Erliblu blueberry: variety description and characteristics, planting and care with photo

Erliblu blueberries are considered one of the he althiest berries due to their high vitamin content. The variety is characterized by early fruiting and high resistance to frost. Due to early ripening, it is actively used in the fresh berry market, as it retains its qualities better during storage and transportation compared to late varieties. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of the variety and learn how to properly plant and care.

History of variety breeding

Erliblu was bred by breeders in the middle of the twentieth century, in North America, after which the variety came to the Soviet Union. In modern times, fruit crops are grown mainly in European countries.

Pros and cons of culture

The main advantage of Erliblu blueberry is its taste. Berries have a pleasant sweet taste. Fruits after ripening are capable of not crumbling for a long time. In addition, Erliblu is characterized by high resistance to frost and immunity to powdery mildew

The main disadvantage of the plant can be considered its pickiness to the type of soil. The soil for planting should contain a large amount of humus and have an acidity in the region of 3.5-4.5. Also, the bushes are sensitive to gusts of wind, and the berries do not have the best transportability.

Description and characteristics of Erliblu blueberries

Erliblu is a medium-sized blueberry variety characterized by early fruiting. Its fruits are characterized by a pleasant sweet and sour taste and the presence of a large amount of vitamins.

Shrub and root system

Erliblu variety belongs to medium-sized type. The stems are of medium length. Vertical shoots reach a height of one and a half meters. The leaves are elliptical in shape and dark green in color. The leaves of young bushes have a pinkish tint. Blueberries do not need frequent pruning and reproduce without problems.

All about flowering and fruiting

The ripening period of the plant begins in early July. Blueberries have a blue color with a dark blue bloom, spherical, reach from one and a half to two centimeters in diameter. The weight of a berry, on average, is two grams. From the first fruiting to the last, the fruits gradually become smaller. They have a sweet and sour taste.

Erliblu is characterized by irregular fruiting, which, according to many gardeners, is its disadvantage. On average, the yield per bush is from 4 to 7 kilograms, but in some seasons it can drop to two.This is often found in five-year-old bushes when thickened or improperly fed.

Useful properties and uses of berries

The berries of the plant have a beneficial effect on the heart, blood vessels, normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, slow down the aging of the body.

Blueberries are good for eye he alth. Eating blueberries relieves eye strain and helps restore visual acuity.

Blueberries contain pectins that remove radiation from the body. Therefore, this berry is valued by workers in hazardous industries.

Disease and pest resistance

Despite the fact that blueberries are not susceptible to diseases, the choice of low-quality seedlings and soil can provoke infection. Blueberries of the Erliblu variety are immune to powdery mildew, but are susceptible to gray rot, a fungus that infects the ground part of the plant and causes rotting of the fruit.In addition, improper growing conditions can cause brown rot, anthracnose, white spot.

Of the insect pests, aphids are the most dangerous for blueberries. Aphids feed on the juice of a young plant, deform leaves, shoots, and promote the spread of mold. In addition, parasites such as the white butterfly and leaf gall midge cause harm to the plant.

Resistant to low temperatures and drought

Erliblu has a high resistance to frost and the ability to recover after freezing. Usually she does not need additional shelter for the winter. The only exceptions are regions where low temperatures in winter can last for a long time. In addition, blueberries are drought tolerant.

How to plant blueberries

The most important condition for planting blueberries is to maintain the acidity of the soil. In addition, you need to choose the right place for planting - the plant must receive enough sunlight and heat.

Timing and preparation of planting material

The best time to plant Erliblu blueberries is autumn and early spring. In addition to Erliblu, it is recommended to grow several different varieties of crops at once on the site. A similar principle will contribute to earlier ripening of fruits.

Soak seedling pots before planting in water for ten minutes to saturate the root system. Then remove the plants from the pots and mash the roots. When planting in the ground, it is recommended to deepen the seedling into the soil about five centimeters above the level reached by the soil in the pot.

Creating the soil for blueberries

Before planting seedlings in the ground, measure the pH of the soil. Blueberries of all varieties prefer soil with an acidity in the pH range of 3.5 to 4.5. In order to create soil with the necessary acidity on their site, they use foliage, sawdust, peat and other materials.

To avoid waterlogging, seedlings should not be planted on low ground. This is fraught with a lack of oxygen and excess moisture, as a result of which the roots of the plant will begin to rot and die. Clay soils should be avoided for the same reason.

Blueberries need to be grown in a place well lit by the sun. In the shade, the crop will bring less yield, and it will be with lower taste and useful properties.

