Growing garden blueberries: planting and care

Blueberries are a storehouse of vitamins. Many people consume it raw. And also as an additive in oatmeal, yogurt, dessert. They make jam, make juice. Someone picks blueberries in the forest. And someone is planting in the garden. Growing garden blueberries is not an easy process. But this article will help you understand all the issues and grow a great harvest.

Tips for choosing planting material

Cuttings 2-3 years old with a lump of soil on the roots are suitable material for sowing. And it must be moistened before sowing.

Recommendations for sowing blueberries in the garden

Blueberries grow primarily in the forest. In this regard, when planting it at home, it is imperative to create "forest" conditions.

Growing garden blueberries: timing for sowing

It is possible to plant blueberries in spring and autumn. The whole October is considered a good time for sowing. And also the very beginning of November.

Choosing a suitable planting site for blueberries

The habitat for blueberries is usually in the coniferous forest. Mostly pine. In this regard, it is necessary to create appropriate conditions on the site. Such as moderate moisture and acidity of the earth. Growing garden blueberries is best done in an area well-lit by the sun. But not in a shaded area. And the excessive moisture of the earth is unacceptable for blueberries.

Soil preparation on site

Standard garden soil is not suitable for blueberries. In the wrong conditions, it will begin to turn yellow and may simply die. Based on this, the ground must first be prepared. You need to start this in advance. If sowing is scheduled for October, then preparation must be carried out no later than September.

At the same time, a hole of 1.5 by 1.5 m and a depth of 60 cm is prepared for each plant. If the soil is light, then you need to add peat crumbs to it in a ratio of 2 to 1. And also kitchen waste, sawdust, crushed oak bark or humus from leaves. The best acidification of the earth is facilitated by 150-250 grams per square meter. m of sulfur in powder form. Ordinary river sand is introduced into heavy lands. Immediately before sowing, the soil in the hole usually settles.

Growing garden blueberries: the right sowing scheme

If you plan to plant blueberry cuttings in an even row, then the distance should be at least 1.5 m. And for planting in two rows, you must leave up to 2.5 m. Before planting the plants, the roots of the plant must be straightened. And loosen a lump of soil. A hole is made in the prepared soil in relation to the size of the roots. It is necessary to moisten it, then plant a seedling and cover it with earth. The soil around the bush must be compacted and watered.

Seasonal blueberry care rules

During the care of the planted blueberries, the following measures are important, systematic watering, timely weeding. As well as loosening the earth, adding fertilizers, pruning.

How to water properly

Blueberries need systematic and abundant watering.Excess moisture provokes plant disease.

Weeding and loosening the soil

The root system of blueberries is usually found almost on the surface of the earth. In this regard, closer to the roots, they loosen very carefully, only up to 3 cm deep.

Growing garden blueberries: the role of fertilizers

Mulch helps to reduce the amount of loosening, retain moisture in the soil. Helps control weeds. And in the summer, it does not allow overheating of the top layer of the soil. It is more expedient to add sawdust to the ground near the plant, without overlapping the root collar, with a layer about 10 cm thick and mix them a little with the ground.

Also, a good option for dressing is various crushed kitchen waste. Straw and withered leaves can be used with the least efficiency.

How to feed properly

Blueberries will definitely reward you with an excellent harvest with proper feeding. Organic food for blueberries can be manure, humus or peat crumbs. Be sure to add them to the surface layer of the soil every 2-3 years, about 3-4 kg per square meter. m.

In turn, from mineral dressings, as a rule, superphosphate and potassium magnesium are used. And also ammonium superphosphate. If the acidity of the soil is low (pH above 5.0), then every year 50-60 grams of sulfur in the form of powder is added to the base of the bush. With proper mulching, this procedure becomes optional.

Growing garden blueberries: pruning the right way

Competent breeding of this culture is almost impossible without correct pruning. As the bushes grow rapidly. It is more expedient to carry out the procedure in early spring, while the blueberries have not begun the process of bud development. Pruning during active flowering is not recommended. Because it can provoke a decrease in fertility.

