How blueberries grow in the garden, the choice of varieties and the rules of planting and care

Many summer residents are engaged in growing berries, who have their own garden. However, some of them are planted in the garden area blueberries. Before you start growing such a plant, you need to familiarize yourself with exactly how blueberries grow and how to plant and grow them in the garden.

General information about the plant

To get acquainted with the main features of bush blueberries, you need to study the general information about this berry.

Blueberries are tall shrubs that can grow up to one and a half meters. They begin to bear fruit in the middle of summer, when small berries appear on all the bushes. The average yield from each blueberry bush is 7-8 kilograms. All fruits are collected in large and oblong clusters. A distinctive feature of the plant is the taste of its fruits. They are sweet and have no sour taste. The surface of the fruit is covered with a bluish skin, which darkens after ripening.

Differences between blueberries and blueberries

Many gardeners who have recently started growing berries cannot tell the difference between blueberries and blueberries. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the distinctive features of these horticultural crops in advance so as not to confuse them with each other in the future. These plants may differ:

• Stems. Blueberry bush has huge stems that are 80-90 centimeters larger than blueberry. The maximum height of blueberry seedlings is only 40-45 centimeters, and blueberry plants are 1.5 meters.
• The shape of the bushes. A blueberry seedling is a creeping plant that grows on the surface of the soil. Blueberries have upright bushes.
• Fruit. Another distinctive feature of plants is a ripe crop. Blueberry berries have an oblong shape, while blueberry berries have a spherical shape. Also, berries can be distinguished by color. Blueberries have much darker fruits.
• Taste qualities. Blueberries taste different. Its berries are sweet and blueberries have a characteristic sourness.

Popular varieties

Before you start growing blueberries, you need to familiarize yourself with the most famous varieties of berries. Popular plant varieties include:

• Duke. Most often, this variety is grown in the west, but some gardeners from the CIS countries also plant Duke.This is a late-ripening variety whose berries ripen at the end of July. Duke fruits are resistant to diseases and have a pleasant aroma.
• Bluecrop. It is a low growing variety suitable for growing in small gardens. The advantage of Bluecrop is considered its yield, which allows you to collect more than ten kilograms of ripe berries from the plant.
• Leningrad giant. A vigorous and high-yielding plant that is resistant to frost and high humidity. The yield is 7-9 kilograms of berries.
• Bonus. A tall variety that can grow up to two meters. It differs from other varieties of blueberry in the size of ripe berries, the diameter of which is 25-30 millimeters.
• Putte. Some people prefer to plant putte blueberries in the garden, which have a stable yield of 3-4 kilograms of berries from each bush. The harvested crop is used for making jams and fruit compote.

Take a look also

When can you collect lingonberries and how, how to make devices with your own hands

Can I grow in a summer cottage?

Many people who plan to start growing berries are interested in whether it is possible to plant blueberries in their summer cottage. Previously, this plant was not planted so often, but now many homeowners plant blueberries in their gardens. This has become possible thanks to breeders who have developed varieties of berries suitable for growing in all climates.

Growing garden blueberries

To grow blueberries, you need to learn how to plant them correctly.

The choice of planting material

The yield of the planted bushes directly depends on the quality of the planting material. Experienced gardeners recommend buying seedlings with a well-formed root system. The height of such seedlings should not be less than fifteen centimeters. The shoots of the seedling chosen for transplantation should have several formed green leaves without signs of disease.

Choosing a landing site

It is necessary to find the right site for the further cultivation of the planted blueberries. The chosen landing site must meet the following requirements:

• exposure to the sun throughout the day;
• the location of groundwater at a distance of 60-80 centimeters from the top layers of the soil;
• protection from strong gusts of wind.

Also, when choosing, one must take into account the compatibility of the berry with other plants. It should not be planted in areas where tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers or potatoes were previously grown.

Preparing the pit for planting

Before planting berries in open ground, a special planting pit is made. Experts recommend preparing a planting hole in the fall, before the cold weather begins. However, some people prefer to do this in early spring. In this case, you need to dig a hole two weeks before disembarkation. The depth of the planting hole should be about 10-15 centimeters, and the width should be 8-10 centimeters.

The process of planting blueberries in open ground

Before planting the plant, a drainage layer is laid in the dug hole. For this, pine branches and wood chips are placed at the bottom. Peat mixed with sawdust, coniferous humus and sand is poured on top. Then a blueberry seedling is carefully placed in the prepared hole and sprinkled with earth.

