Name: Sometimes blueberries are called drunkards or gonobobels because they supposedly intoxicate and drive away pain in the head. But in fact, the culprit of these phenomena is wild rosemary, which often grows next to blueberries.

Description: a large genus that includes plants such as cranberry, cowberry, blueberry and blueberries. They all prefer acidic soil and form erect or creeping bushes. There are also dwarf forms and plants about 2 m or more in height.

For areas with short growing season, insufficient heat in summer and harsh winters, a promising species for introduction into cultivation is the common blueberry, characterized by wide ecological adaptability, high winter hardiness, resistance to fungal pathogens, a wide variety of forms in size, shape of berries and other characteristics. The disadvantages of this species include short stature (up to 1 m) and low yield per bush (up to 1 kg). The resulting complex interspecific hybrids are studied in different ecological and geographical regions of the country.

Common blueberry, marsh blueberry, gonobobel - Vaccinium uliginosum L. Blueberries in natural conditions grows in forests, swampy or rocky tundras on poor acidic soils, screes, hummocks of swamps, in the mountains to the mountain tundra belt, in the south in the upper mountain belt, the European part of Russia from the Arctic regions to Ukraine, as well as in the alpine zones (Caucasus mountains, in the Urals , in Siberia and the Far East, rising into the mountains to a height of 3 thousand m above sea level. Within the species, several subspecies are distinguished, each of which grows in its own ecological and geographical area. It is protected in nature reserves. Blueberries have a very wide ecological amplitude: they can grow on damp, swampy soil and on dry areas in the mountains, and grow better in lighted than shaded areas. More cold-resistant than lingonberries and blueberries, they do not suffer from spring frosts. Blueberries are oligotrophic and can grow in very poor and very acidic soils. Reacts positively to the application of superphosphate and burning of thickets, increasing productivity. Perennial deciduous, highly branched shrub up to 1 m high, with erect cylindrical branches, with brownish or dark gray bark, green shoots. The leaves are alternate, smooth, hard, small, up to 3 cm long and up to 2.4 cm wide, on very short petioles, obovate to lanceolate, obtuse at the apex, with entire or slightly curved downward edges, with sparse stalked glands, bluish-green above, covered with a waxy coating, lighter underneath and with strongly protruding veins. The flowers are drooping, pitcher-bell-shaped, up to 6 cm long, sitting 2-3 on the tops of last year's branches, the pedicels are usually somewhat longer than the flower, with 2 unequal, 2-5 mm long, membranous, greenish bracts. The calyx consists of 4-5 rounded small sepals. The corolla is pitcher-shaped, whitish with a bend of short teeth bent outward. There are 8 or 10 stamens, the ovary is 4-5-locular, the style is longer than the stamens. The berry is varied in shape, often oblong, up to 1.2 cm long, blue with a bluish bloom, thin skin, inside with greenish, non-coloring watery pulp, weighing up to 0.8 g. Numerous seeds, up to 1.5 mm long, light -brown, crescent-shaped. It blooms in May - July, flowering duration is 10-12 days, the berries ripen 40-50 days after flowering. In GBS since 1967. Seeds from Sakhalin. At 15 years, the height is 0.4 m, the diameter of the clump is 45 cm. Vegetation from 25.IV±3 to 4.X±8 for 156±5 days. Grows slowly, annual growth is about 3 cm. First flowering and fruiting at 8 years. Blooms from 23.V±3 to 10.VI±3 for 2-2.5 (3) weeks. It does not always bear fruit abundantly; the fruits ripen in July, not at the same time, annually. Propagated by seeds, dividing the bush. Winter hardiness is complete. Seed germination rate is 45%. Absent from the landscaping of Moscow. The common blueberry is frost-resistant; the lifespan of the bush is about 100 years. Under natural conditions, it begins to bear fruit at the age of 11-18 years, the yield from one bush is 200 g of berries, sometimes more. Fruiting is annual. Blueberry seeds germinate in June - July. Germination is above ground. The seedlings have lanceolate-oval cotyledons; after 3-5 years of light, they almost do not increase in size and do not shed leaves for the winter. Flowering and fruiting in natural conditions occur in the 15th - 17th year of the plant’s life. However, there is information that blueberries can bloom only in the 30th year of life. The formation of the rudiments of next year's flower begins already in mid-summer (by the time flowering ends). In mid-November, in the conditions of the Moscow region, all the elements of the flower are already formed in the generative bud. Blueberries are insect-pollinated plants: pollinated by bees, ants, and butterflies. A significant part of the buds and ovaries (30-70%) falls off for various reasons: eaten by caterpillars, turns out to be underdeveloped, etc. Blueberry seed production is nevertheless quite high, however seed propagation very difficult. Seed germination is possible only under strictly limited conditions: high humidity, lack of direct solar lighting, disturbances of moss and grass cover. Blueberry seedlings can be found on fallen trees and old stumps. The characteristic spot distribution of blueberries in the plant cover is associated with its characteristic vegetative regeneration. When the aboveground part of the bush ages and dries out, its renewal is repeatedly carried out by the formation of shoots from dormant buds located at the base of the bush. Due to such shoots, blueberry plants quickly rejuvenate after fires. Blueberries are mycotrophs, like other members of the genus. The aerial parts of blueberries are affected by various (up to 20 species) pathogenic fungi, in addition, they are often damaged by insects (especially sawflies). Photo on the left of Konstantin Korzhavin Photo on the right of Marina Bakulina

Garden highbush blueberry - Vaccinium corymbosum L. From North America. Grows in swamps and damp places. In its homeland, it is a full-fledged garden crop: it is bred on industrial plantations, planted in garden plots, near houses. In the northern states of the United States and Canada, blueberries are more popular than blackcurrants. This circumstance is easily explained - the berry is very tasty and beautiful. American blueberries are called highbush because they grow up to two meters. The plant blooms in the third year after planting. The diameter of the berry is from 10 to 25 mm. The harvest in the USA is 10 kg per bush, in Russia, with a shorter cool summer, it is from 0.5 to 7 kg. For middle zone Not everyone is suitable foreign varieties, and mostly early and medium ripening. Late varieties ripen by only 30%, unless, of course, they are grown in a greenhouse. In GBS since 1973, 5 samples (more than 10 copies) were grown from seeds obtained from Western Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, the Netherlands), there is a reproduction of GBS. Shrub, at 8 years height from 0.75 to 1.15 m, crown diameter 80-90 cm. Vegetation from 27.IV±5 to 4.X±7, 160±7 days. It grows quickly, the annual growth is up to 15 cm, with age the growth rate slows down, the growth is 7-8 cm (20-year-old plants). First flowering and fruiting from 6 years of age. Blooms from 5.VI±4 to 28.VI+6, 3 weeks, rarely longer. The fruits ripen at different times. Winter hardiness is average. Young leaves are sometimes damaged by late night spring frosts and develop brown spots. Seed germination rate is 69%. 95% of non-lignified cuttings take root without a stimulant. Absent from the landscaping of Moscow. Not all foreign varieties are suitable for the middle zone (domestic varieties, unfortunately, have not yet been bred), but mainly those of early and medium ripening, such as Weymouth, Bluray, Rancocas. One of the earliest varieties - Weymouth . The ripening of berries for this variety begins in the middle of the third decade of July and ends in early August. The berries are dark blue, up to one and a half centimeters in diameter. Weight of 100 pieces - 140 grams. Productivity - up to 2.5 kilograms per bush. The bush is spreading, up to 90 cm high. It does not freeze in winter and rarely gets sick. Another early variety - Rancocas . Its berries ripen at the same time as those of the Weymouth variety. The bush is of medium height, reaching one and a half meters at the age of eight. The fruit cluster is dense, like a grape. The berries are light blue, up to 14 mm in diameter, they do not wrinkle even in plastic bag. Weight of 100 pieces is 130 grams, yield is up to 2.3 kilograms per bush. Among the varieties of medium ripening, we can recommend the variety Blue Ray . Large clusters of light blue berries of this blueberry are harvested from mid-August to the second ten days of September. The diameter of the berries is up to 17 mm. The weight of 100 pieces is 200 grams, the yield per bush is up to 2.7 kilograms. The bush is powerful, up to 180 centimeters high. Blueberry Covilla(Vaccinium covilleanum) - garden blueberries are obtained as a result of the hybridization of three North American blueberry species and are grown on industrial plantations to produce berries almost all over the world, including in Russia. Currently, there are more than 100 varieties of blueberries of varying heights and different ripening periods. This is a perennial and long-lived deciduous shrub with a height of 0.7 to 2.5 m (depending on the variety), with large, 1.5-2.2 cm in diameter, very tasty sweet and sour blue berries collected in clusters. The yield from one bush is from 2 to 8 kg. Grows well both in the sun and in partial shade, but bears fruit abundantly only when good lighting. In addition to the heather garden, it can be planted as undergrowth under tall trees. coniferous trees, and also be used for hedges. It has good winter hardiness, but in severe snowless winters it can freeze without shelter. Blueberry- North American highbush blueberries that form long clusters. The disadvantages of blueberry include low winter hardiness, poor resistance to fungal diseases, high demands on heat and the length of the growing season. Photo of Natalia Kozlova

