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Green coffee, quinoa seeds and other exotic products are inferior in benefits to a beautiful northern berry of an unusual color, pleasant taste with a slight acidity. We are talking about blueberries, gonobel, drunkard - a marsh berry that retains its properties in any form. It is tasty, healthy, shown to adults and children and allowed during pregnancy. Let's talk about the beneficial properties of the berry and the rules for its use.

Blueberry has one more interesting name- gonobel. Blueberries are often mistaken for. Despite the external similarity, the fruits are different: the gonobel is larger, has a slightly greenish flesh, which does not paint the mouth. You can safely eat healthy berries in handfuls, not be afraid to walk with blue lips and tongue, enjoy a pleasant sweet and sour fresh taste.

Blueberries have unique beneficial properties. Gonobel has many healing qualities, and it is widely used both in cooking and folk herbal medicine in fresh, dry, frozen forms. Blueberries are often used to make wine, and useful extracts are obtained. Blueberry extracts are then added to creams and medications.

What does blueberry look like?

Blueberry is a small shrub whose height rarely exceeds one to one and a half meters. In early June, small berries with a dense skin of a rich blue color with a slight overflow ripen on the bush. Blueberries are harvested all summer - shrubs bear fruit until August, so it is easy to store these delicious healing fruits for future use.

Common blueberry looks picturesque, representing a shrub with fluffy leaves. The branches of the bush are curved, long, and during the flowering period they are literally strewn with beautiful white or pink flowers resembling miniature bells. Flowers fall, and then the fruits are tied. Blueberry color is blue, covered with a white bloom, outwardly something similar to snow. As soon as the berries ripen, they turn into a real delicacy - vitamin bombs. The inside of blueberries is filled with vitamins and microelements valuable for health. It is curious that shrubs live for a very long time. The life span of each sometimes reaches 100 years.

Where do blueberries grow

Common blueberry belongs to the heather family, and its closest relative is the healthy one. Like lingonberry, gonobel loves to grow in marshy areas, peat bogs, and tundra. The favorite climate of the fruit is cool, which is why it is often called the northern berry. Blueberries are highly valued by the people of Canada, North America, England, Iceland, and even Japan. There, a useful berry grows in the East and is revered by the inhabitants as a natural healer for many diseases.

In addition to gonobel, blueberries have other names: drunkard, drunkard, fool, pigeon and drunk berry. It is believed that if you overeat berries, it is easy to fall into a dope like intoxication.

Biologists have found out: it is not the blueberry itself that is intoxicated, but the wild rosemary. It often grows near shrubs, its ethers get into the spores of the dove, which gives the berries a light intoxicating properties.

The chemical composition of blueberries

Chemical composition berries contain all the necessary substances: proteins, fats, a small amount of complex carbohydrates. It contains only 10% monosaccharides, so the fruits are considered dietary and completely safe for the waist. Blueberry protein contains up to 2%, it contains 0.5% pectin, many organic acids and phosphorus, which improves human vision.

Also included are:

• bioflavonoids - natural antioxidants that can slow down the aging process of the body, remove toxins and toxins;
• ascorbic acid is a powerful immunomodulator necessary to protect the body during colds, flu, and rehabilitation after any illness;
• thiamine or vitamin B1 - a water-soluble substance that is prescribed for neuritis, neuralgia, radiculitis, tendencies to overexcitation;
• nicotinic acid is a valuable regulator of cholesterol and carbohydrate balance, an element that restores neural functions in the brain, improves vision and hearing;
• potassium is an important element for the human cardiovascular system;
• magnesium - soothing nerves, relieves insomnia, anxiety, spastic phenomena in the muscles;
• keratin - compounds are invaluable for the beauty of hair, because our hair consists of them.

There are rare B vitamins, iron and many additional elements in small doses, but no less valuable for the body. Do not forget that berries are always rich in dietary fiber necessary for normal intestinal motility.

It is noteworthy that it is blueberries that are prescribed to workers in hazardous industries, chemical enterprises. One or two glasses of useful berries per day remove all harmful substances, heal the body at the cellular level, and prevent poisons from accumulating.

Calorie content

The calorie content of blueberries is low. It is only 39 kcal per 100 g of product. This means that it is allowed to eat the berry in any quantity without fear of going over the daily calorie intake. There is only one condition: to eat blueberries without honey, sugar. Add to dishes in pure form. A recommendation is especially important for everyone who follows the figure.

Health Benefits of Blueberries

Since ancient times, healers and herbalists have known the benefits of blueberries and use the berry to promote health. Firstly, the berry is able to compensate for the deficiency of ascorbic acid in winter, in spring, when fresh vitamins are sorely lacking. Secondly, she is considered an obesity fighter. Since the composition contains niacin and thiamine, the constant use of healthy berries helps to lose weight, or at least stabilize it, preventing it from lifting.

Finally, the juice was always given in acute febrile conditions and as an ambulance for stomach pains. Light "intoxicating" effects of blueberries quickly relieve spasms of the gastrointestinal tract and have a calming effect on humans.

Benefits of blueberries for women

Gonobel contains folic acid. Blueberries are recommended for pregnant women in the early stages, even in the planning stage of pregnancy, the substance helps new cells to form. The fetus develops better, the internal organs are formed according to all norms, a strong and healthy baby is born. Another property of blueberries is their ability to regulate blood pressure. This serves as an excellent prevention of gestosis - a direct threat of premature birth in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Vitamin C protects the expectant mother and fetus from colds, harmful bacteria and viruses. Gonobel berries are indicated for toxicosis. They stop gagging, and the pregnant woman does not feel odd tastes.

