Blueberry planting is not the easiest task a gardener can undertake. But that only makes it more interesting, doesn’t it?
Garden forms of the shrub appeared in cultivation relatively recently: blueberry breeding has been carried out since the beginning of the 20th century, and the berry became popular in amateur gardening over the last 1-2 decades. Several varieties of blueberries are suitable for growing in gardens. Each of them has its own characteristics, but all varieties share common care principles.
Varieties for Different Climatic Zones
All the diversity of varieties is based on 3 wild species, which differ in their natural habitat and winter hardiness. This must be considered when choosing a blueberry variety suitable for cultivation in a given region. For warm areas and the central part of Russia, cultivated varieties of American selection, bred from the wild highbush blueberry species, are suitable:
- early-ripening (ripen in early July): Earlyblue, Weymouth, June;
- mid-fruiting (late July): Bluecrop and Berkeley;
- late (August): Dixie, Elliott, Coville, etc.
Highbush blueberry bushes (plant sizes up to 1.6-2 m) can withstand frosts down to -23°C, so they may freeze in overly cold or low-snow winters.
Varieties of garden blueberries that belong to lowbush varieties (up to 1.2 m) are adapted to lower temperatures and can easily withstand frosts down to -30°C. In areas with high snow cover, they can be bent down and protected under the snow. For Russian conditions, the following varieties are recommended:
- early (July): Northland, Bluegold, Northblue, etc.;
- mid-late (early August): Polaris, Emil, etc.
A distinctive feature of American-bred varieties is that the berries of all types have a sweet and sour, dessert-like taste. The yield of a large bush can reach 5-6 kg.
Domestic varieties were bred based on species prevalent in the northern regions of Russia: bog blueberry and narrow-leaf blueberry. They differ from American varieties in having a less pronounced fruit flavor, but they can grow and bear fruit in the conditions of the Northern Urals, Siberia, and Transbaikalia, tolerating frosts down to -43°C. Among them are:
- Taiga Beauty (frost-resistant and disease-resistant);
- Blue Placer and Divnaya (high-yielding – up to 1.6 kg of berries per bush);
- Shegarskaya (large and juicy fruits);
- Nektarnaya (good taste qualities).
Planting
The success of your first attempt to cultivate blueberries on your plot depends on how correctly the location is chosen and the garden blueberry is planted. To avoid disappointment in growing this useful and tasty product, you must fulfill all the conditions that blueberries require for site selection and care.
Growing Conditions
All varieties and cultivars of blueberries prefer locations with acidic yet loose soil. The natural habitats of the shrub are peat bogs and northern swamps. In the garden, for the blueberry planting site, it is recommended to add a mixture of peat and soil from a coniferous forest (or pine needles), and also to enrich the soil with sulfur. The mineral should be added at a rate of 40-60 g of sulfur powder per 1 m² (powdered sulfur can be purchased at agricultural stores).
A sunny spot, protected from cold winds in winter, will be suitable for growing blueberries. The shrub also tolerates partial shade well, provided large trees only block the sun during the hottest hours of the day. Blueberry yields decrease in overly shady spots, and the berries become smaller and lose their sweetness.
Blueberry Propagation Methods
The best time to plant blueberries is spring, after the soil has completely thawed. Planting material can be purchased at outlets offering seedlings. You can also buy seedlings from gardeners who grow blueberries on their plots.
When choosing seedlings at a store, opt for bushes with a closed root system. These can be planted in autumn and mid-summer without worrying about the survival of the bushes. Sufficient watering will be a necessary condition for their rooting.
At home, you can propagate existing varieties with good qualities yourself:
- by dividing the bush (if the blueberry has grown extensively and requires transplanting);
- by layering, when a part of the shoots is pressed to the ground;
- by cuttings – shoots can be rooted during pruning.
Planting a Blueberry Seedling
For a seedling, dig a hole 60×60 cm in size and about 50 cm deep. You will need to prepare a mixture:
- of peat;
- of coniferous or leaf soil;
- of sand;
- of well-rotted compost.
All components are taken in equal proportions. The volume of the substrate must be sufficient to fill the hole.
