History of selection
The Patriot variety is native to North America. Obtained in 1952 as a result of crossing Earliblue, Dixi and Michigan LB-1. This is how a new variety of tall blueberry, Patriot, was formed. Its name was given in connection with the 200th anniversary of the union of the states.
Its seeds became available only 24 years later. The Patriot blueberry variety immediately received approval due to its decorative properties and high yields. The variety was brought to our country in the 90s of the 20th century. As of today, it is not yet in the state register.
Blueberry Patriot - photo
Blueberry Patriot: variety description
The bush has an elongated, oblong shape. The height of an adult Patriot blueberry plant ranges from 1.5 -1.8 meters, it is considered tall. The shoots are straight, not very dense. Branching is average. The leaves are also elongated, reaching a length of 8 cm and a width of 4 cm. Young leaves have a reddish tint, while mature leaves are rich, dark green. The root system of this blueberry is dense and branched, going up to half a meter deep.
Patriot inflorescences are white, bell-shaped. Formed into clusters that simply hang from the branches.
The berries are collected in lush clusters. In an immature state they are red in color; as they mature, the color changes from light blue to a more saturated one with a bluish tinge. The size of an individual Patriot blueberry is from 15 to 20 mm. The shape is slightly flattened. The berries are covered with a smooth, even, elastic skin. The berries taste sweet and have a pleasant berry aroma.
Photo of blueberries Patriot
Productivity, collection and storage
From mid-summer, Patriot blueberries begin to ripen. With a short summer season, this allows you to harvest the crop before the onset of bad weather. The berries hold tightly to the branches of the bush and do not fall off within 2 weeks after ripening. This allows you to collect them without losing the harvest.
The thick skin of the berries makes them easy to collect and transport. With proper care, one Patriot blueberry bush produces 7-10 kilograms of berries annually.
Blueberries, rich in vitamins, are recommended to be consumed fresh to strengthen the immune system and the health of internal organs. They are also suitable for drying, preserving, and preparing delicious desserts and compotes.
Characteristics of the variety
Patriot is a variety with a medium ripening period. It is grown for industrial production. From one Patriot blueberry bush you can collect from 6 to 9 kg of ripe berries. The fruits can be collected mechanically without fear of damaging the berries, since their peel is dense and strong.
The ripening period for Patriot blueberries is the second half of July.
. But, of course, when determining the ripening period of berries, it is important to take into account the climatic conditions of the region where the Patriot blueberry variety is grown.
The culture has fairly good storage and shelf life. Without any difficulties, it can be stored for 14 days, maintaining a fresh, just-picked appearance.
Frost-resistant blueberry variety Patriot
. Able to survive cold temperatures from -30 to -35 degrees. This makes it popular for cultivation in the northern regions.
Blueberry Bluecrop - video
For this variety, the composition of the soil is very important. Prefers predominantly acidic soils.
The most suitable acidity levels are between 3.7 and 4.9pH. When this indicator gets closer to 5.5, it can negatively affect the entire crop, reducing its performance. When the acidity level is even higher (for example, reaches 6.5), growth stops.
Low acidity is also unhelpful. In this case, the protective properties decrease, and the plant is exposed to diseases and pathogens.
Problems during cultivation
Blueberries are easy to care for; the only problems that can get in the way of normal cultivation are diseases and pests that affect the plant’s body. However, even such pests are very few.
Among those that can harm blueberries are hares, mice, some types of birds, and chafer larvae. One of the few diseases that can affect a plant is gray mold.
It is easy to notice: a fungus of the corresponding color will appear on the shoots. It can develop in the spring when temperatures are not warm enough or when there is excessive moisture.
Productivity of blueberry variety Patriot
The final formation of berries occurs in the 2nd half of July. The berries must be picked immediately, because 10 days after ripening they begin to deteriorate. Productivity increases gradually. So, in the first years of growing the crop, the level of yield indicators of the Patriot blueberry variety is only from 2 to 3 kg, in subsequent years from 7 to 9 kg.
Blueberry Patriot: planting and care
The Patriot variety begins to flower at the end of May. The duration of flowering ranges from 45 to 55 days. For this reason, Patriot is considered an ornamental crop. The shrub blooms the next year after planting. Flowering reaches its highest rates in the 5th – 6th year after planting in a permanent place of growth.
Attention!
In the year the plant is planted, it is worth stopping the formation of berries, for which experienced gardeners recommend picking off the inflorescences.
How to plant Patriot blueberries
So, planting Patriot blueberries can take place in two periods
:
- from April to May;
- from September to October.
Before planting a crop, choose the right place and prepare the soil.
Blueberries require plenty of sunlight. The place must be protected from the wind. Plain soil is not suitable for growing this variety. You need to make it yourself by mixing peat, soil, sand. Since acidity is important, it is worth checking its level in the soil in advance and making appropriate adjustments. Blueberry variety!
Blueberry Bluecrop
When choosing seedlings for planting, be sure to pay attention to their condition: they must be undamaged and intact. The development of the roots is also important, as is the healthy state of the foliage and shoots.
