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The description of the variety and reviews of Elizabeth’s blueberries will be very useful for the farmer. But the history of the emergence of this variety is truly unique. At the origins of the creation of the hybrid was an enthusiastic woman, the daughter of an American farmer, Elizabeth Coleman White. She fanatically searched in the wild forests for specimens with the largest berries. The result of her work was the appearance of the first variety of blueberries, which was propagated by cuttings – Rubel. Further hybridization was carried out by Frederick Vernon Coville, and in 1966 the first varietal specimens of the Elizabeth blueberry went on sale. This variety of American selection is known throughout the world, but is not included in the State Register of the Federation.
Description of Blueberry Elizabeth
Blueberry tall Elizabeth belongs to varieties of medium late ripening. The bush is sprawling, erect, up to 1,6-1,7 m high. The shoots are painted in a reddish tint, the crown is thickened. The leaves are small, dense, dark green, with a pronounced bluish bloom. By autumn they turn slightly red. The flowers are white, with an admixture of pink, bell-shaped, 1-1,5 cm long. The root system is fibrous, slightly branched, without a large number of small hair processes.
Features of fruiting
Elizabeth is a self-pollinating variety. To get more tasty, juicy and large berries, it is recommended to plant other varieties with the same flowering period nearby: Bluecrop, Nelson, Darrow, Jersey. The expected time for the appearance of the first ripe berries on the bush is the beginning of August.
The berries are large, 20-22 mm in diameter, sweet, fragrant. Easily removed from the branch. The skin is dense, blue, with a small scar. Unripe fruits are green, with a reddish milky tint. The brushes are small and loose.
In terms of taste, it is considered one of the best varieties in the world. The taste is soft, rich, with a grape aftertaste. Fruiting is good, about 4-6 kg per bush, with an extended ripening period of up to 2 weeks. Fruit transportability is excellent. Berries are suitable for personal consumption and sale in supermarkets. Elizabeth’s blueberries are used to make fragrant jam sauces.
Advantages and disadvantages
Large farmers distinguish many advantages from the Elizabeth blueberry variety:
- good frost resistance of shoots;
- pronounced dessert taste of fruits;
- exactingness to the composition of the soil;
- variety resistance to diseases and pests;
- decent yield and transportability.
The photo shows the correct container for transporting commercial blueberries of the Elizabeth variety:
The disadvantages include:
- the inability of fruits to ripen in a sudden cold autumn;
- demanding care, due to strong lateral growth;
- dependence on weather changes during flowering.
Features of reproduction
Propagated by green cuttings. An adult plant forms a large number of shoots of a red hue, which become woody with age, branch strongly to the side and in depth. The seed method of reproduction is allowed, but such bushes will give fruits for 7-8 years of growth.
Vegetative propagation methods are considered the most optimal:
- Cuttings, through selection and rooting in pots of the apical part of last year’s shoot. Ready seedlings are transferred to a permanent place in the second year.
- Reproduction by layering from the mother plant through the rooting of the shoot into the ground.
- Dividing an adult bush in half.
Planting and caring for blueberries Elizabeth
Compliance with the timing and planting technology will be the key to a bountiful harvest in the future. In the wild, blueberries grow in swampy areas. The task of the gardener is to create conditions that are as close to natural as possible.
Recommended dates
Blueberries are usually planted in autumn and spring. Spring planting before the buds swell is considered preferable, because over the summer the seedlings have time to take root and grow stronger.
Site selection and soil preparation
Blueberries categorically do not tolerate sandy and clay soils. It bears fruit well on loose soils with a moderate peat content, with an acidic reaction (pH 3,5), and a lot of moisture. For planting blueberries, choose a sunny area so that the shadow from the trees does not fall on the bush.
Standard pits for planting strawberries in a private household are prepared in advance. A substrate based on high-moor peat is laid at the bottom of the hole. The substrate is prepared according to the proportion of 1 part of peat to 3 parts of river sand. The soil is fertilized with complex mineral fertilizers Master Valagro, Fertis NPK 12-8-16 + ME, BIOGrand “AGRO-X”.