Place a layer of prepared soil at the bottom. Position the blueberry bush in the hole so that the soil level after backfilling is 7-10 cm above its root collar. Spread out the roots and fill the hole with the pre-prepared soil. Water the blueberry seedling thoroughly so that the water saturates all the filled soil (about 10 liters of water will be needed). To reduce moisture evaporation from the soil, mulch the tree circle with sawdust, peat, or other loose material.
After planting, prune the young plant, leaving ½ the length of 4-5 strong branches. It is better to remove weak shoots.
Blueberry Planting Scheme
If you plan to establish a garden blueberry plantation, the bushes should be placed according to the following scheme:
- leave a distance of 1.5-2 m between neighboring bushes in a row (for tall varieties) or 75 cm (for domestic lowbush species);
- there should be at least 1 m between rows so that the gardener can care for the blueberries and harvest the crop.
In garden design, fruiting bushes are used in various schemes. Expressive highbush varieties can be solitary on a lawn or used in group plantings, for hedges or arboretums. Low bushes are suitable for planting the lower tier in large tree groups.
Blueberry Care
For good fruiting, this unpretentious shrub requires watering, fertilizing, and pruning. A blueberry bush’s fruiting can be relatively stable for 7-10 years. During this time, pruning involves removing broken or dried shoots and shaping the bush if it is used for decorative purposes. At 10 years of age, blueberries require rejuvenating pruning.
In spring, some old shoots need to be removed. This will stimulate the growth of new branch mass during the season. The strongest shoots should be left during autumn pruning. The following spring, remove the remnants of old branches and shape the young bush.
How to Water Blueberries?
The bush’s root system is predominantly superficial. Blueberries are sensitive to soil drying out, so summer watering should be done 2-3 times a week, ensuring the soil remains constantly moist.
Special attention should be paid to the blueberry fruiting period. With insufficient moisture, the fruits will be small and lose their taste. During berry ripening, the flower buds for the following year are also set. Do not allow the topsoil to dry out by more than 1 cm. In intense heat, it is recommended to not only water but also spray the plants in the morning and evening.
What to Fertilize Blueberries with in Spring?
Spring feeding is carried out when the buds swell. A complex fertilizer (nitroammophoska, Fertika, Kemira-Lux, etc.) will be required to prepare the nutrient solution. For a 2-year-old bush, 1 tablespoon of granules is needed; thereafter, the amount of fertilizer is doubled annually. For feeding, you can dissolve the granules in irrigation water or apply them dry before watering, lightly working the fertilizer into the soil.
Blueberry Fertilization in Autumn
After harvesting, in September-October, apply 80 g of ammonium nitrate under 3-5-year-old blueberry bushes. Nitrogen fertilizer can be replaced with plant compost (10-15 kg per bush). In organic farming, green manures are used, which are sown in the inter-row spaces. In winter, the green mass dies off and provides blueberries with nitrogenous substances.
Summer Blueberry Fertilization
Summer feeding begins before fruiting (in mid-June). Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are applied to achieve an abundant harvest. For a mature fruiting bush (3-5 years old), a mixture of 100 g of potassium nitrate and 120 g of superphosphate is needed. Ready-made mixtures for berry bushes can also be used.
Growing Mistakes
A common mistake made by gardeners is insufficient drainage of the plot. The hole for the seedling is dug in loamy or clay soil, in dense soil typical for the Moscow region. During watering or prolonged rains, moisture easily saturates the soil in the hole and stagnates there, creating an unfavorable environment for the bush.
This mistake can be avoided by choosing an elevated area or a slope with natural drainage for excess moisture for planting.
Other common mistakes include:
- Planting in an area previously occupied by garden crops. Blueberries need loose, but not depleted soil from digging and previous plants. A good location would be a virgin plot with the sod removed.
- Blueberries are fertilized with manure, humus, bird droppings, or organic infusions. This is incorrect because an excess of nitrogen is harmful to them. The best fertilization is mineral fertilizer or plant compost.
- Caring gardeners often loosen the soil under the bushes. This should not be done because the root system is located at a depth of 20 cm and will be damaged. To maintain permeability, mulch should be used, and fertilizers should be worked into the very top layer of soil (up to 3 cm) with a rake during feeding.
During watering and precipitation, the soil becomes deacidified. To avoid this and ensure long-term blueberry harvests, add citric acid (1 tsp per 3 liters) or vinegar (200 ml of 9% acid per 10 liters) to the water when watering.