Blueberry garden: planting, care and reproduction. Cultivation of blueberries: planting and care How to plant garden blueberries

Blueberries are known as wild berries. Not so long ago, she began to appear in summer cottages. Blueberries - tasty and healthy, will appeal to everyone due to the absence of contraindications for use in various forms: wine, syrup, jam, marmalade and straight from the bush. The article contains a description of the berry and its natural habitat, the technique of planting and caring for the plant on the site, as well as the variety and what are the benefits of blueberries.

Blueberry berry: description

Blueberry bushes are common in the regions of the Northern Hemisphere, due to their winter hardiness and endurance. Blueberries are adapted to the climate of the Urals and Siberia. Subject to the cultivation technology, it grows safely in the middle zone of the territory of Russia and in the Moscow region.

Blueberry characteristics:

1. Belongs to the heather family, bush can live up to 100 years.
2. Has perennial shoots, the average plant height is 40 cm, can reach 1 m.
3. Surface type root system, fibrous, deepens into the ground up to 40 cm, spreads up to 60 cm in diameter.
4. Does not have root hairs, therefore, it reacts sharply to moisture. Mycorrhizal microorganisms that live on the roots help to absorb nutrients from the soil.
5. Leaves obovate or oblong, up to 3 cm in length.
6. Flowers white or pink, five-toothed and tiny.
7. Berries round, blue with a characteristic bluish bloom, up to 1.2 cm in diameter.

Blueberries or blueberries?

Blueberries and blueberries belong to the same genus Vaccinium, and in English have a common name - "Blueberry" (Blue berry), although the berries are different.

Differences between blueberries and blueberries:

• Blueberry juice is always pale, not capable of coloring. Blueberry juice is colored and leaves blue-purple stains.
• In blueberries, the branches are lighter and woody almost to the very top.
• The receptacle of a broken shape is typical for blueberries, and for blueberries - an even round shape.
• The taste of berries varies and depends on the variety. Wild forms are more acidic.
• Blueberries have larger berries.

blueberry sprig

blueberry sprig

How do blueberries grow in the forest?

1. In nature, blueberry bushes can be found in the forest zone, tundra, often in peat bogs and swamps, sometimes growing along rivers. Likes, about 4-5. It requires constant moistening of the soil horizon to a depth of 50 cm, but it does not tolerate prolonged flooding.
2. It grows and bears fruit better on poor, light soils than on rich ones. Sandy loam and light loam are suitable. Often independent blueberry bushes grow in groups, often next to them you can find blueberries and conifers. Wild berries are usually small and sour, but no less healthy.

Blueberries ripen in August - September. You can collect it from August until the frost itself, because the berries, unlike the leaves, remain on the plant.

Preparing for landing

Selection of planting material

When choosing planting material, they examine the appearance of an adult plant or seedling 3-4 years old.

There should be no signs of disease on the stems and leaves:

1. The leaves are entire, dark green over the entire surface, straight.
2. Stems without mechanical damage, strong, solid and uniform.

Seedlings are better to buy in containers, and wild plants should be dug up along with the soil adjacent to them with a margin.

It is better to take seedlings in several copies, preferably at different points of sale. So, you will save yourself from the consequences of low-quality material, and the seedlings will be more likely to take root.

Choose seedlings that grew in similar conditions before transplanting, in the same area.

When planting wild blueberries in the country:

1. A hole 50 cm deep and 50 cm in diameter is well moistened and sprinkled with soil from the past habitat of the bush or sour peat.
2. The roots are distributed according to the depth and width of the pit, so that in the future they can grow without obstacles.
3. The space between the roots is filled with the same soil and moistened.
4. The root neck of bush blueberries should be at ground level or slightly lower.
5. Top the soil with mulch.

When is the best time to plant?

Planting blueberries in the garden is carried out at different times of the year:

• Landing in the ground in the spring more reliable, because over the summer the plant will have time to take root, securely attach with roots and get stronger.
• During autumn planting the likelihood of freezing of the plant in the winter and its death increases.
• Fresh seeds are planted in August, and in early spring those that have undergone stratification.

Place to land

The blueberry bush grows well on sandy, acidic soils. The place for planting should be sunny so that the plant photosynthesizes well and accumulates more sugar. So the bush will be strong, more resistant to frost and disease, and the berries will be sweet.

It is worth choosing a place protected from the wind; it grows better on the southern slope.

On the site before planting, other plants should not grow for several years, and the soil should be cleared of weeds.

Good and Bad Blueberry Neighbors:

• Good neighbors for blueberries those that love acidic soil:, cranberries,;
• A valid neighbor would be, which can grow on slightly acidic soils, has similar moisture requirements, but is not cold-resistant;
• A bad neighbor will be a pear and, as they prefer neutral soil in acidity.

soil for blueberries

The optimal soil for growing blueberries is strongly acidic - a mixture of sand and peat. Peat reduces the pH, and sand does not retain water, and also passes the elements sodium (Na) and magnesium (Mg). If the soil is without peat, namely loam or heavier, it is worth forming a raised bed in an embankment so that the roots can breathe freely and the water passes down the soil horizon.

Mineral fertilizer of the main macronutrients can be added to the planting hole. The roots of the bush before planting should be soaked in a solution of Radipharm. The use of this fertilizer allows the plant to quickly adapt to the new environment, accelerates its growth and prevents cuttings from fattening.

Planting blueberries garden - step by step guide

Blueberry Growing Tips:

• Blueberry bush begins to bear fruit for 3-4 years of life if grown from cuttings. It grows optimally only for 6 years and begins its full fruiting.
• From one blueberry bush you can get about 5 kg of berries, which is influenced by the characteristics of the variety and growth conditions.
• The ripening of berries does not take place simultaneously, it can last up to 45 days on one bush. When it rains or winds, they do not fall off, so you can collect them not as they ripen, but when each berry is already ripe. This principle of collection is appropriate for wild forms.
• It is better to plant several bushes at the same time (more than 3). It is worth considering that some seedlings may not survive.
• For better growth, complex mineral fertilizers are added during planting. without chlorine content.
• Mulch, sand with peat, mineral fertilizers and coniferous sawdust are placed in the planting pit. Mulch retains some of the moisture in the area of ​​absorption of the root system and reduces the frequency of watering.
• When watering 1 time in 2 weeks after landing, you can use Radipharm.

