Cloudberry cultivation: planting, care and propagation at home

Many gardeners are engaged in the cultivation of cloudberries, which grow well in open ground and in greenhouse conditions. Before planting such a berry, you need to understand the main features of its planting and cultivation.

Culture characteristic

Garden cloudberries have distinctive characteristics that you should definitely be familiar with.

External description of the plant

The bushes grow up to 30-35 centimeters in height, and therefore they do not need to be tied up. Berries are formed on them, which outwardly resemble raspberry fruits. However, the pulp of cloudberries is several times denser.They are small and grow only up to 2-3 centimeters in length. Unripe berries are pink, and when ripe, their surface becomes orange.

Suitable climatic conditions

Cloudberries must be grown in suitable climatic conditions and therefore it is recommended to figure out in advance in which regions it is better to plant them. Experts advise planting berries in the Far East and in central Russia.

Also, the plant can be planted in any part of Belarus or Ukraine.

What diseases is prone to

Cloudberry bushes, like other plants, can die due to various diseases. The berry is subject to the following pathologies:

oidium;
black spotting;
grey rot;
mildew.

Planting cloudberries in open ground

Before planting bushes in the garden in the country, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic nuances of planting.

Disembarkation dates

Many beginner gardeners don't know when is the best time to plant berries in the garden. Experts recommend doing this in the spring so that the seedlings grow faster. At the same time, the end of April and the first half of May is considered the best landing date.

Choosing a strong and he althy seedling

It is very important to choose a he althy and strong seedling that will not die after planting in the ground. Experienced gardeners advise selecting seedlings for planting that have a developed root and at least three branches 3-4 centimeters long. Seedlings without branches and with a weakened root system are not suitable for planting in open ground.

Required soil composition and planting hole sizes

The berry should be planted in an area with soil that has high acidity. Therefore, before planting, ground sulfur must be added to the soil. Also, the area can be acidified with an aqueous solution prepared from citric or acetic acid.

After preparing the soil, planting pits are created with a depth of 10-15 centimeters and a width of 20-30 centimeters.

Planting and Care Technology

When planting cloudberries on a site, seedlings are carefully placed in planting holes and covered with soil. All planted bushes are watered with warm water.

Agricultural practices for good growth and fruiting

All berries need proper care, and cloudberries are no exception. Therefore, in order to properly care for the plant, you need to understand the basic agrotechnical methods of growing.

How often to water

Bushes need regular watering, which helps maintain optimal soil moisture. During irrigation, you should use heated and settled water. Cold liquid should not be used, as it can damage the root system.Moisturizing the soil is done every day in the evening. 20-30 liters of water are spent on one bush.

Fertilizer

In order for the planted berry to bear fruit better, you will have to periodically feed it. Experts advise fertilizing at least twice a season. In the spring, organic fertilizers such as manure and humus are added to the soil. During the fruiting period, plants are fertilized with mineral supplements and preparations to stimulate growth.

Pruning the plant

It is impossible to cut branches too often, as this will lead to the drying of the bushes. Only dried or diseased shoots can be removed from plants. In this case, the procedure is carried out in the first half of spring, until buds have formed on the stems. After the appearance of the first buds, cutting the shoots is contraindicated.

Treatment from diseases and pests

People who have been growing cloudberries for years often encounter dangerous pests and diseases. To protect the bushes, they are periodically treated with insecticidal preparations. The most effective means include "Metafos", "Aktellik" and "Karbofos".

Also, experienced gardeners are advised to regularly spray the bushes with Bordeaux liquid, which prevents the appearance of many pathologies. It is necessary to engage in preventive treatment of bushes 2-3 times per season.

Features of flowering and fruiting

Cloudberries have certain characteristics of fruiting and flowering that you should familiarize yourself with.

When to wait for the first color and berries

The period of flowering depends on the region in which the plant is grown. In the southern regions, it starts earlier, and in the northern regions - later.However, most often the flowers on the bushes appear in late June and early July. Within 1-2 weeks after the start of flowering, the first fruits form on the bushes.

Crop ripening dates

The first ripe berries appear on the bushes in the second half of August. However, if the summer was too warm, the harvest has time to ripen until August 10-15.

Collection and application of fruits

When the first ripe berries appeared on the bushes, they start harvesting. At the same time, fruits are harvested every 2-3 days so that the berries do not have time to overripe. Cloudberry gardeners advise against picking fruits after rain, as they will quickly deteriorate after that. If you need the harvested crop to be stored for a long time, it will have to be plucked along with the stalks.

Delicious jam is prepared from cloudberries, as well as compote. Some housewives put the harvest in plastic bags and freeze it in the freezer. Berries are also used to make medicinal teas, decoctions and tinctures, which are often used in folk medicine.

How to propagate a bush

There are two main methods of propagation of cloudberry bushes, which are used by many gardeners. It is necessary to familiarize yourself with them in more detail in order to choose the best method for propagating seedlings.

Shanks

Experienced gardeners use this method of plant propagation. To perform the procedure, strong cuttings of berries 10-12 centimeters high are cut in the forest. First, they are planted in containers with a nutrient substrate, after which they are covered with polyethylene. When growing such seedlings, they monitor the soil moisture, which should not dry out.

The cuttings must be rooted for two weeks, after which they are planted in the garden.

Planting rooted seedlings can be done not only in spring, but also in autumn before frost.

Seeds

People who do not want to propagate bushes with seeds are trying to grow cloudberries from frozen seeds at home. However, some gardeners do not recommend using this method, since shrubs grown from such material are many times weaker than their parents.

Many gardeners prefer to freeze harvested seeds to plant in spring or early summer. However, in order for the plant to grow strong, it is recommended to plant all the seeds after harvesting - in the middle of autumn. At the same time, the seed material is first planted in pots for growing seedlings, which in the future will be transplanted into open ground.

Popular cloudberry varieties

Despite the considerable demand and popularity, breeders failed to develop garden varieties of cloudberries. Therefore, all gardeners and gardeners grow ordinary garden cloudberries on their plots.

Conclusion

Cloudberry is a common berry grown by many gardeners in their summer cottages. Before planting this plant, you need to understand the characteristics of the crop, the nuances of its planting and agricultural practices that will help you harvest a good harvest of ripe berries.