How to Grow Blueberries in Your Own Backyard : Picking a bowl of fresh, tart and sweet blueberries from your garden is the best thing ever, so learn how to produce blueberries at home by using these techniques. Vaccinium spp. are not just superfoods rich in antioxidants, but they’re also low maintenance, productive shrubs that you’ll be happy you planted. Additionally, the birds will appreciate it if you can spare any for them.
How to Grow Blueberries in Your Own Backyard
Blueberries bring colour to three distinct seasons: vibrant orange-red foliage in the fall, blush pink spring blossoms and indigo summer fruit.
According to Kristen Pullen, manager of woody ornamental portfolio at Star Roses and Plants, which carries a variety of compact, patio-ready berry plants, but specialises in blueberries, the reason she loves them is that they require very little care and are both ornamental and edible.
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Choosing the Best Blueberries to Grow
Knowing your USDA growth zone is the first step, according to Kristen. Blueberries need a specific amount of chill hours to ripen, thus the second step is to search for a chill hour map of the United States. Select cultivars that require less chill time than what your area receives.
The height of blueberry types varies from 1 to 6 feet, with some varieties being semi-evergreen in temperate regions. Fruit varies in size, flavour profile, and bloom period among species. Similar to apples, some varieties or bloom times require a second plant nearby for optimal pollination; however, some varieties, like those from Bushel and Berry, are self-fertile.
Planting Blueberries
Blueberries need the sunniest area in your garden for a healthy yield; they demand six hours or more of sunshine per day. They grow best on well-draining soil with a pH range of 4.5 to 5.5, either in containers or in the ground. Send samples to your local agricultural extension office to determine your pH level. Use acid-loving plant fertiliser or a 2:1 soil-to-peat ratio to add peat to the soil to reduce its pH. Every spring, retest.
Kristen advises expanding the plant spacing by one foot from the tag’s recommended distance. Therefore, plant on 6-foot centres if it states 5 feet. You can space your blueberries as little as one foot apart to create a visually pleasing and delectable hedge.
When planting time comes, dig a hole that is both deeper and broader than the nursery pot, loosen the roots, fill it with garden soil, and give it plenty of water. When planting in pots, Kristen advises selecting one that is at least 12 to 16 inches in diameter and 10 inches deep.
Watering and Fertilizing Tips for Blueberries
For the first year of their life in your yard, blueberry plants should be watered up to four times a week as needed to maintain the soil damp but not waterlogged. Weekly heavy waterings should eventually be sufficient in warm weather. In periods of intense heat, thirstier potted plants could require daily watering. Apply a liquid or balanced slow-release fertiliser if desired.
Pruning Blueberries
To encourage air circulation and new development, cut one-third of the branches to the ground every three years and trim any broken or dead branches annually. Pruning this year should be done with caution because blueberries blossom on old wood, thus cutting off branches from the previous season also kills this year’s fruit.