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Blueberry bush how to grow


Growing blueberries in the home garden

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Quick facts about growing blueberries

Many blueberry varieties grown in the Upper Midwest were bred for this climate by the University of Minnesota, making them right at home in the Minnesota home garden.

Blueberry leaves turn stunning shades of crimson and orange in autumn.

Blueberry plants grow slowly, and they may not seem to get much bigger from year to year. It takes a blueberry bush about 10 years to reach mature size, but this also means they will live a long, long time.

It will be 2 or 3 years before you start getting large harvests, but it is definitely worth the wait. The bushes are very attractive and will be a beautiful addition to your yard while you wait for fruit.

Care through the seasons

Preparing to plant

Blueberry plants require acidic soil (pH 4.0 to 5.0) that is well-drained, loose and high in organic matter. Most garden soils in Minnesota have higher pH and must be amended.

If pH is too high: 

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Selecting plants

Blueberry plants are widely available at local and online nurseries. Be certain the plants you buy are winter hardy to your USDA zone (zone 3 or 4 in Minnesota).

If buying plants locally, find potted plants that are at least two or three years old.

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Blueberry varieties for Minnesota

Variety Plant size (h x w) Hardiness (zone 4 to 3) Avg yield (lbs/bush) Description
Bluecrop 5 x 5 ft Good to fair 3 to 12 Large, mild-sweet berries. Ripen mid-season
Chippewa (1996) 4.5 x 5 ft Excellent to good 3 to 8 lbs Medium-large, sky-blue berries. Firm texture, sweet flavor. Ripen mid-season.
Northblue (1983)  3 x 4 ft Excellent to good 3 to 9 lbs Large, dark blue, firm berries. Ripen mid-season.
Northcountry (1986) 2.5 x 4 ft Very good to fair 3 to 5 lbs Small-medium, sky-blue berries. Sweet, mild flavor. Ripen early.
Northland 4 x 4 ft Excellent to good 3 to 12 lbs Medium, mild flavored berries. Ripen mid-season.
Northsky (1983) 2 x 3 ft Good to fair 1 to 5 lbs Medium, sky-blue berries. Sweet and mild. Ripen mid-season.
Patriot 4.5 x 4 ft Good to fair 3 to 12 lbs Very large, tart berries. Ripen early.
Pink Popcorn™ (2014) 4 x 4 ft Very good to good 3 to 5 lbs Medium, cream to pink berries. Ripen early to mid-season. Self-pollinating.
Polaris (1996) 4 x 4 ft Very good to good 3 to 8 lbs Medium, firm, crisp berries. Intense flavor. Ripen early.
St. Cloud (1990) 5 x 4 ft Very good to good 2 to 7 lbs Medium, dark blue, firm berries. Sweet flavor, crisp texture. Ripen early.
Superior (2009) 5 x 4 ft Very good to good 3 to 8 lbs Medium, sweet-tart berries. Ripen late.

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Planting

Blueberries grow best in full sun. Plants will tolerate partial shade, but too much shade causes plants to produce fewer blossoms and less fruit.

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Managing pests and diseases

Insects and wildlife cause minimal damage to blueberries. Because of the acidic soil requirements of blueberries, you are much more likely to have nutritional issues than pest issues. This highlights how important correct diagnosis is in addressing issues.

Find help identifying common pest problems:

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How to keep your blueberry bushes healthy and productive

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Emily S. Tepe, horticultural science researcher; Emily E. Hoover, Extension horticulturist; James Luby, professor of horticultural science; Annie Klodd and Marissa Schuh, Extension educators

Reviewed in 2020

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How To Grow Blueberries | Care and Maintenance

Just about everyone loves blueberries, but this week’s guest – Dr. Lee Reich – might just be blueberry-obsessed. Lee knows how to grow bountiful blueberries and has been perfecting best practice techniques for over 30 years on his small farm in New York state.

Beyond bearing delicious fruit, blueberries are also an attractive addition to the landscape. They are largely pest free and can be grown in every zone of the continental U.S.

 

Dr. Lee Reich in his New York state garden. He doesn’t want to lose a single berry to wildlife encroachment. This heavy-duty netting can be used year after year and keeps out birds and other large pests. (photo: Lee Reich)

What the Blueberry Needs

There are many varieties of blueberry, and they all have the same basic needs. This episode walks you through everything blueberry – from preparation and planting to maintenance and harvest.

