Cranberries are a berry familiar to almost every inhabitant of our country, because in early autumn it can often be found in forests, as well as on the banks of rivers, lakes and swamps. In addition, this culture can be successfully grown in your summer cottages. It has very useful healing properties for the body and at the same time is a storehouse of valuable antioxidant vitamins. There are many varieties of this culture, but most often summer residents grow Stevens cranberries. We will talk about the characteristics of Stevens cranberries, as well as the rules for planting and caring for this plant.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
- Benefits
- frost resistance and early maturity - the variety is suitable for growing in areas with a cold climate, does not need shelter in winter;
- large fruits - up to 2.2 cm in diameter;
- high taste characteristics - Ben Lear is much sweeter than its wild "relative";
- decorativeness. Thanks to the unusual pear-shaped berries and evergreen shrubs, this culture will become a spectacular element of landscape design;
- high yield - 2 kg per square meter.
- disadvantages
- because of their juiciness, the berries do not stay fresh for long;
- has medium disease resistance, but is inferior to wild species.
Frost resistance, drought resistance
The Ben Lear variety has excellent frost resistance. It is suitable for growing in temperate and cold climates. However, at extremely low temperatures, below -30 ° C, it needs light shelter. Dry regions are not suitable for the cultivation of this variety.
Cranberry Stevens: description
Cranberry (from Lat. Oxycoccus) belongs to the Heather family of plants. Most often, this culture grows in countries located in the Northern Hemisphere. The culture bears fruit with edible berries, which are valuable both in cooking and in medicine. The fruits of this culture have several more "popular" names, for example, the inhabitants of Greece call them "sour berry", the Americans call them "cranberry", and the British call them "bear berry".
The culture grows in the form of low shrubs, the height of which often does not exceed 50-55 cm. Cranberries are an unpretentious plant that tolerates frost well and does not suffer from an abundance of moisture. The plant feels most "comfortable" in humid coniferous forests or on marshy plains. Wild cranberry species grow in the North-West of Russia, as well as in Siberia and the Far East. However, there are also garden varieties of culture, which include the following:
- Ben Lear (Early Black). This is an early cultivar. Berries on this shrub appear already at the end of summer. The fruits are large and dark red in color.
- Franklin. This crop variety bears fruit in the month of September. Fruit color is bright red. The size is medium. The shelf life of plucked berries is up to 3-4 months.
- Stevens. One of the most unpretentious varieties. Flowering is observed from late May or early June. Fruiting in late September. Stevens always produces a good and bountiful harvest. From 1 sq.m. site, you can collect up to 2 kg of berries. The plant of this variety has a powerful root system.
Reproduction
Cranberries are long-lived, they are able to grow and actively bear fruit in one place for up to 10 years, without requiring a transplant and special care.But if it becomes necessary to plant this culture, then it is very easy to make seedlings using cuttings. Gardeners strive to maintain and cultivate Ben Lear with all the benefits of this variety. The propagation method by cuttings is most suitable for this.
The first stage of cuttings is to select and harvest healthy cuttings. The planting material of this sweet and sour culture must be young, collected during the active growth of cranberry shoots. The color of "young" branches has a lighter green color compared to mature shoots of the plant. The length of the selected cuttings should be about 10 cm.
Important! In no case should the soil be allowed to dry out. Moisturize abundantly, 1-2 times a day.
Initially, it is best to plant the cuttings in a "school". "School" - a bed or container for the primary rooting of cuttings. The soil in the "school" should consist of peat, sand, rotted sawdust and pine needles. The prepared soil should be thoroughly moistened, spilled with warm water. The cuttings are buried in the soil to a depth of 4 cm. If there is no possibility of frequent watering, cover the ground with a film, make a mini-greenhouse. Under the condition of abundant moisture, the survival rate of cuttings reaches almost 100%.
Site selection
It is recommended to plant this creeping shrub in an open area with high humidity (shallow groundwater will be an additional advantage). If the culture is slightly in the shade of trees growing nearby, then this will not affect it destructively, since in diffused light it also grows well.
Landing
Planting Ben Lear cranberries includes several stages. It is important to comply with all planting conditions, which guarantees a high yield in the future. The process of planting this sweet and sour berry is quite time consuming. However, the cranberry plant is laid for many years, and further care for this crop will be reduced to insignificant annual labor costs. It is worth working hard when planting to reduce the amount of work for yourself in the future.
