails an increased risk of fungal infection. In the bush, metabolic processes deteriorate, the absorption of nitrogen decreases, and the susceptibility to chlorosis increases. If the acidity of the soil drops to 6 pH, blueberry Patriot dies.

When to plant?

The best time to plant seedlings is in spring, before mid-April or autumn, in mid-October. In northern latitudes, it is advisable to give preference to spring planting. Autumn planting allows you to adapt to winter, new conditions, in the spring there is a more active growth of the bush. Closed-root Patriot blueberry seedlings can be planted in open soil throughout the season.

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Selection of seedlings

Planting material for Patriot blueberries should be bought from trusted sellers, in the market or in a special store. It is necessary to choose the right seedlings:

• do not buy seedlings with open roots, they dry out quickly;
• inspect the appearance, the seedling should be intact, saturated green.

If the seedlings are picked up of poor quality, stale, the bush may not take root.

Dates, place and stages of landing

Blueberry Patriot prefers places where the sun constantly shines, there are rarely drafts and winds. Better to plant next to a fence or outbuildings, they protect from windy gusts. If the bush grows in partial shade, the yield decreases, the berries become smaller, their taste is less sweet. It is better to grow the berry in elevated areas, dig trenches in advance for the outflow of liquid. When it comes to predecessors, they should be perennial grasses. The plant should not be planted after organic fertilized crops.

Stages of planting blueberries Patriot.

1. Dig a hole 45 centimeters deep and 1 meter in diameter.
2. Spread a strong film, tarpaulin on the ground, mix the filling medium. Pour high moor peat, river sand, rotted needles dust on the prepared surface, stir.
3. Fill the hole with the prepared mixture, without tamping too much. To deepen young bushes up to 10 centimeters.
4. Before planting, immerse the root system in water for 1 hour.
5. Straighten the roots, make a hole in the center of the hole corresponding to their size. Place them horizontally. The planting depth is 2-3 centimeters below the previous level.
6. Drizzle with acidified water - 100 ml of 9% table vinegar per 10 liters of water.

Mulch with peat, dust, needles and a mixture of these components. The height of the shelter should be 10 centimeters.

Subtleties of crop care

Blueberry variety Patriot practically does not differ in terms of avoiding other varieties of berries.

1. Water in a timely manner, water the leaves in hot weather.
2. Fertilize in the prescribed period with suitable fertilizing.
3. Prune, form a bush.
4. Cover shrubs for the winter, protecting them from freezing.
5. Treat from pests and diseases.
6. As the shrub grows, the hole should be expanded, digging around the circumference, adding acidic soil. It is important not to damage the root system. An adult bush occupies 1.5 meters of the site, the same amount and its roots.
7. Remove all weeds near the blueberries with a hoe, and loosen the soil no deeper than 3 centimeters. Burian inhibits the growth of the bush, takes useful elements from the soil.
8. As the soil subsides, add mulch, huddle bushes.

These tips will help you grow fertile bushes that produce ripe, juicy and sweet berries.

Watering

If the groundwater in the plot goes deeper than 60 centimeters from the surface, you need to water the berry often - 2 times a week, 2 buckets. Pour abundantly at the root. Divide the daily rate into 2 doses, morning and evening. If it is not possible to visit the cottage so often, you can install drip irrigation. In the heat, irrigate Patriot blueberry leaves after 4 pm.

Top dressing

Fertilize Patriot blueberries with an acidifying form of nitrogen, a mineral complex: 50% in March, 25% before flowering, 25% during the period of ovary formation. Experienced gardeners feed the plant 2 times a year: before pollen and at harvest. You can buy special fertilizer for azaleas. The dosage of liquid dressings depends on the degree of soil moisture. Usually 5-10 liters are applied per 1 adult bush.

Novice summer residents are advised to buy ready-made fertilizer right away, dilute it strictly in accordance with the annotation.

Forming and pruning a bush

To start circumcision in the 3rd year of the life of the bush.

1. Lightening is carried out in the center, gradually moving towards other parts.
2. An increase is cut out at the base - up to 40 centimeters.
3. You need to leave 5-7 shoots.
4. Excise bushy, small growths, weakened and diseased branches.
5. After 5 years from planting, pruning is complicated by removing old branches.
6. After 10-15 years of blueberry life, its fertility will decrease, the berries will become smaller. To restore the previous productivity, you should cut off the entire bush near the ground, leaving only the root system. Due to the rejuvenating circumcision, shoot growth is activated.

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After 2-3 years, Patriot blueberries will again produce a lot of harvest, large fruits.

If correct, prune blueberry bushes in a timely manner, they will live for about 100 years. All manipulations should be carried out in March, before pollen begins.

Wintering

Blueberry Patriot is frost-hardy, but to prevent freezing, it is better to mulch the bush before the first frost. It is used for shelter spunbond, on top of spruce branches. Wrap up young, low bushes completely with air-permeable material. Press branches from 1 meter high to the ground, insulate in the same way.

Pathologies and pests

Blueberry Patriot is famous for its stable immunity to pathologies and pests, especially late blight and root rot. If the plant is affected by necrotic spotting, dwarfism, mosaic or netting of branches, it must be removed and burned. You can protect the blueberry bush from birds using a net, a scarecrow. They get rid of pests with fungicides, insecticides.

Breeding varieties

There are 3 main breeding methods for Patriot blueberries:

• by seeds - a long and laborious process, usually used to obtain new varieties;
• cuttings - the most convenient option, harvest them in the fall;
• layering - gives a small amount of planting material, but there are no difficulties in rooting the resulting bushes.

For inexperienced gardeners, it is best to propagate Patriot blueberries by cuttings.

Harvesting: how to store, what to cook

Harvesting has been done since mid-July.

1. The fruits ripen unevenly, they are cut off in several steps.
2. The first berries will be large, and by the end of the harvest, they will become smaller. The dense skin makes storage and transportation safe.
3. In the refrigerator, sealed containers, the Patriot variety remains intact for about 2 weeks, and in the freezer for a whole year.
4. It is advisable to consume the first berries fresh, and from small blueberries - make jam, compotes, jams, candied fruits, use in baking.

If the collection of fruits is delayed for some reason, they will not quickly fall off. You need to have time to remove the blueberries within 2 weeks.