Location: Grows best in open, well-lit places.

The soil: breathable, acidic, loose, peat-sandy. Gardeners who do not take this into account and plant blueberries in heavy clay soil are not satisfied with the growth and development of the plants. The optimal groundwater level is 40-60 cm from the ground surface. With gradual and frequent watering, groundwater can be much deeper. The main thing is the presence of acidic soil (pH in the range of 3.8-5). Favorable soil conditions can be judged by indicator plants such as horsetail, sorrel, and mint. To accurately determine the acidity level, it is better to get special device- pH meter or, if possible, conduct a laboratory soil test. Planting “by eye” often leads to failure. Even at a pH of about 6, blueberries grow slowly, not to mention neutral, and even more so alkaline soil.

If the soil on the site is the most common, that is, not acidic, then 5-6 buckets of soil are taken out of a planting hole 0.5-0.6 m deep and 1 m in diameter, insulate the hole with boards, polyethylene or pieces of tin and fill it with acidic peat. If there is not enough peat, add (no more than a third of the total mass) sawdust, wood chips, bark, and even better, partially rotted pine and spruce needles from the nearest forest. Good results are obtained by growing blueberries exclusively in a substrate of rotted sawdust. It is useful to mulch the soil with a thick layer (7-15 cm) of the same sawdust, wood chips or sphagnum moss after planting, which helps retain moisture and suppresses the development of weeds. There is another option for acidifying the soil: a year before planting, add powdered sulfur (250 g per 1 m 3 of land) or add the following mineral fertilizers, as ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, urea, potassium sulfate, nitroammophoska. The first two are added no more than 20 g per square meter, the last two - half as much. The main thing is not to overdo it with doses.

There are many recipes for planting blueberries, but the simplest and cheapest is to bring sawdust, let it rot, lay it in the garden in a layer of 40-50 cm, or form a ridge and plant blueberry bushes in it 80-90 cm apart in a row and 2 m apart. between the rows.

Landing: G Blueberries are usually sold in small containers with peat. Saplings with an open root system take root very poorly. The reason lies in the symbiosis of blueberries with a saprophyte fungus, which helps the plant absorb necessary nutrients from the soil. nutrients. It is not uncommon for greenhouses to offer tiny plants with non-woody, bluish shoots. When planted in the ground, such sissies inevitably freeze slightly at the first serious cold snap. In the spring, of course, instead of dead branches, new ones may grow, but it is better to save fragile seedlings until the next warm season in the basement at low above-zero temperatures or, at worst, place them on the brightest window sill in the room. If there is a central heating radiator under the window, which dries out and overheats the surrounding air, you need to build a simple protective screen between it and the plants - from a piece of plywood or cardboard and, if possible, increase the air humidity. Blueberries that have overwintered indoors are planted at the end of May, when the threat of the last frost has passed. Place it at a distance of one and a half to two meters between plants.

You can successfully grow blueberries in a wooden box, barrel, large ceramic or even plastic pot with good drainage from a layer of expanded clay or small pebbles. Such containers require very little peat - exactly according to their volume. Economical and beautiful. It is no coincidence that abroad graceful plants with bluish foliage, planted in pots, decorate verandas, terraces, loggias. They are also placed at the entrance to the house. (However, with this growing technology in the conditions of central Russia, a small problem arises. For the winter, the container must either be buried in the ground or put away in a frost-free room).

Canadian blueberry
Photo of Olga Alekseeva

Care: When cultivating the soil, it is necessary to take into account that the root system is superficial and is located in the 15-centimeter top layer of soil. Therefore, plants are very responsive to annual mulching with peat in a layer of up to 5 cm, applying nitrogen fertilizers and watering. Blueberries respond well to the annual early spring formation of the bush: cutting out old branches at the level of the soil surface, cutting out weak shoots, as well as rejuvenation in the crown for perennial wood, sanitary pruning and so on. When rejuvenating pruning of old branches for reverse growth, annual shoots are formed at the very surface of the soil - the so-called formation shoots, the size of which reaches 0.5-1 m. Branching shoots formed on perennial branches in the crown zone differ slightly in their growth and are equal 9--10 cm. The size of the berries and the yield depend on the variety grown.

Reproduction: by seed and vegetative means. When propagating by seed, seeds are selected from full-fledged berries collected from productive and healthy bushes. The pressed seeds are slightly dried and sown late in the fall in previously prepared beds filled with acidic peat and fertilized. For spring sowing, seeds are stratified for 3 months. Sow the seeds in furrows to a depth of 1 cm, the bottom of which is slightly compacted with a board. Cover the seeds with a substrate of sand and peat in a ratio of 3:1. Seeds germinate well at a soil temperature of 23-25 ​​C and soil moisture of about 40% of the soil weight. Caring for seedlings consists of constantly loosening the soil, weeding, and watering. To stimulate the growth of seedlings in the second year, starting in spring, they are fed with nitrogen fertilizers. The seedlings are grown at the planting site for 2 years. Then they are dug up and planted for rearing in a school, where they are given a large feeding area. After 1-2 years, grown seedlings are transplanted to permanent place to the garden, but at the same time it would be good to conduct a preliminary individual selection of promising seedlings at school based on productivity and other characteristics.

Often, amateur gardeners, finding high-yielding bushes in natural conditions, transplant them into their garden. It is better to replant root shoots, part of a bush or prepared rhizome cuttings, and not the entire bush. Part of the dug up bush can be cut into separate shoots with rhizomes 5-7 cm long. Blueberries are also propagated by rhizome cuttings, which are harvested late in the fall, after leaf fall, or early in the spring. The length of the cutting is from 7 to 15 cm, the larger the diameter, the faster the growth and root system are formed. To improve survival rate, cuttings are exposed to positive low temperatures (from 1 to 5 °C) for a month. Then they are planted in a loose substrate of sand with peat 3:1 (obliquely) and sprinkled on top with a 5-centimeter layer of the same substrate. With good care, after 2 years sufficiently developed seedlings grow and are transplanted to a permanent place in the garden. Vegetatively propagated seedlings begin to bear fruit in the fourth year, seedlings in the seventh or eighth year.

With a significant volume of reproduction of valuable blueberry varieties and in order to increase the reproduction rate, cuttings with green and lignified cuttings are mainly used. When propagated by cuttings, the varieties Blueray, Coville, Herbert, Rancocas, Scammell, Dixie, Early Blue and Blue-prop take root relatively easily (70-97%). Berkeley, Atlantic and No. 13 take root weakly (40-50%).