Site selection and site preparation
The choice of the site for the future plantation is the most important stage. Cranberries are a crop that cannot tolerate dry areas. A place with a high groundwater table or even swampy soil would be ideal. There is no need to plant Ben Lear in the shade - the sun "fills" the berry with sweetness and promotes the ripening process. The Ben Lear plant is unpretentious, but "suffers" from drafts and strong winds. Therefore, a small clearing between trees in the garden will be an ideal place.
Learn more about growing Stevens cranberries.
The size of the cranberry planting should not exceed 1.3 m by 1.3 m. This is the optimal size of the cranberry for easy berry picking. If you increase the size, you will have to go inside the plantation and trample the plants to collect all the berries. Preparation of the selected area begins with the removal of the top layer of soil. The site must be cleared of weeds and roots, the top layer must be removed - no more than 40 cm. In order for the plant not to spread over the garden and the plantation to look aesthetically pleasing, it must be protected.
To do this, the future cranberry should be deepened by another 10 cm, and limiters should be placed around the perimeter in the form of slate strips, boards or special garden plastic boards. The limiter should protrude 20-30 cm above the future surface of the cranberry beds. The bottom of the pit should be covered with a drainage layer and covered with a foil with holes. The film is needed to maintain a high level of moisture in the cranberry root system. Indeed, in nature, these plants prefer swampy places.
The soil
The planting soil should have a high acidity level and consist of several layers. The lowest layer laid on the film is branches, grass remnants, foliage.This filling will create a loose "pillow" filled with air, which will give the roots of the plant room for development. Further, the drainage layer should be sprinkled with manure and humus - this is the nutritious part of the cranberry. It will supply the plant with all the necessary nutrients, which will make the berries large.
Important! After the formation of each layer of cranberry, it should be thoroughly moistened.
The main soil consists of the top layer of soil removed from the pit (25%), mixed with high-moor peat (30%), sand (30%), rotted coniferous sawdust or litter (15%). Stir the mixture thoroughly. After planting cranberry seedlings, the soil must be mulched. The easiest way to do this is with a mixture of sand and pine needles. Mulch from needles, cones, tree bark is well suited. It is also necessary to cover the planting with it for the winter, in order to avoid freezing of plants.
Scheme
The seedlings must be planted in holes 10 cm deep according to the scheme 10 × 10 cm or 10 × 15 cm, leaving 25 cm between the rows. The twigs will give lateral shoots and cover the free space between the bushes.
Video
When the autumn forest is covered with a crimson gloss, ripe cranberries are scattered along the shores of lakes and sphagnum bogs in red beads. Its berries, slightly flattened at the top, seem to be strung on flexible threadlike stems surrounded by a halo of dense leathery leaves. Cranberry is not one of those berries that cause taste euphoria, but it has excellent healing qualities and is saturated with antioxidant vitamins that are valuable for the human body.
Nature has no flaws: having taken away the sugary sweetness from the cranberry, she awarded it with the ability to save us from various diseases. Honestly, it is impossible to eat cranberries in their pure form - it hurts too sour)) But cranberry juice with the addition of honey or sugar is delicious, and it is the first assistant in the treatment of infectious and viral diseases. If you do not suffer from stomach diseases, of course - in this case, it is contraindicated for you. And how useful fruit drink from this healing berry! - refreshes, tones and perfectly quenches thirst. In addition, preparations for the winter are made from cranberries: jam, jelly, compotes, and it is especially good in an assortment - with the addition of blueberries, honeysuckle and other sweet berries.
Seasonal care features
The peculiarities of caring for a marsh berry depend on the climatic characteristics of the region of its planting. In areas with a temperate climate, where winters pass without severe frosts, cranberries take root well and give rich harvests. The Ben Lear variety is distinguished by its frost resistance, so it can be grown in the northern regions, where the winters are snowy. Young cranberries should be sprinkled with mulch for the winter and covered with spruce branches to insure the bushes from freezing.
It is necessary to water the cranberry abundantly, once a week, however, it should be borne in mind that Ben Lear cranberries do not tolerate stagnant water, therefore, there is no need to overmoisten the soil. Cranberries need feeding only for the first four years of life, every year the rate of fertilization decreases, and after the fourth year of growth, the cranberry grows and bears fruit on its own. In spring and autumn, nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers, previously dissolved in water, are applied. Nitrogen compounds are introduced more in the spring, during the period of berry formation.
