When you want to learn how to grow blueberries, you need to take note of some pertinent things.
Factors such as learning how to grow these fruits would involve: Where to get them, where they thrive, and how to care for them like a pro gardener from the start until they mature.
Fortunately, understanding and learning how to grow blueberries is actually not that difficult.
Here are some steps to follow:
Where to Get Them
Although you can purchase these from local garden shops around, it would be best to go directly to the state agricultural experiment station.
Ask them for recommendations on the blueberry variety that would be best for your area and current weather.
Yes, many varieties can be used but if you would really like to learn these things well, it is recommended that you stick to those blueberry varieties that would be easy to grow in your area and present state of weather.
Where Can Blueberries Thrive
As always with other plants, shrubs, fruits, trees, and others, location is important. For your bushes to grow and mature well, they need to be planted in acid soil which has high moisture retention.
The appropriate pH value should be somewhere around 5 and 6.
Indoors or outdoors is fine for growing these bushes. But bear in mind that they do not grow in alkaline soil. So if you’re using containers, don’t forget to add acid soil or peat-based compost.
Another thing to remember is to see if your choice of location for growing your blueberries provides ample or partial shade to the bushes.
These bushes are known to thrive in locations with partial shade. But they can also grow in any location that has ample sunlight to help them grow.
Regarding the most suitable weather, it is best to plant them in the springtime or during the fall season.
This is because the soil that you would be using would be more workable during these seasons.
How to Care for These Fruits
To aid in pollination, you may need to grow two or more blueberry varieties.
In planting your blueberry bush, do not forget to space them about four feet apart and around an inch deep.
During late winter or early spring, provide your bush with fertilizer. That should be about a month before any signs of growth would appear.
Again, put fertilizer after a month when the first growth in spring would occur.
During the first few days of summer, it is imperative that you mulch your plant with compost, peat, leaf mold, or manure.
Place a fish net or any type of net over the bushes. This would help protect your plant from unexpected visitations from birds that may hamper its growth.
If you notice yellow patches on your bush during the growing time, this signifies poor growth that you need to attend to immediately.
Don’t worry too much. All you need to do is acidify the soil where your bush is placed. To do this, apply sulfur, iron chelates, or peat moss as per package or container directions.
After three years, it is time to prune your plant. This should be done during the winter.
Usually, the fruit of the blueberry would grow on the wood used last year. So it is a good idea to cut one or two of the old shoots to assist it in promoting new growth.
And that’s all you need to remember in learning how to grow blueberries. Fairly easy, isn’t it?