Landing algorithm
Healthy, 2-3-year-old seedlings with a closed root system in pots or bags are chosen as planting material. Before planting, the root system is soaked so as not to injure when removed from the pot.
The standard blueberry planting scheme is as follows:
- pit size 50×50 cm;
- depth 40-50 cm;
- row spacing 2,5-3 m.
The algorithm for planting blueberries is extremely simple:
- Drainage from crushed stone, pebbles, gravel is laid at the bottom of the pit.
- An earthen ball with a seedling is carefully lowered into a pit.
- The root neck is deepened by 5 cm, the roots are straightened.
- Fall asleep with the prepared substrate and compact.
- The trunk circle is mulched with a 5-centimeter layer of sawdust.
With proper care, the first crop will appear 2-3 years after planting.
Cultivation and care
The quantity and quality of the harvested crop directly depends on the care of adult bushes.
Watering Schedule
Blueberry Cultivar Elizabeth does not tolerate long dry periods. At such a time, abundant irrigation of the bushes is carried out 3-4 times a week after sunset. At the same time, prolonged stagnation of water leads to decay of the root system and death of the bush.
During the period of intensive ripening of the crop, the bushes are watered 2 times a day, in the morning and in the evening. The recommended watering frequency is 2-3 times a week. Water consumption per adult blueberry bush is 10 liters per irrigation.
Top dressing schedule
If the landing was carried out correctly, in compliance with all requirements, the first feeding is carried out at the age of 1 year. Under the bush, 5-7 kg of compost or peat and a mineral substrate are introduced. The recommended composition of the mixture for 1 adult bush:
- 1 teaspoon of superphosphate;
- 1 tsp urea;
- 1 tsp potassium sulfate.
The finished powder is diluted in 10 liters of water and the plant is poured.
For older bushes, the concentration of mineral fertilizers and the amount of peat are increased.
Soil acidity
The level of soil acidity is important when growing Elizabeth blueberries. Determine the percentage of alkalization of the soil using special test strips (pH tester).
Soil acidification is carried out with a special solution: for 1 bucket of water 2 tsp. citric or malic acid or 100 ml of table vinegar 9%. Additionally, 3-5 kg of sour peat are added under the bush. Rapid acidification methods should be used with extreme caution as they will leach trace elements from the soil.
Trimming
Sanitary pruning of Elizabeth blueberries is carried out annually, in late autumn or early spring. Broken, diseased, barren branches are removed. The first serious pruning for thinning the crown is carried out 4-5 years after planting.
Preparation for winter
The reddish hue of Elizabeth’s blueberry shoots indicates a high level of frost resistance. Bushes quietly hibernate without shelter at a temperature of -35 ° C.
For the winter, the root system is covered with a new layer of dry mulch from sawdust, old needles, and hay. The fallen snow is raked up to the bush.
Pests and diseases
Blueberry varieties Elizabeth is highly resistant to all known pests and diseases. Timely sanitary thinning of the crown reduces the risk of infection with fungal diseases to a minimum.
The most common blueberry diseases include berry mummification, anthracnose, gray mold, and white leaf spot. The methods of dealing with all fungal infections are identical: regular thinning of the crown, spraying the bush with a fungicide, burning the affected parts of the plant.
Among pests, fruit moths, bud mites, leaf midges, black aphids, flower beetle weevil, and comma-shaped scale insects are of particular danger. Destroy insects with chemicals, the affected branches and berries are removed.
Conclusion
According to the description of the Elizabeth blueberry variety, it is clear that this is an unpretentious high-yielding variety, with tasty and fragrant berries. The basis of Elizabeth’s blueberry care is regular sanitary cleaning of the crown and acidification of the soil around the bush. With timely care, the bush will begin to bear fruit in 2-3 years.
Elizabeth’s blueberry reviews