Important! In no case should organic fertilizers be applied as top dressing. This can lead to the death of plants.
Phosphorus and potassium should be applied both in spring and autumn. Since cranberries, in the process of growth and development, will fill the entire territory allotted for it, this crop will have to be weeded only in the first years of the growing season, as long as there is free space between the bushes. Weeding should be done at the same time as mulching. Loosening is not needed for cranberries.Too aggressive action on the soil around shrubs can damage the delicate roots of plants.
Video: planting and caring for garden cranberries
Watering cranberries Stevens
The first 10-15 days after planting on the site, cranberries are watered daily. Then the intensity of watering is reduced, and they return to the daily scheme only in case of prolonged drought. The rest of the time, the soil around the plants should be moist, not too wet. During the formation of berries, excess moisture can negatively affect their taste. Since the plant does not like heat, it is necessary to arrange cooling waterings during its peak. By autumn, the intensity (from September to October) of watering is slightly increased, while the soil needs to be moistened to the depth of the root layer.
Pruning
The Ben Lear cranberry is a low-growing shrub that does not require pruning. The exception is when this plant is used for decorative purposes. Depending on the degree of pruning, the plant can be formed into a compact "column" or a spreading bush. To form a "column", in the spring, it is necessary to remove all lateral shoots. Such actions will lead to stimulation of the growth of shoots upwards, the bushes will become slightly higher, and free space will form between them.
You will be interested to know when the cranberries are ripe.
In a plantation with "columnar" cranberry bushes, you should monitor the presence of mulch between the bushes to prevent the soil from drying out. If you want to get a uniform evergreen cranberry cover, then in the spring you should cut off the tops of the bushes, then the growth of horizontal shoots is activated. It should be noted that it is more convenient to remove the berry from tall bushes, but the cranberry, consisting of creeping shoots, will require less mulching and watering.
Characteristic
As already mentioned, Stevens berries are large-fruited. One fruit weighs 1.5–3 grams. According to the description, the bush itself is vigorous, with thick shoots and creeping.
Frost resistance, drought resistance
The variety has excellent frost resistance. Withstands the drop of the thermometer column down to -20 ° С. He does not like drought, since the culture is habitual to grow in swampy areas.
Fruiting, productivity
American cranberries begin bearing fruit from the second year of life, but regular fruiting begins from the third. Although the berries are large, the yield is not very high - 1.5–2.5 kg / m² per bush.
Did you know? Since 1994, cranberries have been the official berry of Massachusetts.
Diseases and pests
Despite its hardiness, cranberries, like any other plant, are susceptible to disease. The table shows the signs of a culture disease and how to deal with them.
| Name of the disease | Description of the disease | The way to fight the disease |
| Snow mold | Brownish-red color of leaves and buds, rusty bloom on leaves in early spring. Further, the parts of the plant affected by the disease dry up and fall off. | Spraying the plantation with "Fundazol" in the fall and the application of the "freezing" method in the winter. |
| Monilial burn | Fungal disease at the beginning of its development, affecting the tops of the plant, staining them in a crimson color. Further, the affected areas turn yellow. Spotted cranberries are often rotten. | 2 g of "Fundazol", 1 ml of "Topsin M" are mixed in 1 liter of water and sprayed on the plant. |
| Pestalocia | Brown spots appear on the stem, leaves and fruits of plants. Then they darken and acquire a black border. The plant affected by pestalotia gradually dries out. | Treat the plantation with Bordeaux mixture or copper oxychloride. |
There are a number of cranberry diseases similar in their characteristics to the above, such as gibber spot, botrytis and others. Treatment of all of the above diseases is possible only with the help of fungicide treatment and prophylactic spraying with Bordeaux mixture.
The marsh berry is attacked by insects like any other berry. Especially often suffers from black-headed lingonberry leafworm, scoop and scale insects. However, the use of fungicides is advisable only as a last resort; small plantations are usually weakly susceptible to attack by pests.