Breastfeeding blueberries

Blueberries contain rutin and exculin, which are useful in diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Plus, this useful berry always improves brain function, cleanses the blood, relieves swelling and regenerates the retina. All these qualities deservedly made the berry useful even during breastfeeding. With mother's milk, microdoses of useful components enter the baby, strengthening the small body.

Gonobel berry avoids such a phenomenon as postpartum depression, when young mothers feel empty and lost. The berry stimulates the production of the hormone of joy - serotonin, so that women endure the first months after the birth of a child much more pleasantly: they feel vigorous, cheerful, sleep better. Of course, all this benefit is real only if two main conditions are met: measure and accuracy in use.

Blueberries for children

Doctors are allowed to give blueberries to children for the formation of acute vision, for the establishment of good peristalsis. Useful berry serves as an excellent prevention of hyperactivity. Magnesium, niacin, thiamine, which is part of the composition, make the child calm and more assiduous.

Tips for early introduction of berries into complementary foods are not always justified. It is better not to give blueberries to children under one year old in order to avoid an allergic reaction. But from year to year, pediatricians are allowed to give blueberry puree, and even better in the form of compotes, fruit drinks and jelly. It is better to start with a few berries - this way parents will be convinced that there is no allergy. A rash, redness, irritation on the skin should be a reason to refuse a new dish and a reason to see a doctor.

Blueberry leaves

Forest blueberries are famous not only for their healthy berries. Leaves are also very often included in herbal teas for their unique composition. Dried and fresh leaves contain tannins and steroids that can fight several ailments at once.

How leaves help:

• strengthen the walls of blood vessels, make them elastic;
• stop severe bleeding, for example, on critical days of a woman.
• regulate blood pressure, so that teas are advised to drink for hypertensive patients as part of complex therapy for the disease;
• normalize blood sugar, are indicated for diabetics from insulin surges;
• relieve inflammation in gastritis, saving from acute pain in the stomach:
• gently and delicately improve digestion during constipation;
• relieve joint pain;
• help to alleviate the symptoms of arthrosis.

Brewed teas made from leaves and berries are very good for those who have recently suffered a cold and want to recuperate faster. Since the leaves contain a lot of vitamin C, they return energy and strengthen the immune system no worse than many expensive ones. drugs.

It is with a decoction of dove leaves that it is advised to rinse your hair: it becomes clean, strong, shiny and obedient.

How and when is it better to use the berry

Wild blueberries are delicious either frozen or fresh. Berries are delicious in fruit drinks, in compotes, with honey. The berry gets an unusual taste in jams, which come out tender and not sugary. Blueberry kissels with a pleasant berry color, they gently envelop the stomach, quickly relieving any irritation of the mucous membrane.

Top 5 best recipes

1. A decoction of the leaves. Pour dry leaves with a glass of warm water, boil for 5 minutes, and then insist. Drink before meals 5-7 times 50 ml each.
2. Grated berries. Blueberries are covered with a small amount of sugar or honey, and ground. Eat fresh with tea 2-3 times a day. The recommended amount is 1-2 tablespoons.
3. Blueberry compote. Berries are covered with sugar, poured clean water and warmed up. As soon as the water becomes covered with small bubbles, they turn it off, let the drink brew. You can drink chilled 2-4 glasses a day at any time of the day.
4. Blueberry and curd smoothie. Berries are mixed with 0% fat cottage cheese or natural yogurt, whipped in a blender. They eat instead of dinner 2-3 hours before bedtime.
5. Blueberry jelly. The berries are rubbed with a sweetener, the juice is allowed to stand out. Strain the juice through cheesecloth or a sieve. Dissolve gelatin, according to the instructions on the package, in the required amount of water, mix with juice. The resulting mixture is poured into bowls and cooled in the refrigerator. Serve with whipped cream for dessert after a hearty dinner. Dessert is recommended for everyone who suffers from obesity, diabetes mellitus.

Wild blueberries in some countries are loved by adherents of a raw food diet and are used together with shoots for salads and teas: they are crushed, dried, and then brewed from them into drinks. These healthy and tasty berries are recognized as a powerful drug against heart and vascular problems.

When and how to pick blueberries

Blueberry harvesting lasts from early June to August. Since the useful berry loves to grow in swampy places, the event should always be accompanied by a certain measure of caution. It is definitely not worth taking children for the berry.

In one season of blueberries from only one hectare, it is realistic to collect about 1000 kg of these sweet, juicy and ripe berries. In America, they do just that, sending tons of useful gonobobel berries for industrial processing. Jams, confitures, blueberry liqueurs are very popular in this country.

How to store blueberries at home

If the berry is left at normal room temperature after picking, it will quickly rot - in just a couple of days. On the upper shelves of the refrigerator, the life of the berries is slightly increased - they remain fresh for a little longer than three days. There is another interesting way of harvesting gonobel berries, which many are not familiar with. It's called soaking. After the procedure, the berries are kept fresh and healthy for several months in a row.

Soak

Soaking looks like this: the berry is sorted out, peeled, poured into glass jars of any volume. The soaked blueberries are boiled for 10 to 20 minutes (for a volume of 0.5 liters and 1 liter, respectively). We roll up the cans with lids, and then turn them upside down. Such blueberries remain tasty and fresh, and are loved by both adults and children.

For those who are lazy to tinker with blanks of gonobobel berries, they can simply dry them, put them in linen bags. Dried blueberries are stored in a dark dry place for up to 24 months.

Which is healthier fresh or processed

The beneficial properties of blueberries are almost completely preserved both fresh and frozen. Some of the valuable microelements die during heat treatment, but vitamin C is preserved almost in full.

The record holder for the content of useful microelements is the gonobel berry juice. In terms of value, it is on a par with apple, grapefruit and pomegranate juices.