All blueberry bush varieties require:

High, Low and Rabbiteye

There are three primary types of blueberry:

There are blueberry hybrids available too. For example, half-high berry bushes combine the hardiness and low stature of the lowbush with the heavier fruiting quality of the highbush.

 

Lee has been growing blueberries for over 30 years, and his bushes range in age from 9 to 20+ years old. The results of his techniques hang in heavy, mouth-watering clusters. (photo: Lee Reich)

 

Blueberries are self-pollinating, but planting at least two varieties in the same general area will increase the pollination rate and crop yield of both varieties. You can also expect to see larger berries when you plant more than one variety.

A third benefit to planting more than one type? An extended blueberry season. When shopping for blueberries for your garden, pay attention to the ripeness period. If you select a mix of varieties that each ripen early, mid and late in the growing season; you could be enjoying blueberries all summer long and into the fall.

Blueberries – Beyond the Fruit

Did you know that the blueberry bush is related to the rhododendron, azalea and mountain laurel? So, the blueberry plant isn’t just a delicious edible for your landscape.

The showy blueberry bush keeps the visual interest coming all year long. They produce beautiful spring flowers and attractive foliage all through the summer. Come fall, that foliage turns to spectacular tones of red, yellow and orange. In areas with cold winters, the bark of the blueberry bush changes to a deep red – a real standout in those stark, snowy months.

Lee even utilizes lowbush blueberry bushes as a ground cover in areas of his landscape. Blueberry bushes provide big bang for your garden dollar.

 

More than just a berry producer, blueberry shrubs provide all-season interest. Their fall foliage is spectacular. (photo: Lee Reich)

 

Getting the Soil Right for Your Blueberries

While most edibles prefer a soil pH in the neutral range – around 7.0 – blueberries will grow and produce best in acidic soil. The soil around your blueberries should stay in the 4.0-5.5 pH range. What’s the best way to achieve that? Start with a soil test.

Soil tests are available through your local county extension office and are fairly inexpensive – around $25. The county extension office will provide everything you need. Be sure to allow a few weeks to receive the test results – a detailed description of your soil fertility and pH.

It’s commonly thought that adding acidic materials, such as pine needles or oak leaves, will sufficiently increase the acidity in soil around blueberry plants. This is a myth – those materials won’t provide an impactful or long-term effect.

Instead, you will need to add sulfur, an organic soil acidifier. Sulfur is available in powdered or pelletized form. The powdered form is typically expensive, and it can be hazardous to use – since it creates a fine, breathable dust. Pelletized sulfur is less expensive and safe for the home gardener.

The soil test results report you receive will indicated your existing soil pH level, and the sulfur packaging will detail how much to add to achieve the correct pH adjustment. However, you will also want to bear your soil type in mind. For example, sandy soil will require significantly less acidifier than clay soil.

 

Not all blueberries are created equal. With so many varieties, it’s worth doing a little research to find a bush with the growth properties; crop ripening period; and berry size, texture, and flavor that is right for you. (photo: Lee Reich)

 

Don’t know what type of soil you have? Grab a handful of your soil, and clench it in your fist to determine texture. Does it break apart quickly? Your soil is comprised of mostly sand. Does it form a firm ball? You are working with clay- or silt-based soil. Loamy soil with plenty of organic matter should come together in your fist but separate easily if you press on it with your finger.

Once you’ve determine soil type and amendment quantity, Lee recommends spreading sulfur over the soil where you intend to plant your blueberries. As you dig the planting hole, the sulfur will incorporate with the soil.

In addition to acidity, blueberries prefer soil that is well-aerated, consistently moist and high in organic matter.

When you think organic matter, hopefully you think compost. I love compost, and I hope you do too. But this is a rare moment in the garden when using compost will actually be detrimental. Blueberries want lots of organic matter, but they don’t want a lot of nutrients. Since compost is rich in nutrients, it’s the wrong choice here. Instead, Lee recommends using peat moss. Peat moss is long-lasting (slow to break down) and is low in nutrient value.

Once he’s dug the planting hole, Lee adds peat moss to the soil he’s dug up. How much peat moss? Well, that’s not terribly scientific. Grab any bucket you have onhand, and fill that bucket with peat moss. You will be looking at Lee’s recommended quantity of peat moss. This part really doesn’t need to be exact. The idea here is simply to incorporate a generous amount.