Testimonials
growing varietal is easy, the main thing to remember: she loves very acidic peat soil, cranberries have superficial roots, they do not go deeper than 10-15 cm, so you can make sour ridges
Natali
To date, I have a garden bed with cranberries measuring 40 cm by a meter. In principle, the plant is undemanding, the only condition is acidic soil and plant it on a bed without weeds, because getting them out of cranberries is problematic - they are pulled out, as a rule, together with cranberries. As the cranberries drop twigs, which then take root upon contact with the ground, forming a solid rug.
Ryzhulya
I grew cranberries a few years ago, grew well (loves acidic soil, watering and partial shade), but I have not seen flowering and berries. Grade "Pilgrimm", I wrote out in Interflora. I parted with him without hesitation.
Irina Kiseleva
Cranberries are easily grown in low-lying swampy areas with acidic peaty soil and close groundwater, it is in such conditions that it grows in the wild. These inconveniences, unsuitable for other crops, can easily be converted into commercial cranberry plantations. If the initial characteristics of the site do not suit its requirements, the cultivation of cranberries requires expensive and time-consuming special measures and may be of interest only for amateur gardening, as an exotic curiosity.
Adding an article to a new collection
Cranberries are the absolute leader in the content of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. It is possible to grow the northern "vitamin bomb" not only in swampy areas, but also in the country. To do this, you need to know the suitable varieties.
Cranberry is a very valuable medicinal plant. Its fruits contain up to 4% simple sugars (in the form of glucose and fructose) and about 6% organic acids (mainly citric acid). In small red berries you can find vitamin P, vitamin C, tannins, dyes, phytoncides, pectins, minerals: calcium, potassium, iron, iodine, copper, silver, manganese, phosphorus. Because of such an impressive list of nutrients, cranberries are called "northern lemon" and are credited with truly miraculous properties. Today we will tell you about the varieties of garden cranberries, which can be grown on a personal plot without buying a berry harvested in the swamps.
Preparing for winter
Ben Lear does not require special preparation for winter, frost resistance is the main advantage of this variety. However, the young cranberry should be covered with mulch so as not to freeze the young bushes. By spring, bark, sand and spruce litter will settle between the bushes and create a natural cover for this plant. If the winters in the cranberry planting region are snowless, windy and too frosty, then the “freezing” method should be used to protect the cranberry plantation.
The essence of the method is that at the end of autumn, with the onset of the first frost, the cranberry plot is poured with water. Water freezes in layers between plants. The first layer is frozen - the site is again flooded with water to form a second ice layer, and so on, until the plantation is completely under the ice cover. Under such "ice protection" the plants will not be broken by the wind and will not destroy the frost.
Where to plant berries and where to get planting material?
At this point, we will move on to a more exciting topic, namely, how to choose the right and, if necessary, prepare a site. Cranberries love a well-lit area, it is desirable that there is a source of water supply nearby. Peaty soil with an acidity of pH 4–6 is ideal.Such soil is rarely found in personal plots, therefore, in most cases, conditions are created artificially. To do this, you need to dig a hole up to half a meter deep and fill it with peat.
Cranberry sprouts
If light soils prevail on the site, then you can fill them with a mixture with peat. The components are taken in a 1: 1 ratio. Add double superphosphate at the rate of 30 g per square. Then water the area well. You can also add a mixture of compost and pine sawdust. To protect the prepared soil from heavy soils and weeds, boards or roofing material should be installed along the edges of the pit. You can also fill the bottom with a small layer of expanded clay. This will also promote good drainage. Despite the fact that the plant loves a lighted area, a small partial shade from closely growing trees will only benefit.
The choice of planting material should also be taken very responsibly. It is best to give preference to nursery seedlings. Such a plant will be endowed with predictable properties, and it will transfer a transplant somewhat easier than a wild relative. In addition, you will know in advance what the expected yield, the size of the fruit. On the other hand, shrubs brought from the forest are resistant to various diseases and pests. True, such material will become the main source of weeds.
If you still decide to give preference to a forest dweller, you should choose the healthiest shrub. Be sure to pay attention to the size of the berries - the larger they are, the better. We cut off several healthy twigs about 20 cm long from the selected specimen.Then we drop them into the prepared soil, pre-irrigate it thoroughly. We leave the cuttings to winter until early spring.
Nursery seedlings can be with open or closed root systems. In addition, they are divided into several age categories. Instances from 2 to 2.5 years old are more appreciated. They tolerate transplanting better and begin to bear fruit earlier. Annual seedlings can be purchased in small pots. But the cheapest are young residents under the age of 9 months. They are usually sold in special cassettes. But if you want to feast on sour berries in the near future, then it is better to give preference to bushes at least 4 years old with a closed root system.