Blueberry planting scheme - in a wide row. The distance between the bushes is at least 1.2 m, between the rows - at least 2.5 m. They are planted on the ridge with heavier soils, they must be loosened (without injuring the roots) and cleared of foreign plants. Watered every 3 days, 5-8 liters, preferably in the evening.

The video shows the elite blueberry planting technique:

Planting in the spring

The advantage of spring planting is the presence of a margin of time before frost. It is more likely that the plant will take root.

Rules for spring planting blueberries:

1. Plant blueberries in the spring before the buds begin to swell., and juices will begin to actively move through the vessels.
2. In order for blueberries to grow better, you should choose a variety for the climate. In a cool climate, low-growing blueberries grow better, and in warmer climates, garden blueberries.
3. Buy seedlings in containers where the root system will be closed. Before planting, they are taken out of the container and left for half an hour in water or a solution of mineral fertilizers.
4. Delicate and thin roots are carefully distributed throughout the entire volume of the planting pit. so that nothing interferes with their growth and work.
5. The pit is processed according to the requirements of culture. After planting, water every 3 days with clean water and once a week with a fertilizer solution.

Planting in autumn

Planting agrotechnics is no different from spring. A feature of the autumn planting is the pruning of the bush, if his age is less than two years. All weak and damaged stems are removed, and healthy ones are shortened by half.

The disadvantage of the autumn planting period is a small margin of time for strengthening, the plant may not survive frosts.

Care for blueberries in the open field

Watering

Watering tips:

1. Blueberries grow well when their roots have free access to water.
2. The absence of root hairs has a negative effect on the ability to absorb ground water. In this case, excessive watering can lead to the death of the plant.
3. Mulch helps to optimize the water regime which retains water and allows the plant to absorb it. Thus, it protects it from drought and reduces the frequency of mandatory watering.

How many waterings do blueberries need? Blueberries grow and develop well if watered every 3 days with 5-8 liters of water with a watering can under the base of the bush. Grows well with daily drip irrigation.

top dressing

It is strictly forbidden to feed blueberries with organic matter. Blueberries grow well in poor soils and do not require more nutrients, however, top dressing with minerals will benefit her.

Best suited for blueberries:

With a deficit:

1. Phosphorus - blueberry leaves turn red;
2. Nitrogen - the leaves are small, clarified;
3. Potassium - the upper leaves turn black;
4. Sulfur - leaves may turn yellow;
5. Bora - take on a yellowish tint.

pruning

It is carried out before the swelling of the kidneys in the spring:

Autumn care and preparation for winter

Harvesting is carried out after the ripening of all berries or every 2 weeks as they ripen in August and September. The berries acquire a characteristic blue color and become soft. At low temperatures, about -25 degrees, blueberries should be covered.

Severe frosts can lead to the death of an annual or adult plant, especially in the absence of snow.

Cover the bush in this way:

• The stems, peeled from the crop, are bent to the ground and fixed in this position with a wire or twine loop.
• Covered with burlap, under which he can breathe.
• Laid on top.
• In the presence of snow, cover with spruce branches and them.

They are freed from shelter in the spring, when the threat of frost disappears.

blueberry breeding

To preserve all the characteristics and characteristics of the variety, reproduction is carried out vegetatively: by cuttings or dividing the bush.

Propagation by cuttings:

Bush division:

1. The blueberry bush is removed from the ground and divided into parts.
2. The root system of each part should be more than 5 cm long.
3. Delenki are planted in a place of permanent habitat and are waiting for fruiting for 4 years of life.
4. They are cared for in the same way as for an adult bush.

Pests and diseases

Damage to blueberries by pests and diseases can lead to partial or complete disappearance of the crop and death. Mechanically damaged areas on the plant are most susceptible to disease.

Blueberry diseases and their symptoms

Actions in case of blueberry disease:

1. When plant organs are infected with viral diseases, damaged areas are cut out without delay.
2. If a whole bush is sick, it is removed along with the top layer of earth and burned. Treatment is not subject.
3. Be sure to inspect neighboring plants for symptoms of viral diseases. At the slightest sign of a symptom, the damaged parts are cut out without sparing, otherwise the disease will continue to spread and lead to the death of all crops on which it is able to live.
4. Diseases caused by mushrooms may be cured with fungicides. Carry out prevention.

Mistakes when growing garden blueberries

Blueberries will grow poorly or not grow at all in their summer cottage:

1. On slightly acidic and neutral soils, does not grow on alkaline soils.
2. When applying organic matter in the years of growth, planting blueberries or applying 1-3 years before planting.
3. If there are predecessors in the allotted area, especially vegetables.
4. When water stagnates at the roots for more than 2 days in a row, the roots lose air.
5. Does not grow during drought for more than 4 days in a row.
6. It does not grow well with neighbors who love an alkaline environment.
7. Does not grow in tropical regions.
8. When introducing substances containing chlorine.
9. In the presence of diseases or pests.
10. With a low occurrence of groundwater.
11. It does not grow if, when planting, the roots are left in a bent form, they are not able to unfold on their own and cannot absorb a sufficient amount of water and nutrients.
12. If you loosen the soil deeply, the roots are on the surface and are often damaged.
13. It grows poorly and produces a low yield if the stems are not pruned. The energy of the plant is spent on maintaining the life of infertile parts, quality branches lack lighting and nutrition.
14. If you leave plants uncovered during frosts stronger than -23 degrees.

Video: What to do if blueberry leaves turn red?

Blueberry varieties

Varieties of one plant species are bred to give them ideal characteristics for certain conditions. Planting varieties of different ripening dates in one area gives the opportunity to harvest gradually over 3 months. The use of resistant varieties against various diseases guarantees the preservation of part of the crop.

tall blueberry

Shrub, grows up to 2.5 m tall. Feature: fast growth, good shoot formation. The weight of one berry can reach 4 g. Winter-hardy and frost-resistant, able to withstand up to -30 ° C, the critical temperature for flowers is -2 ° C.

Varieties:

• Duke. Feature - eliminates the effects of spring frosts, due to late flowering, the fruits are ripe in mid-summer.
• Patriot- not damaged by late blight, less picky about soil conditions.
• Jersey- late, not damaged by viruses and frosts in late spring.
• Bonus- late, berry with a diameter of up to 30 mm, tolerates transportation well.
• Bluecrop- late, ripens in August, high yield, strong berries, tolerate transportation well.
• bluegold- does not become infected with fungal diseases, winter-hardy, has a stable yield regardless of conditions, 4-7 kg.
• Berkeley.
• Elizabeth.
• Bluejays.

