Features planting and growing sunberry

In recent years, in addition to traditional plants, exotic crops are increasingly found in household plots. It looks like it is becoming a fashion trend. A measure of modernity and seriousness of interest in gardening. Among the variety of exotic plants that have managed to prove themselves in temperate latitudes, I want to stay at a fairly new and have not yet had time to get wide publicity sunberry.

Description of the berry

Sunberry (galbri) - hybrid perennial plant family solanaceous. This shrub was obtained by crossing the African nightshade and the European small-fruiting creeping nightshade. In height reaches one and a half meters. More often grows up to 90 cm. Very fruitful. Sunberry - translated from English as a sunny berry. Named as its creator, American gardener and breeder Luther Burbank (1849 - 1926).

Prized this hybrid primarily for its fruits. Berries Sunberry large black. Due to this, this plant is also called blueberry forte or Canadian blueberry. Fruits can reach the size of a cherry berry. Collected in brushes for 10-15 pieces. Contain vitamin C, carotene. Saturated with elements such as iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, manganese, copper, zinc, nickel, chromium, silver, and this is almost a full complex of trace elements needed by man.

Canadian blueberry berries are quite high in calories - they contain up to 220 kcal per 100 g of berries. The reason for this - the high content of nutrients: proteins, fats, fructose and glucose. The following active compounds are present: anthocyanins, bioflavonoids, tannins, chlorophyll.

Fruits of sunflower sunberry have healing properties, can be used in the prevention and treatment of diseases of the joints, improve blood composition, digestion, appetite. Increase visual acuity.

Often, due to the consonance of the name, people think that the Canadian blueberry is a part of the medical product "Blueberry Forte". However, it is not.In addition to the name, the drug and blueberry forte does not unite anything. Although the use of the fruits of nightshade Sunberry also has a beneficial effect on human vision.

Conditions for successful growth

Blueberry forte plant unpretentious. It grows easily in the middle band, as an annual plant. It tolerates autumn frosts. The fruits have time to ripen. Galbri grows on almost any soil. Can not thin out and not pinch. However, stepchildren are recommended to tie up to avoid touching the berries from the ground. Flowering begins from the beginning of the summer to the first frost. However, the plant has its own preferences.

Site selection

Site requirements are fairly simple. It can be any part of the garden or garden. Closed or open. It is desirable that in the selected area was not a strong wind. By shading the plant is normal. However, this reduces the yield. Berries grow small and tart taste. Galbri can also be planted between rows of other crops (except for other solanaceous ones: potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and pepper). In the latter case, the plant will grow poorly and develop.

Canadian blueberries can not be planted in the city. This is due to the fact that the plant draws all heavy metals from the soil. For example, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, manganese.

Ideal soil for planting

The composition of the soil does not matter. Nevertheless, sunberry fit the same soil that is used for the cultivation of zucchini and cucumbers. So, the best would be adding organics. The land should be light and rich in humus. Can be planted in areas where until then grew tomatoes, potatoes, corn or beans. It is very useful for galbri add sand and ash to the soil.

How to grow sunberry seedlings from seed

Bilberry forte is easy to grow. It is enough to buy seeds in a garden shop or get them from fruits grown in their garden. If you want to “plant” Canadian blueberries from fruits from your plot, you should take into account some conditions.

Seed preparation

Seeds are extracted from ripened black berries. Use the largest berries of the most prolific and early brushes. Seeds can be purchased in a specialty store. Canadian nightshade seeds are very similar to tomato seeds.

Sowing scheme

Optimally planted in the open ground seedlings galbri. Seeds germinate for a long time, up to three months. Before planting, it is better to process the seeds, soak in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes, then rinse in running cold water and place for 2-3 days in a damp cloth or gauze. Make sure the shade does not dry out. Sowing is best done in February or early March. It is sown in a container with nutrient primer (plastic cups can also be used) to a depth of 3-5 mm. Before planting, make sure that there are enough drainage holes in the tank. Seedlings germinate at room temperature and moderate humidity. Watering is better with warm water.