Lee mixes the peat moss with the soil dug from the planting hole (which further incorporates the sulfur too). Once the blueberry rootball is set in place, Lee backfills with the soil, peat moss and sulfur mixture.

The sulfur will work to lower the soil pH, and the peat moss will aerate the soil and provide a good dose of low-nutrient organic matter.

 

There’s no denying Lee’s methods work. Just take a look at this Garden-of-Eden-like cluster.

 

Once planting is done, don’t forget to mulch. Mulch is always important as a final step, but with blueberries, it’s even more so. The shallow root systems of blueberries are susceptible to weed competition and to drying out in that soil near to the surface. By adding mulch, the soil is insulated against weed germination and dry air.

The type of mulch you use is important. This is not the place for rubber mulch or lava rock. Use sawdust, wood chips, leaves, pine needles – any organic material. Why? That organic matter will break down over time and will continue to improve the soil and your blueberry bushes.

The final step? Proper watering. Providing enough – but not too much – water will get your blueberries off to a robust start.

A good rule of thumb is to provide an inch of water during the course of a week. Drip irrigation is the best watering method for shrubs of all kinds. It will provide water at a slow and low rate, which allows for best absorption by plant roots.

 

Maintaining a generous layer of organic mulch under blueberry bushes protects against weed encroachment and dry air. The organic material will continue to break down and improve the soil. (photo: Lee Reich)

 

How to Care for Blueberries

Aside from checking moisture levels periodically and maintaining a good layer of mulch, there are only a few other maintenance issues to plan for as your blueberry bushes grow.

Soil pH maintenance
First, perform a soil test every two years or so to know when to re-acidify your soil. An amendment of sulfur will lower pH temporarily, but as the months pass, your soil will begin to shift back to its native pH level.

Pruning maintenance
It’s best to prune blueberry bushes while they are dormant – before leaf buds have formed on the stems. Prune out any branches which are crossing (rubbing against each other), are arching toward the ground, or which (when in leaf) will block out too much light from the center of the bush.

Blueberry bush stems have a limited production lifecycle. Stems which are 6 years old or more will produce fewer and fewer berries over time. Meanwhile, the bush will continue to produce new shoots from the base of the plant. So for the healthiest plants and bountiful crops, prune out these older stems to make room for the new shoots.

Once your bush is about 6 years old, look for any stems that are one inch or more in diameter. These are the 6+ year stems. Prune those all the way to the ground, and add those branches to your compost pile. If the bush developed several young shoots during the previous growing season, select four to six of the sturdiest shoots, then prune out the remaining shoots.

 

Lee doesn’t like to share his blueberry bounty with any foraging creature, but he does make the occasional exception. (photo: Lee Reich)

 

This type of yearly “renewal” pruning cycle is the best practice for managing growth. When you manage plant growth, you encourage new growth and set the plant up for optimal health and production. Pruning might seem intimidating or you may just hate to cut out a stem that will produce berries – but it is an important task to improve your plant. I provide more details on pruning in an earlier podcast, and you can even watch my how-to video to learn the basic fundamentals and common mistakes.

Although this renewal pruning should only be performed while the bush is dormant, you can prune out dead branches and stems at any time throughout the year. If a stem dies for any reason during the growing season, the sooner you cut it out the better.

Nutrient maintenance
Although blueberry bushes don’t like soil rich in nutrients, they do require some nutrients. If you’re using organic mulch, that material is providing some nutrient benefit as it breaks down. However, your blueberries will still benefit from a small amount of nitrogen. Lee recommends applying soybean meal, alfalfa meal or cottonseed meal once each year. Meals provide a good dose of organic nitrogen – without overdoing it. Two pounds of meal per 100 square feet of blueberry bushes is a good rule of thumb.

This little bit of attention just once or twice each year is all your blueberries need. Then, they will be ready to withstand drought, late frost and other challenges that would sink the crops of many edibles. In his 30 years growing blueberries, Lee has experienced all these challenges, but he’s never experienced a bad harvest. His blueberry crop even withstood mauling from a 17-year cicada awakening.

Speaking of pests, blueberries are more resistant to pests and diseases than most plants in your landscape. There are, however, a few to keep a watchful eye out for.