When transplanting blueberries over 3 years old, the sprouts must be cut off to a length of 20 cm. In order for the bushes to give young strong shoots. At the moment when the plant grows for 3-4 years, it necessarily needs systematic pruning.

A strong and healthy shrub usually consists of 6-8 branches. Injured, dry or weak branches must be removed. It is also necessary to remove the lateral branches with buds. Since small berries grow on them and ripen much longer. Trees over 15 years old need to be pruned to rejuvenate to a length of 20 cm. This procedure is able to maintain fertility.

Protection against harmful insects / animals and diseases

To protect plants from possible pests and diseases, you need to remove and burn fallen leaves, fertilize the bushes. By the way, if the leaves are affected by aphids, then the diseased bushes should be treated with insecticides. And from the well-known scabbard, it is necessary to spray it with Bordeaux liquid.

Often, miskosphereliosis damages the leaf blades of garden blueberries, which contributes to the formation of red-black spots. The bush is treated with a special Topsin or Fundazol solution (2 grams of solution per 1 liter of water). The appearance of dark brown spots on the leaf blades means rust damage. The control method will be the use of suitable anti-rust fungicides.

But gray mold can completely destroy all berries. In order to combat mold, blueberries are sprayed with a ready-made solution of Bordeaux liquid. First, before the flowering period. Then after the end of flowering. And the last time was a few weeks later. Often used are fungicides such as Topsin, Euparen, and Fundazol.

Berry picking and storage

Blueberry picking usually takes place from mid-June to about early September. Due to the fact that blueberries do not ripen at the same time, they are usually harvested with an interval of 5-10 days.

It is more expedient to collect the crop in a plastic container, but not in a bag. Berries are predominantly dark, with a shade of blue-violet with an intact peel. In addition to the berries, the leaves of the plant are also harvested.During the flowering period, which usually occurs in May, from the branches that do not bloom, the leaves are collected and dried.

Usually they are used as a medicine as a hemostatic, astringent, diuretic and choleretic, as well as fortifying properties. The maximum benefit can be obtained from freshly picked garden blueberries. Berries can be stored for 6 weeks at a temperature of 0 degrees in a cool and dark room.

Growing garden blueberries: blueberry cultivation methods

Two types of propagation are well suited for garden blueberries: by seeds and cuttings. Young blueberry plants do not yield for a long time. If the plants are grown from seeds, then the harvest can be expected only after 5-6 years. In the case of propagation by cuttings, it is much faster.

Seed-grown blueberries

To get seeds from berries, you need to knead and stir them with water. Empty seeds will float to the surface. Do this several times. Until the water seems clear and there are no seeds left at the bottom.

Then the seeds should be dried on a paper towel. By the way, you can plant with it, after cutting it into a container with peat. After a week, sprouts will appear. In winter, boxes with sprouts must be kept in a well-lit room at a temperature of at least 5-10 ° C. In the spring, the seedlings must be dived, and then left to grow, but they can be planted permanently only for the next year.

Division of plants

With this method of cultivation, the mother bush is pulled out of the soil in the fall and divided into small bushes, preferably with 5 good buds. Sowing is done according to the standard scheme.

Growing garden blueberries: dividing into cuttings

Strong shoots of garden blueberries serve as material for dividing into cuttings. Usually in the last days of June - the first half of July, sprouts about 4-6 cm long are cut off with a sharp, and most importantly, a sterile knife. The lowest leaves must be removed. And cut the remaining ones by about half in order to reduce moisture evaporation.

The edge of the cutting should be treated with a special root stimulant. Then you need to prepare a container for planting. Pour into the prepared container 6-8 cm of peat or peat-bog soil and about 2-3 cm of thoroughly washed ordinary river sand.

The sprouts should be planted in the sand so that they cannot reach the peat layer. And stretch the top of the box with foil or cover with glass. From time to time, the cuttings must be ventilated and systematically sprayed, preventing the sand from drying out. In the spring, strong cuttings are transplanted to their permanent place.

Growing garden blueberries on your site is a complex laborious process that requires knowledge, skills and, which is important, patience, since the harvest from the planted plants has to wait for years.