Seedling care

Container with seedlings should be moved to a warm, well-lit place. It is better to plant on individual containers (cups). Seedlings should be placed in a room with windows to the south. It is better if the containers with seedlings will be on the windowsill. Galbri is very light-loving. Seedlings recommended to spray 1-2 times a day with a spray. Moisture should be enough. However, make sure there is good drainage. Excessive moisture can harm the young roots. Under good conditions, seedlings grow quickly.

Planting Sunberry in the open ground and further care

Terms of transplanting blueberry forte seedlings in open ground coincide with the transplanting of tomato seedlings, namely the end of May - the beginning of June. The young plant should appear just 5-7 leaves. It is better to choose a place at the rate of 70 by 70 cm for each bush. Between the rows should be somewhere half a meter. Do not forget, sunberry grows up to one and a half meters - it is a pretty razor. In addition, you need free access to the plant when collecting berries.

Watering and feeding plants

To water the nightshade sunberry unpretentious. However, make sure that the soil does not dry out much. In dry summers it is best to water regularly. This should be done either in the early morning (5-6 am) or in the evening (19-20 hours). Water should be warm, not lower than 23 ° C.

Bilberry forte does not need special feedings. May show quite good results, growing on ordinary soil. However, in order to guarantee positive results, it is better to fertilize a plant at least twice a season with a mullein. You can dissolve the fertilizer in water and pour it under the root.

Soil care and tying

As such, care for the soil is very simple. You only need to weed as needed and loosen the soil between the rows. The frequency of loosening - about once every two weeks. This procedure will allow the soil to be saturated with oxygen, and, consequently, it is better to develop the nightshade system. Weeding allows you to remove unwanted weeds. Perform tillage operations carefully. The depth of loosening is within 6-8 cm. It is best to loosen the next day after rain or watering. To do this, you can use the usual soda.

Do not damage the roots. This can lead to crop losses.

You can not even tie up the bushes. If you want to save the crop, it is better to tie up the plant. To do this, it is enough to use slingshots or any other supports. The fact is that there can be a lot of berries and the stepson branches do not support the weight of the fruit, they tend to the ground. Berries should not touch the ground.

Harvesting and Harvesting

Somewhere in the month before harvesting (September - October), it is desirable to cut off the buds and new stepchildren.This is done with the aim of directing all the power of the plant to the development of the fetus, and not flowering and shoots.

Harvesting is best done after the first frost. This is somewhere the end of October - the beginning of November. From the cold, blueberries forte lose their astringency, they become sweeter and more pleasant to the taste. They mature in batches. Therefore, the collection will be delayed for several approaches with an interval of several days. And fertility will increase each time.

Sunberry berries are not distinguished by long-term preservation. The easiest and most convenient way to store is to freeze the berries in the freezer. In addition to simplicity, this method also improves the taste of the solar berries.

You can drag the fruits of nightshade forte with sugar or squeeze juice from them.

For fresh consumption, it is better to scald the berries with boiling water. They will become sweeter.

Reliable and tasty way to store sunberry - Cook jam or compote from berries. The jam is made as follows: the washed galbri berries are placed in a refrigerator overnight, after which they are placed in boiling syrup and cooked for five minutes. Then removed from heat and incubated for 4-5 hours.Then put on the fire again and cook for five minutes. This procedure is done 2-3 times. With the last brew, lemon juice and 2-3 sprigs of mint, leaves of lofant or other spice for smell are added to the broth.

To make jam you need: one kilogram of ripe Canadian nightshade, one kilogram of sugar, a glass of water, juice from two lemons and spices to taste.

You can also make jam. Mix the peeled and peeled fruit of the sunberry with sugar and ginger. Cook for ten minutes, stirring constantly. Add lemon juice, remove from heat and pour into a jar. Put for 10 minutes a jar of jam in a pot of hot water. The water level in the pan should not reach the lid by 1-2 cm. After 10 minutes, take out the jar of jam and cool.

To make jam you will need: one glass of nightshade, one third of a glass of sugar, a teaspoon of finely grated ginger and juice from half a lemon.

About blueberries fort, we can say with confidence that this is such a plant that needs minimal care. It is extremely resistant to diseases and is not afraid of temperature changes. It tolerates frosts. This type of nightshade is very different from the usual members of the family. However, with the understanding of its benefits and harms, it can become one of the favorite plants of gardening enthusiasts.