How to grow blueberries

The delicious blueberry belongs to the Lingonberry family. It has a pleasant taste and aroma, and is also extremely beneficial for health. Blueberries are eaten fresh, jam is made from it, pastille is prepared, frozen and used to produce juice. Any gardener can easily grow this berry.

Blueberry varieties

As a result of the work of breeders, many varieties, which are perfect for growing in our climate:

• Northblue blueberries are low-growing varieties of this plant. At the end of summer, one plant of this variety can produce about 2 kg of sweet berries. The harvest is used for further processing or freezing.

• Country blueberries begin to ripen in the second half of summer. From one powerful bush, 2 kg of medium-sized berries are collected, which have a sweetish taste and a light blue tint to the skin. This variety has excellent frost-resistant qualities and can be a decorative addition to the garden.

• Chippewa blueberries can grow up to a meter in height. The yield of this variety is about 2.5 kg per plant. The berries are large in size and have a high percentage of sugar. In this regard, the Chippewa variety is recommended for use in making dessert dishes.

• The Northland blueberry grows as a spreading, vigorous bush. The berries ripen in the second half of summer. The yield is high compared to other varieties - about 8 kg. The dense blue berries have excellent flavor and firm texture. This variety withstands transportation well.

• Blugold blueberries begin to ripen in July. Since the berries of this variety fall off quickly, it is important to harvest on time. The berries have a sweet and sour taste and can be stored for a long time. This variety is characterized by its tolerance to low temperatures.

Planting blueberries

Well-lit areas where groundwater runs deep enough are suitable for growing blueberries. Wind protection is also required. It is best to plant blueberries in the spring, so that over the summer the plant adapts and has time to gain strength for the winter.

For blueberries, peat or sandy soil with a slightly acidic reaction is suitable. Acceptable plant blueberries in clay soils, but in this case you need to create a thick drainage layer. Since the root system of this plant is quite fragile, purchase seedlings in special containers and take special care when planting.

Arrange blueberries in rows, maintaining a distance between individual bushes of about 60 cm. Prepare a hole for each bush with a side of 60 cm and a depth of about 50 cm. To better provide the blueberry bushes with oxygen, it is useful to loosen the walls of the hole. After this, the bottom of the pit is covered with a layer of soil mixed from peat, sand, sawdust and pine needles with the addition of 50 g of sulfur. There is no need to apply organic fertilizers, since they provide an alkaline environment instead of the necessary acidic one.

The seedlings are lowered into the hole and the root system is well straightened. Then the hole is filled with soil so that the root collar is buried. After this, the soil is compacted and watered. A layer of mulch made from straw, sawdust or bark is placed on top.

Blueberry care

The process of growing blueberries is in many ways similar to growing other garden crops. It is necessary to water blueberries with caution, avoiding flooding of the plant. If moisture stagnates, the plant may die. It is especially important to regularly water plant during flowering and at the time of harvest ripening.

Two weeks after planting blueberries, the bushes must be fertilized with mineral fertilizers. A mixture of phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen in a ratio of 2:1:1 is suitable for this. After fertilizing, be sure to moisten the tree trunk circle. For the second and subsequent years feeding must be done in mid-spring and June.

During the growing season, it is necessary to loosen the soil around the plant two or three times to a depth of 9 cm. There is no need to loosen the soil too often, and there is a high risk of accidentally damaging the root system.

It is imperative to use mulching around the tree trunks. This will prevent overheating of the root system and protect against frost in winter. During the season, you need to replace the layer of mulch with fresh one or two times.

When the plant is 5 years old, it is necessary to carry out pruning. It is necessary to cut out old dead branches in late autumn and early spring. In this case, it is necessary to leave 4 branches of young ones and those that are already bearing fruit. From below, young shoots are completely removed so that fungus does not develop and the planting does not thicken.

There is no need to cover blueberries for the winter if the temperature in your region does not drop below -25 degrees. Otherwise, it is better to cover the bushes with a layer of sawdust or non-woven material.