Blueberry Patriot is a high-yielding and frost-resistant variety
The benefits of blueberries are legendary and it is not surprising that many gardeners prefer to grow them on their plots next to raspberries or currant bushes. There are many varieties of this tasty blue berry, but Patriot blueberry is especially fond of, because according to the description of the variety, it has a high yield and a relatively unpretentious character. Let's take a closer look at this wonderful shrub, which will not only delight you with delicious berries, but also has a beautiful decorative look.
Patriot is one of the new varieties, bred in 1976 for decorative gardening, but showed good results as a garden and berry crop.
What does the plant look like?
By planning planting blueberries Patriot, it should be borne in mind that an adult bush has a rather impressive size: its height, with proper care, can reach up to 2 m.However, he does not really want to bush: thanks to erect shoots, the crown seems sparse, but this does not prevent the perennial shrub from looking beautiful. The plant is attractive at all seasons: in early spring, oval green leaves with a red tint begin to bloom on the branches, however, by autumn the reddish tint disappears. The bush is no less beautiful during flowering, when lush clusters of small white flowers, similar to small round barrels, bloom among the bright foliage.
The variety is self-pollinated, but to improve the quality and quantity of the crop, it is recommended to plant several species side by side, which coincide with the flowering time.
Taste qualities
The ripening of Patriot berries occurs in the middle of summer and then the shrub becomes the center of attention, drawing the eye to the large blue-blue brushes. The berries are very large (the diameter of one is more than 1.5 cm), have a rounded, slightly flattened shape, at the end of the season they are slightly smaller. The skin is dense, covered with a matte bloom, in green blueberries it is colored red, as it ripens, it becomes dark blue. The pulp is sweet and sour, a bit like blueberries.
The berries hang tightly in the brush and, after full ripening, remain on the bush for more than 10 days without crumbling, so the risk of losing the crop is low.
Benefits of the variety
Among the advantages of Patriot blueberry it should be noted:
- high yield (more than 7 kg of berries are harvested from one bush);
- good portability;
- the possibility of long-term storage of the crop fresh;
- high frost resistance (withstands winters with 30-degree frost);
- resistance to many diseases and pests.
Having planted Patriot saplings in a well-lit place, watering and feeding it in a timely manner, you can eat healthy berries already in the third year, but the culture enters full fruiting from the fifth year of life.