Sharets Yu.D. "Miracle Berry" // "In the world of plants" - 2001 - No. 4
Ermakov B.S. " Forest plants in your garden" - M.: "Ecology" - 1992

Berry picking begins in June, when the earliest berries ripen. The berry season lasts six months and ends in late autumn. To know the berry picking period, you need to have a berry calendar with a description of the berries, photos of wild and garden gifts. From the berry calendar you will learn when strawberries and lingonberries ripen in the forest, when to pick raspberries and currants in the garden, how Victoria differs from strawberries, the calendar indicates the ripening times of cranberries and blueberries, how to pick cherries and gooseberries correctly, when to pick wild strawberries.

Berries are grown in gardens, on summer cottages, wildlife lovers love to collect wild gifts in the forest. The safety of the fruit and the quality of freshly picked berries depend on the correct collection of berries. Properly carried out harvesting will not harm the plant; caring human hands and careful picking will allow the berry bushes to quickly recover and bear fruit year after year, delighting with a bountiful harvest and ripe and aromatic berries that are beneficial to the human body.

Wild and fresh garden berries play an important role in human nutrition. Berries are natural source vitamins, juicy, aromatic, brightly colored fruits have a positive effect on mood, treat depression, have a beneficial effect on mental thinking, increase immunity and performance due to the presence of a whole complex of vitamins, microelements and useful organic acids that make up the berries.

You should pick ripe berries; you should focus on the approximate time frame. To determine when to pick berries, you should focus on external signs berries indicating ripeness - color, aroma, taste - and also adhere to the time of the onset of the mass harvest period relative to the area where you live.

Remember! Picking too early is fraught with loss of taste; picking too late leads to a decrease in berry yield, so try to pick berries in a timely manner!

How to pick berries

When harvesting at home, in the forest closest to home, there are simple rules picking berries: following simple instructions, you will be able to preserve the natural quality and beneficial features berries picked for consumption, storage for future use, and transportation.

• To avoid harm to yourself and your family members, it is prohibited to pick berries near highways and large industrial enterprises. When eating crops harvested near a contaminated area, there is a risk of heavy metal poisoning.
• When picking berries, it is prohibited to use devices such as scoops and scrapers that harm the plants. Damage to berry bushes by mechanical devices destroys the plants and reduces the yield of berry gardens.
• Picked berries, unlike fruits, do not ripen after picking, so it is recommended to pick only ripe ones.
• The best time to pick berries is in the morning and evening; Harvesting, as a rule, is carried out every other day, but in dry, hot weather, the fruits are picked daily.
• Berries are collected from berry bushes and fruit-bearing trees from the bottom up, starting from the lowest branches and gradually rising to the top.
• The berries are picked with tassels (, white and). The second method of harvesting is with a stalk (, Victoria, sometimes raspberry).
• For delicate varieties of berries, buckets and baskets are used for collecting small size to keep the berries intact and not bruised.
• The collected berries should be put in a cool place, covered with grass from direct sunlight. Fruits left under the sun quickly begin to lose their beneficial properties, appearance.
• When transporting and carrying, you cannot transfer freshly picked berries from one container to another to avoid damage to the crop. During transportation, be sure to cover the container from the sun.

Picking garden berries: rules

Honeysuckle is the first fruit crop to bear fruit in early summer. In terms of popularity, the fruits, raspberries, occupy an honorable place among cultivated and wild fruit crops.

When do strawberries ripen? The wild berry – strawberry – ripens in June. When picking strawberries in the forest: the answer is simple - all summer, strawberry picking occurs in June-July-August.

Colds are treated with reserves in winter; the fruits of the plant act as a natural antipyretic for sore throats and during a flu epidemic. People try to eat fresh raspberries in the summer and prepare them for the winter for treatment during the cold season.

When to pick raspberries? Raspberries are harvested in mid-summer, starting in mid-July, in August, some varieties bear fruit as early as September. The difficulty in picking raspberries lies in the fact that the fruits do not ripen at the same time.

What's the best way to collect? A berry picked for immediate consumption must be ripe; if the harvest is to be transported and stored, raspberries should be chosen that are slightly unripe with the stalk.

Collected from mid-July following; to protect the ripe crop from birds, trees and berry bushes covered with a protective net.

It ripens in July-August, the berries are picked in whole bunches, and the currants are picked from the bunch before consumption or during processing for harvesting for the winter.

What is the difference between strawberries and Victoria, what is the difference between two fruits that are similar in appearance? is considered a European berry, strawberries are most often grown in Europe, Victoria grows exclusively in Russia. But strawberries and victoria are berries of the same breed, belonging to the strawberry genus. Victoria has fruits larger than; For central Russia, Victoria strawberry harvest begins in June; depending on the variety, it lasts throughout the entire month of July and the strawberry harvest ends in August and September.

The basic rule for picking berries is to collect them efficiently, without leaving fruits affected by rot or scab on the plants, helping the plant to get rid of diseases that reduce the yield of fruit crops.

Forest berry harvesting calendar: timing of berry ripening in the forest

They love wild fruits for their aroma, sweet taste, and characteristic aroma inherent in forest gifts. The berries collected in the forest are valued for the biologically active substances contained in the fruit pulp. Buying wild berries at the market is easier than crawling through the forest in search of red, blue, and burgundy bright berries in order to pick at least one basket.

Do-it-yourself berries cannot be compared with those bought in a store in terms of taste, characteristic forest aroma, inherent in the gifts of nature. Summer is the time to collect and benefit from natural gifts that have healing powers, containing a storehouse of vitamins and useful substances for human life.

We suggest you study the berry calendar. With the help of the calendar, it will be easy for you to plan a trip to the forest, so as not to miss the period of ripening of forest berries. When to collect berries, collection by month:

• June – strawberries ripen in the forest;
• July is the time when you can pick wild strawberries, blueberries, stoneberries, cloudberries, and princeberries;
• August - strawberries, blueberries, stoneberries, blueberries, crowberries, blackberries, and princeberries are collected;
• September - cranberries, redberries, blueberries, blueberries, rowan are collected;
• October is the time when cranberries, lingonberries, etc. are harvested.

When to pick lingonberries and how lingonberries are beneficial for human health

The lingonberry harvest begins in August-September. Lingonberry is a tasty and healthy berry; the beneficial properties of lingonberries have been known since ancient times. The lingonberry harvest season begins in August, but the bitterness characteristic of sour fruits disappears when lingonberries are harvested after frost - in October.

Lingonberries are a valuable gift of nature, healing power due to the rich composition of vitamins, minerals, sugars, organic acids. After harvesting, lingonberries are transported without damaging the harvest and are stored fresh for more than a month.

Lingonberry berry juice has medicinal properties, it is taken for hypertension; medicinal diuretic infusions, antimicrobial, antiviral, are prepared from the juice.

The beneficial properties of lingonberries have a preventive and therapeutic effect on the human body, therefore, if it is possible to collect lingonberries, we collect baskets in the forest.

Note!

When to pick blueberries and the benefits of blueberries for human health

It is famous for its beneficial properties, its composition is unique, so many people want to know when to pick blueberries. Blueberries are harvested in July, August, September. Along with the complex of vitamins that make up blueberries, the berry has a healing effect on humans.

Eating fresh blueberries, berry juice, fruit juice, and jam has a beneficial effect on various human organs. Fruit crop improves vision, is a natural antioxidant, heals the heart, slows down aging.

Eating blueberries every day helps strengthen blood vessels and reduce bad cholesterol in the blood.