Variety Duke

Jersey variety

Variety Patriot

Variety Bluegold

Variety Bluecrop

Sort Bonus

undersized blueberries

It grows up to 1.2 m, optimally - 50 cm. Feature: short growing season, increased frost resistance. Productivity from one bush is 1-2.5 kg.

Varieties:

• Northblue.
• Northland- frost-resistant, able to survive at temperatures down to -40 ° C, has a regular high yield, 4-8 kg per bush.
• Emil- contain a high content of disaccharides, ideal for harvesting for the winter.
• Polaris- give a stable harvest, regardless of the conditions, 1.5-2 kg.

Variety Northblue

Variety Northland

Variety Polaris

Variety Emil

The best varieties for the Moscow region

The climate of the Moscow region allows blueberries to grow well, the only drawback of this region is frost in the autumn and spring seasons. If the bush is damaged by frost, blueberries do not grow well. It is necessary to select the correct varieties that have resistance to this phenomenon in their genotype.

The best among varieties for the Moscow region:

• Erliblu- well related to frosts, winter-hardy, withstands sharp drops in the thermometer.
• Nelson.
• Spartan- more sour in taste, well retain their shape during transportation.
• Patriot- characterized by a stable harvest, 5-7 kg. It is not damaged by rots of branches and roots. Used for decorative purposes.
• Blue Ray.

Useful properties of blueberries

Blueberries are a dietary berry that contains only 40 kcal per 100 g. There are no people for whom the use of blueberries would be contraindicated.

Blueberry contains:

Useful properties of blueberries:

Growing blueberries at home

Where to plant blueberries at home?

Blueberries can be grown without leaving home:

• It will grow well on an unglazed balcony in their natural habitats.
• Good lighting should be provided in the room, avoid the shadow falling on the bush.
• Grows well in wide and deep containers, which will not interfere with the development of the roots.
• You can leave the bush in the container it was in when you bought it.(if its size meets the requirements), or transplant into a regular pot.

In greenhouses, only blueberry cuttings are planted for better engraftment.

The blueberry bush grows in a cold climate, so it does not require additional heating of the air or soil.

The soil at home is used the same as in the open air.

The composition of the substrate includes:

• sand;
• peat;
• mulch
• sawdust of coniferous trees;
• mineral fertilizers.

Watered an average of 5 liters every 4 days.

Growing from seed

The main feature of growing from seeds is the splitting of the characteristics of the mother plant.

If seeds of a certain variety or hybrid are planted, during germination they may show other features:

1. Berries may vary in size and flavor.
2. The bush may change its attitude towards winter hardiness or disease resistance.

Grows well from seeds selected from ripe quality berries. They are carefully pushed so as not to spoil the planting material, and lowered into the water. Seeds at the bottom of the vessel are set aside for further drying on paper. Stored in paper envelopes in a dry and cool place for up to 10 years or sown in August.

The soil is prepared from 3 parts of sand and 1 part of peat, the seeds are laid to a depth of less than 1 cm in large quantities with a small distance. Regularly moisten and saturate the soil with air. The strongest seedlings are left and in the third year they are transplanted into a separate permanent place. Grows 7-8 years before fruiting.

blueberries on an industrial scale

As a business, growing blueberries is a profitable business.

The secret is simple - the profitability indicator is affected by:

• poor soil;
• winter hardiness;
• the need for constant watering (drip irrigation is used in industry);
• the average size of the area per 1 bush;
• lack of tillage and harvesters, but manual collection;
• the need for fungicide treatment;
• the need for mineral fertilizers;
• the need for annual pruning.

Worth considering:

1. Bush growth period.
2. Purchase of planting material.
3. Land value.
4. Organization of drip irrigation.
5. Purchase of fertilizers and plant protection products, as well as inventory.
6. Payment for the labor force for the collection, storage and transportation of the crop.

However, the cost of selling berries covers the initial investment. Blueberries are well bought in areas where they do not grow. Few grow this bush in the private sector, so the demand for it is high. Blueberry plantations do not require special attention to care, it is quite simple to grow it, the main thing is to ensure watering and an optimal level of acidity.

Site and soil selection is critical. The best results in terms of harvest are obtained by growing tall blueberries in group plantings. It is better to plant blueberries at least two different varietiesthen the number of berries will be greater.

Blueberries grow well sunny windless area. The distance between plants is one and a half meters and a meter between rows.

When to plant blueberries

Better to plant spring before swelling of the kidneys. But you can plant in the fall. In annual seedlings, immediately after planting, weak branches are removed, and the remaining ones are shortened by half. Two-year-olds and older can not be cut.

The seedling must be healthy and strong. Prioritize with closed and well developed root system. Plants have the highest percentage of survival two or three years age.

Main mistake beginner gardeners - planting blueberries in ordinary soil. And this plant grows in nature under coniferous trees on light acidic soil.

And just planting in garden soil with pine needles and cones mixed does not solve the problem at all.

The root system of blueberries superficial, grows in width by 80-90 cm. Ideally, the planting hole is filled red peat or a special substrate for blueberries sold at garden centers.

They are, however, not cheap. If it is not possible to buy acidic soil, then it is better to bring earth from a spruce forest. You will need at least one bag per bush, as the hole will be wide.

Planting hole preparation

• • Dig a hole 40 cm deep ( 2 bayonet shovel) and a minimum width of 80 cm. As mentioned above, blueberry roots do not penetrate deep into the ground, but grow on surfaces and occupy an area within a radius of 80 cm.

• • seedling roots put in a bucket of water and leave for half an hour.

• • To the bottom pour the planting pit with pine bark, needles, cones in a thick layer (10 cm). This is for drainage.

• • Pit sides needs to be strengthened any available material to prevent the growth of the root system beyond the specially prepared acidic soil. Use slate, film, boards, etc.

• • Completely fill the planting hole with blueberry substrate, tamp it down. For additional acidification is advised to add sulfur- 50 grams per bush. It is thoroughly mixed with the substrate.

• • Make a small hole in the middle of the hole and place the blueberry seedling in it. Blueberries are planted in a permanent place deeper by 5 cm than it grew in a container.

• • Carefully straighten the roots, sprinkle with soil and water abundantly.

Desirable mulch the soil around the seedling with pine needles to retain moisture and control weeds.

top dressing

blueberries not desirable feed with organic matter. It responds best to complex mineral fertilizers for heather cultures (complex for azaleas), ammonium sulfate.

spring

It is advisable to feed liquid ammonium sulfate, so the fertilizer is absorbed faster. Consumption: 70 grams per plant.