Algorithm and scheme for planting Patriot blueberries
:
- Prepare a planting hole up to half a meter deep and 70 to 100 cm wide.
- Make a substrate by mixing sand, peat, and pine sawdust.
- Installation is carried out in the center of the pit.
- A blueberry seedling is tied to a stake, carefully straightening the roots.
- The substrate is brought into the hole and compacted.
- Add a sufficient amount of water, mulch with spruce needles and tree bark reaching a height of 7 to 10 cm.
How to plant blueberries correctly - video
To water Patriot blueberry seedlings, use slightly acidified water.
. For a bucket of water, 1/2 cup of 9 percent vinegar is enough. For clay soil, the hole should be deeper, from 70 to 80 cm. The bottom is lined with drainage, the thickness of which is approximately 20 cm. This will help prevent moisture stagnation.
Aftercare for Patriot blueberry crop
Further care for blueberries involves systematic watering, fertilizing and pruning bushes.
.
How to water blueberries correctly
Watering is carried out at least twice every 7 days
. One bush requires up to 10 liters of water. This volume is divided equally. One part is used for morning watering, the second part for evening watering. To retain and evenly distribute moisture in the soil, the soil is loosened and mulched. For mulching, pine sawdust, peat or gravel are used.
To acidify the soil, water with slightly acidic water once every 7 days.
To prepare it use:
- table vinegar at the rate of 100 ml per bucket of water;
- oxalic, citric acid (5 g per bucket of water);
- battery electrolyte (30 ml).
When growth slows down, it is worth watering the soil more often with acidified water
, checking the acidity level of the soil from time to time.
Rules for fertilizing Patriot blueberries
Fertilizer is carried out three times a season.
Stages of feeding Patriot blueberries during the season:
- Fertilize blueberries for the first time in the spring before the juice begins to flow;
- the second - at the end of May;
- the third - in the second half of July.
Blueberry Patriot feels great in the conditions of the Urals, Siberia, and the Far East.
Rules for feeding blueberries - video
Blueberry Patriot - bush pruning
For better fruiting, the bushes are systematically pruned
. Pruning is carried out from the age of 6 years (after planting in a permanent place of growth).
Patriot blueberries are pruned as follows:
:
- remove empty branches at the bottom of the plant;
- branches whose age exceeds 6 years.
Blueberries - details of pruning
The time for pruning is spring, when sap flow in the plants has not yet begun.
. Reaching 15 years of age, blueberry yields decrease. In this case, it is worth cutting the bush right at the root. After a couple of years, the young shoots will begin to bear fruit again.
Landing rules
In general, Patriot is positioned as an unpretentious variety: if several conditions are met during planting, you will be able to grow this tasty berry yourself. The best predecessors of blueberries will be perennial grasses. It is better to choose a place well lit by the sun, but preferably with protection from the wind, located on the north side relative to the beds. For these purposes, a fence is suitable, perhaps from living bushes, a fence without gaps or the wall of a building.
The plant is planted in early spring, in warm regions - in autumn. Holes for planting, if the area of the site allows, are prepared with a size of 1×1 m. When planting in trenches, make a ditch 50–70 cm deep and up to 90 cm wide. Leave a free space of 2.5–3 m between the rows. From the bush to keep the bush at a distance of 1.5 m. In industrial areas, planting density can be increased, but it is also important to calculate the amount of plant feeding.
Did you know? When you have a cold, blueberries can be used as a remedy for sore throat.
Landing algorithm:
- Place the seedlings in water for 1 hour before planting.
- Prepare a large piece of thick polyethylene or tarpaulin spread on the ground to prepare the substrate.
- Pour acidic peat, sand (preferably taken from the river), rotted sawdust of coniferous plants onto the prepared litter, mix.
- Pour the prepared mixture into the prepared holes. There is no need to tamp - blueberries love soft, loose soil.
- In the middle of the hole, make a depression according to the size of the part of the seedling that will be underground.
- Before planting, carefully examine the root system - the roots should not be stuck together in a lump, otherwise they need to be untangled and straightened.
- When placing the seedling in the hole, place the roots so that they look in opposite directions, position them horizontally.
- Plant the plants in a hole 2-3 cm lower than they were planted in containers.
- After planting, water with a solution of ordinary vinegar (100 ml of 9% vinegar per 10 liters of water).
- Mulch the ground (peat, pine needles or ordinary sawdust can act as mulch).
The soil in the planting hole will settle after a while, then it will be possible to fill the holes with the same mixture as when planting.
Preparing blueberries for winter
The process of preparing for wintering varies depending on the climatic conditions of each area
. Typically, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are added to the soil in the fall. Be sure to mulch the soil. The thickness of the layer ranges from 10 to 12 cm.
For better wintering in the conditions of the Moscow region and the Volga region, Patriot blueberry plants are wrapped in material that allows air to pass through well
.
Before this, the shoots of adult plants are fixed on the ground. Young shoots are wrapped together with the plant. It is recommended to use spruce branches for the lower part of the bush and roots. In the conditions of Siberia and the Urals, there is no need to wrap up, since snow is the best natural material for this purpose
.
