Blueberry variety Patriot
Until now, in the markets, the sale of tall blueberry fruits (we also call it garden blueberry) arouses genuine interest and admiration for many after tasting. To this day, in Russia, this berry is almost exotic. After all, it has recently become popular in our country and well-known foreign varieties began to appear on sale. We are more used to ordinary blueberries. But she, as the saying goes, "hands over the back" in front of the North American guest. Blueberries are more productive, much larger, sweeter and tastier. And the striking representative of this species is the Patriot.
History of creation
Our hero was bred by American breeders A.D. Draper and P. Helper in 1976. Work began in Beltsville, Maryland. As a result of cross-pollination of Dixie x Michigan LB1 x Erliblu varieties, seedlings of a new variety were obtained, which showed excellent berry quality, productivity and high decorative properties. After many years of observation, they went on sale in the open in 1997. Coincidentally, in 1976, the 200th anniversary of US independence was celebrated and in honor of this historic date, the name of the new product was given - Patriot (Patriot). Interestingly, initially the emphasis was more on the decorativeness of the plant, and the production of berries was secondary. Then, of course, the situation changed radically, excellent taste, fruit size and blueberry yield came to the fore.
Description
This is one of the largest-fruited, abundantly fruiting and already beloved varieties on our market. A kind of early ripening - fruiting begins in mid-July. The bush is of medium growth, there are few shoots, but they are good, sometimes even too densely branched. The stems are green in the first year of life, then they turn stiff and acquire a brown tint. They are strong, quite powerful, and grow vertically upward. The width of an adult Patriot bush is 1.2-1.5 meters, the height is from 1.2 to 1.8 meters, the largest growth was recorded in the United States - 2.5 meters. The blueberry bush reaches its maximum size at the age of 5 years.
The root system of the variety is fibrous, densely branched, without root suction hairs, which is typical for the heather family. In adult plants, the root system grows into the ground to a depth of 50 cm. The leaves are oval, the petioles are short, with solid edges, rather dense, the top is pointed. On average, the leaves are 4 cm wide, 8 cm long. They are dark green, shiny, light green in spring and can acquire a reddish tint. In autumn, the Patriot becomes extremely decorative - the foliage acquires a beautiful and spectacular bright scarlet color.
Flowering begins early - in May. Bell-shaped flowers of white or pale pink color, on average 1 cm long, with 4-5 teeth bent back, grouped in racemose inflorescences of 8-10 pieces. Blueberries are self-pollinated, but cross-pollination with other varieties improves the quality of the berries and the number of ovaries. The variety attracts bees and bumblebees well. From the beginning of flowering to the beginning of harvest, 45-50 days pass.
Patriot berries are light blue in color, sometimes with white gaps or blurry light stripes on the skin. Incompletely ripe fruits are colored greenish-red. The skin is firm and elastic. The pulp is greenish, firm, but juicy. The fruits themselves are very tasty, aromatic, delicately sweet, with a rich aftertaste. They are rounded, strongly flattened with a small dry scar. The berries are large and very large, as for blueberries, with an average weight of 2-3 grams, a diameter of 1.7-1.9 cm. Fruits are collected in small dense clusters. Tear off dry, without effort on the part of the collector. After ripening, the berries hang on the bush for a long time without crumbling. They have good keeping quality and transportability.
The variety is quite productive, but the bush can become very thickened and overloaded with harvest, which can lead to a decrease in the size of the fruits and a deterioration in their quality.To prevent this, it is required to carry out a thorough thinning, cutting of weak, diseased shoots and small lateral branches. Patriot is picky about abundant watering during the ripening of berries. And so, in general, it is quite drought-resistant. Suitable for mechanized collection.
The average yield is 4-5 kg per plant, it can reach up to 9 kg, depending on the age of the bush and the correct agrotechnology, as for blueberries. It is especially important to ensure the required acidity of the soil (pH 3.5-4.5) and timely competent feeding, depending on the period of plant development. With the last samples, the fruits may become smaller, but remain rather large in size. The first berries can be seen as early as the 2nd year after planting, the so-called signaling. And in full force, the variety begins to bear fruit already from 4-5 years.
The Patriot is tolerant of wet areas and is suitable for the harsh northern growing conditions with a short growing season. It feels very good in sunny, warm (but by no means baking hot!) Plots, this has a positive effect on the quality and size of the crop. The plant has a high threshold of frost resistance up to -40 ° C, but for this, the stems must have time to fully ripen. It is advisable to stop feeding the plant with nitrogen fertilizers from mid-summer in order to avoid active further growth. The variety is resistant to root cancer, late blight and stem cancer. And also to many common pests.
Blueberries, and Patriot in particular, are extremely rich in vitamins and minerals; this culture is very useful both for helping in the treatment of many diseases, and for their prevention. One thing, but - its fruits are quite expensive on the market, one of the reasons is the age at which blueberries begin to be commercially interesting. This is at least 3, but mostly 4 years. And the average yield is about 5 kg. The figure is not very big. This is the reason for the seller's price. People have been waiting for years for the beginning of the commodity collection (and these are not grapes, where the figure of 5 kg, roughly speaking, is 2-3 good groins). But this berry, of course, is worth its money!
The variety is successfully grown both on a large industrial scale and in ordinary summer cottages. Patriot fruits are great for sale in the markets and fresh for personal consumption. They are also used for the production of delicious and healthy juices, jams, syrups, sauces, great in baked goods, especially muffins. Good and frozen.
At the end of the article, I would like to add - tall blueberries are worthy of being in every garden and in every summer cottage. Choose, plant, try - and you will understand everything yourself. And such a variety as the Patriot will help you make the right choice! But remember, growing this crop has its own nuances, without which it cannot bear fruit, but simply grow normally. But more on that in the next articles.
Author: Maxim Zarechny.