 

A GardenFarm blueberry bush – I managed to take this shot before the chickens stole all the berries. They perform vertical leaps to pick the berries right off my four foot tall bushes. I admire their agility, but I’d sure appreciate if they would be better about sharing!

 

Blueberry Pests and Diseases

Mummy Berry
You will know your bushes are being attacked by mummy berry (Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi) if the fruit on the bush begins to mummify and fall to the ground before ripening. The fungus which causes this disease is wind-borne, but don’t be too alarmed. Remove and discard as many of the mummified berries as you can to avoid further spread of the disease. Don’t add those berries to your compost pile.

At the end of the season, spread a thick layer of mulch (1-2”) around the base of your berry bushes. The mulch will cover any of the mummified berries you’ve missed. When those berries are covered, the fungal spores can’t spread, so your next year’s crop should be safe. As a side benefit, that fresh layer of mulch will help insulate the soil and break down to improve soil health.

Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD)
The SWD is a type of fruit fly and a common blueberry pest. Although most fruit flies are drawn to overripe fruit, the SWD eats underripe fruit. Problems with the SWD are relatively new to the U.S., and Lee has been working with Cornell University to develop bait traps for this berry-hungry pest. The traps are proving to be effective, but they are still being tested by the USDA before they will be available to the home gardener. In the meantime if the Spotted Wing Drosophila is a problem in your area, you can avoid them by planting early-ripening blueberries. The SWD doesn’t strike until early August.

 

Dr. Lee Reich is so infatuated with blueberries, he built this elaborate (and effective) structure to protect his 16 highbush blueberries from neighboring wildlife. (photo: Lee Reich)

 

Rhagoletis mendax
Another blueberry pest to watch for is the Rhagoletis mendax or blueberry maggot. You will see the small fly-like adult form of the Rhagoletis mendax flying around your blueberry bushes. Traps are an easy and organic treatment.

These bugs are attracted to the color red (although green has been found to be effective as well). You can use any red or green orb you have onhand or purchase one at garden or home improvement centers. While you’re there, purchase some Tangle Trap – a sticky substance that you coat the orb with to create the trap. Be careful when you apply Tangle Trap – this stuff is so sticky it is very difficult to get off of your fingers!

Hang the orb trap among the blueberry plants. The maggot flies will stick to it and die. Lee likes to coat a McIntosh apple. He hangs the sticky apple among his bushes and has found it will last all season long. At the end of the season, he removes the apple and adds it to his compost pile.

The maggots of both these pests develop inside the blueberry fruit. If you are concerned that there may be maggots in your blueberry crop, refrigerate the berries for at least 48 hours before eating them. The refrigeration will kill any maggots in the berries. It may not sound appetizing, but the berries will still be tasty – and safe. You can also test your berries by mixing a teaspoon or two of salt in one cup of water. Submerge the berries in the solution for 10-15 minutes. If there are maggots present, they will crawl out of the berries.

Here at the Atlanta-area GardenFarm™, my only blueberry pest (other than the chickens!) has been the Datana ministra or yellow-necked caterpillar. Covered in long white hairs and with a large yellow band around their heads, these bugs don’t exactly blend in to their environment. The fact that they strip the foliage off of my blueberry bushes makes them pretty highly visible too. It’s not hard to spot a big, hairy caterpillar on a naked blueberry bush.

 

Lee’s blueberry fortress successfully protects his crop from foraging wildlife – and it doesn’t look half bad either. (photo: Lee Reich)

 

For these pests, I apply Bacillus thuringiensis, a microbial (organic) insecticide. Bt, as it’s commonly known, is widely available in powder or liquid form under product names like Dipel or Thuricide. As with all treatments, be thoughtful and targeted in your application of Bt to avoid impacting surrounding beneficial insects.

The most notorious blueberry pest issue, though, are the larger pests. Birds, deer, raccoons, chickens – wildlife loves the blueberry just as much as we do.

It’s these larger pests that led Lee to build his “Blueberry Temple.” All of his 16 crop bushes are within this structure. Its sides are constructed of ¾” metal mesh supported by posts and rebar. As the berries begin to ripen, Lee drapes heavy-duty netting over the top. This approach keeps the birds and other wildlife from devouring berries before Lee picks them at peak ripeness.