Features of growing in a greenhouse

Before planting blueberries in an outdoor garden, some gardeners grow young seedlings in a greenhouse. In greenhouse conditions, the bushes are grown for one and a half years, after which they must be transplanted into open ground.

In the process of growing berries in a greenhouse, you need to regularly water them and feed them with fertilizers. You also need to make sure that the blueberries have enough lighting. For this, additional lighting lamps are installed near the bushes.

Further care of blueberries

In order for the planted berry to bear fruit normally, the bushes will have to be properly looked after.Therefore, it is recommended to understand in advance the recommendations for caring for seedlings in spring and summer.

Rules for feeding and watering

Blueberries are considered a moisture-loving berry that must be watered periodically. It is necessary to start irrigation in 1-2 weeks after transplanting the seedlings into the garden. Watering is carried out at least twice a week. In July and August, when the heat begins, the amount of moisture increases several times. At the same time, at least seven liters of water are consumed for each bush. Use room temperature water.

How and when to prune bushes

Caring for garden blueberries should be accompanied by the formation of seedlings. Experienced gardeners recommend forming planted blueberry bushes every year, in early spring. The first pruning is carried out when the seedlings are 3-4 years old. In this case, only 4-5 of the most powerful fruiting shoots are left. In the future, you will need to remove branches that are more than five years old.

Take a look also

How can you keep strawberries for the winter without cooking fresh

Preparing for winter

Agricultural technicians advise to prepare in advance the planted blueberry seedlings for winter, so that after the onset of cold weather they do not freeze. To do this, you will have to deal with the insulation of the garden culture. High metal rods are installed near each bush, which are covered with a strong oilcloth. This covering material should protect the berry from low temperatures.

Description of the main diseases and pests of the bush

Gardeners who decide to grow blueberries at their dachas periodically face dangerous diseases and pests that can worsen yields. Common diseases include:

• Tracheomycosis. People who grow blueberries in the Kuban are often faced with tracheomycotic wilting. This fungal disease leads to yellowing of the foliage and drying out of the shrub. "Alirin" and "Fitosporin" will help to get rid of tracheomycosis.
• Phylostictosis. If grayish spots appear on the surface of the foliage, it means that the plant has phyllostictosis. Fungicidal preparations will help get rid of the disease. To prevent the appearance and development of this ailment, the berries must be transplanted to a new place every 5-6 years.
• Septoria. Small brownish spots on the leaf blades indicate the development of septoria. Bordeaux mixture will help to cure the disease.

Also, dangerous pests can appear on plants, which lead to wilting of seedlings. Most often, berries are attacked by:

• leaf rollers;
• moths;
• jaundice;
• archers.

Breeding culture

Many budding gardeners are interested in the profitability of blueberry cultivation. It is profitable to breed this garden culture, since many cuttings can be obtained from one bush, which are planted separately in the future. All cuttings collected for further planting must be prepared in advance. This requires:

• clean them from the exfoliated layer of bark;
• cut off the bottom leaves;
• treat each cutting with a nutrient mixture to stimulate growth.

The specifics of growing in different regions of Russia

It is recommended to familiarize yourself with the peculiarities of blueberry cultivation in different regions of the Russian Federation.

People living in the north-west and in the territory of Siberia or the Urals need to take more care of the berries. In this region, severe winters and therefore the bushes must be prepared in advance for wintering. In early autumn, fertilizing is added to the soil and structures are created to shelter the planted seedlings.

The Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov Region have favorable climatic conditions and therefore it is easier to care for blueberries. It is not necessary to shelter the seedlings for the winter, since the winters are not harsh here.

Harvesting

Many are interested in how long the berries ripen. They ripen within a month and a half, and therefore most often the ripe harvest is carried out in the middle of summer.However, it all depends on the characteristics of the variety, since some varieties of berries may ripen earlier or later. When picking berries, it is contraindicated to use mechanical tools, as they can damage the seedlings. Therefore, ripe berries must be carefully picked off with your hands.

The harvested crop is immediately transferred to a dark room. Fruits spoil quickly and therefore must be used within 3-4 days.

Conclusion

Many gardeners are engaged in the cultivation of blueberry bushes. Before planting, you need to familiarize yourself with how blueberries are planted at their summer cottage, and understand the planting scheme for this garden culture.