American blueberry Bluecrop - variety description

Characteristic

Blueberries Bluecrop is one of the most common tall varieties in the United States. Given the climatic conditions of our country, this variety is practically a standard. Bluecrop is grown commercially, but you can also experiment in your own garden. The main thing is to adhere to the basic rules of planting and caring for bushes.
The blueberry bush grows to almost 2 meters in height. The plant develops easily. Branches directed upwards. The bush looks very beautiful in the warm season thanks to its beautiful leaves, large flowers and large bunches of berries. One berry reaches a diameter of up to 2 cm, weighs about 1.5-2.5 g. Fruits are light blue in color, collected in a small loose brush. Long clusters form on the bush.

Harvesting begins in the third decade of July and continues until the end of August. Sometimes, with proper care, the fruits are harvested until the end of September. By machine picking, you can collect the second collection of berries, as then they become more durable. Ripe fruits can persist on the branches for up to 2-3 weeks. But at the same time, it is worth constantly watering and feeding the bushes so that the plant has enough nutrients for the ripening of new berries.

The blueberry taste is very pleasant and tart. If the berries taste sour, it means that the harvest began very early, or there are too many fruits on the bush. The description of the Bluecrop bush does not differ from other varieties. Leaves are dark green, oblong and pointed.

Features of agricultural technology

Blueberries are unpretentious plants, but you still need to know some of the features of planting and caring for the crop. First you need to choose high-quality seedlings. When buying, ask for a quality certificate. Large producers do not risk their reputation and sell good planting material. You can start planting garden blueberries in mid-fall or early spring. It depends on the climatic conditions.

If snow usually falls early, it is best to plant in the spring. In this case, the plant will have time to take root and get stronger. Thus, we will protect ourselves from crop loss from the negative effects of low temperatures.

It is important to know that a good blueberry harvest will only be in a sunny area, protected from the winds. In the shade, the fertility of the culture is significantly reduced, and the berries will also be sour and not juicy.

Blueberries only grow on acidic soils. The soil must be acidified to a pH of 3.5. For this purpose, needles, sawdust or oak leaves are used. Bushes are planted in holes, wells or on ridges. First, you need to dig a hole up to half a meter deep and 60 by 60 cm in size.

We loosen the soil a little. Next, fill the pit with the previously described substrate. If it is necessary to additionally acidify the soil, add 2 tablespoons of sulfur. You can also use citric acid, oxalic acid, malic acid, or acetic acid.When planting in wells, holes are dug up to 40 cm deep and 60-150 cm wide.If the soil is sandy loam, a width of 60-80 cm will be enough, for heavy soils, the value should be up to 1.5 m.Sometimes, plastic wrap is covered on the walls and the wells are filled with a mixture described earlier. But in no case should the bottom be covered with a film.

When planting on a ridge, the soil is removed to a depth of 10 cm. A trench 1-1.2 m wide is covered with a substrate in the form of a mound or ridge. A blueberry bush is planted on top and watered. When buying seedlings in containers, moisten them with water before removing. Next, carefully clean the root system and plant the plant.

Gardeners recommend mulching the soil with a 10 cm layer of sawdust, pine needles, peat. It is worth changing the mulch every 2-3 years. Since Bluecrop is a tall variety, it needs more space between the bushes. The distance must be at least 1.5 meters. Also, the bushes must be cut off from old branches annually. It is optimal to prune in the spring.

It is worth applying mineral fertilizers from 2-3 years after planting the bushes. Organic fertilizers should not be used, as they lower the acidity of the soil. It is important to constantly water the plant and spray the bushes.

Advantages of the variety

What are the main advantages of the variety that make Bluecrop so popular among gardeners? Firstly, it is a high yield. In one bush, you can stably collect from 6 to 9 kg of berries per season. Berry picking can be carried out both manually and with the help of machines. The skin of the berries is quite dense, which allows you to transport the fruits without fear that they will crack or crumple. Blueberries can be used fresh and often processed or frozen. As for the resistance of the variety to cold weather, the plant can withstand frosts up to 29-35 degrees.

This indicator shows high winter hardiness, which is very important for cultivation in the northern regions of the country. American blueberries have the ability to quickly recover from frostbite branches. Bluecrop is very resistant to diseases such as filamentous virus and moderately resistant to powdery mildew, fruit mummification and red ring spot. It is best to spray the bushes once with fungicides after spring pruning. Also, the variety does not need constant treatment from pests.

Now, having studied the description of the American Bluecrop variety, you can confidently buy good seedlings, and start growing this healthy and tasty berry in your summer cottage.

Video "How to grow American blueberries Bluecrop at their summer cottage"

From the video you will learn the rules of care and preparation of special soil for planting blueberries of the Bluerop variety.