Cranberry 'Pilgrim'

Synonyms: Cranberry Pilgrim, Vaccinium macrocarpon Pilgrim, Журавлина Пілігрім, Cranberry Pilgrim, Cranberry, Журавлина Пілігрім

Cranberry 'Pilgrim' (Vaccinium macrocarpon Pilgrim) – an intensive large-fruited cranberry cultivar from the Cranberry group. The cultivar originates from North America.

This is an evergreen, creeping shrub 20-30 cm in height and up to 2 m in diameter. Leaves are evergreen, small, elliptical to oblong, arranged alternately, 1-1.5 cm long. Cranberry leaves are green on the upper side, glossy, firm, leathery and light gray on the underside. In winter the leaves acquire a red-brown color.

The flowers are self-pollinating, white or white-pink with curved petals, appearing on nodding inflorescences of 6-8 flowers in June-July; flowering may last 20-25 days.

Fruits are very large, up to 24 mm in diameter, dark red with a bluish waxy bloom, glossy, and can remain on the bush all winter. Berries begin to ripen 70-90 days after flowering (late September). Cranberries are harvested in autumn when the berry becomes dark red. Harvesting occurs from late September or in October and can continue even into November. Fresh berries, although sour-bitter in taste, are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants. The plant begins to bear fruit in the 2nd-3rd year after planting. Yield up to 3 kg per 1 sq.m.

Hardiness zone: 4-8 (-29°C).

Site: prefers light but is not demanding regarding mineral nutrition. The area for cranberries should be level and well-lit. It is recommended to avoid enclosed low spots and hollows where cold air can accumulate and water can stagnate during snowmelt or heavy rains.

Soil: prefers acidic, water- and air-permeable (peat, sand, loam) soil pH 3.5-4.5 and moderate soil moisture, but by no means excessive, despite growing on bogs. The top layer of soil should be moist.

Planting: for planting it is recommended to make beds based on raised peat. Remove the topsoil (to a depth of 20-25 cm) and fill the resulting hollow with raised peat. Pure raised peat can be replaced by a mixture consisting of any type of peat, sawdust, fallen conifer needles and decomposed forest litter in any proportions. A little sand can be added to this mixture. Sprinkle the surface of the bed with sulfur (40-60 g per 1 m² area), mix the substrate, compact and mulch with sand (layer 4-5 cm). To acidify the bed, water it with acidified water (10 L of water per 1 m²). To acidify use citric or oxalic acid (1 teaspoon per 3 L of water), acetic or apple vinegar (9% vinegar 100 g per 10 L of water). It is best to use seedlings with a closed root system. Plant them with a soil clod in holes up to 10 cm deep and 8-10 cm in diameter at a distance of 20-30 cm from each other. After planting, water the area well and cover with sand (layer 1.0-1.5 cm). For a week monitor the bed so that the top layer of soil does not dry out.

Care: In hot weather the plant needs watering. Water used for irrigation should also be very acidic (pH 4), otherwise plants will first show signs of leaf chlorosis, followed by growth arrest and plant death. When cultivated, cranberry actively responds to relatively small amounts of fertilizers; only mineral fertilizers should be used (the complex fertilizer "Universal" works well for this). In the first year of cultivation the feeding scheme is as follows: the first feeding is carried out 3 weeks after planting. On 1 m² apply half a tablespoon of fertilizer. Then continue applying the same fertilizer in the same amount every 2 weeks until the end of July. In mid-August apply about one-third of a tablespoon per 1 m² of the fertilizer "Autumn". The last feeding is applied in October (as in August). In the second and third years of cultivation, from the end of April until the end of July, apply half a tablespoon per 1 m² of the "Universal" fertilizer every 2 weeks. In mid-August and in October apply one-third of a tablespoon of the "Autumn" fertilizer per 1 m². Starting from the fourth year and in subsequent years, the amount of fertilizer applied to large-fruited cranberry is sharply reduced. During the growing season 6 feedings are carried out. In mid-April, May, June and July apply one-third of a tablespoon of "Universal" fertilizer per 1 m². In mid-August and mid-October apply one-third of a tablespoon of the "Autumn" fertilizer per 1 m². Cranberry plantings are periodically mulched with sand, which provides favorable conditions for the growth and development of the root system and the plant as a whole. Sanding is carried out once every two to three years, early in spring before the start of cranberry growth, by spreading sand in a layer of 2-3 cm over the entire surface of the bed. In winter, cranberry needs protection from freezing. The simplest and most convenient means is snow cover, which has good thermal insulating properties. But snow cover is not sufficiently reliable (it can melt during a thaw, and during a blizzard it can be blown off the bed). Therefore, in late autumn cover plantings with any available material: spunbond, burlap, spruce branches, etc. In spring, after the soil thaws, remove the cover. Protection is necessary not only against freezing. In winter, in dry windy weather, unprotected cranberry shoots die even if the temperature remains significantly above the critical point. This is because in frozen soil the root system does not function and water does not reach the above-ground parts of the plant. As a result, shoots die from desiccation, although in mid-winter they can withstand short-term drops to -28º - -30º. Straw or fallen leaves must not be used for covering under any circumstances. They may harbor mice, which for nesting will gladly use not only the straw you spread but also the cranberry shoots underneath. In spring and autumn take care to protect plantings from frost. The most reliable method of protection in this case is irrigation. At night, when the temperature drops to 0º, turn on irrigation. If this is not possible, then in the evening, on the eve of a frost, abundantly water the cranberry beds, or cover them with spunbond, burlap, foam rubber, polyethylene film or any other available material (even straw).

Pruning: In early spring (before the start of vegetation) or autumn (after berry harvest) prune creeping shoots that protrude above the tops of the upright shoots. Cut the shoots using pruning shears, scissors or a knife. The frequency of pruning is determined visually, by the density of the cranberry layer and the development of the creeping shoots. Shoots can be cut in strips 2-3 cm wide, leaving an adjacent uncut strip of the same width.

Diseases: affected by phomopsis, gray and snow mold, red leaf spot, monilial blight, gibberella spotting, pestalotia, ascochytosis, botrytis, and excessive shoot growth.

Pests: black-headed cowberry leafroller, heather spanworm, gypsy moth, cabbage moth and apple-like scale insect.

Propagation: propagated by seed and cuttings. Cuttings are cut and planted into mulched, sand-layered moist soil. To maintain sufficient humidity, the planting is covered with film and watered regularly. After 20-25 days the cuttings will root and produce lateral shoots.

Uses: fruits are consumed fresh, used to make fruit drinks, juices, kvass, extracts, and jellies; they are a good source of vitamins. Leaves can be used as tea.