When to pick cranberries and the benefits of cranberries for human health

Cranberry - healing berry, it contains vitamins, minerals, acids. When cranberries ripen - one of the most healthy berries? Cranberries ripen in August. When to pick cranberries? The answer is simple, cranberries are harvested from August and throughout the fall, until winter cold The season for picking cranberries in the forest lasts.

The beneficial properties of cranberries are constantly being studied; cranberries are a folk healer, given to man by nature. The high content of vitamin C in cranberries allows the use of sour berries in the treatment of colds and viral infections.

Cranberry, which has a unique composition, is included in a huge number of traditional medicine recipes, with its help traditional healers successfully treat varicose veins in patients, cleanse the blood, cranberries cleanse blood vessels from cholesterol plaques, and have a healing effect on the body as a whole.

When to pick wild strawberries and what benefits strawberries have for human health

Lesnaya ripens in June and July; strawberries are harvested until mid-to-late August, depending on the region in which the berries grow. Wild strawberries are tasty and healthy. The beneficial properties of strawberries lie in their high content folic acid, iron, vitamin E, calcium.

The benefits of strawberries are contained in the fruits, leaves, fiber, pectin, sugars, microelements, essential oils, a rich vitamin complex.

The wild strawberry is considered the most valuable. It normalizes digestion and metabolism, increases appetite, restores strength after heavy physical activity, and has choleretic and diuretic properties.

When to pick wild strawberries - when the picking season comes, it’s better not to put off going to the forest. When the slightest opportunity arises, you can pick strawberries after mass ripening. Strawberries are ideal for preparing for the winter; they make fragrant jam from it, make compotes, dry the berries and leaves for brewing tea, freeze them, and eat them fresh.

Swamp blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum) - has a variety of both scientific (swamp blueberry, swamp blueberry, lowbush blueberry) and folk (water drinker, cabbage roll, blueberry, gonobob, gonobobel, gonoboy, gonobol, fool, fool, fool, fool, drunken berry , drunkard, drunkard, drunkard, blue grapes, blueberry) names.
Pyanika or gonobobel, this is how blueberries are called because they supposedly intoxicate and drive away pain in the head. But in fact, the culprit of these phenomena is wild rosemary, which often grows next to blueberries. If wild rosemary leaves get into a container with blueberries, poisoning and even loss of consciousness may occur.
Swamp blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum) is a perennial, deciduous, highly branched shrub from 30cm to 1m high, with erect cylindrical branches, with brownish or dark gray bark, green shoots.
Belongs to the heather family (although sometimes botanists classify blueberries as belonging to the lingonberry family).
The leaves are alternate, smooth, hard, small, up to 3 cm long and up to 2.4 cm wide, on very short petioles, from obovate to lanceolate, obtuse at the apex, with entire or slightly curved down edges, with sparse stalked glands, bluish-green above, covered with waxy covered with bloom, lighter underneath and with strongly protruding veins.
The flowers are drooping, pitcher-bell-shaped, up to 6 cm long, sitting 2-3 on the tops of last year's branches, the pedicels are usually somewhat longer than the flower, with 2 unequal, 2-5 mm long, membranous, greenish bracts. The calyx consists of 4-5 rounded small sepals. The corolla is pitcher-shaped, whitish with a bend of short teeth bent outward. There are 8 or 10 stamens, the ovary is 4-5-locular, the style is longer than the stamens.

It blooms in May - July, flowering duration is 10-12 days.
A significant part of the buds and ovaries (30-70%) falls off various reasons: eaten by caterpillars, turns out to be underdeveloped.
Blueberries are insect-pollinated plants: pollinated by bees, ants, and butterflies. The berries ripen 40-50 days after flowering.
The berry is varied in shape, often oblong, up to 1.2 cm long, blue with a bluish bloom, thin skin, inside with greenish, non-coloring watery pulp, weighing up to 0.8 g. The seeds are numerous, up to 1.5 mm long, light brown, crescent-shaped. Blueberries produce quite a lot of seeds, but seed propagation is very difficult. Seed germination is possible only under strictly limited conditions: high humidity, lack of direct sunlight, disturbance of moss and grass cover. Blueberry seedlings can be found on fallen trees and old stumps. The characteristic spot distribution of blueberries in the plant cover is associated with its characteristic vegetative regeneration. When the aboveground part of the bush ages and dries out, its renewal is repeatedly carried out by the formation of shoots from dormant buds located at the base of the bush. Due to such shoots, blueberry plants quickly rejuvenate after fires. Blueberries are mycotrophs, like other members of the genus. The aerial parts of blueberries are affected by various (up to 20 species) pathogenic fungi, in addition, they are often damaged by insects (especially sawflies).
Blueberries are frost-resistant; the lifespan of the bush is about 100 years. Under natural conditions, it begins to bear fruit at the age of 11-18 years, the yield from one bush is 200g of berries, sometimes more.

Where do blueberries grow?

Blueberries naturally grow in forests, swampy or rocky tundras on poor acidic soils, talus, hummocks of swamps, in the mountains to the mountain tundra belt, in the south in the upper mountain belt, the European part of Russia from the Arctic regions to Ukraine, as well as in the alpine zone of the Caucasus Mountains , in the Urals, Siberia and the Far East, rising into the mountains to a height of up to 3 thousand meters above sea level.

Within the species, several subspecies are distinguished, each of which grows in its own ecological and geographical region.
Through the mossy forests of the sea coast Far East A related species is growing - Amur blueberry (Vaccinium ovalifolium) - a branched shrub up to 90 cm high with small bluish-black berries.

Blueberry properties

Blueberries have a number of unique properties:

Protects against exposure to radioactive radiation

Strengthens the walls of blood vessels

Supports intestinal and pancreatic health

Slow down the aging of nerve cells, and therefore the brain.

In addition, blueberries have antiscorbutic, choleretic, antisclerotic, cardiotonic, hypotensive and anti-inflammatory effects. Blueberries are 88% water, contain about 8% sugar, 1% proteins, 1.6% organic acids (benzoic, citric, malic, oxalic, acetic), 1.2% fiber and 0.5% tannic, coloring and pectin substances (it is these substances that remove heavy radioactive elements - strontium and cobalt).
In addition, blueberries contain carotene, provitamin A and ascorbic acid, flavonoids, all B vitamins, vitamins K, P and PP (which ensures the elasticity of skin capillaries and reduces the risk of varicose veins). Blueberries contain six essential amino acids. The small (compared to other berries) iron content in blueberries is compensated by its almost complete digestibility. Blueberries aren't the only berries that are beneficial. The leaves contain the same beneficial substances, but in slightly smaller quantities. Decoctions are made from blueberry leaves and used in marinades, just like currant leaves.

Applications of blueberries

Blueberries are recommended for diabetics, as they promote tissue repair, enhance the effect of medications that lower blood sugar levels, and enhance metabolism. Dry blueberries are sometimes brewed as an anti-dysenteric remedy (brew 1 spoon of berries for 15 minutes in a glass of boiling water).

Medicinal recipes with blueberries

For cardiovascular diseases, it is useful to use a decoction of all parts of blueberries. To do this, 1 tablespoon of the dry plant is thoroughly crushed and brewed with 1 glass of boiling water, heated over low heat for 10 minutes, then cooled and filtered. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.

At diabetes mellitus Brew 1 tablespoon of young blueberry shoots and leaves with 1 cup of boiling water, heat over low heat for 10 minutes, cool and strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.

Dry blueberries are useful as an antidysenteric remedy: 1 tablespoon of berries is brewed with 1 glass of boiling water, left for 15 minutes. Take 1-2 tablespoons 4-5 times a day.

Dry berries (decoction) are an astringent, valued for dysentery and scurvy. Dry berries (infusion) – for constipation, diabetes, especially for giardiasis anti-cholecystitis. Young shoots and leaves are a mild laxative for heart disease and diabetes. Leaves (infusion) – for anemia.

