Bluegold Blueberry: variety description and characteristics, planting and care, reviews with photos

Bluegold blueberries are very popular with experienced or novice gardeners. Exotic culture is not only tasty, but also he althy. The plant perfectly decorates the garden, creates a romantic atmosphere. The variety became popular more than 100 years ago in the CIS countries. To successfully grow blueberries, you should familiarize yourself with all its features.

History of occurrence

The tall Bluegold blueberry bush was bred in 1989, a variety native to America. A. Draper became the discoverer. When working on a varietal culture, tall forms of berries were used, growing in the swampy areas of the United States.Blueberries immediately became popular, received recognition in America and Europe. By the end of the 1990s, gardeners from the former USSR discovered the variety.

Main advantages and disadvantages

Bluegold blueberry bush plantings suggest a number of positive and negative qualities. Negative aspects can be leveled by observing agronomic techniques.

Dense, juicy flesh of blueberries Long-term storage, easy transportability High plant yield In the heat, the fruits are bakedSelf-fertile variety High resistance of the bush to frost

Rapid growth of bushes
Berries fall off after ripening

Description of berries

Bluegold Blueberry differs from other varieties in such features.

1. The taste appears at the same time as the berries ripen. The fruits are colored much earlier than ripening. They are easily separated from the fruit stem, and when they ripen, they quickly crumble.
2. Berries of light blue color, rounded. The size is average, diameter is 15 cm, weight is 2.1 grams. Juice without pronounced color, the pulp includes many seeds.
3. Sweet and sour blueberries with 9.6% sugar content. The variety received a tasting score of 4.3 points.

Variety of berry bushes worthy of cultivation, does not require painstaking care.

Bush and roots

Blueberry is a perennial deciduous shrub, fibrous rhizome, branched. It is located at a depth of 40 cm.

1. The bush grows up to 1.2 meters high.
2. There are many upright shoots.
3. The branches are strong, 3 cm in diameter.
4. Ellipse-shaped leaves.

Foliage changes color towards the end of August. Bushes turn crimson in September.

Flowering and fruiting

Blueberries begin to bloom in the first half of June, flowering continues until early July, 20 days. The variety bears fruit in early August, but the fruit may ripen earlier or later, depending on the climatic conditions of the region. The plant is considered mid-season, produces fruits after 3 years of life. The largest amount of the crop will sing after 6 years from planting. From one bush you can collect up to 5 kilograms of blueberries.

How to use blueberries

Blueberries are widely used to create blanks for the winter, jams, marmalades, compotes, candied fruits are made from it.You can consume berries fresh, freeze in the refrigerator. They do not lose color for about 2 weeks after picking off the stalk. Before placing the fruits in a wooden box or plastic container, sort them out, leaving only whole, he althy specimens.

Susceptibility to disease and bush insects

The blueberry variety is famous for its high resistance to diseases, insects, but sometimes it suffers from fungi. The plant is affected by cytosporosis, phyllostic spotting, septoria. Among harmful beetles, leafworms, heather shooters, and moths attack.

Resistant to freezing temperatures and drought

Blueberry Bluegold withstands temperatures as low as -35 degrees. If frosty winters prevail in the region, cyclones are long, the bush may disappear. In the South, the plant survives safely in the cold season.

Recommendations for planting crops

Planting blueberries should be in the right place, calculating the timing. The plant should take root, the seedlings should develop a root system by the onset of frost. The soil should be chosen fertile, where such crops have not previously grown. The berry does not imply special planting technologies.

Date of planting

It is advisable to plant blueberries in the spring, before the buds open. Planting in autumn is undesirable because the weather is unpredictable. It is important that 2 months remain before the first cold weather. Only then will the shrub adapt to new habitat conditions and will not die in winter.

Selection of berry seedlings

Experienced gardeners advise buying 1-year or 2-year-old planting material. It better tolerates the stress that landing in open ground causes. Bushes should be sought from trusted sellers or in specialized stores. It is undesirable to buy on the market, you can get a wild-growing seedling or the wrong variety.Before paying, inspect the seedling for integrity, it must be he althy, grafted. The roots are strong, without scratches, chips.

Preparation of soil and planting pit

Blueberries grow well on acidic soil pH 5.0-5.5. , citric acid. The substrate should be light, breathable. Blueberries will grow poorly on heavy soils or die out.

The rhizome is superficial, the average depth of the hole should be 40 cm, diameter - 0.5 meters. When planting, at the same time between seedlings maintain a distance equal to the volume of an adult bush. At the bottom, a drainage layer 5 cm thick is made. It consists of brick chips, expanded clay, pebbles, clay shards. A mixture of peat, river sand, coniferous sawdust is placed in the recess.The components are taken in the same proportion.