The juice has a beneficial effect on immunity, participates in blood renewal and cleanses blood vessels.

Contraindications and harm to blueberries

Swamp blueberry has a minimum of contraindications and is indicated for people aged 3 to 80 and older. Care should be taken to use a useful berry for people with blood diseases, benign and malignant neoplasms during pregnancy and feeding. Despite the permission of obstetricians-gynecologists, it is better to consult with them and use in the dosage indicated by them. Since the gonobel lowers the pressure, it can cause a sharp decrease in the strength of the hypotensive.

With a great love for healthy blueberries, you should feast on it a little - no more than one glass of berries per day. For people with more weight, it is better to refrain from desserts with berries containing white sugar, replacing it with sweeteners or honey in a small amount. However, the main commandment of any herbal medicine is measure, caution, rationality and the use of berries in the season when the beneficial properties of blueberries are manifested in maximum concentration.

Enjoy a beautiful healthy blue berry: a gonoboel, a fool, a drunkard, pamper yourself with natural healthy vitamins and delicious food, and be healthy.

Vaccinium uliginosum L.
Taxon: genus Vaccinium, family Heather (Ericaceae)
Popular names: marsh blueberries, marsh blueberries, undersized blueberries, gonobel, foolish woman, drunkard.
English: Blueberry

Description:
Blueberries are a branched shrub up to 1.5 m high, with dark gray or brownish bark. The leaves are alternate, elliptical, on short petioles, dark green above, glaucous below, covered with a bluish waxy bloom, with slightly curled edges; fall for the winter. The flowers are pale pink or white, small, with a jug-bell-shaped corolla, on drooping pedicels, arranged in 2-3 on last year's branches. The fruit is a juicy, sour-sweet, without a special aroma, spherical or oval, bluish-black berry with a bluish-black bloom, with a greenish pulp. Seeds are numerous, light brown. The plant is characterized by an extended flowering period, from May to July. The berries ripen in August.

Spreading:
Blueberry fruit shrub is found on Far East, in Eastern and Western Siberia, in the Caucasus, in the northern non-black earth zone of the European part of Russia. Favorite growing places are in swampy mixed and coniferous forests, in moss bogs. Often, marsh blueberry grows next to marsh rosemary, the intoxicating smell of which causes a headache. Because of this, blueberries are often called a fool or a drunkard.

Collection and procurement:
The medicinal raw material is blueberry fruits. They are harvested mature for drying. Then they sort out, rejecting rotten, overripe and unripe, washed in cold water, poured a thin layer on a sieve and dried in an oven or dryer at a temperature of no more than 60 ° C. Stir the fruits several times during drying. The shelf life of dried berries is 1 year.
The leaves are harvested during the flowering of the plants. Dried under a canopy in the shade, after drying in the sun for 30 minutes. The shelf life of dried leaves is 2-3 years.

Chemical composition:
Blueberry fruits contain: up to 45 mg% of ascorbic acid, malic, citric, oxalic acids, sugar (up to 9.8%), which are mainly represented by fructose, fiber, pectin (up to 0.6%), tannins and coloring agents ( 0.2%), carotene and minerals. There are tannins in the branches and leaves.

Pharmacological properties:
The plant has antiscorbutic, hypotensive, cardiotonic, choleretic, diuretic, anti-sclerotic and anti-inflammatory effects. Blueberries strengthen the walls of blood capillaries, normalize the functions of the intestines, pancreas; the leaves increase the functional activity of the stomach, intestines and heart. Helps lower blood sugar.

Application in medicine:
Shoots. The broth is a hypotensive and cardiotonic, mild laxative.
Leaves. In Siberia, the infusion is used for anemia and to improve metabolism and diabetes.
Shoots, leaves. In folk medicine, a decoction is used for colitis, heart disease.
Fruit. They are used for dysentery, colitis, gastritis, pyelitis, cystitis and anemia, stomach catarrh; and also as an antiscorbutic and vitamin (with C-avitaminosis) remedy. Dried broth and juice of fresh fruits - for fever,. In folk medicine, infusion - for gastritis, colitis, kidney disease, pancreas. Juice - for diarrhea, inflammation of the renal pelvis, cholecystitis, liver disease, hypoavitaminosis, general weakness (after surgery, serious illness). In Tibetan medicine, decoction is an astringent for diarrhea; in Korean - with diabetes mellitus and with vitamin C deficiency.

Medications:
Infusion for diseases of the pancreas and kidneys.
Pour 20 g of dry blueberries with a glass of boiling water and leave for an hour, then strain, and squeeze out the waste. Drink a quarter of a glass every three hours.

Decoction for gastritis, diarrhea.
Brew 3 tablespoons of dried blueberries with a glass of boiling water, then heat in a water bath for a quarter of an hour. Filter the broth, and squeeze the raw material. Drink half a glass 3 times a day.

Broth as a laxative.
Pour a teaspoon of dry leaves and 3 tablespoons of fruits with a glass of water. Simmer for 10 minutes over low heat. Cool the broth, filter. Drink throughout the day.

Decoction as an antidiabetic agent.
Boil 10 g of blueberry leaves with 250 ml of boiling water, then heat for a quarter of an hour in a water bath. Infuse the broth until it cools, and then strain, squeeze out the waste raw materials. Drink half a glass 3 times a day.

Contraindications:
Due to the high content of vitamin C, it is contraindicated to consume blueberry fruits for gastric ulcer, hyperacid gastritis in a state of exacerbation, duodenal disease, even in remission. A contraindication to the use of blueberry fruit bush medications is a low blood glucose level.