If it isn’t feasible to build your own blueberry-protecting shrine, you will need to plan some physical barrier. Hanging decoys or items meant to scare off wildlife isn’t usually effective. You might opt to drape netting over the whole bush. However, birds can often still reach the berries, and the netting can make it challenging for you to harvest.

 

Lee’s “Blueberry Temple” is constructed of wire mesh supported with posts and rebar. As the fruit ripens, the entire structure will be draped in netting to protect against birds. (photo: Lee Reich)

 

Saving the Best for Last – Blueberry Harvest

Did you know that blueberries aren’t actually ripe once they turn blue? The blue coloring is an indication that they are almost ripe. Those berries will be even better if you leave them on the bush for a few days more. Patience is a virtue and all that jazz.

So, how do you tell when the berries are actually at their peak of ripeness? Lee says he “gently tickles” the berry clusters. With this gentle touch, all the perfectly-ripe berries fall away from the stem while the unripe berries remain attached.

Check your bushes daily during those warm summer days – you don’t want those perfectly ripe berries falling to the ground when you aren’t around to enjoy them.

 

Just because a blueberry is blue – doesn’t mean it’s ripe. Unless the berry falls with a gentle touch, perfect flavor is still a day or two away.

 

So, what are you waiting for? Add some blueberry bushes to your garden – you will appreciate the fruit and the beauty of the bushes all year long. Don’t have a garden? No problem. Many varieties of blueberry are ideal for containers. Look for dwarf varieties. Even if you only have a small balcony or little spot of sidewalk – if you have sun, you can have blueberries.

If you haven’t already listened to the podcast recording, I suggest you scroll to the top of this post and listen in. We have a little fun discussing Lee’s blueberry passion and, as always, there are a few additional details and notes of interest in our conversation. You can listen in while you shop for blueberry plants.

Links & Resources

Episode 001: Pruning 101 – The Pruning Basics From A to Z

Episode 050: Organic Pest Control: Beneficial Insects And Beyond

joegardener Video Blog: The 3 Biggest Mistakes when it Comes to Pruning

GGW Episode Episode 410 – Weedless Gardening

Dr. Lee Reich

Rainbird® – Our podcast episode sponsor and Brand Partner of joegardener.com

 

 

About Joe Lamp’l

Joe Lamp’l is the creator and “joe” behind joe gardener®. His lifetime passion and devotion to all things horticulture has led him to a long-time career as one of the country’s most recognized and trusted personalities in organic gardening and sustainability. That is most evident in his role as host and creator of Growing a Greener World®, a national green-living lifestyle series on PBS currently in production of its ninth season. When he’s not working in his large, raised bed vegetable garden, he’s likely planting or digging something up, or spending time with his family on their organic farm, just north of Atlanta, GA.

How to grow blueberries - step by step instructions

Thickets of high blueberry bushes occupied large areas in North America in "pre-Columbian" times. Indian tribes used sweet berries not only for food, but also for the treatment of many diseases, and first of all, to restore the visual acuity needed by hunters and warriors.

In the 1920s, Canadian breeders became interested in this berry. It was they who managed to bring out a number of large-fruited varieties with sweet and unusually tasty berries. In addition, they turned out to be very healing.

Entrepreneurial farmers began to grow this berry on large plantations and sell it abroad. The business turned out to be extremely profitable. Some entrepreneurs make millions of dollars on it!

Canadian garden blueberries are still considered the best. However, our breeders managed to get some truly unique varieties.

In this article we want to talk about some of the subtleties, without knowing which it is simply impossible to grow bush blueberries.

TO GROW BLUEBERRY, TAKE CARE OF THE SOIL!

Often not very experienced fruit growers complain that blueberries planted in the sun do not grow and bear fruit, although they water it, fertilize it, and loosen it. And it's all about the soil! It should be very acidic (pH 3.5 - 4), loose, well fertilized with rotted manure and chopped needles (pine or spruce).

Before planting, the earth is artificially acidified, but not with battery fluid, and not with concentrated vinegar. From such a “treat”, blueberry roots can simply “burn out”! As an acidifier, it is best to take citric acid (two tablespoons with top per bucket of water for one plant).

