Content
Blueberries are a healthy and tasty taiga berry. It grows in areas with a temperate climate, tolerates freezing temperatures and bears fruit stably in summer. Wild shrubs have been tamed by breeders and adapted for cultivation in garden and backyard plots. Garden blueberry varieties for the North-West of Russia take into account the peculiarities of the climatic conditions of the region.
Climatic features of the region
The Leningrad, Pskov and Novgorod regions are located in the North-West of the country. The region's proximity to the Baltic Sea gives the climate its characteristic features.
- In the North-West of Russia, a temperate continental climate prevails, transitioning to a maritime one;
- The territories are predominantly waterlogged and swampy due to the proximity of the sea;
- The soils of the North-West are podzolic, or peat-boggy. For the cultivation of fruit and berry crops, nutrient mixtures are additionally introduced.
The Northwest has warm and humid winters, rainy autumn and spring, and warm but short summers. These features dictate the rules when choosing a blueberry variety. It is more convenient for gardeners to care for zoned varieties that are ready for the typical natural conditions of the growing area.
Blueberry varieties for the Northwest
Blueberries are hybridized for several reasons. Breeders are striving to improve the palatability, increase the size of the berries, as well as increase the adaptive properties that help to obtain a stable harvest. Each blueberry variety is different from the other. Before choosing for landing, a full analysis of the characteristics is performed.
Chanticleer
This is an early blueberry variety for the Northwest, which was bred by Canadian breeders. The average size of the berries is 2 cm. The bush is tall, stretching up to 1.8 m. The harvest takes place in the first half of July. Up to 5 kg are harvested from one adult bush, with enhanced pruning and control over soil indicators, the variety can produce up to 8 kg of fruit. Chauntecleer is resistant to diseases, withstands frosts down to –28 ° C. Berries are characterized as sweet and sour, suitable for harvesting, freezing and fresh consumption.
Chandler
A tall blueberry variety with straight, strong shoots, the bush stretches up to 1.6 m. Fruiting occurs in the second half of August. The berries of the culture are large, with thin skin. They are not prone to long-term storage and transportation, so they are consumed fresh or processed.
Denis Blue
The New Zealand blueberry variety, which is suitable for cultivation in the North-West of the country, belongs to the middle-early ripeness degree, the advantage of which is uniform, unstretched ripening. By the 3rd - 4th year of existence, up to 7 kg of berries are harvested from one adult bush.
Bonus
A variety bred with the main purpose of enlarging the size of the blueberries. Its bushes reach 1.7 m, fruits can grow up to 3 cm, weigh 2.5 - 3.5 g. Harvesting begins in July and ends in August. Ripening of berries is uneven. The advantage of the Bonus variety is the quality characteristics of the berries. They have excellent taste, at the same time, they have high keeping rates, are well stored, and are easy to transport.
Bluegold
This is an early ripeness blueberry variety. When ripe, the crop is harvested in the North-West in a short time, since the berries are prone to shedding. The average bush of the variety gives 5 kg of berries, but with the correct redistribution of the forces of the bush, it can please with a higher yield. Bushes of the Bluegold variety are compact in size, the shoots of the culture are prone to branching, therefore, they need to be pruned regularly.
Weymouth
An early blueberry variety suitable for the Northwest. It is characterized as erect, medium-sized with an extended ripening period. The berries begin to ripen from the bottom, then gradually move to the tops. The average fruit size is 2 cm, 4 - 6 kg are harvested from one adult bush.
Agricultural technology for growing garden blueberries in the Northwest
The peculiarities of the climate of the Northwest are taken into account when planning the planting of garden blueberries. Many gardeners make typical planting mistakes that lead to the death of the bush.
How to plant correctly
Blueberries are an atypical crop that grows well in acidic soil and almost stalls on other types of soil. For her, they choose places in their summer cottages or personal plots, where they have enough sunlight.
Recommended timing
Blueberry seedlings in the Northwest are recommended to be planted in early spring. Choosing a period when the soil warms up enough to dig a planting hole, planting is done before the buds begin to swell on the shoots.
Site selection and soil preparation
For blueberries, open flat areas with sufficient sunlight are suitable. Bushes will be uncomfortable in a through wind or in the shade of large trees.
The choice of site also depends on the method of planting:
- the trenching method involves the preparation of long rows and disembarkation at a set distance;
- with a single bush, blueberries are planted in a hole or a special container.