Externally:

Decoction (compresses, washes) – for skin diseases, burns, sweating of hands and feet. Chopped berries, their decoctions in the form of compresses, lotions - in the treatment of frostbite, weeping eczema, lichen.

In the form of rinses - for inflammation of the oral cavity and larynx.

Blueberries help in the treatment of anemia in children, pregnant women and after acute blood loss. The tannin contained in fresh and especially dried blueberry jelly helps normalize stool during diarrhea. The pectin substances in blueberries contribute to the “healthiness” of the intestines. Organic acids, which moderately “alkalize” body fluids, are active stimulants of pancreatic secretion. Blueberries are also used as a general tonic and promote metabolism.

Experts have recognized wild blueberry juice as the healthiest in the world - it contains several times more antioxidants than other natural juices. This drink is more beneficial than pomegranate, apple and grape juices.
In addition, wild blueberries contain many natural compounds that have pronounced anti-inflammatory properties.

Blueberries, like other berries, can be used to make compote, fruit drink, jelly, preserves or jam, kvass or wine. Berries can be added to baked goods and sauces. You can make milkshakes and mousses.

Blueberry shoots contain tannins, leaves - arbutin, flavonoids, triterpenoids, steroids, tannins. Blueberries have also been used for a long time as a dye.

Garden blueberry

In Russia, blueberries grow mainly along the edges of swamps, so its specific name is bog, or swamp. But its very close relative, a native of North America, high blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) thrives in drier soils, while producing yields several times greater than those of marsh blueberry.
In the USA, the Netherlands, Finland, and Germany there are blueberry plantations, some of which are over 100 years old. In the USA alone, it covers an area of ​​more than 15,700 hectares, where 136,900 tons of berries are produced.

In cultivation, blueberries are propagated by cuttings and root suckers.
High blueberry (or as it is called garden blueberry) is a spreading, highly branched shrub, reaching 2.5 m in height.
Its root system is fibrous, densely branched, located in the upper layer of soil at a depth of no more than 40 cm. Blueberry roots do not have root hairs, and the plant obtains nutrients with the help of microscopic fungi that are located on the roots - in nature this cohabitation is called symbiosis.
Blueberry stems are slightly ribbed, shiny or matte, and are divided into 2 types: branching shoots and forming shoots. Branching shoots develop on old branches in early spring. Formation shoots, as a rule, grow from underground buds. In mid-summer, several buds at the end of the new shoot form into flowering buds - they will produce a harvest next year.
The leaves are large, dark green, smooth, shiny, entire or serrated. The leaf blade is elliptical or oval, up to 8 cm long, 4 cm wide. High blueberry blooms in May. Racemose inflorescences are located at the ends of the shoots. The flower is large (more than 1 cm), bell-shaped, with 4-5 bent teeth, white or slightly pinkish in color. The fruit is a berry with numerous seeds that takes 2 to 3 months to ripen. The berries are blue with a bluish bloom. They are round in shape, sometimes pentagonal, flattened. The pulp of the berry is white, dense or medium density. Depending on the variety, it ripens in late July - early August. Blue berries collected in clusters are very tasty, sweet and sour, often with pleasant aroma. The harvest from one bush is from 2 to 8 kg. These blueberries are different from ours, and you need to know their requirements for growing conditions.

Growing blueberries

Blueberry picking is a great reason to go with the whole family to the forest and relax there with benefit. But those who like to experiment should plant this plant on their site. But you can’t get many berries from wild blueberries, but if you plant cultivars or high blueberry (garden) blueberry hybrids, then there will be enough berries.
Three main conditions for successful cultivation:

The place for high (garden) blueberries should be sunny, preferably protected from the wind, especially on the north side;

The soil must be well water and breathable, best soils- these are sandy and sandy loam;

The soil should be acidic, pH 3.5-5.0.

How to achieve such conditions?
Loamy and clay soils can be lightened by adding peat, sawdust, forest litter, sand. If the pH is above 5.0, then you need to acidify the soil with red (high-moor) peat, sawdust, and acidic forest litter (coniferous), adding them to 1/2 of the volume of the planting hole. You will have to acidify the water for irrigation. The easiest way to use electrolyte for refilling acid batteries or sulfuric acid for this purpose. 1 ml of electrolyte per 1 liter of water: changes pH from 7 to 5 units. You need to water with this water once every 7-10 days.

Planting blueberries

When choosing a place to plant high blueberries, pay attention not only to good lighting and protection from northern winds. A high groundwater level - not lower than 35-60 cm - plays a big role in successful cultivation.

Blueberries can be planted in autumn and spring, but still better in spring, until the buds swell. Blueberries are planted in planting holes only if the soil on the site is light. Recommended pit size: diameter - 80-100 cm, depth - 40 cm. If the acidity is low, then the soil mixture is prepared with the addition of high-moor peat and sawdust. Bark, or even better, half-rotted pine and spruce needles, is also suitable. Mineral fertilizers are also added: 50 g ammonium sulfate, 20 g potassium sulfate, 50-60 g superphosphate. It is advisable to additionally add magnesium sulfate (5-7 g) and a mixture of microelements (1-2 g). A double rate of nitrogen is applied to bushes mulched with fresh sawdust. Please note: there is no need to add any manure or humus!
When planting blueberries, the roots are freed from the container; the lump must be carefully kneaded and the roots spread out landing pit as horizontally as possible so that they do not bend. The root collar should be level with the soil surface. After planting, the plants are immediately watered abundantly. Blueberry plants are planted on the ridge if the soil is clay or loamy. To do this, the soil is removed to a depth of 5-8 cm. The excavated soil is scattered around the future planting site, and high-moor peat or peat with sand, sawdust, perlite is poured into the recess, fertilizers are added and mixed thoroughly. The soil is poured in the form of a mound, in the center of which a blueberry bush is planted. The soil surface around the bush is mulched with sawdust (mulch layer thickness 5-8 cm). In this way, the outflow of excess water is achieved. If you still prefer to plant blueberries in a hole, then you need to provide good drainage.
Experiments by Polish scientists have shown that mulching with sawdust increases the yield of highbush blueberries by 100%, and mulching with oak leaves - by 54%. As mulch decomposes, it serves as a source of nutrition for plants, especially if it was previously mixed with decomposed chicken droppings and horse manure.

Blueberry care

Mandatory annual mulching with softwood sawdust, oak leaves or peat in a layer of 10-12 cm. A layer of mulch retains moisture in the root zone, regulates soil temperature, destroys weeds and prevents the development of diseases. Loosening is carried out several times a season: its depth should not exceed 8 cm, and even less near bushes.
Blueberries are quite moisture-loving, but react negatively to prolonged waterlogging. Therefore, water moderately, no more than beets, carrots and other crops. Do not allow the soil to dry out.

In the second year, fertilizing is carried out twice - in April and June. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are applied in a ratio of 1: 2: 1 at the rate of 20-30 g per bush, followed by abundant watering. Experts advise using sulfate forms of nitrogen and potassium for feeding highbush blueberries. In the next 5 years, annual fertilizing is doubled. Without the application of organic fertilizers, the fruiting of tall blueberries will be irregular, the yield will decrease, and the berries will become small. Therefore, the application of well-rotted manure is very effective. The doses of its application depend on the general fertility of the soil: the lower it is, the higher the dose.
The bushes are not pruned for the first 3 years after planting.