Planting pits are shed with this solution the day before planting seedlings, so as not to immediately burn the young root system. Blueberry bushes are planted at a distance of two to three meters from each other. Drainage is made from wet sawdust under the seedlings, and pine or spruce cones are also laid out in two rows on top.

IRRIGATION IS IMPORTANT IN GROWING BLUEBERRY

Bush blueberries are a terrible water drinker. If she does not have enough water, she will drop all the ovaries. Therefore, water it regularly and plentifully. In the heat, provide it with fine sprinkling of the entire plant as a whole. It should be as if shrouded in a water cloud.

But here, too, you need to know when to stop. Overwatering for blueberries is just as harmful as its lack. Moisture should never stand in puddles under the bushes, otherwise the access of oxygen and nutrients to the roots will stop.

To determine when and how often to water, keep an eye on the condition of the soil under the bushes. It should always be moist and loose.

YOU CAN'T GROW BLUEBERRY WITHOUT FERTILIZER

Acidic soils are important. But they must also be well fertilized. As soon as the snow cover turns into spring sonorous streams, feed all the blueberry bushes with a solution of urea (20 g per watering can of water for each). In mid-May, scatter half a bucket of compost into tree trunks and mix well with the ground.

Blueberries need phosphorus and potassium in autumn. Buy any complex autumn mineral fertilizer and feed the plants in accordance with the doses indicated on the package.

When you grow blueberries, you don't have to worry about buying expensive insecticides. Its dense, glossy leaves - they absolutely do not like it!

WHEN YOU GROW BLUEBERRY THEN THE BEST VARIETIES

Before we offer you a variety, we test it on our experimental fields, we are interested in the results of studies of other research centers, we compare, determine the growing zones, choose the most versatile with the best performance.

We managed to create a wonderful collection of blueberries. Today we recommend the best varieties to you.

Tall : Berkeley, Brigitte, Hannah Choyce, Weymouth, Gold Traube, Boniface, Chanticleer, Patriot, Denise Blue, Blue Harvest.

Medium: Flamingo, Mider, Nelson, Duke, Kaz Plishka, Bonus.

Undersized : North Country, Putte.

Growing blueberries in your garden is not difficult at all. Try it, and you will get berries that are unique in their content of vitamins and nutrients, even one handful of which can replace a whole bunch of expensive drugs! By the way. those gardeners who have been growing blueberries for a long time claim that they never complain about their eyesight and wear glasses only from the sun!

How to grow blueberries in your garden? - planting, care, photos, how to grow and harvest

Contents:

Garden blueberry

Blueberry is an amazing plant, but it is still not widely spread in Ukraine. It has the following names: in Russian it is blueberry, in Ukrainian it is lokhina, and in Polish it is borovka. Blueberries are native to the eastern United States. In the wild form, this berry was collected by the natives. But they began to grow it only at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Blueberry is a powerful, highly branched shrub up to 2.5 - 3 m in height. The leaves are long (up to 12 cm long), green above, shiny, and dull and lighter below. In autumn, with the onset of frost, they crumble.

The root system of blueberries is superficial, because in nature it grows in marshy places. It blooms in spring, large, pale pink flowers, bell-shaped. The flowering bush looks very decorative.

Compared to blueberries, American blueberries have very large berries (20-25 mm in diameter). On the bush are arranged in clusters, from 2 to 14 pieces on each. Berries from light to dark blue in color, with a waxy coating.

Blueberry pulp, unlike blueberries, is colorless, so it never stains hands and clothes. Depending on weather conditions and varieties, reaches in July - August. The bush begins to bear fruit from 3-4 years of age, and expect a bountiful harvest no earlier than 6-7 years after planting. An adult bush can produce 5 - 7 kg of berries of excellent quality.

Benefits of garden blueberries

Blueberries have long been used in alternative medicine. It is useful to eat its berries fresh, as well as dry. Blueberry leaves are used to add to marinades, and also make decoctions and alcohol tinctures from them. Popular blueberry juice. Very useful compotes and knots from dry blueberries.

Tinctures from the leaves act on the pancreas and also on the activity of the intestines. Also, I drink tinctures to prevent colds.

Berries reduce blood sugar levels, remove toxic substances from the body, as well as cholesterol, strengthen blood vessels. They are rich in vitamin C, they are recommended for colds. Vitamin K in the composition of blueberries has a good effect on the children's body, and especially on the formation of the skeleton and strengthening of bones.