The soil for blueberries is of paramount importance, all varieties of crops grow in acidic soils. The root system of blueberries is designed in such a way that it does not have hairs that are usual for shrubs that take food from the soil, therefore acidity indicators are maintained at the same level for the full development of the bush.
For the soil of the North-West it is necessary to add peat and artificial acidification. Soil values should not exceed 4.5 or be below 3.5 pH.
Landing algorithm
The planting hole is prepared in advance, it is dug up to a depth of about 40 cm, with a diameter of up to 60 cm. At the bottom of the hole, drainage is laid from coniferous needles, bark shavings, needles. Then peat is added, making the soil light and loose.
A blueberry seedling is placed on the scattered layer, while the roots are carefully straightened, otherwise the bush will not be able to adapt. After laying the nutrient soil and its compaction, the top layer is mulched with acidic mulch.
Care rules
After planting a variety selected for the conditions of the Northwest Territories, a nursing period begins, which takes into account the characteristics of the culture. In addition, the rules of care are adjusted depending on the weather conditions.
Watering and feeding schedule
After planting, the blueberries are watered as the top layer of the soil dries. Blueberries are not drought tolerant, but stagnant water is damaging to the roots.
In the warm summer in the North-West, the blueberry bush is watered once for 4 days. Each shrub is watered with 10 liters of water. For irrigation, warm settled rainwater is used. When the rainy period begins, the amount of watering is minimized.
After planting, the blueberries are allowed to adapt for 2 to 3 weeks.When leaves and buds appear, ammonium nitrate is added to the soil. The nitrogenous complex contributes to the active growth of green mass.
In summer, potassium sulfate and potassium nitrate are added to the soil. Feeding with organic matter in the first year of existence is completely excluded.
Loosening and mulching the soil
The soil around the blueberry bushes is mulched immediately after planting. A layer of mulch helps retain moisture, inhibits weed growth and insect transmission. In this case, the layer of mulch should be of medium thickness so that the soil under it does not rot.
Loosening is carried out after heavy watering and rains, when adjusting the mulch layer. Gardening tools do not deepen more than 3 cm. This is due to the fact that the root system of different varieties of blueberries is located mainly in the upper soil layer, so it is easy to damage it.
Pruning features
The formation of a blueberry bush depends on the selected variety. Spreading bushes are pruned more often than bushes of varieties with medium to small shoots. Trimming is regular:
- in the spring - cut off frozen shoots, broken and damaged branches;
- in the fall - before preparing for the winter, the planted bushes are cut to the very base, and the adult bushes are cut to half;
- in summer - shrubs are thinned out so that sunlight reaches all parts of the crop.
Preparing for winter
Blueberries are considered a frost-resistant shrub; for the North-West, varieties are chosen that are capable of withstanding sub-zero temperatures. But many gardeners in the Northwest prefer to cover the bushes to prevent freezing. In the north of the region, winters can be snowy and cold, so shelter for blueberries in the northwest of the country is not uncommon.
Preparation for winter begins in advance. It includes several sequential stages:
- Pre-winter watering... The last abundant watering in the North-West is done at a temperature of +5 ° C, the moisture reserve should be enough for the shrubs for the whole winter. With an excess of moisture, the soil may freeze during the first frost, so the amount of water is measured for each bush, focusing on the size.
- Hilling, mulching... The soil is gently loosened, thereby creating a protective trench, the trunk circle is mulched with fresh pine needles, sawdust or pine bark.
- Shelter... The branches of an adult blueberry bush are bent to the ground, covered with burlap, tied and create additional oppression.
Pests and diseases
Almost all the best blueberry varieties for the Northwest have high rates of disease and pest resistance.
The danger can be represented by lesions of fungal diseases in case of improper planting on soils prone to moisture retention, water stagnation due to depressions.
Powdery mildew begins to develop on the roots, gradually moves to the aboveground part, inhibits the growth of shrubs, manifests itself in yellowing and discarding of leaf plates, shrinking fruits.
The fungus can be seen on blueberries in spring. If rotting of the roots began in the fall and developed during the winter, then in the spring the buds on the shrub will have a characteristic black bloom, shoots and leaves will begin to dry out immediately after formation.
Caterpillars can appear on blueberries in the spring, which eat the foliage and lead to the death of the shrub. You can save blueberries if you treat the plant in a timely manner in the spring with special means. In addition, when caterpillars or butterflies appear, the leaves are sprayed with soapy water or an infused solution of tobacco leaves.
Conclusion
Blueberry varieties for the Northwest take into account the peculiarities of climatic conditions. The best option for these areas are varieties with an early or medium ripening period.