Winter protection and pruning of blueberries

High blueberries (garden blueberries) are characterized by fairly high winter hardiness. Without any damage, it can withstand frosts down to -25°C (some varieties down to minus 27-30°C). But in harsh snowless winters the bushes can freeze. To protect the stems from the cold, they are tied with spruce branches or covered with some kind of non-woven material or burlap (not plastic film). And in order to increase the winter hardiness of the plants themselves, you should not add high doses of nitrogen fertilizers, especially after flowering, so as not to cause the growth of shoots in late autumn. During flowering, blueberries can tolerate frosts down to -7°C without noticeable damage. Therefore in spring period She rarely needs protection. But in the fall, when the berries on the plants ripen late ripening varieties, frosts can cause significant damage - green berries are damaged at a temperature of -2°C. Therefore, during freezing, it is advisable to turn on sprinkling or cover the bushes, for example, with light non-woven material. In order for blueberries to bear fruit for a long time and abundantly, the bushes must be pruned regularly. Proper pruning increases the lifespan of the plant (up to 100 years). In our country, it is best to do it early in the spring, around March, before the buds open. In young plants, last year's short branched stems are removed, leaving several (4-5) new strong growths coming from the base of the bush, as well as diseased branches lying on the ground. Fruiting bushes (5 years and older) are pruned differently. To obtain large berries, all branches older than 5 years are cut out from the bush. If it is not the size of the berries that is important, but the harvest as a whole, only branches older than 7 years are removed. In any case, thickening stems and branches directed into the bush, as well as those that are diseased or lying on the ground are cut out. Of the annual shoots on which the crop is formed, the 5 strongest are left.
Blueberries are pollinated by insects. If there are bees or bumblebees on the site, the yield increases significantly.

Blueberry varieties

Currently, there are more than 100 varieties of blueberries of varying heights and different ripening periods.
Cultivated blueberries reach a height of 1.5-2 m, and the berries themselves are the size of a cherry. Externally, large-fruited blueberries are very similar to their forest ancestor. Complex care for this plant is not required. Blueberries will also grow in areas with acidic soil and where groundwater is close. The bush begins to bear fruit at the age of 3-4 years and produces abundant harvests.

The most common varieties and hybrids of garden blueberries:

Weymouth is one of the earliest varieties. The ripening of berries for this variety begins in the middle of the third decade of July and ends in early August. The berries are dark blue, up to one and a half centimeters in diameter. Weight of 100 pieces - 140 grams. Productivity - up to 2.5 kilograms per bush. The bush is spreading, up to 90 cm high. It does not freeze in winter and rarely gets sick.

Rancocas is another early variety. Its berries ripen at the same time as those of the Weymouth variety. The bush is of medium height, reaching one and a half meters at the age of eight. The fruit cluster is dense, like a grape. The berries are light blue, up to 14 mm in diameter, they do not wrinkle even in a plastic bag. Weight of 100 pieces is 130 grams, yield is up to 2.3 kilograms per bush.
Goldtraube - productive variety average ripening period.

Berkeley - late variety with very tasty berries.

Bluecrop is a variety with regular fruiting and disease resistance.

Bluray is a medium ripening variety. Large clusters of light blue berries of this blueberry are harvested from mid-August to the second ten days of September. The diameter of the berries is up to 17mm.

Coville blueberry (Vaccinium covilleanum) - garden blueberry is obtained as a result of the hybridization of three North American blueberry species and is grown on industrial plantations to produce berries almost all over the world, including in Russia.

This is a perennial and long-lived deciduous shrub with a height of 0.7 to 2.5 m (depending on the variety), with large, 1.5-2.2 cm in diameter, very tasty sweet and sour blue berries collected in clusters. The yield from one bush is from 2 to 8 kg. It grows well in both sun and partial shade, but bears fruit abundantly only in good light. In addition to the heather garden, it can be planted as an understory under tall coniferous trees, and can also be used for hedges. It has good winter hardiness, but in severe snowless winters it can freeze without shelter.
Blueberries are North American high-growing blueberries that form long clusters. The disadvantages of blueberry include low winter hardiness, poor resistance to fungal diseases, high demands on heat and the length of the growing season.

Material prepared by:

Executive Director of the Association of Gardeners of Russia (APYAPM), leading specialist of APPYAPM on berry crops

Danilova T.A.
APPYAPM specialist

Using material Thomas Werner

Blueberry harvest

Blooming blueberry

Every producer must constantly take care of the quality of the products they grow. Products well prepared for sale provide the manufacturer with high profits if the cost of the product exceeds the cost of cultivation by 50%. The quality of blueberries depends on a number of factors: varietal characteristics, pruning, fertilizing, good system irrigation and harvest quality. Large berries, beautiful taste qualities and attractive appearance ensure high demand for blueberries. Berries that are small, damp or show signs of gray rot can make selling difficult.

The main task of the manufacturer is to determine the dates for collecting and transporting the berries, since the fruits ripen unevenly. Berries collected immediately after coloring do not have good taste. The suitability of blueberries for harvesting and consumption is determined by the amount of sugars in the fruit. After coloring, the fruit contains only about 10% sugars. After a few days, the sugar content in the berries on the bush increases significantly - up to 16%. When storing berries, the content of acids and sugars remains practically unchanged. Blueberries collected immediately after coloring may not meet standard taste qualities; they may be sour, and the flesh may be green and hard. Delaying the fruits on the bush for 5-7 days will give a great advantage - their weight and sugar content will increase by up to 30%.

Blueberries

It should be remembered that ripe blueberries lose their hardness, so they can be easily damaged. It follows from this that it is not recommended to leave the berry on the bush for too long. Delay in harvesting leads to a decrease in the quality of the fruits, they become soft, and this affects transportability.

The advantage of picking blueberries early is the hardness of the berries, which is necessary for transportation and increased shelf life. However, disadvantages cannot be avoided - they are lighter, the taste is sour and, as a result, there is a problem with sales.

What are the benefits of delaying harvest? First of all, it is a sweet, balanced taste of berries, good weight and attractive appearance, and what is equally important is high demand among consumers. However, there are also disadvantages - the fruits become softer, the risk of damage by pathogens increases, and the laying process becomes more difficult. flower buds for next year's harvest.

High quality blueberries

The taste of fruits can be affected by weather conditions. Due to lack of moisture, the growth of plants and fruits is inhibited. The berries become smaller, do not ripen, and can simply dry out on the bushes - this reduces the demand for the product and makes it difficult to sell. To avoid such consequences, it is necessary to install irrigation equipment. Supplying water to plants during fruit ripening reduces the fragility of shoots.

Rotting of the skin of the fruit is the result of prolonged heavy rains. The problem usually occurs at the end of the season, when precipitation becomes more frequent, and at night the berries are covered with dew. Ripe berries are more susceptible to cracking during intense rainfall, which in turn reduces their quality. Bad weather conditions make it difficult to pick berries or even make it impossible. After 1-2 days, collected wet berries can no longer be sold; they are affected by fungal diseases. During harvesting, it is very important to remove the fruits as carefully as possible and shake them as little as possible. It is better to collect blueberries immediately into containers in which they will later be sold. Place the containers with berries in boxes and transfer them to a cool, dark place with a temperature of 10-15 °C.

Blueberries are harvested manually and mechanically. The choice of harvesting method depends on the area of ​​plantings and the purpose of the fruit. Blueberries intended for transportation must be High Quality, so it is better to use manual harvesting. With manual removal, the amount of damage is significantly reduced; the disadvantage of manual collection is the high cost and low efficiency.

Industrial blueberry plantation

Labor productivity in berry picking depends on the size of the fruit and the time of their picking. For harvesting on small plantations, 10-15 people are enough. If the plantations are large, a mechanized harvesting method is used. This method can replace 100-200 people, but workers are still required for additional cleaning and sorting of the fruits, but, unfortunately, the quality and appearance of the berries may lose their shape. Harvesters must be modernized and adapted for blueberry harvesting different varieties, since shrubs have different heights and shoot flexibility. Mechanical harvesting is not perfect, but it still makes the product more accessible to the market.