Photos and illustrations:

Blueberries have been known in our regions for a long time. But not everyone undertakes to cultivate it. Many summer residents argue that there is more trouble with this plant than a harvest.

And many do not even know about the necessary care for her, about the correct method of planting, about the peculiarities of growing.

Description of blueberries

This is a shrub that belongs to the genus Vaccinium. Its congeners are lingonberry, cranberry and blueberry.

Blueberry varieties are subdivided into the following:

1. Early.
2. Average.
3. Late.

In our area, it is best to plant an early and medium variety.

Choosing a landing site

Planting and caring for this shrub begins with the right place for cultivation. The place must be sunny and protected from the wind.... Light partial shade is allowed, but in this case the berries will be sour.

It is necessary to ensure that groundwater does not pass close to the landing site. They should flow at a depth of more than 1 meter.

Blueberries are planted in the spring or fall.... But planting in spring is more preferred. Then the plant will take root on the site over the summer and will be more resistant to winter cold.

The soil

In order for blueberries to take root well on the site, it needs soil with a suitable composition. Ideal would be peat or sandy soil, which have an acidic or slightly acidic reaction. You can also use clay soil, but in this case, good drainage is needed under the bush. If the soil on your site has a different composition, then you can manually create suitable conditions.

For planting, it is worth taking seedlings in pots or containers so that the root system is closed. But when you plant a seedling in open ground, be careful not to damage the fragile roots. Before planting a seedling, immerse it in water for 15 minutes, and then straighten the roots by kneading the earthen ball with your hands.

This plant does not like its predecessors.... It is for this reason that the soil must be kept under steam before the blueberries are planted. Before planting, the plot for blueberries is dug up with mineral and organic fertilizers. If you plan to plant a plant in the spring, then it is worth digging up in the fall.

Site breakdown

A good harvest is observed only in those gardeners who know the rules for planting blueberries. It is planted in rows from north to south. Thus, the bushes will receive the maximum amount of light. The distance between the bushes is determined by the plant variety:

1. For undersized - 60 centimeters.
2. For tall people - 1 meter.

You need to decide in advance on the variety for cultivation. The decision should primarily be based on climatic conditions in your area. The undersized Canadian variety will thrive in cooler regions, but garden blueberries will yield good yields in regions with hot, long summers.

Reproduction and planting of blueberries

Blueberries are planted outdoors in the spring before the buds begin to swell.

Seedlings can be obtained in several ways:

1. Division of the bush.
2. Taps.
3. Cuttings.
4. Seminal.

The most time consuming way is growing blueberries by seed method... They are collected from healthy full-fledged berries in the autumn. After harvest, the fruits are dried and sown in the beds in order to grow seedlings. The soil should be sour peat.

When planting in spring, the seeds are pre-hardened. To do this, they are placed in a refrigerator for three months. After the specified time, they are planted in beds 1 centimeter deep and sprinkled with a mixture of peat and sand (1: 3).

After that, the seeds require special care. They should germinate at an air temperature of 23 - 25 degrees and a relative humidity of 40%. Weeds need to be removed in a timely manner. The soil should be loosened, and sufficient watering is needed.

Only 12 months after sowing the seeds can the first top dressing be carried out. It is possible to plant seedlings in open ground after 2 years, but it will begin to bring crops only after 7 years.

More reliable and faster you can grow blueberries from cuttings... They need to be cut after the plant has dropped all the foliage in the fall or before sap flow in the spring. The length of the root cuttings should be between 8 and 15 centimeters. Thicker cuttings will root faster. For better survival in the ground, they are kept in a cool place, where the temperature regime ranges from 1 to 5 degrees. After that, they are placed in a mixture of sand and peat (3: 1). A layer of the same mixture 6 centimeters thick is poured on top. You need to insert the cuttings into the mixture at an angle. Seedlings in open ground should be planted after 24 months.

New Blueberry Saplings can be obtained by splitting a bush. For this purpose, it is dug up and divided into parts. Each of the parts must have a root more than 5 centimeters long. New seedlings are planted immediately. Bushes obtained by dividing the bushes bear fruit no earlier than 4 years later.

Seedlings can be obtained by layering... But such a process is unproductive and lengthy. For this purpose, a long branch of the bush is bent to the ground and sprinkled with sawdust at the contact point. They take root after about three years. After rooting, they are separated from the mother branch and planted for growing.

Some gardeners do this: the bush is heavily pruned, and a double dose of mineral fertilizers is applied around it. After that, the bush is covered with a 30-centimeter layer of sawdust. Young shoots that have sprouted in the current year will take root in about 3 years. Only after that the impromptu greenhouse is removed, the rooted branches are cut off and planted in a container. There they grow for another two years and only after that they are planted in open ground. The very next year, you can get the first harvest.

It is necessary to plant this crop according to a special scheme. It does not depend at all on the time of planting the plant in open ground. For planting, holes are prepared 60 by 60 centimeters in size and 5o centimeters deep. In order for the air to reach the roots, the hole must be well loosened. At the bottom of the hole, a substrate of sawdust, pine needles, sand, high-moor peat and 50 grams of sulfur is laid and rammed. During this time, no fertilizers should be applied. They alkalize the soil, and it should be acidic.

A seedling is lowered into the hole and the roots are spread evenly around the entire perimeter. After this procedure, they are sprinkled with soil so that the root collar is at a depth of 3 centimeters. The seedling is watered and mulched 12 centimeters. The following materials are used as mulch: sawdust, bark, straw, peat.

In the first year of a seedling's life, in the spring, the strong branches are cut in half and the weak ones are completely cut off. But in the second year, you do not need to prune.