Summer

In summer, blueberries are fed with a complex fertilizer for azaleas 1-2 times. Blueberries respond well to top dressing with Florovit.

autumn

It is better to feed blueberries in autumn superphosphate at the rate of 100 grams per bush and potassium sulfate (40 grams per plant). Fertilizer is embedded in the soil to a depth of 10 cm, so as not to damage the root system.

In addition to top dressing, blueberries need watering acidified water. Suitable for watering blueberries rhubarb infusion. Its leaves are edible only in spring, so in summer and autumn it will come in handy for feeding garden blueberries.

2-3 large leaves of rhubarb, along with the stalk, are very finely chopped and poured with water. Infuse for a day and pour blueberries with the resulting acidic solution.

How to water

Blueberries are afraid of drought. At the end of summer, flower buds are laid in her, so abundant and regular watering is required. The drying of the earthy coma leads to the inhibition of the plant and lack of harvest.

When growing blueberries in the country, it gives a good result watering with electrolyte(1 ml per 1 liter of water) every 7 days. It will help reduce the acidity to 5.0 pH.

Some advise watering blueberries with water with citric acid, but from personal experience I will say that this method does not give a special effect. If blueberries are planted incorrectly, then it will not be possible to make the soil sour only by watering with sour water. Checked! Same situation and.

It is better to invest once in a special soil for blueberries or bring a couple of bags of substrate from a coniferous forest than to buy new blueberry seedlings several times. Well, this useful berry does not grow on ordinary garden soil, and that's it!

Blueberry is a shrub common in Central Europe, rapidly gaining popularity in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other countries of the near abroad. Since its berries have exceptional beneficial properties - a high content of vitamin C and other minerals and vitamins, it is necessary in the diet of every healthy person. However, many summer residents refuse to grow it just because they do not know how to grow blueberries correctly. Although this shrub is not at all whimsical to care for and does not require much effort, only a few nuances must be observed when growing blueberries.

Growing conditions

Industrial cultivation of blueberries is carried out only on acidic soils. The plant develops well on sandy and sandy substrates, peat bogs. To significantly improve the water regime and soil fertility, rotted leaf litter is used. On a garden plot, you can create such soil using acidic high-moor peat, sawdust, bark, foliage or other materials, increasing the acidity of the soil to 3.7-4.8 units (pH) using sulfur, citric, acetic or malic acid.

One of the main conditions for the successful cultivation of blueberries is moderate soil moisture. Therefore, it should not be planted in areas lying in the lowlands, since in such cases there is a risk of waterlogging.

In a plant that has been growing for a long time in places with an excess of moisture, the roots begin to quickly rot and die off, and the bush itself stops its development and ceases to bear fruit. In the country, you should choose the most illuminated place for planting blueberries, protected at the same time from strong winds. In partial shade, the yield will be significantly lower, and the quality of the berries will deteriorate. In addition, with a lack of light, the growth of shoots lengthens in time, and they do not always have time to become woody before the first frost, as a result of which they can freeze in winter.

It is cost-effective to plant several varieties of blueberries in the garden. Such a mixed planting of different varieties not only ensures good pollination and high yields, but also significantly improves the taste of berries and reduces their ripening time. If the plot is quite large, you can organize a home business, growing blueberries from seeds for sale.

Blueberry Planting Scheme

Landing

Low-growing varieties of blueberries are planted at a distance of 70-80 cm from each other, strong and medium-sized varieties - at a distance of 90-120 cm. Planting pits are prepared earlier, 40-50 cm deep and 60-70 cm in diameter. On loamy heavy soils, the pit is made less than 20-30 cm deep, but wider and equipped with an additional drainage layer of 10-15 cm or blueberries are planted on the ridge.

For planting, I use two- and three-year-old seedlings with a closed, developed root system. A pot with a plant immediately before planting is immersed for 20-25 minutes in a container of water to saturate the roots and earthen coma with moisture. After that, the seedlings are carefully removed from the pot, kneading the lump with their hands. A young bush is turned upside down, the root ball is cut to a depth of 5-7 cm crosswise or torn with hands, starting from the middle.

A small amount of high-moor peat is poured at the bottom of the pit, fertilizers are not applied, a seedling is placed there, spreading the roots in different directions, and also covered with prepared acidic soil. The plant is buried 6-7 cm above the level of the coma in the pot. After that, the earth is slightly compacted, a shallow hole is made around the bush and watered abundantly. Then the near-trunk zone is mulched with sawdust with a layer of 7-9 cm.

Care

Constant moderate watering, without swamping the soil and preventing it from drying out, is an important condition for good survival and development of bushes. Watering is carried out by finely drip irrigation or drip irrigation of the soil around the bush directly.

In the summer period in mid-July and August, the plant should be watered twice a day - in the morning and in the evening, 2-3 times a week, at the rate of 1.5-2 buckets for each bush. During this period, abundant watering is very important, because simultaneously with fruiting, flower buds of the next year's crop are laid on the bushes. The lack of moisture will be reflected in its significant decrease, both in the current year and next.

In especially hot, stuffy times, the bushes should be cooled by spraying them with cool water during the daytime at 12-13 o'clock. With such a simple manipulation of agricultural technology, the rate of photosynthesis increases and stress from overheating of the plant is minimized. Mulching plantings with needles, rotted leaves, straw or sawdust not only slows down the germination of weed seed, but also allows you to retain moisture in the soil and even out its temperature. The mulching layer is maintained at a height of 7-12 cm. When mulching with fresh bark or sawdust, additional nitrogen fertilizers should be added so as not to slow down the growth and development of bushes.

Blueberries react to lack of fertilizer, especially taller varieties like Canadian. The first feeding with complex mineral fertilizers, such as Azofoska or Fertik, is carried out in early spring, when the buds swell, the second - during flowering, the third - when small berries appear, but no later than July 1. Depending on the age of the bush, a different dose of fertilizer is applied per season: for a two- and three-year-old bush - 10-20 g, for a four-year-old bush - 40 g, for a five-year-old dose 70-80 g, for an older plant - 150-160 g.

Growing mistakes

One of the most common mistakes is the application of organic fertilizers. Blueberry variety Canadian and others not only do not tolerate compost, manure and chicken manure, but can also die after using them. Also, many gardeners ignore such an important event as maintaining optimal soil acidity. Why twice a month from April to September, each bush is watered with a weak solution of citric acid - 5-12 g per 3 liters of water, or vinegar. 180-200 ml per 8-10 liters of water.