Manual fruit sorting allows you to select damaged, unripe and contaminated berries; it is very effective and justified, but only on small plantations. Currently, they prefer to carry out sorting in a mechanized way, using packaging prepared in advance. In addition, sorting lines can be equipped with protective equipment against fungal infections. The equipment is expensive, so its use on large plantations or when used by several small producers is economically justified.

Storing blueberries

After picking the berries, their quality gradually deteriorates, and the speed of this process directly depends on the storage conditions. The controlled atmosphere in the refrigerator compartment helps maintain blueberry quality for 6-10 weeks. Depending on the variety, the quality of the berries may change within 2-3 weeks.

Blueberries are well preserved at carbon dioxide levels (10-12%), as well as at oxygen concentrations below 10%. It should be noted that storing fruit in a controlled environment requires rapid harvesting in quantities that will fill the chambers and determine the composition of the atmosphere as quickly as possible.

Blueberries intended for direct sale are stored in packages in a room where the temperature does not exceed 15 °C. If the supply of berries is suspended for several days, the temperature refrigeration chambers should be reduced to 3-5°C. For long-term storage of products optimal temperature should be up to 0 °C with a relative air humidity of 90-95%.

As a rule, the lingonberry harvest season begins in August–September. Lingonberries have a sour taste with a bitterness that goes away only after frost; lingonberries are harvested until November. The beneficial properties of lingonberries are known to everyone, so when the lingonberries ripen, take the baskets into the forest.

Useful properties of lingonberries

Lingonberries are a valuable vitamin carrier; lingonberries contain a whole range of biologically active substances, organic acids, and sugars. After harvesting, lingonberries can be stored fresh for a month, as they contain benzoic acid. Lingonberries and their juice are taken for high blood pressure and are a good thirst quencher, laxative and antipyretic. Lingonberry juice has an anti-inflammatory and diuretic effect, an antimicrobial and detoxifying effect, and helps with flu and acute respiratory diseases.

Lingonberry, boletus, lingonberry

When to pick crowberries

Crowberry (aka crowberry, also known as crowberry) is a plant of the tundra and the north. The crowberry ripens in August, and the crowberry is harvested in the fall, right up to frost. The crowberry leaves, similar to pine needles, remain on the plant even in winter, only they turn purple-black. The beneficial properties of crowberry berries are very diverse.

Useful properties of crowberry

Voronika is good at removing radionuclides from the body and helps improve immunity. Hypertension, migraines, insomnia, metabolic disorders and seizures can also be treated with crowberry juice. In the tundra, crowberries quench thirst with berries instead of water. Crowberry has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, wound-healing, astringent, anticonvulsant, antispasmodic and antioxidant properties. For long-term storage, just put it in a jar, fill it with water and put it in the basement. Crowberry can be stored in this form for up to a year or more. You can also freeze crowberries.

Crowberry, crowberry, crowberry, bearberry, bagnovka

When to pick blueberries

The harvest season for wild blueberries or gonobobel occurs in July, August and even September. The beneficial properties of blueberries will help everyone who picks blueberries - bluish-black berries with a strong bluish-gray bloom with greenish flesh.

Beneficial properties of blueberries

Blueberries have a number of unique properties: they remove radionuclides, strengthen the walls of blood vessels, normalize heart function, and slow down the aging of nerve cells and the brain. Blueberries have antisclerotic, cardiotonic, hypotensive and anti-inflammatory effects. Effective for atherosclerosis, hypertension, capillary toxicosis and other diseases associated with insufficiency of blood capillaries. Blueberries are recommended for diabetics, as they promote tissue repair, enhance the effect of medications that lower blood sugar, and enhance metabolism.

Blueberry, gonobobel, blueberry, drunkard

When to pick strawberries

Wild strawberries ripen in June-July, in more northern regions Strawberries can be harvested even in August. There are legends about the beneficial properties of strawberries. Strawberries are the berry that ranks first among all in terms of the content of iron, vitamin E, folic acid and calcium.

Useful properties of strawberries

Strawberries are useful because they contain trace elements, sugars, pectins, acids, fiber, vitamins and essential oils. They not only improve appetite, but also help normalize digestion. Strawberries help restore strength, cure diarrhea in children and help with anemia. Strawberries have vitamin, anti-allergenic, choleretic and diuretic properties, and normalize metabolism. Thanks to the properties of strawberries, toxins and cholesterol are removed from the body. Strawberries are prepared for future use by drying, freezing or rubbing with sugar.

Wild strawberry, sunberry, drifting snow, berry

When to pick cranberries

Cranberries bloom in June, and the berries are harvested starting in September throughout the fall. Doctors have classified this berry as one of the healthiest foods for humans.

Beneficial properties of cranberries

Cranberries are an excellent antioxidant. Due to the high content of potassium salts and vitamin C, cranberries are very beneficial for the body during infectious and colds. Cranberry is considered a natural antibiotic due to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Cranberries contain substances that prevent the formation of plaques and blood clots in blood vessels. Rich in medicinal properties, cranberries are indicated for varicose veins, as they help increase the strength and elasticity of the walls of blood vessels and capillaries. Most of all, cranberries are useful in fresh form, which last for quite a long time due to the content of benzoic acid.


Cranberry, stonefly, crane fly, snowdrop

When to collect the prince

Princeberry berries ripen in July - August. Knyazhenika has a very pleasant taste - it is sweet, but with a sour aftertaste and strong aroma, reminiscent of both pineapple and peach.

Useful properties of princesses

In addition to the fact that knyazhenika is tastier than regular raspberries, it is also useful as raspberries. Infusions and decoctions of princes in folk medicine are recommended as an antipyretic, for gargling when coughing, for catarrh of the upper respiratory tract and bronchial asthma. Princess berries quench thirst and act as an antipyretic; infusions of the berries are given to patients as a drink. Princes prepare delicious fruit tea from young leaves. Infusions of the leaves are used as a gargle for sore throats and coughs and as an astringent for diarrhea. Fresh leaves are applied to wounds to relieve inflammation and speed up healing.

Knyazhenika, polyanika, mamura

When to collect stone fruits

Drupes ripen in July - August. Drupes are collected until the end of September to enjoy the taste of the berry and its healing properties.

Useful properties of stone fruit

Due to the high content of vitamin C (about 150 mg%), tannins and pectin substances, organic acids, the juice from the fruit of the stone fruit is used as an antiscorbutic and protistocidal drug. Drupal juices are recommended for anemia and anemia. Drupe berry juice helps improve metabolism, strengthen the walls of blood vessels and remove toxins and cholesterol from the body. Infusions of bone fruit also help relieve pain in the heart area. Effective for cystitis and colds. Drupe berries have a pronounced antipyretic agent, therefore they are recommended as an inclusion in complex therapy for diseases accompanied by “high fever.”

Kostyanik, kostritsa, stone stone

When to collect redberry

Krasnika grows on Sakhalin, the south of Kamchatka and some other places. Redberry is harvested in August - September. The taste of redberry berries is unique: at first they seem sweet, later they seem sour, and when you completely chew them, they seem bitter and salty.

Useful properties of redberry

Fresh berries and redberry juice effectively reduce blood pressure in hypertension. It has been established that redberry berries are rich in P-active substances, which dilate blood vessels and strengthen their walls. Krasnika berries contain vitamin C, benzoin and others. organic acids, fiber, 7 essential amino acids, microelements (copper, cobalt, manganese, zinc and chromium). Krasnika is useful for colds; for headaches, the analgesic effect of Krasnika is manifested. Redberry berry juice and liquid extract are also used as a laxative. In addition to the berries, the redberry's young leaves are edible, and their taste is reminiscent of sorrel.

Krasnika, Klopovka

When to pick cloudberries

Cloudberries bloom in May - June, and cloudberries can be collected in July and August. From time immemorial in Rus', fresh and soaked cloudberries were served at the royal table as the most valuable berry of the North. In the North it is still called the Tsar’s berry.