Nitroammophoska, Azofoska, Diammofoska 40 grams each are added from recharges. Mycorrhiza is added to the planting hole. This is a kind of "fringe" on the tips of the rhizomes of plants of the Heather family. Mycorrhiza helps the bush develop properly. If the planting material was purchased from a nursery, nothing needs to be added, the "fringe" is already present in the top layer of soil.

It should be saved, like the water where the seedling was soaked. She watered only the planted bush. Mycorrhiza is bought as a dry concentrate in garden stores. You can get it yourself by going to the forest where blueberries, lingonberries, and cranberries grow. Cut off a small amount of sod with a rhizome, chop, add to the hole.

Technology for planting a bush

Proper selection of a site for planting blueberries is the key to a bountiful harvest in the future.It is desirable to give preference to areas well lit by the sun. The lack of heat adversely affects the taste of the fruit, they acquire a sour taste, the skin becomes rougher. Groundwater must run closer than 50 cm to the surface, or you will have to make a hill 20 cm high.

Avoid places with constant drafts. The site should be ventilated sometimes, otherwise the attacks of pathogenic fungi cannot be avoided.

Specific care of berries during the season

Blueberries require proper care, which does not take much time.

1. Timely watering, weeding, fertilizing.
2. Pruning the bush.
3. Treatment for diseases, harmful insects or prevention.

Sometimes blueberry bushes need shelter for the winter.

Irrigation and fertilization

The soil under the pits must be kept moist, irrigating the soil by 20 cm. If watered excessively, moisture stagnation is possible. This is fraught with a negative effect on the rhizome. The earth should hold its shape in the fist and crumble when thrown to the floor. This indicates sufficient moisture.

During dry periods and heat, water the bushes every 3 days, pouring 10-15 liters per bush. Pour water under the root, not on it. The best irrigation option is sprinkler irrigation. In rainy or cool weather, it is not necessary to irrigate blueberries. Every 2 weeks, water the plant with a solution of acetic acid, taking 2 ml or 5 g of colloidal sulfur, dissolving in 10 liters of water. After, 3-4 times during the growing season, loosen, keeping the old layer of mulch, adding fresh.

Weeding and mulching bush beds

It is advisable to feed blueberries periodically with phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. The last substance is introduced first of all, in 2 approaches - from the first days of May and by the end of the month. In June and late July, feed only with potassium and phosphorus.

Berry trimming procedure

The formation of a bush is a necessary measure, which is carried out 6 years after planting. Remove damaged, overgrown, frozen branches. Use sharp secateurs, and sprinkle the pruning sites with an antiseptic - wood ash, chalk or activated charcoal. This will help protect blueberries from penetration into the places of cuts of pathogenic bacteria, fungi. Proper pruning guarantees a bountiful harvest in the future. It is carried out in early spring or mid-autumn.

The procedure should be carried out 2 times a year. More rare pruning entails a strong growth of branches with an abundance of small, sour berries.

Preparing bushes for winter

Blueberries tolerate cold well. If the bush is covered with snow, with a layer of more than 50 cm, no additional measures are needed. Periodically, you should only add a layer of snow. To protect the bushes from rodents, wrap them with chain-link or close them with spruce branches, tying them with twine.

Harvest and storage of crops

If the blueberry easily breaks off the fruit stem, the crop can be harvested. Do not take time with the procedure, as the berries can crumble. Start harvesting after the dew has dried, from top to bottom along the bush. Blueberries are kept in containers lined with paper or cloth for up to 15 days. On the shelf of the refrigerator, fruits are stored for up to six months. Vitamins are perfectly preserved when mashed berries with added sugar

Reviews about the variety

Reviews about Bluegold blueberries will help you make a choice, learn more about the variety.

Dmitry Kovalenko, 70 years old, Kyiv.

Greetings! I have been gardening for more than 15 years, all summer I live in the country. I have been growing blueberries since 2005, I preferred the Bluegold variety. The bush blooms beautifully, the berries are delicious, special care is not required.The plant was attacked by aphids and fungi 3 times. He removed the infection with chemicals and Bordeaux liquid. There were no more problems. I advise everyone!

Roksolana Ignatieva, 68 years old, Dnipro.

Hello! I have been growing Bluegold blueberries for 7 years. The harvest is stable, I make jam from berries, excellent jam, I decorate ice cream with them. All the neighbors are jealous, I don’t treat them with delicious fruits, but I regularly treat my colleagues at work. I recommend to everyone to grow this unpretentious bush of berries. You don't need to mess with it, and the quality of the crop is at the highest level.

Peter Hovsepyan, 59 years old, Zaporozhye.

Hi everyone! I heard about the Bluegold variety of berries back in the late 1990s, on the market. I decided to try the culture in 2008. Planted 5 bushes at once. The berries grew large, incredibly tasty. He looked after the bush, as expected, watered and fertilized. Since there are a lot of fruits, I sell them to work colleagues, everyone is happy.

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