High fruiting is ensured only with regular spring pruning of bushes. At the same time, diseased branches lying on the ground and a small bushy growth at the base are removed. If the bushes are older than 5-6 years, part of the branches with flower buds should be cut, leaving only a few shoots up to 6-8 years old, and 4-6 of the most developed ones are left from annuals. In bushes of a spreading type, the lower drooping branches are removed, in bushes of an upright type, the middle is thinned out.

When removing weeds around the planting, it should be borne in mind that the roots of blueberries are located very close to the soil surface. Therefore, inter-row processing is carried out with the help of herbicides or shallow weeding. More often they are sown with low-growing grasses, which are mowed several times during the season and left to rot.

Video "Growing tall blueberries"

This video tells how to grow blueberries, what are the nuances in caring for bushes, which is the key to high yields.

Garden blueberries have recently appeared on the plots, it is radically different from its wild relative in terms of parameters. In order to fully reveal its potential, it must be properly looked after. Golden rules for caring for a cultivated plant.

Blueberries garden planting and care 5 golden rules: the richest source of vitamins

A garden plot without a berry plant is impossible to imagine. There will always be a place for berry bushes, even in a very small garden.

But in order for these plants to fully discover their potential, they must be properly looked after - planted, cut, protected from pests. It is worth starting pruning bushes at the end of February, when the plants are sleeping.

Spring is the time for all the care and preparation for a high harvest.

Garden blueberries are decorative, form high (up to 2 m) bushes, and the berries have a unique taste. Dark, almost black blueberries are covered with a light coating, which gives a deep blueness.

The unique sweet and sour taste of the berry is adored by many, and they want to grow it at home, in order to always be able to enjoy berries with the richest source of vitamins.

Blueberry - this bush reaches a height of 2-4 m. It comes from North America, in English this berry is called highbush blueberry. Blueberry is translated as both blueberries and blueberries, so we also sometimes call it “high blueberries” or “tall blueberries”. And the berries taste like wild blueberries.

Blueberries garden planting and care 5 golden rules: how to plant blueberries

Garden blueberries are a beautiful horticultural crop and a source of vitamins. Growing it has separate nuances.

The proven and easiest way to plant this berry is seedlings with a closed root system, that is, placed in a pot with soil. They can be both annual and biennial seedlings and are well received on the site.

At the same time, the risk of damaging them is minimal, and the fact that the seedling is already in the ground greatly simplifies the entire planting process. And the transplant itself can be done in any season.

The first and main guarantee of successful habituation of the shrub and subsequent rich harvests is that blueberries must be planted in acidic soil. The pH of the soil should be at least 3.5-5.

In the absence of such soil, purely peat soil is not suitable for blueberries. You can also grow blueberries on a combined soil of peat, sand, needles and sawdust in a ratio of 5-1-1.

For maximum yield and glorious feelings from blueberries, the planting area should be well-drained, without stagnant surface water.

Choose a place that will be protected from the cold wind, sunny and warm. It is advisable to avoid the proximity of large trees, shrubs.

It is important that the soil allows air and moisture to pass through to nourish the roots. Blueberries should be planted in a well-lit, calm area. And do not forget about regular watering 2 times a week.

Late varieties of blueberries ripen at temperatures of 25 degrees and above.

Organic fertilizers should not be applied to blueberries. Compost and manure can provoke diseases of the shrub, up to its death.

The soil for blueberries is fertilized when planting with mineral fertilizers, after which the soil should be loosened to allow moisture and air to penetrate.

When planting blueberries, cut off all weak branches, and cut healthy ones to half the length. After planting, a young 2-year-old blueberry plant does not need pruning.

Plant common blueberry (lat. Vaccinium uliginosum), or swamp blueberries, or marsh, or undersized is the type species of the genus Vaccinium of the Heather family. This deciduous shrub is found in temperate and cold regions of the entire Northern Hemisphere - in Eurasia, the species range begins in Iceland and reaches the Mediterranean and Mongolia, in North America it extends from Alaska to California. Among the people, blueberries have many names - drunkard (drunk berry, drunkard, drunkard), gonobobel (gonoboy, gonobol, gonobob), cabbage roll (dove), dope (fool, fool, dope), blue grapes, titmouse. All the names with a negative connotation were given to blueberries by mistake: people complained that it caused a headache (it drives pain into the head, like a hangover - hence gonobol, cockleyard, drunkard, etc.), and the culprit of the headache is actually the ever-growing next to the blueberry wild rosemary.

The blueberry itself is the most valuable natural product, which is increasingly attracting the attention of gardeners. In addition to common blueberries, which grow everywhere in regions with a cool and temperate climate, there is such a species as tall garden blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)- An American relative of the common blueberry, which has long become a full-fledged horticultural crop in its homeland. In Canada and the USA, this tasty and healthy berry is much more popular than blackcurrant. Varieties and hybrids of garden blueberries, bred by American and Canadian breeders, are gradually gaining popularity among our gardening enthusiasts, and now Canadian blueberries in the garden of the middle lane or hybrid American blueberries in the country somewhere in the southern regions of Russia and Ukraine are not so rare.

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Planting and caring for blueberries

• Landing: it is possible in the spring, before the buds swell, but it is better in the fall, during leaf fall.
• Lighting: bright sunlight.
• The soil: rested and recovered in a few years under fallow, well-drained, peaty-sandy or peaty-loamy, with a pH of 3.5-4.5 pH.
• Watering: in the mornings and evenings twice a week, with the consumption of at least a bucket of water for each adult bush. That is, under each bush you must pour twice a week in the morning and in the evening a bucket of water. On the hottest days, blueberries are not only watered, but also sprayed early in the morning or after 17.00.
• Pruning: in the spring, before the buds swell.
• Top dressing: only mineral fertilizers at the very beginning of the growing season.
• Reproduction: seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush.
• Pests: may beetles, cockchafers, silkworm caterpillars, scale insects, aphids, leafworms.
• Diseases: gray rot, fruit moniliosis, physalsporosis, septoria, phomopsis, double spotting, stem cancer, dwarfism, red ring and necrotic spotting, threading of branches, viral mosaic.

Read more about growing blueberries below.