Useful properties of cloudberries

Cloudberries contain 3 times more vitamin C than oranges. Cloudberries are superior to carrots in the content of provitamin A, which rejuvenates cell populations. The miracle cloudberry is a rich source of tocopherols, which accelerate the regeneration of damaged cells and participate in the most important processes of tissue metabolism. Since cloudberries contain a lot of potassium, they help protect against cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The fruits along with honey are good to give to weakened patients to strengthen them. One of the last requests of A.S. Pushkin was the desire to eat pickled cloudberries.

Cloudberry, gloshina, bugbear

When to pick blueberries

Blueberries are harvested from July to September. Blueberries are a healing berry; they contain many vitamins and minerals. It tones and stimulates metabolic processes, has a hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, analgesic, and diuretic effect.

Beneficial properties of blueberries

Blueberries can powerfully counteract aging and even rejuvenate the body. Eating blueberries improves blood supply to the retina of the eye, and as a result, regeneration of retinal tissue is accelerated. Blueberries are the richest source of so-called anthocyanidins, the most powerful of all natural antioxidants. Flavonoids found in blueberries can raise glutathione levels (a powerful protector of nerve tissue). It is assumed that just half a glass of blueberries a day can prevent Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Blueberry extract has shown the ability to strengthen the walls of blood vessels. Blueberries can lower blood cholesterol as well as some drugs and can be a powerful weapon in the fight against heart disease.

Blueberry, blueberry
Summer is a great time to relax and pick berries. To ensure that the beneficial properties of berries remain healing, let us recall one more simple rule for picking berries: collect berries away from highways, industrial enterprises, landfills and other dangerous places. I hope our berry calendar has awakened in you the desire to immediately go into the forest to pick berries.

Tell me how to make cranberry juice?

To get a liter of fruit drink, you will need 800 ml of boiling water, 125 g of cranberries and 3 tbsp. spoons of honey or granulated sugar. Wash the berries and mash them with a wooden masher. Then put the cranberry mass in cheesecloth, folded in several layers, and use it to squeeze out the juice. Pour in the cake hot water, boil for 5-10 minutes and strain through a strainer or cheesecloth. Mix the resulting broth with the prepared juice, add honey or sugar and cool it. That's all - the delicious drink is ready! Just don’t forget that the dishes for cranberry juice should be enamel, glass or stainless steel. Aluminum pans can oxidize and make a healthy drink harmful.
Lisa Chernikina Andrey Shalygin PhD, DBA, Chief Editor National Explorer

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Ural gardener

Read in № 9

“20 NEEDED” TO OBTAIN GOOD SEEDLINGS

Without growing good seedlings, you will not get an early harvest of vegetables. The seedlings should be strong, stocky, with a thick, well-developed stem and a good root system.
But in order to get such vegetable seedlings when growing them in an apartment, you need to know well what mistakes we most often make when preparing seeds for sowing and growing seedlings.
* To grow seedlings, it is necessary to prepare a soil mixture of special components (turf soil, humus, aerated lowland peat, old sawdust, coarse river sand), taken in a certain ratio depending on the crop being grown.
These components must undergo 5–6 weeks of cold treatment on the balcony with twice defrosting the soil, and for growing cabbage seedlings, mandatory preliminary heat treatment.
Two weeks before sowing the seeds, do not forget to bring this soil into the apartment. During this time, beneficial microflora will awaken in it. And to speed up this process, it can be treated with a working solution of the Baikal preparation.
A the best option Today you should consider purchasing a ready-made soil mixture designed for growing exactly the vegetables you need in a specialized store.
* It is necessary to use well-drained containers for growing seedlings, in which seeds and seedlings will develop quickly.
* It is necessary to maintain the optimal soil temperature for seed germination (from 20 to 30°C) in the seed box. If the apartment is warm, i.e. 23°C, this does not mean that the soil in the box on the windowsill is also warm.
If the box is located far from the window, then the ground temperature in it is usually 5 degrees lower than in the room. And if the box is on the windowsill, then the temperature is 10 degrees or more lower. At this temperature the seeds heat-loving crops either they will not germinate well, or they may even rot
* It is necessary to prepare vegetable seeds for sowing, but it is still advisable to purchase seeds from the store that have already been fully prepared by the manufacturer.
* When sowing, it is necessary to observe the required depth of seeds into the soil, since their excessive depth can lead to the appearance of only single seedlings.
* It is necessary to avoid thickened sowing of seeds. At the same time, the seedlings develop unevenly, the stems of many become elongated and become fragile. Such seedlings are difficult to pick, and they are more susceptible to blackleg and other diseases.
* It is necessary not to water the soil in the seed box immediately after sowing the seeds, since in this case the seeds can be drawn along with the water deep into the soil. The soil in the box must be watered generously with warm water immediately before sowing the seeds, and after sowing, only sprinkled with warm water from a spray bottle.
* It is necessary to avoid insufficient watering, which leads to drying out of the top layer of soil in the seed box, which leads to the death of emerging seedlings or the death of roots in young plants. And excessive watering leads to rotting of the roots or damage to plants by blackleg and their death.
* It is necessary to avoid watering seedlings with cold water that has not settled for 24 hours. The water temperature should be no lower than 22–24 degrees.
* It is necessary to provide young plants with the necessary illumination and duration daylight hours from the moment of emergence. In case of insufficient lighting, plants stretch out and are not able to produce further big harvest. Boxes with seedlings should be placed on a southern, sunny windowsill.
In any case, it must be illuminated with fluorescent lamps so that the total daylight hours are 12–14 hours, i.e. early sowing seedlings need to be illuminated even on southern windows. And to improve lighting, you need to install a reflective screen near the box with seedlings on the side of the room, stretching foil over cardboard for this.
* You must not be late with picking seedlings. For most vegetable crops this must be done after 1–3 true leaves appear. After picking, the plants must be shaded from direct sunlight for 2–3 days.
* During the process of growing seedlings, it is necessary to carefully transfer them 1-2 times from smaller containers to larger ones.
* It is necessary to periodically change places of plants, starting from the moment their leaves touch each other.
* It is necessary to start fertilizing plants no earlier than they take root and begin to grow. They are usually carried out once every 10 days, alternating organic and mineral fertilizers.
* It is necessary to feed the plants with nitrogen and phosphorus, depending on the quality of the prepared soil, the required number of times.
* To prevent plant diseases, it is necessary to take care of an infection-free soil mixture for growing seedlings, adding trichodermine to it, and regularly water the seedlings with Rizoplan.
* It is necessary not to overextend the required duration of growing vegetable seedlings.
* It is necessary to harden off the seedlings before planting them in a permanent place. This must be started 10–12 days before planting the plants in a permanent place, gradually increasing the time spent outdoors.
* It is necessary not to water the seedlings before transporting them to the garden, because slightly wilted plants are less likely to break from careless touches. But immediately after arriving at the site, the seedlings must be watered generously with warm water.

Blueberries (photo) cultivation and care personal experience

Blueberries and blueberries are sister berries.

But blueberries are everyone’s favorite berry, and blueberries heard only insults addressed to them: gonobobel, drunkard, fool. Why are we doing this to her?

Only because it grows next to wild rosemary, which in the heat releases such intoxicating essential oils that they make you dizzy. But more recently the situation has changed radically. Summer residents are literally chasing tall garden blueberries. And she will also make you wave a shovel

I saw new varieties of garden blueberries and was surprised: why not blueberries, since they are sweeter and juicier? I wasn’t too lazy, I found information: the blueberry was let down by its habit of growing, while it does not form the dense bushes that gardeners value so much. Blueberries do not have such disadvantages. That is why the breeders made their choice in its favor.