Blueberry care

Blueberry care includes the following activities:

Loosening is carried out carefully several times a year. The roots of this bush culture are only 15 centimeters from the surface of the earth. It is for this reason that it is recommended not to remove the coating material when loosening and mulching. But this should not be done very often, because the soil can dry out.

Watering

This culture need to be watered in a special way... Water should not stagnate near the roots for more than 48 hours. However, the lack of moisture also affects the well-being of the plant. Water the blueberries twice a week. Each mature bush should have two buckets of water. One watering consists in pouring a bucket of water under the bush in the early morning, and the second in the evening. It is especially worth considering watering in July and August. During this period, flowers are tied and fruiting begins.

The quality of the crop depends on whether the plant has enough moisture. If it is very hot outside, then the bushes should be sprayed in order to prevent overheating.

Fertilization and feeding

This culture is considered undemanding to soil fertility, but if you apply mineral fertilizers, it will respond positively. They are recommended to be applied in early spring, when sap flow and bud swelling occur. Organic fertilizers are contraindicated for blueberries. This culture loves these types of fertilizers:

Ammonium sulfate belongs to nitrogenous fertilizers and is applied in three stages:

1. 40% are applied in early spring;
2. 35% - at the beginning of May;
3. 25% - at the beginning of June.

The amount of fertilizer applied under one bush should be approximately 70 - 90 grams. Until next spring this will be enough for the bush.

Magnesium sulfate is added 15 grams under one bush once a season, potassium and zinc sulfate - 2 grams each, and superphosphate - 100 grams each in summer and autumn.

Formation of bushes

For a regular harvest, blueberry bushes are pruned. There are two types of pruning:

1. Sanitary.
2. Formative.

Formative carried out until the kidneys swell. This procedure is especially carefully carried out for bushes that are 2 to 4 years old. It is important to form a strong crown. That is why branches that are weak, sick, drooping, frostbitten and those that have grown at the roots are cut off. Leave only strong branches in the amount of 3 to 5.

At the age of four, shoots are harvested that are over five years old.

On those bushes that live only the first year, it is recommended to cut all flowers. So the plant will be able to develop correctly during the season.

The pruning scheme depends on the type of shrub. In undersized and spreading branches, the lower branches are removed, and in straight-growing ones - in the middle. It should also be taken into account that the branches of neighboring bushes should not intertwine with each other.

Sanitary pruning produced throughout the season. If you find shoots that make you suspicious, cut them off and dispose of them.

Mulching

Mulching helps maintain the required soil moisture level under the bush. The material for mulch can be:

Mulching with cones gives the blueberry bushes an exquisite look - the bushes will fit perfectly into the landscape design. The mulch layer directly depends on the age of the shrubs: the older they are, the larger the mulch layer should be.

Blueberry growth is slowed down when fresh mulching material is used. In this situation, microorganisms work actively and decompose the material, drawing nitrogen from the soil. It is for this reason that a double dose of nitrogen fertilizer must be applied under the shrub when using fresh mulch.

Thanks to mulch, in the spring, the opening of the buds on the bushes is inhibited, and in the fall - the release of leaves by the plant. And thanks to her, this garden culture reacts less to temperature changes that can contribute to the death of the plant. But with such a shelter, blueberry shoots are released more intensively, the wood ripens better, and this also helps to withstand the cold.

In this article I will talk about the differences between forest and garden blueberries, the intricacies of planting and care, popular varieties of domestic and foreign selection.

Differences between forest and garden blueberries

• common blueberries or swamp (swamp);
• tall blueberries or corymbus.

Common blueberry

The height of swamp blueberries rarely exceeds 30-40 cm. Photo

Fruiting for 70-80 years (usually starting from 10-15 years of age), the yield is from 0.2 to 1 kg per bush (in wet years, the yield is much higher). At the end of May - June, drooping bell-shaped flowers are formed on last year's shoots, and after a month and a half, blue berries up to 10 mm in diameter. In nature, it usually propagates by seeds.

Tall blueberry

Tall blueberry Patriot grade. Photo

The shrub blooms at the end of May, and very sweet berries begin to ripen in mid-July (early varieties), in August (mid-season varieties) or in September (late varieties). The berries ripen unevenly (ripe ones can hang on the branches for about two weeks), so the harvest takes place in stages. The yield of one bush is about 3-7 kg. There are fewer vitamins in the berries of garden blueberry (compared to forest blueberry).

Blueberry is different from ordinary blueberry:

• early maturity: fruiting occurs from about 4-5 years, by 8-10 - it reaches its maximum yield, which lasts about 30 years;
• the berries are larger (10-25 mm);
• more thermophilic;
• does not tolerate root flooding and prolonged drought;
• at temperatures below -25 ° C ...- 28 ° C, the branches often freeze over, but the bushes recover quite quickly.

Features of growing garden blueberries

When planted in a suitable soil, garden blueberries react with good growth. Photo

If the soil is clay, then the plant must be provided with drainage (at least 15 cm) or planted on a hill, since the roots can rot from an excess of moisture. For the same reason, garden blueberries should not be planted in low-lying areas where water is stagnant.

Stagnant water will kill the blueberries. Photo

For planting blueberries, choose protected from northern winds a site located in a well-lit place, without shading from the side of trees or buildings growing nearby (in the shade, the bark on the shoots of the current year does not always have time to ripen).

Unripe shoots freeze in winter. Photo

Ideal would be a place where no other shrubs or trees have grown for a long time.

Planting blueberries in place of one of the fruit bushes is not the best way... Photo

For planting, it is advisable to purchase 2-3-year-old seedlings with ZKS, and planting several varieties on the site contributes to better pollination and fruiting, improves the quality of berries.