For planting seedlings prepare holes 60 centimeters wide and 40-50 deep, filled with soil of the required acidity. The distance between seedlings should be one meter, and between adjacent rows - at least two meters.

Planting blueberries on the comb

When planting in the ground, they dig a trench one meter wide and ten centimeters deep. Peat with needles, sawdust or sand is poured into the trench as a substrate.Do not add alkaline fertilizers, such as manure or humus, to the soil, since blueberries take root only in acidic soil. The substrate is covered with a mound, a bush is planted on top of it. After planting, the bush must be watered.

Landing in special wells

To plant blueberries using this method, you must first dig trenches or pits 40 centimeters deep and 60 to 150 centimeters wide. Fill the holes with substrate. Before planting seedlings in a container, they must be soaked in water for half an hour.

Planting a plant in containers

Blueberries are great for growing in specialized containers. In pots and containers, it is much easier to provide the soil acidity the plant needs than in open ground.

Drainage holes must be present at the bottom of the planting container. The size of the container itself should be 5-10 times the size of the root ball of the plant. It is best if the container is large in width as the blueberry root system spreads out.

Features of crop care

Garden blueberries require proper care, which consists in timely regular watering, feeding the bushes with the necessary fertilizers, sanitary pruning and treatment for diseases and pests.

Irrigation and fertilizer use

Blueberries require competent and regular watering. Moisture at the roots should not stagnate for a long time, but its lack also harms the plant. The bushes should be watered two days a week, morning and evening, one bucket at a time. The yield of blueberries directly depends on watering. In the heat, you should spray the plant to protect it from overheating.

In early spring, mineral fertilizers should be applied to the soil. Organic fertilizers for blueberries are contraindicated. Nitrogen fertilizers should be applied to the soil three times a season. In summer and autumn, add 100 grams of phosphate fertilizer to the soil once at a time.

Mulching and loosening beds

Sawdust is best for mulching beds, as it helps retain moisture and decomposes slowly. The thickness of the coating should be equal to one decimeter. Mulch must be laid out around the bush within a radius of 50 centimeters. The procedure is carried out once after landing. After the coating is changed if necessary, if it begins to rot and deteriorate.

Shaping cut

Erliblu blueberries generally do not require annual pruning. Starting from the third year, sanitary pruning of the bushes is carried out - root growths are shortened, strong main branches are formed. Leave the most powerful shoots. Weak shoots are eliminated. Starting from the age of six, the bushes undergo rejuvenating pruning: they remove old, obsolete shoots and leave young, fruit-bearing ones.

Prophylactic treatment of the bush

To prevent diseases and pests, treat plants with Bordeaux liquid in early spring. Remove damaged branches in a timely manner, cut blueberries in time to allow air to circulate. After harvesting, the bushes should be treated with fungicides

Wintering

Erliblu variety is very frost-resistant, so it practically does not need additional shelter for the winter, except for areas with very low long winter temperatures. For the winter, soil should be mulched with needles or bark.

In colder regions, non-woven fiber can be used as cover for blueberries, after pressing the branches to the ground with bricks or pieces of wood. First of all, shelter is needed to protect the plant from burns on sunny frosty days, since at night during this period the branches freeze strongly, and during the day they heat up sharply.Because of this, cracks form on the branches.

Propagation of garden blueberries

Garden blueberries are propagated by seeds, cuttings and layering. Propagation by seeds is used mainly by breeders, for summer cottages this method is not suitable, as it is a long and laborious process.

Propagation by layering also takes a lot of time. Therefore, the cutting method is more often used. To do this, use stiff and semi-woody cuttings.

Propagation of the plant by cuttings occurs due to the formation of new adventitious roots from the plant tissues of the stem. Shoots grow from existing buds.

Lumber cuttings are harvested in winter, for this they choose annual shoots. They are cut and formed into bundles, which are set aside until the time comes for them to root.Store woody cuttings should be in the refrigerator or cellar. Most often, stiff cuttings are prepared for transfer over long distances and planting a plant for the next season.

Semi-woody cuttings are harvested in the middle of summer. For their manufacture, young shoots of the plant are torn off, along with a small piece of last year's bark. The leaves on the handle are cut to about a quarter. The lower part of the shoot is treated with preparations for root growth. The cuttings should be planted so that the remaining leaves on them do not touch each other.

Before the final rooting of the cutting, the plant should be regularly watered and provided with oxygen.

Reviews about the variety

Many gardeners positively note the taste and useful qualities of Erliblu berries and its ability to bear the first fruits. However, the variety has obvious drawbacks - these are poor transportability, compared with late varieties, and a long fruiting period.It is also worth noting the uneven fruiting - in different years the plant brings a different yield.

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