mature blueberry in your dwelling garden is one of the most rewarding garden experiences – who does n’t love the taste of that plump , dulcet , down in the mouth yield ? And it ’s all the better since you grew those blueberries yourself . Before dedicate , however , get to have intercourse the soil requirements for blueberries , pruning techniques , how to plant them , and how to protect your blueberry crotch hair from raspberry .
Blueberries are a perennial deciduous bush . Once established , they ’ll bear yield for many yr – in fact , Highbush Blueberries live as long as 50 years if decent maintained . They ’re also attractive as ornamentals with ashen or pinkish blossoms in spring and bright , colorful foliage and wood in fall . They can be grown in insipid earth garden bed , raised garden bed , as hedges , or as individual specimen .
Blueberry Varieties
There are many varieties of idle blueberry bush and you might find them growing in your local woods . For the family garden , most cultivar fall under these types : Rabbiteye , Lowbush , Half High , Northern Highbush , and Southern Highbush . Rabbiteye and Southern Highbush are most ofttimes grown in area with high hotness ( such as Georgia , Florida , the Carolinas ) and northerly Highbush mixed bag are grown in moderate areas ( such as Pennsylvania , New Jersey , Massachusetts , Maine , Oregon ) . dissimilar variety show raise fruit at unlike times in the time of year and there are many cultivars within each sort . Choose the right combination of plants and you ’ll have fruit to harvest the full season .
Northern Highbush Blueberry varietiesare grow in Zones 3 - 8 . As a principle , northerly highbush blueberry bush are self - fertile , but as with other varieties , you ’ll get larger and originally ripening berries if several cultivars are interplanted for cross - pollination .
Lowbush Blueberry varietiesare grown in Zones 2 - 8 and grow wild across the coolest regions of North America . Lowbush varieties are depressed , straggly , twiglike shrub , range from 6″ – 2′ tall and wide . For best yield production , plant at least two different varieties . Interesting fact : Lowbush blueberry bush are blast - tolerant and can increase in telephone number keep an eye on a forest fire ( University Of Maine ) .
Rabbiteye Blueberry varietiesgrow in zone 6 - 9 and shrubs are up to 15 feet tall when matured . They are native to the southern and southeastern U.S. Rabbiteye blueberries require crown of thorns - pollination of at least 3 smorgasbord for maximum fruit .
Southern Highbush Blueberry varietiesare grow in Zones 7 - 10 . Southern Highbush change can be challenging to grow , but they do offer some very ahead of time ripening yield . Mulching with pine barque or pine wheat can increase the vigour of southern highbush . Many southerly highbush varieties are self - fertile , but planting 2 or more varieties is recommended for improved fruit hardening .
Most blueberries are self- productive , but it ’s always best to plant multiple cultivar of one diversity as cross - pollination encourages larger and more rich fruit . Two or more cultivars also have in mind you ’ll have a longer harvest home time of year since they produce fruit at different meter .
Blueberries need a loamy, acidic soil
The key fruit to growing blueberries is soil texture and pH. Unlike most plants in the fruit and vegetable plot , blueberry do poorly in a inert soil of 6.5 - 7 pH. They require a well - drained , idle , arenaceous loam soil that is in high spirits in constitutional thing and has a pH between 4.5 and 5.5 ( acidic ) . As most soil in North America are neutral or alkaline ( around 6.5 - 7.5 ) , this means that most gardeners will have to summate territory amendments like peat moss and primary sulfur to their garden bed , unless you live in an area where highlyacidic soilis the norm .
To determine pH , a soil test is necessary ( an on-line pH test kit is fine ) . If the soil pH is above 5.5 , peat moss should be added ( and coalesce into the soil at planting metre ) along with elemental atomic number 16 . How much Sulfur to add depends on how far you take to reduce the pH and the type of soil you have . In any case , employ no more than 3 ounce of Sulfur per plant per season to avoid burning or killing it . go around the sulfur evenly around the blueberry bushes , a few in from the al-Qaeda , and lightly work it into the soil . Then water it in . Test the pH again in 6 month to see if the soil involve further discourse . scan abouthow to sour your garden dirt . you’re able to also take thisstudy on using peat moss and sulfur to rapidly let down the soil pH for blueberries .
quash planting blueberry in heavy stiff soil that drains slowly – stand water or waterlogged territory can damage or drown the roots . To relieve the soil , add circumstances of organic affair to make it as loamy as possible . Peat moss worked into the garden bed at planting time is highly recommend for its power to acetify filth and better drain . one thousand waste , grass press clipping , and compost are also excellent constitutive matter , but these incline to be alkaline and may reduce the acidity of your ground .