Caring for blueberries in the fall and preparing for winter
Features of care
The main rule in caring for any plant is timeliness. The same is the case with blueberries: do not forget to water them on time so that the soil does not dry out.
Scattering pine needles over the roots also helps preserve the surrounding soil from pests such as weeds that interfere with the normal growth of blueberries. And you can increase the level of productivity using a simple technique: 5 years after the first flowering, prune the bush.
The plant must be properly irrigated. Most often, a drip system is used for this. This is very convenient because, if necessary, it can be used to add pest protection products to the soil.
This method also protects against frost, which can suddenly overtake blueberries in the spring, and is excellent for watering in the summer. The disadvantages of drip irrigation are high water consumption and loss of ideal appearance.
It is better to prune plants in early spring. In this case, you can see which parts of the shoots have deteriorated after wintering and remove them. Remove thickened stems as well. Their presence will interfere with the normal development of the berries, and as a result the fruits may grow too small.
Applications of blueberries
The scope of application of blueberries is quite wide. It is eaten both fresh and processed. So, delicious jams, fresh juices, juices and pastes are made from it. Syrups deserve special attention. They are not only tasty, but also healthy for children and adults.
The berries are dried and frozen fresh. So they can be stored for a long time, retaining useful substances and minerals in their composition. Blueberries are great for baking.
Useful properties and applications
Blueberries are harvested around mid-July. 100 grams of its berries contain 39 kcal, of which 1 g is protein, 5.5 g is carbohydrates and only 0.5 g is fat. In addition, the fruits are rich in vitamins and microelements:
- vitamin C;
- vitamin E;
- vitamin PP;
- thiamine;
- riboflavin;
- iron;
- magnesium;
- potassium;
- calcium;
- sodium;
- fluorine.
It also contains anthocyanins, polyphenols, pectins, and tannins. It has a pronounced antioxidant effect and neutralizes free radicals. Blueberries help strengthen the central nervous system, have a beneficial effect on the heart and endocrine glands, normalize vision, and have antitumor properties.
These berries are consumed fresh, used in cooking and canning. Adherents of a healthy diet prepare healthy smoothies from blueberries, mixing them with other berries.
Interesting! Ripe blueberries do not fall off, but can “ferment” on the bush. After eating such fruits, symptoms of alcohol intoxication and headache occur.
Blueberry juice is used to treat coughs, and the leaves are brewed as tea. Dried blueberries are taken as a vitamin and immunostimulant.
Advantages and disadvantages
Patriot has advantages and disadvantages, like every culture.
Advantages:
- high level of productivity;
- ability to withstand and adapt to drought;
- high immunity;
- decorativeness;
- Patriot blueberries have excellent taste characteristics;
- many uses in cooking;
- the ability of fruits to be stored for a long period of time.
Flaws:
- cultivation requires careful soil preparation;
- at the second stage of fruit formation, their size becomes smaller.
The advantages significantly outweigh the disadvantages, and therefore many vegetable growers grow the Patriot blueberry variety on their plots.
Control of blueberry diseases and pests
The variety is susceptible to diseases. High humidity can provoke them. As a preventive measure, it is worth replacing the mulch in full once every couple of years and carrying out preventive maintenance. They use Bordeaux mixture, which is sprayed with it 2 times a year: at the very beginning of spring and in the second half of autumn.
How to deal with blueberry pests - video
Blueberries have pests, including: silkworms, scale insects, cockchafers, aphids, and leaf rollers. To eliminate them, insecticides and fungicides are used.
Interesting!
Gooseberry Commander
Blueberry Patriot is an excellent variety that can be grown in any climatic conditions
. It bears fruit in both the northern and southern regions of the country. In addition to high yields, it has good taste characteristics. Decorates the garden plot, performing a decorative function.
Blueberry pruning
To achieve high plant productivity, it is necessary to prune it in autumn or spring.
Formative pruning is carried out in the 3-5th year of blueberry life before fruiting and every year after harvest. This pruning helps to form the main skeletal branches and give the correct shape to its crown. At the same time, all weak shoots that grow low are removed.
Anti-aging pruning allows you to form the density of the inflorescences and their fruits. You need to remove, as with formative pruning, all weak shoots, bunches of small branches that are located at the edge of the shoots. After large branches bear fruit for more than 5 years, they are cut off to the very base.
Proper regular pruning will allow you to create beautiful blueberry bushes in your garden plot, which will produce large berries in large quantities all year round for many years.
Blueberry Patriot: reviews from those who planted and cultivated the variety
Reviews of the Patriot blueberry variety can be read below.
Vera Sergeevna, 59 years old, Ryazan I really love blueberries. I searched for a suitable variety for a long time and found Patriot. I chose it because of the positive reviews. I liked that the plant can grow in any climate, which means it is resilient and strong. I had to tinker with the soil. In principle, there is nothing complicated. The yield was average, 3 kg per bush.
Ivan Mikhailovich, 47 years old, Zelenograd The Patriot variety showed excellent results in the first year after planting. Gave a good harvest. In our climatic conditions, growing it is not particularly difficult. The crop was not sick, and no pests were observed either. The berries are very tasty and juicy. I recommend.
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