Blueberry garden - description

To the genus Vaccinium, scientists rank lingonberries, cranberries, blueberries and blueberries, with which some botanists identify blueberries, although this does not seem fair to all specialists. The root system of blueberries is fibrous, without root hairs, the branches are erect, cylindrical, covered with dark gray or brown bark, the shoots are green. The common blueberry bush reaches a height of only one meter, the tall blueberry species grows to a height of two or more meters. Small, hard, whole smooth blueberry leaves up to three centimeters long and up to two and a half wide grow in the next order on short petioles. They have an obovate or lanceolate shape with a blunt apex and slightly curved down edges, the upper side of the leaf plate is bluish-green due to wax coating, the lower side with strongly protruding veins of a lighter shade.

Small drooping five-toothed flowers with a pinkish or white jug-shaped corolla up to 6 cm long and 8-10 stamens sit in several pieces on the tops of last year's branches. Blueberry berries are oblong, up to 12 mm long and weighing up to one gram, blue in color with a bluish bloom, thin-skinned, with greenish flesh. The berries of American tall blueberries weigh from 10 to 25 grams, up to 10 kg are harvested from one bush in America, in our conditions in warm areas and with favorable weather, you can get up to 7 kg of berries from one bush of tall blueberries.

The fact is that not all foreign varieties are suitable for growing in our climatic conditions, since those that begin to bear fruit late have time to ripen only by 30%. Therefore, those who wish to grow this wonderful berry on their site are better off cultivating common blueberries or acquiring early and mid-ripening varieties of garden blueberries.

Planting blueberries garden

When to plant blueberries

Blueberry planting is carried out both in spring and autumn, but spring planting is more reliable than autumn planting, because during the summer season blueberry seedlings have time to take root on the site and get stronger so that the risk of freezing in winter is minimal. In this article, we will introduce you to the agricultural technology of the plant and tell you in detail about how to properly plant blueberries, how to grow blueberries and how to care for blueberries, namely, how to feed blueberries, how to water blueberries and how to propagate blueberries. Growing blueberries is a simple process, it will be more difficult to harvest and preserve the crop, but we will also tell you about this.

soil for blueberries

If you choose to grow blueberries in your garden, set aside a sunny but sheltered spot for them, and don't try to hide them in the shade - there will be few berries and you won't like their taste. Take seriously the choice of soil for blueberries, since it can only grow on acidic soils - the optimal pH for it is pH 3.5-4.5. In addition, it is highly desirable that the area where you plant blueberries has been fallow for several years: blueberries do not tolerate predecessors.

So, in a sunny, quiet place with well-drained peaty-sandy or peaty-loamy soil, blueberries will show you their best qualities. If your garden does not have a plot with soil that will be to the taste of blueberries, do not be discouraged, it can be created man-made.

planting blueberries in spring

Blueberries are planted in the ground in spring before the buds swell. Before planting blueberries, you need to decide which species or variety will grow best in your area. In cool climates, low-growing Canadian blueberries are preferred, while in warmer areas, where summers are hot and long, varieties of garden blueberries can be cultivated. The most important thing, when making a choice, is to compare the ripening dates with the climatic features of your area, otherwise the blueberries may not have time to ripen, and then your selfless care for garden blueberries will be in vain.

It is better to purchase seedlings with a closed root system - in pots or containers, but you can’t just transfer them from a container to a hole, because the fragile blueberry roots themselves will not unfold in the ground, and the plant will not be able to fully develop. Before planting blueberries lower the container with the seedling for a quarter of an hour into the water, then remove the seedling from the container and try to carefully knead the earthen ball and straighten the blueberry roots.

planting blueberries, like common blueberries, it is preceded by digging holes measuring 60x60 and a depth of half a meter at a distance of half a meter from each other for low-growing varieties, one meter for medium-sized varieties and 120 cm for tall varieties. Between rows, the distance should be from three to three and a half meters. It is advisable to loosen the walls and bottom of the pit so that they can pass air to the roots. Then it is necessary to create an acidic substrate in the pit so that the blueberries develop normally - lay high-moor peat mixed with sawdust, needles and sand on the bottom, add 50 g of sulfur to oxidize the soil, mix everything thoroughly and compact.

Do not add any fertilizers to the substrate, especially organic ones that alkalize the soil - everything has its time.

Now you can lower the seedling into the pit, spread its roots in different directions and sprinkle them with earth so that the root neck is immersed in the soil by 3 cm. After planting, the seedlings are watered, and the soil around them is mulched with a twelve-centimeter layer of softwood sawdust, bark, straw or peat.

planting blueberries in autumn

The order of planting blueberries does not depend on the season, and it is described in the previous section, however, after the autumn planting, all weak branches should be removed from the seedling of the first year of life with secateurs, and it is desirable to shorten the developed ones by half. If the seedling is more than two years old, pruning after planting is not performed.

blueberry care

Growing garden blueberries

Several times during the season you will have to loosen the soil in the area with blueberries to a depth of about eight centimeters, but try not to overdo it, because loosening too often can dry out your blueberries, and too deep can damage the horizontally located root system, which is only fifteen centimeters from the surface . And that is why soil mulching on the site is of particular importance. You can loosen the soil without removing the mulch, which must be replenished every two to three years. Do not allow weeds to grow on the blueberry plot, remove them immediately after detection.

In addition to loosening and weeding, blueberry care includes timely watering, pruning and fertilizing blueberries.

Watering blueberries

Proper watering is very important for blueberries. The task is to develop such a scheme for moistening the soil, in which the roots will have enough moisture, and at the same time it will not stagnate for longer than two days, otherwise the bush may die. Blueberries need to be watered twice a week, pouring one bucket of water under each adult bush early in the morning and after sunset - that's right: a bucket of water under each bush twice a day, twice a week. Blueberries especially need watering in July and August, during fruiting, when flower buds of the future harvest are laid on the bushes, and if the plant experiences a lack of moisture, this will negatively affect the quantity and quality of berries, not only for the current, but also for the next harvest.

On the hottest days, blueberry bushes should not only be watered, but also sprayed so that they do not overheat. This should be done early in the morning and after four in the afternoon.

Blueberry nutrition

Blueberries, which are not particularly demanding on soil fertility, nevertheless respond well to mineral fertilizers, which are best applied at the very beginning of spring, during the period of sap flow and bud swelling. Organic fertilizers for blueberries are strictly contraindicated!

The best fertilizers for blueberries- ammonium sulfate, potassium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, superphosphate and zinc sulfate. It is these forms that are best absorbed by blueberries. Nitrogen fertilizers (ammonium sulfate) are applied in three stages: at the beginning of sap flow, 40% of the nitrogen fertilizers needed for blueberries per year are applied, in early May - 35%, and in early June - 25%. On average, this is 70-90 g of fertilizer per bush. From summer until next spring, blueberries will not need nitrogen fertilizers.