In advance (2 months in advance), planting pits are prepared approximately 40-50 cm in depth and 50-60 cm in diameter. The distance between the bushes is maintained on average from 1 to 1.5 m or more.

Planting blueberries

1. Before planting, the roots of the seedlings should be placed in water for 10-20 minutes.
2. The pit is filled with sour peat, foliage, crushed bark, sawdust; sulfur, citric, acetic or malic acid can be added to acidify.
3. When planting a seedling, the roots are straightened.
4. The root collar is buried 5 cm.
5. When planting, no additional fertilizers are applied.
6. After planting and watering, the holes around each bush are mulched (with a layer of 5-10 cm) with crushed pine bark, foliage, needles or sawdust.

The soil is also loosened before watering the plants.

Watering

Blueberries are very fond of watering. Photo

For adult plants (and during the fruiting period), the irrigation rate is increased to 10 liters per bush, and in heat and drought it is doubled, irrigation of the crown will also be useful. In case of regular rains, watering don't stop (held twice a month).

During periods of spring growth and fruiting, to provide blueberries with nitrogen, watering can be combined with feeding by diluting a tablespoon of ammonium sulfate in a bucket of water.

Soil acidity level

Soil acidification promotes the growth of young shoots. Photo

You can also add 10-20 cm of sour peat under the bush.

Top dressing

After fertilization, foliage often becomes brightly colored. Photo

For the first time - one tablespoon of the finished fertilizer; in subsequent years, the rate is doubled each time, and from 5-6 years it is left fixed.

How to understand what blueberries are missing

• yellowish color of leaves and weak growth - lack of nitrogen;

• spots on the leaves, blackening and partial death - lack of potassium;
• leaf deformation - lack of calcium;
• reddening of the edges of the leaves - lack of magnesium;

• the purple color of the leaves pressed against the branch is a lack of phosphorus;
• green veins with yellow leaf color - lack of iron;
• white or white-yellow color of the leaves - lack of sulfur (indicates a decrease in acidity);
• yellowing of the leaves - a lack of boron.

Blueberry diseases

After illness, blueberries may lose their trunk, but renew themselves from the root. Photo

One of the most common blueberry diseases is stem cancer... A symptom of the disease is the appearance of red spots on the leaves and stem. In order to prevent early spring and late autumn, they are treated with Bordeaux liquid. It is recommended to destroy (burn) a diseased plant.

Blueberry pruning

In the fall, only dried twigs (in the photo - in the center) are removed. Photo

In the fall, you can carry out preventive pruning (remove dried shoots).

Harvesting

• berries early maturing varieties begin to be harvested from mid-July;
• mid-season- from the beginning of August;
• late maturing- in September.

Maturation occurs unevenly, therefore, harvesting on one bush is delayed for several weeks. Ripe berries are easily separated from the brush, and the fruits of the first two collections are the largest and tastiest, it is advisable to eat them fresh.

Shelter for the winter

Plants (especially late-ripening varieties) can be seriously damaged in frosty winters with sharp temperature changes or little snow.

Shelter for the winter for young bushes. Photo

To protect the above-ground part from freezing or death, the bushes must be covered by first tying the shoots with spruce branches (in the frame), or bending them to the ground and putting the spruce branches on top (without the frame).

Young blueberries can lose their aerial parts without shelter after severe winters. Photo

Spring frosts are not terrible for the plant: blooming blueberries can tolerate up to -7 ° C without much damage.

Blueberries are not afraid of spring frosts. Photo

Blueberry propagation

Cuttings- they are harvested at the end of autumn. Further - according to the principle of grapes.



An established branched stalk from a broken branch. Photo

Root cuttings- a cutting is separated from the parent bush, placed in the sand, stored in a cool place. After 1-2 years, a seedling is obtained, the harvest of which can be expected the next year after planting in open ground.

From young side shoots, future seedlings can be formed. Photo

Layers- in spring or summer, the branch is bent to the ground, part of it is sprinkled with soil to form its own root system. The next year, the seedling is separated from the mother plant and planted in a permanent place.

Which variety to choose

If winters with little snow or strong temperature fluctuations are often observed in your zone, give preference to short and medium-sized (0.6-1.2 m) varieties that can withstand temperatures as low as -34 ° C ...- 40 ° C.

The best Russian blueberry varieties that grow and bear fruit in the northern latitudes include:

• ‘Marvelous’;
• ‘Graceful’;
• ‘Iksinskaya’;
• ‘Isakievskaya’;
• ‘Taiga beauty’;
• ‘Yurkovskaya’;
• ‘Nectar’;
• ‘Blue scattering’;
• ‘Shegarskaya’.

Of the undersized American varieties, one can distinguish:

• ‘Northland’;
• ‘Norhblue’;
• ‘North Country’ and several others.

In warmer climates, American tall varieties that take root well and bear fruit:

• ‘Bluecrop’;
• ‘Patriot’;
• ‘Bluejay’;
• ‘Spartan’ and others.

Early varieties, such as the:

• ‘Duke’;
• 'Weymouth';
• ‘June’;
• ‘Bluegold’;
• ‘Early Blue’

Mid-season varieties, such as the:

• ‘Bluecrop’;
• ‘Blueray’;
• ‘Berkeley’;
• ‘Elizabeth’;
• ‘Bluejay’

Bluejay is very hardy. Even thin twigs do not freeze. Photo

Late-ripening varieties, such as the:

• ‘Spartan’;
• ‘Jersey’;
• ‘Coville’;
• ‘Herbert’;
• ‘Elliot’

Who doesn't want to harvest blueberries on their property? To the great joy of gardeners and gardeners, breeders have bred many varieties of this fruit shrub, and now the juicy berry pleases with its taste not only the inhabitants of the northern regions, but also the southern ones. Planting and caring for garden blueberries requires some effort and skill, and if everything is done correctly, the result will fully pay off.

