|
Growing
Blueberries
| Site
Selection: |
Select a sunny location in
well drained soil free of weeds and well worked. Locate in an area where
irrigation water is available as best results will be obtained by keeping the
root zone moist (not wet) throughout the growing season. Where the soil is poor
or marginally drained, raised beds 3 - 4 feet wide about 12" high work well for
blueberries. |
| Preparation: |
A fail safe
way to grow blueberries in almost any soil is to incorporate peat moss into the
planting medium. For planting directly in the ground, work up a planting area
approximately 2 1/2 feet in diameter and one foot deep. Remove 1/3 to 1/2 of
the soil. Add an equal amount of remoistened peat moss and mix well. One 4
cubic foot compressed bale will usually be sufficient for 4 - 5 plants. For
raised beds mix equal volumes peat moss and acid compost or planting mix.
Blueberries thrive in acidic soils.
|
|
Spacing: |
Blueberries can be planted as close as 2 1/2 feet apart to form solid hedgerows
or spaced up to 6 feet apart and grown as individual specimens. If planted in
rows, allow 8 - 10 feet between the rows depending on the equipment used for
mowing or cultivating. |
|
Planting: |
Remove
from pot and lightly roughen up the outside surface of the root balls. Set the
top soil line of the plant about 1 - 2 inches higher than the existing ground
and firm around root ball. Mound soil up along sides of exposed root mass.
Water in well. |
|
Pruning: |
At
home we have had great success with our blueberries by just planting them as
stated above. As for pruning, we just trim out any deadwood, low growth around
the base of the plant, and any branches that are not growing up. We also trim
some of the small twiggy branches so as to reduce the amount of snow load. If
you us the method below let us know how it works for you. Crickett (ps:
we know it is good practice to remove flower blossoms the first year,
but I don't! I remove about half. |
| |
It is
important that blueberries get established before allowing them to bear fruit.
Thereafter, they should be heavily pruned each year to avoid over fruiting which
results in small fruit or poor growth.
Remove all
blooms as they appear the first year.
1. Remove
low growth around the base. If it doesn't grow up, it gets pruned out!
2. Remove
the dead wood, and non-vigorous twiggy wood. Select for bright colored wood
with long (at least 3 inch) laterals. Remove blotchy colored short growth.
3. If 1/3
to 1/2 of the wood has not been removed by the above steps, thin out the
fruiting laterals and small branches until this balance has been obtained.
|
| |
|
Fertilizing:
Blueberries like acid fertilizers such as Rhode or Azalea formulations. For
newly planted stock, use 2 tablespoons of 10-20-10 (or similar fertilizer) in
late spring or once plants are established. (Careful! Blueberries are very
sensitive to over fertilization!) for subsequent years, use 1 ounce of
fertilizer for each year from planting to a total of 8 ounces per plant. Apply
in early spring and again in late spring for best results. Always water well
after fertilizing. For organic fertilizers, blood meal and cottonseed meal
work well. Avoid fresh manures.
Check
List: 2 plants per family member
4 plants if you plant to make pies or freeze for
winter
1 cubic
bale peat moss per 4 - 5 blueberry plants
1 cubic ft.
of mulch per plant
Fertilizer
|