Phosphate fertilizers (superphosphate) are applied in summer and autumn at the rate of 100 g per bush. Magnesium sulfate is applied once per season at the rate of 15 g per bush, and potassium sulfate and zinc sulfate - once 2 g per bush.

blueberry breeding

Blueberries reproduce by both seed and vegetative methods. Seeds are harvested from healthy bushes of full-fledged berries, they are slightly dried and sown in autumn on training beds dug up with sour peat. If you decide to sow the seeds in the spring, they must first be stratified for three months in the refrigerator, and then sown in grooves to a depth of one centimeter, covered with a 1:3 mixture of peat and sand on top. Seeds need to create conditions for germination: air temperature 23-25 ​​ºC, humidity about 40%, as well as regular watering, loosening the soil and weeding. Fertilizing seedlings with nitrogen fertilizer is carried out in the spring only in the second year of growth. After two years, seedlings are planted in a permanent place.

Reproduction of blueberries by cuttings gives faster and more reliable results than generative propagation. For this, blueberry rhizomatous cuttings are used, which are cut in late autumn after leaf fall or in early spring before sap flow begins. The optimal cutting length is 8-15 cm, and it is better to take a thicker shoot so that the roots form faster and growth begins as early as possible. To activate the survival rate, the cuttings are stored for a month at a temperature of 1-5 ºC, after which they are planted obliquely in a mixture of sand and peat in a ratio of 3: 1, and a layer of the same substrate 5 cm thick is poured on top. If you properly care for the cuttings, in two years, you can get well-developed seedlings that can be planted in a permanent place.

Blueberries are propagated by dividing the bush. Part of the excavated bush is divided in such a way that each part has a rhizome 5-7 cm long, the divisions are immediately planted in a permanent place. The bushes obtained by the seed method begin to bear fruit in the seventh or eighth year, and those obtained by the vegetative method of reproduction may begin to bear fruit as early as the fourth year.

blueberry pruning

For regular fruiting, blueberries need pruning, which is best done in the spring, before the buds swell, but if you find diseased branches in the summer or autumn, it is not necessary to wait for spring - remove suspicious shoots immediately and burn them. Remove all flowers from the bushes of the first year - this will have a good effect on the proper development of the plant. In young bushes aged 2-4 years, it is necessary to form a strong skeleton by pruning, which will allow the plant to withstand the weight of a good harvest, so they cut out weak, sick, frostbite after winter and branches lying on the ground, and also remove root shoots.

In bushes of four years of age and older, in addition to weak and diseased branches, shoots older than five years are cut out, and 3-5 of the strongest are left from annuals. Bushes of straight-growing varieties are thinned out in the middle of the bush, lower drooping branches are cut out from sprawling bushes. It is important that the branches do not close between adjacent bushes, because this can adversely affect the taste of the berries and the ripening time.

blueberries in autumn

Picking blueberries after the start of fruiting is carried out once a week, and it is better to do this in the morning after the dew has evaporated. From the moment the berries acquire the desired color, they should ripen on the bush for several more days until they become soft from dense ones. During this time, the mass of berries increases and their sugar content increases. The collected fruits are immediately placed in the refrigerator and stored at a temperature of 0 to +2 ºC for up to two weeks, isolated from other products to prevent the berries from absorbing odors.

For longer storage, washed and dried blueberries are laid out in one layer and placed in the freezer, after freezing through they are poured into a container and again placed in storage in the freezer. You can also dry blueberries and cook compote from them in winter, make medicinal decoctions and infusions.

If there are severe frosts in your area, you will have to cover blueberries, because at a temperature of -25 ºC they have every chance of freezing, especially if there is no snow during frosts. The preparation of blueberry bushes for winter begins after harvesting - the blueberry branches should be slowly pulled to the ground, throwing a loop of twine or wire over them, then fix the bush on the surface of the site, cover it with burlap (it is better not to use polyethylene, because the blueberries will not be able to breathe) and throw spruce branches on top.

When or if it snows, it's a good idea to sprinkle the blueberries over the spruce branches with snow. It will be possible to remove all layers of protection from the cold only in the spring. If there are no such cold winters in your area, you can not cover the bushes for the winter, especially if you grow winter-hardy varieties on the site.

Pests and diseases of blueberries

Blueberry pests

Planting and caring for garden blueberries should be carried out in accordance with cultural regulations, and then your plants will be healthy and immune to diseases, but sometimes healthy plants have to be protected. Most often, blueberries suffer from birds that peck at ripening fruits.

In order to save the blueberry crop, carefully stretch a mesh with small cells over the bushes. As for insects, they do not cause noticeable damage to blueberries, although it does not happen year after year, and sometimes in spring blueberry bushes can be attacked by May beetles and beetles, which gnaw at the leaves and eat away the flowers of the plant, from which the blueberry yield decreases. In addition, beetle larvae eat up the roots of bushes. Blueberries can also suffer from pine silkworm caterpillars, leafworms, scale insects and aphids.

Beetles and their larvae must be collected by hand and drowned in a bucket of salt water, and in the fight against other pests, the best remedy is to spray blueberry plantings with actellik or karbofos, both preventive (in early spring and after harvesting) and therapeutic, when you find on blueberry pest.

Blueberry diseases

Blueberries suffer the most from fungal diseases, such as stem cancer, drying of branches (Phomopsis), gray mold (Botrytis), fruit monoliosis, physalsporosis, white spotting (Septoria) and double spotting. You should know that almost all fungal diseases of garden blueberries provoked by stagnation of moisture in the roots of the plant, resulting from improper watering or insufficient soil permeability. Deal with this issue until fungal diseases have destroyed all the blueberry bushes in the area. As a preventive measure, we recommend annually at the beginning of spring and after harvesting the plants to be treated with a Bordeaux mixture, and as a treatment for diseases, double or triple treatment of the planting with topaz with a weekly interval. Instead of topaz, you can use the same Bordeaux mixture, as well as topsin or foundation.

In addition to fungal diseases, blueberries are sometimes affected. viral or mycoplasmal diseases- mosaic, dwarfism, red ring and necrotic spotting, filamentous branches, from which plants cannot be cured, diseased specimens will have to be removed and burned.