We are used to thinking that blueberries are a low-growing shrub that grows in the cool swampy areas of the North. But in reality, this name hides a number of different varieties that are cultivated almost everywhere today.

Blueberries can be divided into two types:

• Common blueberry (marsh, swamp)- this is the same berry that is found in wildlife in northern latitudes. Its reproduction takes place successfully in the Urals and Siberia, where it grows well among coniferous and mixed forests in damp, flooded places.
• Garden blueberry- originally from North America and it is she who mainly grows in the cultural conditions of our country. The height of this shrub can reach up to 3 m, and the size of the berries is several times larger than that of the wild. One bush yields up to 6-7 kg.

Blueberry breeding in America began 100 years ago, and only half a century later, the best varieties were finally bred, numbering more than 45 today.

To grow blueberries at home, you need to be guided by the early maturity of the varieties. Fruiting of some begins too late for the region, others are distinguished by an early harvest.

Taking into account the climatic zones, American blueberry varieties are divided into the following groups:

• Northern tall blueberry, resistant to frost and does not require shelter for the winter. The varieties of this group are bred for regions with severe weather conditions... The most popular are Covill, Herbert, Elizabeth, Thoreau.
• Southern highbush blueberry, drought-resistant, but frost-resistant. Famous varieties: "Northland", "Blokrop", "Bluray", "Berkeley", "Patriot", "Eshi".
• Medium-sized blueberry- the varieties of this group are bred on the basis of the Canadian narrow-leaved blueberry, which has a short growing season. Narrow-leaved blueberry is very resistant to sudden changes in weather, winter-hardy, undemanding to the soil. The best varieties are considered "Chandler", "Aurora", "Liberty".
• Ashie's blueberry- it is also called "rabbit eye". This is a group of cultivars derived from rod-shaped blueberries. Differs in drought resistance and endurance in poor soils. The growing season is very long, so it is planted mainly in the south of the country.

Blueberries are self-pollinated and for their yield it is better if several varieties are planted in one area at once.

Preparing for landing

Blueberries are a demanding crop. You won't be able to plant her just like that. She needs attention and certain conditions for growth. With proper care, the culture will delight the summer resident for more than 20 years. You can plant it in the autumn, but better in spring... Then the plant will have enough time to get stronger for the first upcoming wintering.

Choosing good seedlings

Usually two- and three-year-old seedlings are planted. They are small bushes growing in containers or pots with acidic soil. An open root system is unacceptable, since a saprophyte fungus lives in symbiosis with the plant, which helps to absorb nutrients.

If the seedlings have leaves, they should be free of spots and holes, and the bark should be even in color. The shrub must be grown in the same climate zone where it is sold. So it will be adapted to the environment and take root faster.

If a seedling was purchased with young, non-lignified branches, such a plant can freeze in the ground in winter. It is better to let it overwinter in the basement at low temperatures and plant it in the spring, when the frost has passed. Blueberry yield directly depends on growing conditions.

Nice and strong blueberry bush

Choosing the best landing spot

Growing conditions for cultivated blueberries are very different from those for common blueberries. Garden berry prefers well-lit, open spaces with deep groundwater (at least half a meter) and wind protection.

Unlike its wild sister, in dark, humid places, it will not give a good harvest and will begin to degenerate over time. Ideally, if the site for future planting has taken a break from other crops for several years: blueberries do not like their predecessors.

Wind protection is a must. This is because the branches of the culture rub against each other from the air currents, the bark is injured and an infection is introduced. The bush gets sick. Berries lose their quality and are stored worse.

Preparing the soil

The demands on the soil are serious. This is because blueberries absolutely dislike neutral and alkaline Ph. She needs acidic soil, with a Ph value of up to 3.5 and at the same time light, aerated, without stagnant water. It can be a peat bog, a peat bog with sandy loam or loam - the main thing is that the earth "breathes" and its acidity corresponds to the required one.

To check the Ph level, you can use a special device.

If it is not there, a simple litmus test will do, which is dropped into the ground for a few minutes. The result is judged by the change in its color. Another way to determine acidity is a vinegar test. To do this, take a portion of the soil and pour acetic acid into it. If at the same time a reaction occurs as when quenching soda, then the soil needs to be acidified. The absence of a reaction indicates its normal acidity for blueberries.

How to acidify the soil? To do this, pour half a glass of 9% vinegar into a bucket of water and irrigate the area with the resulting solution. Also citric, oxalic acid with the calculation of 3 tablespoons is suitable. on a bucket of water. You can use sulfur for acidification.

The main thing with acidification is not to overdo it. After each procedure, you need to check the Ph of the soil, the norm of which for blueberries is 3.5-4.5 Ph. If the soil is clayey or purely peaty, for better crop growth, it is mixed with some sand for relief.

Planting seedlings

Usually blueberries are planted in rows in pre-prepared holes or in raised ridges. The depth of the planting holes should be 0.5-0.6 m, the gap between them should be 0.8-1.2 m, the row spacing should be 1.5-3 m. Blueberries need space and individual conditions, therefore the neighborhood of trees and others shrubs are undesirable.

A pit for planting is prepared with a diameter of up to 0.8 m. Its walls are slightly loosened for aeration, and drainage from rubble or expanded clay is laid on the bottom.

Then a mixture is prepared from pine or spruce needles, coniferous bark (the mushroom root loves it) and twigs, rotted sawdust, acidified peat and a small amount of sand. For additional acidification add 3 tbsp. sulfur or ammonium sulfate (10 gr. per 10 l.). The resulting mass is well mixed, fill a hole with it "with a slide" and tamp it a little. The landing site is ready.

