Gonobel - a berry common in the Russian North. Closer to autumn, peat bogs and lowlands, the banks of rivers and lakes, overgrown with bushes for tens of square kilometers, acquire a bluish-blue hue due to the incredible number of small fruits. Fragrant and tasty, they have long been used not only in fresh form, but also for harvesting along with cranberries, lingonberries and blueberries. However, the name "gonobel" is not familiar to everyone. You will learn about this plant from our article.
Gonobobel berry. What is it called differently?
Behind the traditional name, widely known in the Volga region, is hiding the familiar blueberry. The shrub, widespread in the northern hemisphere, gradually conquered new territories. Blueberry - a plant from the Heather family, also known as cabbage roll, waterdrop, gonobob, blueberry, gonoboy, drunkard, blue grapes, blueberry, drunk berry. Such common names are presumably associated with one feature of the culture. In its natural habitat, its eternal companion is marsh rosemary, which actively releases essential oils into the air. They have an effect on a person during the collection of berries: there is a slight headache, dizziness and even nausea.
Blueberry: description
So, gonobel and blueberries are the names of one shrub. The height of the plant is small - 20-50 cm on average, often with creeping shoots. A distinctive feature of blueberries from blueberries is the stem, lignified almost completely, even the receptacle on the berries, lighter coloration of obovate or oblong leaves and shoots. The shrub has a fibrous root system, mycorrhiza helps to obtain nutrients from the soil. Small five-toothed flowers of a drooping type are painted in a pale pink or white color. Gonobel - a berry is round, much less elongated, with a diameter of up to 1.2 cm, with a characteristic bluish bloom on the outside and purple flesh. The plant is durable, the bush can grow up to 100 years.
Places of growth
The natural habitat is the entire northern hemisphere with a cold and temperate climate (peat bogs, swamps, tundra and forest zone, upper mountain belt). Due to its unpretentiousness to weather conditions, love of acidic and moist soils, the bush is promising from an agricultural point of view.
Two forms are popular in horticultural culture: common blueberry and tall. They differ in size and some features of the cultivation. Based on them, numerous varieties are bred.
Varieties of tall blueberries
The native land of the plant is North America, where the shrub grows in moist places and in swamps. A full-fledged garden crop growing up to 2 m in height. Flowering begins in the 3rd year, the berries are large - 10-25 mm in diameter. Tall blueberries in the suburbs can be grown very successfully, but far from all varieties are suitable for the middle zone and the Urals. They simply do not have time to mature, so you should pay attention when choosing early and mid-early hybrids.
- Weymouth is a sprawling shrub up to 90 cm high, winter-hardy. Large berries up to 1.5 cm in diameter have a rich dark blue color, ripening begins in late July and ends in August.
Bluurei is a plant that forms a powerful and sprawling bush (up to 180 cm) with an average harvest maturity. This is a gonobel, the berry of which is large in size - up to 1.7 mm in diameter (photo above). The fruits are light blue in color, harvesting begins in mid-August and lasts until September. Productivity increased - up to 2.7 kg of berries from one bush.
- Rankokas is a medium-sized plant, reaching 1.5 meters in height by eight years of vegetation. Light blue berries are collected in a large brush resembling grape (pictured below), strong, with good commercial qualities. Productivity is high - up to 2.3 kg per bush. The maturity dates are similar to the Weymouth variety.
Common blueberries (marsh, stunted): features
This form means a low-growing shrub, traditional for our climate, which is popularly called gonobel. The berry is smaller compared to tall varieties. However, the main advantage of the plant in a wide environmental range. The shrub grows in swamps and mountains, in the light and in the shade, is cold-resistant, does not undergo spring frosts, can withstand poor and very acidic soils, the latter being the most preferred. There is a positive reaction to the burning out of the thickets. Fruits annually, the crop is modest - up to 200 g of berries from the bush, the size of one fruit is 1.2 cm in diameter. Ripening dates - 40-50 days from the time of flowering. Fruiting is regular, annual.
Low blueberry varieties
If you choose blueberries for cultivation for the purpose of subsequent sale, then of course, the first group of varieties has an advantage in terms of yield, berries, but is demanding on the climate. However, the undersized form compensates for this by a high survival rate and resistance to even the most adverse conditions. For the Urals and Siberia, the following varieties of blueberry marsh (ordinary) are recommended:
- Taiga beauty is a hybrid that forms large sprawling bushes with vertically growing branches. It has high winter hardiness - can withstand up to -40 ° C, resistant to diseases and pests. A variety of medium ripening. The berries are large, dark blue, collected in loose brushes, with acidity, fragrant, resistant to cracking with plenty of moisture. The variety is considered the most favorable for both amateur growing and industrial.
- Blue placer is a mid-season variety obtained by selection from a natural population of blueberries. The bush is tall (up to 1 m), the plant is frost-resistant. The berries are small, weighing up to 0.6 g, are collected in small brushes, the taste is sweet and sour.
- Iksinskaya is a medium-ripening variety. The plant forms large bushes, is not affected by diseases, winter-hardy. Large round-shaped berries are collected in a brush, the taste is sweet and sour. The fruits do not crumble and are resistant to cracking.