Garden lingonberry varieties and agricultural technology

Agricultural technology for garden lingonberries, varieties and basic rules of care will be discussed in this article.

Lingonberry is a shrub up to 40 cm tall with powerful branched roots. This small shrub is found in coniferous and deciduous forests, as well as forest-tundra and swampy areas.

Lingonberries are bright red, or as they used to say — crimson, timber. It is for the color of the fruit that the shrub got its name.

Cultivation of lingonberries began recently - about 40 years ago, but to date the crop already has more than 20 varieties. The Scandinavian countries, Germany and the USA were involved in the creation of varieties. Some varieties were obtained in Russia, and they are not inferior in quality to foreign ones.

Due to the fact that lingonberry is an evergreen shrub, it is often used as garden landscaping. A neat bush with small, shiny, dark green leaves, often used to enhance garden design or as a hedge.

The plant blooms in late spring - early summer with small white-pink flowers. The berries ripen at the end of summer.

When choosing a place for planting, it is necessary to take into account the location and characteristics of the soil. The site should be well lit and located away from bodies of water or nearby groundwater. The plant prefers peat soils with a pH of 3.0-5.0. Sandy loam soil may be a good alternative, but other types of soil are unsuitable for shrubs.

Lingonberries are demanding when it comes to watering. During the week, the plant should receive moisture 2-3 times. In hot weather, sprinkling is recommended. It is necessary to monitor weeds and carry out weeding on time. When loosening the soil, the mulch does not need to be removed.

Lingonberry does not like strong winds, so it can be planted next to coniferous trees to provide maximum protection from bad weather.

The shrub can suffer from some fungal diseases. The most common of them are exobasidiosis and rust. Diseased plants stop developing and may die. If a disease is detected, lingonberries are treated with fungicides, and the affected areas are removed.

The beginning of lingonberry fruiting will depend on the quality of the seedlings. Under favorable conditions, lingonberries can bear fruit in the year of planting, but a good harvest should not be expected earlier than the 3rd year.

Conditions for planting lingonberries

The conditions for planting garden lingonberries are quite simple and do not require special skills. The selected area must be cleared of weeds and other debris. The soil must be enriched with fertilizers. Nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus fertilizers are well suited for lingonberries.

Important: Lingonberries react poorly to chlorine-containing fertilizers, and manure is strictly contraindicated for them.

The planting hole is dug about 30 cm deep. The width of the pit should be about 1.2 meters. This is necessary given that the roots of lingonberries are horizontal and develop well in breadth. To fill the hole, peat is mixed with coarse sand in a ratio of 1:3. It is important that the planting hole is not in a recess. If the need arises, the bed can be raised, especially if groundwater lies nearby. The bottom of the pit is lined with gravel or crushed stone. This will help eliminate the problem of water stagnation and saturate the soil with oxygen.

Lingonberries are planted in the spring.

It is best to purchase seedlings from a nursery - with a closed root system. This will make it possible to plant throughout the entire growing season. Plants adapt well to a new location regardless of their age. The conditions of the nursery allow you to grow a healthy plant with high survival rate.

Lingonberries can be planted either in rows or in strip planting. Row density depends on soil conditions and fertility.

After planting, the bush must be mulched with peat about 4 cm and watered. Soil moisture should be maintained between 60-70%.

The next year after planting, new bushes grow from the shoots, which gradually close together. For the 4th year, you can carry out preventive pruning.

Care for garden lingonberries in spring

Caring for garden lingonberries in the spring is extremely important, since quite often this plant experiences stress from spring temperature changes. Sudden frosts, which are not uncommon in many regions even in May, can significantly damage the bush, which will affect its development and fruiting. To avoid this, you need to cover the lingonberries with film and lay straw on top. This design will better withstand weather conditions. However, it is not recommended to resort to it for no apparent reason, since often in such conditions the plant may not have enough air.

Advice: Young plants or seedlings after planting especially need additional shelter in spring.

In spring, the plant is fed with mineral fertilizers at the rate of 6 g of potassium sulfate and 10 g of urea per 10 liters of water. Further feeding is carried out during fruiting, but it is important to follow the dosage so as not to overfeed the bush.

During the year, caring for the plant consists of abundant watering, fertilizing and loosening the soil. Regular mulching and loosening will help retain moisture and protect the plant from many diseases. Shrub thinning must be done every 5 years. The best time for pruning is spring, before sap begins to flow.

Characteristics of lingonberry varieties

Characteristics of lingonberry varieties will help you decide on the choice of plant. Breeders have tried to achieve the highest yield of lingonberries and increase their resistance to various diseases. Varieties differ in plant height and fruit characteristics.

The most promising varieties:

• Coral. The variety can be used as a decorative one. Its second value is its high yield. The shrub is round in shape, quite compact, does not exceed 30 cm in height. The harvest is about 400 g. It bears fruit twice a year.
• Ruby. A late variety that can withstand frosts down to – 30°C. Not sensitive to spring frosts down to -3°C.
• Red Pearl. A tall variety bred in Holland. The berries are dark red in color, large – up to 12 mm. Bears fruit twice a year.
• Mazovia. Low-growing variety of Polish selection. The shrub is about 20 cm high. It is often used for decorative purposes, since the yield of the shrub is low. From one bush you can get only 40 g of berries.
• Kostroma pink. Low-growing variety up to 15 cm in height. It decorates the garden well during flowering, but has low yield.
• Sanna. Swedish variety. The berries are tasty, large - up to 400 mg. It has a good yield - about 300 g of berries per bush.

Chemical composition and benefits of lingonberries

The chemical composition and benefits of lingonberries have long won well-deserved fame throughout the world.

• Lingonberries contain valuable vitamins, acids, tannins, pectins and other substances.
• Lingonberries contain a high content of ascorbic acid, polyphenols, chromium, copper and mineral salts. Berries are indicated for consumption:
• For diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
• For the treatment of kidneys and bladder
• For colds
• As an antimicrobial, tonic and wound healing agent
• The berries can be used to make jam, syrup and other dessert dishes and drinks.
• Not only the berries are valuable, but also the leaves of the plant, from which a healthy decoction is made.

People with stomach diseases with high acidity should consume berries with caution. People with individual intolerance and allergies to lingonberries should avoid it.

Lingonberries will help maintain health and decorate the garden, especially since growing this plant is not difficult.