Blueberries have problems in violation of the rules of agricultural technology. For example, sometimes you can hear complaints that blueberries turn yellow - the leaves first turn light green and then yellow. Most likely, the problem is that the soil on the site is not acidic enough - add peat to it, and gradually the appearance of the foliage will become the same. Rather, new leaves will grow green. blueberry leaves turning yellow and as a result of a lack of nitrogen, in addition, for this reason, the berries become small, and the shoots stop growing. It is necessary to apply nitrogen fertilizer to the soil in the blueberry plot every year in the spring in three stages, remember this. But if blueberry leaves turn red, then these are the first signs of stem cancer or drying of branches.

Blueberry varieties

Currently, blueberry varieties are divided into four groups:

• undersized– they are based on the species of narrow-leaved blueberry, crossed with the genetic material of myrtle-leaved and northern blueberry;
• northern tall varieties they are distinguished by high winter hardiness and late fruiting, they were bred on the basis of North American species - tall blueberry using the genetic material of common blueberry;
• southern tall varieties are complex hybrids of northern tall blueberries and some blueberries found in the south, which helped make the new varieties drought tolerant. In addition, southern tall blueberry varieties are less dependent on soil pH;
• semi-tall varieties were formed by further saturation of tall blueberry varieties with common blueberry genes, which increased their winter hardiness - these varieties can withstand temperatures down to -40 ºC;
• rabbit eye– the basis of the varieties of this group is the blueberry species, which allows hybrids to show increased adaptation to hot conditions and low content of organic matter in the soil. The vegetative period of these varieties is very long, so it makes no sense to grow them in areas with a cool and temperate climate - not all berries will have time to ripen before winter.

Of these five groups, only northern tall varieties are suitable for cultivation in our region, and we provide you with a description of blueberry varieties that are easiest to grow in temperate and cool climates.

• bluegold- mid-season medium-sized variety with a semi-spreading bush and medium-sized berries of sweet-sour taste. A variety with high winter hardiness, however, requires thinning and enhanced pruning.
• Patriot- tall mid-season variety with a sprawling bush one and a half meters in height, large light blue berries with dense skin, ripening in July-August. Gives consistently high yields - up to 7 kg of berries per bush. The variety is resistant to cold and diseases typical of blueberries.
• Chippewa- medium-sized early ripe variety up to one meter high with medium and large, very sweet berries of light blue color. The variety is characterized by high winter hardiness - it can withstand frosts down to -30 ºC. This variety is well grown in a summer cottage and even in containers.
• Duke- late-flowering, but early ripe tall variety, reaching a height of two meters. Late flowering occurs after spring frosts, and early ripening allows you to get high stable yields of medium and large berries that do not shrink over the years. The variety is extremely winter-hardy, but requires enhanced pruning.

• Sunrise- a medium-tall sprawling shrub with weak shoot formation, which allows pruning less often than other varieties. Large, slightly flattened dense berries of excellent taste ripen in mid-July, up to 4 kg of fruit can be removed from one bush. Unfortunately, the variety can suffer from spring frosts.
• Chanticleer- medium-sized bush with ascending branches, blooming after spring frosts. Medium-sized light blue sweet-sour berries ripen at the end of June. Up to four kilograms of fruit can be removed from one bush. The variety has a high winter hardiness.
• Northland- a low, spreading bush, only a meter high, capable of producing regular crops of 5-8 kilograms of medium-sized blue dense berries of excellent taste. The variety is characterized by high frost resistance and a short growing season - all the berries have time to ripen before winter. This variety is also valued in decorative floriculture for its compactness and short stature.
• Elizabeth- a tall sprawling bush with erect stems and shoots of a reddish hue, which is a sign of a particularly high winter hardiness of the variety. The yield is from four to six kilograms of berries from one bush. Late variety, but one of the best in taste: very sweet and fragrant large berries up to 22 mm in diameter begin to ripen from the beginning of August. Unfortunately, not all berries have time to ripen.

Blueberry properties - benefits and harms

Useful properties of blueberries

The harm and benefits of blueberries have long interested scientists, and as a result of scientific research, they found that this berry has a number of unique qualities. It protects the body from radioactive radiation, improves the functioning of the intestines and pancreas, slows down the aging of nerve cells, and strengthens the walls of blood vessels. Blueberries have choleretic, antiscorbutic, antisclerotic, anti-inflammatory, cardiotonic and hypotensive effects.

Blueberry fruits contain provitamin A, vitamins B1, B2, C, PP, which is responsible for the elasticity of skin capillaries and reduces the risk of varicose veins, six essential amino acids, calcium, phosphorus and iron, which, in the form in which it is found in blueberries, is almost completely absorbed by the human body. Blueberries are effectively used in the treatment of rheumatism, atherosclerosis, hypertension, capillarotoxicosis, tonsillitis and other diseases.

Juice from blueberries is prescribed for diabetes, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, fever. Blueberries relieve spasm of the eyes and help restore vision, the pectins contained in them help to bind and remove radioactive metals from the body. And due to the content of highly active antioxidants in blueberries, blueberries prevent the formation of cancer cells in the body.

In folk medicine, blueberries are eaten raw, as well as in the form of decoctions, infusions and tinctures. The benefits of blueberries are obvious for both sick and healthy people who, by eating fresh berries, strengthen their immunity and saturate the body with vitamins. However, not only berries are used as raw materials for medicines, but also leaves and shoots of blueberries.

A decoction of blueberries is indicated for heart disease. It is prepared as follows: two tablespoons of crushed young branches and blueberry leaves are placed in an enameled pan, poured with one glass of boiling water, covered with a lid and put the pan for half an hour in a water bath, then removed, cooled, filtered, squeezing out the remains. The resulting amount is added with boiled water to make a glass of decoction, which the cores need to take one tablespoon four times a day.

In case of dysentery or diarrhea, pour a tablespoon of dried berries with a glass of boiling water, heat for five minutes on fire, remove and insist under the lid for a quarter of an hour. Take this infusion should also be one tablespoon four times a day.

For diabetes, use this decoction: pour one tablespoon of chopped dry branches and blueberry leaves with two cups of boiling water (400 ml) and heat over low heat for five minutes, then remove from heat, cover, let it brew for an hour, strain and take before meals 100 ml three times a day.

Blueberries - contraindications

As for contraindications, blueberries do not have them, but this does not mean that you can eat them in kilograms. Even foods that are healthy for the body can be harmful if you forget about the sense of proportion. Overeating blueberries can cause nausea, vomiting, and even an allergic reaction. And an excess of antioxidants can lead to a decrease in the supply of oxygen to the muscles and, as a result, to a violation of the muscular functions of the body.

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