No organic fertilizers are required as they alkalize the soil. Peat, if desired, is replaced with land from a pine forest.

Planting technology for garden blueberries

The planting technology is the same for spring and autumn planting. The only difference is in the preparation of the seedling. In the fall, all weak branches are cut off at a biennial bush, and the stronger ones are cut in half. A three-year-old no longer needs pruning. Blueberry planting is carried out as follows:

Garden blueberry care

Blueberry care is required in the same way as other horticultural crops. For this, the following work is regularly carried out:

Loosening and removing weeds

Young seedlings are primarily protected from weeds. They are removed at the first detection, preventing them from growing. You should also periodically, but not too often, loosen the soil around the planting along with the mulch layer. The depth of loosening is 6-8 cm, it is not worth deeper, since the root system can be damaged. For the entire growing season, add mulch 2-3 times.

Watering

It is necessary to water, but you cannot overdo it - garden blueberries can die in conditions of high humidity. The irrigation scheme must be developed taking into account the local climate, but most often it is watered in the morning and in the evening every 2-3 days.

One bucket of water is enough for one bush, half a bucket for a young seedling. In the hot season, the plants can be additionally sprayed.

Particular attention should be paid to watering during the ripening period of the berries. At this time, the laying of future flower buds occurs, so an insufficient amount of water will lead to a weak harvest in the next season. About once every two weeks, the culture is watered with acidified water.

Top dressing

Garden blueberries do not tolerate organic fertilizers at all, so mineral complexes are perfect for them. Top dressing is applied twice - during the periods of sap flow and flowering. The older the culture, the more nutrition it needs. A biennial is scattered under a bush 1 tbsp. top dressing, after which it is watered. This dose is increased by 1-2 tablespoons every year until the plant is 5-6 years old. An adult shrub needs up to 8 tablespoons. mineral fertilizer. A one-year-old seedling does not need this.

The appearance of the shrub allows you to determine what mineral it is lacking. To prevent this, you can use complex fertilizers, the composition of which is specially selected for growing garden blueberries. The most famous are "Florovit" and "Target", which include soil acidifiers.

Pruning

A young seedling needs pruning to form a strong base. To do this, sick, frozen branches are cut off every spring. Upon reaching 6-7 years of age, the bushes rejuvenate. In the spring, old shoots are removed, keeping only the strongest of them. And next year they are also removed, leaving only last year's shoots.

If there is an excessive thickening of the shrub, it is thinned out in such a way that adjacent plantings do not touch - this can significantly reduce the yield.

Fight disease

Garden blueberries are sensitive to soil moisture levels. Excessive moisture leads to the appearance different types fungus, from which the culture suffers greatly. Exists the following types fungal diseases:

• Stem cancer- provoked by excessive moisture and excess nitrogen. It manifests itself as red-brown spots on the stem, which grow and lead to the death of the branches.
• Phomopsis- drying of the stems, begins at the tips of young shoots. Outwardly, it resembles stem cancer, but spreads from the tops.
• Botrytis - known as gray mold. It spreads to all parts of the plant. Affects the crop during storage.
• Fetal monoliosis - affects all parts of the plant, which take on the appearance of "beaten" by frost. The fungus lives in dried berries.
• Physalosporosis - makes itself felt by the end of summer in the form of swollen brown spots on the shoot. In the spring, the affected area grows and the branch dies off.
• Septoria- appears in the form of small light spots on the leaves, which then fall off.
• Anthracnose - when it spreads, the leaves become stained and crumble from the bush. The berries rot and become covered with brown or orange spores.

The fight against fungal diseases is to remove diseased shoots and burn them. It is imperative that the issue of maintaining the required humidity level at the landing site be resolved.

Fungicides like Fundazol, Euparen, Topsin, Skora, Tersela are used to kill fungi. Bordeaux liquid is suitable for prevention.

Among the viral diseases of garden blueberries, dwarfism, necrotic and red ring spot, filamentous shoots and mosaic are terrible. Diseased shrubs are dug up and burned. The strongest and most resistant blueberry variety is "Blyukrop".

Pest control

Among the pests of the culture, the caterpillar of the pine silkworm, aphid, the leafworm, the May beetle, the bud mite, and the beetle are noted. All these pests erode the plant to one degree or another, significantly reducing the crop yield. Their attack occurs irregularly, but it happens. Beetle larvae are harvested by hand and then destroyed.

And in relation to other pests, insecticides "Karbofos", "Aktellik", "Iskra", "Karate" are used. Treatment is carried out in early spring for prophylaxis and during the invasion.

Preparing for winter

Garden blueberries are predominantly hardy. This is especially true for northern tall varieties. Other varieties can withstand up to -20 ° C and less, especially if the winter is not very snowy.

It is advisable to cover the shrub for the winter - this will protect it from frost and piercing cold winds. Cover after harvest by bending the branches to the ground and carefully tying them with a rope. The bush is wrapped in burlap (not PVC) and covered with pine paws on top. In winter, they make sure that the bush is covered with snow - this will protect it from freezing.

The protection is removed in the spring, then the frozen twigs are cut off. Blueberry flowers are resistant to frost down to -7 ° C. In the south, where there are no severe frosts, it is not necessary to cover the shrub.

Reproduction of garden blueberries

Harvesting

The harvest season depends on the early maturity of the variety, from July to October-November. The fruits ripen in turn, so they are harvested for about a month or longer. Ripe berries are considered to have a bluish color and are easily removed from the bush.

The first of them are the largest and most juicy - they are eaten fresh or sold. Smaller berries will be next, so they are usually processed.