Harvest: harvest time and storage conditions
When laying a new plot with cranberries, the first harvest should be expected only in the fourth year of its successful growth and development. The maximum yield of Ben Lear is 2 kg / m². Ben Lear cranberries are harvested when they are fully ripe, when the berries acquire a dark purple hue. Large-fruited and early ripening fruits of this variety can be harvested in late August - early September (in southern regions with a temperate climate).
As for the Northern Territory, the berries ripen there much later - at the end of October. Cranberries that have wintered under the snow are especially tasty. With the onset of spring, the frozen but very sweet cranberries will be ready for consumption. It is not worth drying and storing cranberries harvested in spring, as they quickly deteriorate.
Did you know? You cannot pick cranberries "ahead of time" - its fruits will be either bitter or tasteless. Such cranberries do not have the same beneficial bactericidal properties as a fully ripened berry.
Cranberries can be kept dry, frozen, and processed as jams or preserves. To keep the berries dry, the cranberries must be cleaned of foliage and stalks, dried, placed in trellised containers and stored in a well-ventilated room at a temperature of no more than + 6 ° C.
The old way of keeping cranberries "wet" requires a cellar. The cranberries should be placed in a glass container and filled with cold water. In this form, cranberries can be stored for about a year, at a temperature of + 3 ... + 5 ° C. Frozen berries do not lose their taste and have the same set of vitamins as fresh ones.
Since cranberries have a significant amount of acid, more sugar is required to make jam or jam from this berry than for any other berry. The more acidic the product, the more sugar you need. The average proportion is 1.5 kg of sugar per 1 kg of washed and crushed berries. Despite the laborious process, Ben Lear cranberries should be bred at their summer cottage.
We advise you to find out what the benefits and harms of frozen, dried and dried cranberries are.
And there are many reasons for this. Firstly, the cranberry plant takes up little space and is laid, in fact, once and for life. Secondly, it is very beneficial to always have a natural, balanced vitamin complex in the form of delicious fruits on hand. Thirdly, this evergreen meadow will become a real decoration of any garden. In late autumn, when the garden is empty and the colors of autumn fade, crimson beads on the green carpet will delight the eye.
Stevens cranberries: beneficial properties
- Regular consumption of cranberries can protect the body from various infections, viruses, and strengthen immunity. For problems with the gastrointestinal tract and digestion, cranberries are especially useful. So, it is able to improve appetite, fight indigestion, eliminate heartburn and normalize acidity in the stomach.
- Cranberries are useful in the complex treatment of gastritis, gout, kidney and liver diseases.
- The fruits are useful for overweight people and those who follow their figure. In addition, using cranberries, you can normalize the body's metabolism and lose extra pounds by normalizing fat metabolism. Also, these fruits have a positive effect on overall well-being and, moreover, give vitality.
- The benefits of cranberries also include a positive effect on the nervous system. The composition of the fruits stimulates her work well, improves mood. This berry is also called the antidepressant berry.
- Due to the fact that these fruits contain folic acid and vitamin C, cranberries are considered one of the healthiest foods for pregnant women.
- Eating cranberries has a positive effect on the work of the cardiovascular system. Potassium, which is contained in the fetus, strengthens the heart muscle, prevents the risk of heart attack, vitamin C strengthens blood vessels and at the same time makes them much more elastic. In addition, vitamin C increases the body's defenses and helps in the fight against pathogens of various respiratory diseases.
- Calcium, which is also found in these fruits, is needed to strengthen bones. Phosphorus is required by the body for the normal functioning of the brain. In addition, when these fruits are consumed, pressure is stabilized, blood vessels are cleaned from cholesterol plaques.
- Due to the fact that phytoncides are contained in cranberries, the fruits have a detrimental effect on the causative agents of dysentery and typhoid. The astringent properties of berries are useful for problems with the gastrointestinal tract, both fresh and in the form of jam.
- In addition, the fruit of the cranberry is useful for gastritis. Cranberries can be used to treat diarrhea. To do this, the fruits are taken together with the seeds, pounded, then ground together with honey or egg yolk. Cranberry jelly will be useful for various indigestion and exacerbation of gastroenterocolitis.