In the United States and Canada, blueberries are mass grown for cosmetic and medicinal purposes. For some reason, this berry is not so popular in Ukraine.

How to grow blueberries

Where to plant blueberries? The most important point is the choice of suitable soil. She needs moist, breathable, and most importantly, acidic soil (pH 3.5 - 5.0). Scientists have noticed that at pH 5.5, the yield of blueberries decreases, and at pH 6.8, its growth stops completely. And if the pH is 3.2 and below, the plants begin to get sick.

Acidic soils with a humus content of at least 4% organic matter are ideal. Don't be discouraged if your soil isn't like this. There is a solution: grow blueberries in tubs and containers using the right earth mix.

In contrast to blackcurrant, winter hardiness in blueberries is much lower. At a temperature of -20 ... -25 ° C, sensitive varieties freeze out, more resistant varieties withstand temperatures down to -25 . .. -27 ° C. Choose frost-resistant varieties, as blueberries bloom in the spring and are often damaged.

The second factor for successful cultivation, after acidity, is good water-retaining soil. If moisture is in short supply in your area, mulch the plants with a continuous, thick layer of sawdust. Thanks to such a “fur coat”, moisture is kept in the soil, weeds do not grow, and sawdust provides an acidic reaction to the soil.

Rules for planting and caring for blueberries. Plant two-year-old seedlings with a closed root system. Landing is best done in late autumn or early spring. Because the growing season for blueberries begins early in the spring.

The distance between plants when planting in a row - 1.2 - 1.5 m, between rows - 1.5 - 1.8 m. Just do not thicken the planting, there will be no harvest. Pruning is the same as for blackcurrant. Pruning is carried out to stimulate the growth of new shoots, remove old, damaged and dry branches.

The main danger is cancer. If you notice dark spots with yellow or red edges on the shoots, then cut and burn such shoots to prevent spread. The main rule is to buy healthy seedlings.

Tall blueberry how to properly cut

Tall blueberry has become popular among gardeners. It is called the shield berry, high blueberry. The average height of a bush is two meters, there are bushes 2.5 meters high.

There are several ways to propagate tall blueberries - using cuttings, seeds or layering, as well as dividing the mother bush. We will look at how to propagate blueberries from cuttings.

It is necessary to carefully cut the blueberry stalk into 4 buds, the length of the stalk is up to 14 centimeters, the upper cut must be straight, and the lower cut oblique. It is necessary to treat the stalk with a fungicide, as well as rooting agents. It is recommended to root cuttings in greenhouses.

The cuttings are planted in containers. The soil is a mixture of sand and peat. Be sure to cover with foil or glass. The rooting process in tall blueberries is long and complex, taking up to eight weeks. Air the cuttings, water, constantly check them, monitor the humidity.

A young plant can be transplanted to a permanent place next spring.

Please note that young cuttings with a grassy top can be used for blueberry propagation, as well as old cuttings, they are called lignified. The young stalk is cut in the summer, and the lignified - in the spring.

Why blueberries don't grow

Sometimes growers complain that their blueberries don't grow. The bush stands still, does not increase in growth, and the foliage becomes light. There are some commonly made mistakes, by eliminating them, you will definitely be able to grow a beautiful and healthy bush, as well as get a crop.

Choose the right place to land. Some gardeners think that since blueberries grow in forests and not far from water, then they should be planted in the shade and on moist soil. Remember, blueberries grow in high places, love sunny and sheltered places, you need to find a warm place for your bush and never flood the plant.

Blueberries are very fond of acidic soil - this is a very important condition for its normal growth and development. In neutral soil, blueberries will become sickly, the leaves will fade. The optimal acidity is pH 3.5-4.5.

Sometimes the cause may be improper watering and top dressing. Always water your blueberries, but don't overdo it, they don't like stagnant water. Fertilize every spring,

Some growers don't pay much attention to form pruning. The plant should have seven main branches. Be sure to cut off unnecessary shoots, as well as dry and weak branches, and you will definitely get a great harvest!

How to make blueberry jam

Blueberry jam is not only a tasty product, but also very useful, because everyone knows how positively this berry can affect the human body. Everyone can make blueberry jam according to our easy recipe.

Take blueberries, sort them and rinse thoroughly, now you need to pour them into a colander so that all the water is glass.

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