How to plant blueberry bushes
bring up garden bedsare the perfect place to plant blueberry shrubs , as the soil can be easily improve and weed and the water mesa will be about 14 inches below the dirt surface . Fussing with the soil this much may seem like a lot of work , but considering that the plants will bear yield for 10 old age or more if properly run , it ’s a swell coming back on the investment funds of time .
Where to plant blueberries
Plant blueberry bush bushes in exposed field to further air flow around the plant . Poor airflow leaves the George Bush vulnerable to spring frost injury and fungous diseases . Blueberries requirea minimumof 6 minute of direct sunshine every day ( sooner more ) for bearing fruit . If shaded by trees , fences or walls , fruit will be reduced .
When to plant blueberries
Plant 2 - class - old ( or more ) blueberry shrubs in fall or early spring . Shrubs should be planted 4 - 5 feet apart ( rabbit-eye blueberry blueberries at 6 feet apart ) . When the George Walker Bush are all in one raised garden bed , or implant in a line in a bland earth garden , monitor and adjusting the soil pH and weed will be easy . If institute multiple rows , the rows should be 10 foot apart . define the plants at the height they were in the container – if embed too deep the plant may muffle .
Prune blueberries for more fruit
After planting , firm the soil around the rootage with your hands to remove melodic phrase pockets . Then , prune shrubs back by 30 % to encourage new emergence ( seehow to lop blueberries here ) . The goal of pruning is to remove old growth and keep the Modern growth at the al-Qa’ida of the plant ( mention to as “ party whip ” ) . blueberry should be pruned every winter to invigorate the flora and increase fruit production .
Remove flower blossoms the first season
Next , remove any blossom prime to discourage all yield exploitation the first class , and again the keep an eye on year ( I know , removing the yield buds on aim is almost unacceptable for most of us , but trust me , you need to do this ) . This encourages strong growth and a shrub that will bring out yield for many year . Do not fertilize the first season .
Mulch blueberries
Blueberry root grow near to the control surface , so keep a 4 - foot domain around the industrial plant free of weed . Be careful with cultivation pecker so as not to damage the roots . To conserve moisture , mastery grass , and keep the tooth root nerveless , add a 6 - in bed oforganic mulchlike peat moss or pine bark around each shrub .
Fertilizing Blueberries
Do not fertilize blueberry in the first year . In general , blueberries have a lower demand for nutrients than other yield crop . They usually only postulate small amounts , if any , of supplementary fertiliser , and usually , only Nitrogen – most soils contain sufficient atomic number 19 , phosphoric and trace minerals . But an acidic pH is a necessity so the blueberries can utilize the nutrients present in the soil . If it ’s too alkaline , the roots can not use the nutrient present .
If fertilizer needs to be added , implement to established plants early in the time of year when light-green shoots are growing . But beware how much Nitrogen plant food you add , as too much can damage the plant and even kill them – go easy , they do n’t call for much if any . Excessive fertiliser rates can reduce blueberry bush vigor , output and hardiness – it also wastes money and contaminate water when the fertilizer runs off , unused . Recommended constitutive fertilizer for blueberries are Blood Meal , Soy Meal , Fish Meal , Alfalfa Meal or Feather Meal .
Watering Blueberries
blueberry have a shallow beginning system of rules close to the surface , making them easy susceptible to injury from drought . That ’s why they need frequent watering . The soil should have logical water but it must never be waterlogged – it should drain quickly . Young plants need roughly 1 - inch of water each hebdomad and should be irrigate in the absence of rainfall . Established blueberry need 1.5″ – 3″ of water each hebdomad .
For best fruit production , water the plants systematically from peak through harvest . After harvest , yield bud formation begin right away and lasts until August , so water is critical at this time as well ( so water supply regularly fromAprilthrough Labor Day ) . Concentrate water on the root zones , not overhead , to avoid fungal diseases – a drip irrigation system is idealistic . Only water to supplement rain and deflect overwatering so the soil does not become waterlogged .
Care for mature Blueberry plants
Sources : Cornell University , Organic Production and IPM Guide for Blueberries;Mississippi State University Extension , What varieties of blueberry bush should be grown?;Oregon State University Extension , Growing Blueberries in Your place Garden;Penn State University Extension , Blueberry Variety Selection in the Home Fruit Planting;University of Georgia Extension , Home Garden Blueberries .
We garden in Pennsylvania , United States , zone 6B. Much of the info we partake is found on gardening in our temperate surface area . But many of the flowers , vegetables , and yield we write about can be grow in grease other than ours ( clay ) and significantly unlike atmospheric condition precondition and elevation . You might need to pick out specific varieties for your neighborhood , qualify your garden , add together grease amendments , or adapt the soil pH to match our results . Please check your local university extension website for specifics for your area .
