Planting of blueberry garden is made in spring and autumn. But the spring planting is considered more reliable, as during the summer the seedlings take root and have time to grow stronger. Therefore, in winter, the risk of freezing is minimized.
How to plant a garden blueberry?
When planting blueberry, you must follow certain rules, namely:
- Compliance with the timing of planting. In the spring, blueberries can be planted until the kidneys swell.
- The choice of a place that should be sunny and well lit, and at the same time protected from the wind. It is necessary to exclude the location of blueberries in the shade, since the berries will have a sour taste and they will be very small.
- Soil quality. Blueberries prefer acidic soil , ideal for it is peaty-sandy or peaty loamy soil, which must be well drained. It is also desirable that in the area on which you plan to plant blueberries, for several years there were no predecessors.
- Compliance with the rules for transplanting blueberries into the ground. If you purchased seedlings in containers, then when transplanting into the ground, you need to take into account certain points. Blueberries have very fragile roots. Therefore, simply to transfer it from the tank to the pit will not be enough. Before landing in the open ground, the container with the plant should be placed in water for 15 minutes. Then you need to gently spread the roots of blueberries, and only after that, make it planted.
Planting scheme for garden blueberry
When planting the garden blueberry the following scheme is observed. Prepare pits that have a size of 60x60 cm and a depth of half a meter. The distance between them depends on what kind of blueberry you are going to plant and should be:
- half a meter from each other when planting low-growing varieties;
- 1 m for medium-height varieties;
- 120 cm for tall varieties.
Between the rows it is necessary to maintain a distance of 3 to 3.5 m. It is recommended to loosen the bottom and walls of the pits to ensure air access to the roots.
For a normal development, blueberries in the pit are created with an acidic substrate. To do this, a mixture of peat moss, sawdust, sand and needles is placed in it, 50 g of sulfur is also added in order for the soil to oxidize. In addition, to acidify the soil, you can use a solution of citric acid (apple, or 9 percent acetic acid.) In no case should fertilizers be added to the soil, as this will promote its alkalization.
After carrying out all preparations, the seedling is placed in a pit, carefully spreading its roots. At the same time, the root neck is immersed in the ground for 3 cm. The seedlings are watered, the soil around them is mulched with a layer of sawdust, peat or straw.
Reproduction of garden blueberry
In addition to planting seedlings, blueberries can be propagated with the help of:
- cuttings. In autumn or winter pre-harvest lignified shoots, which are stored in a cool place. In April, shoots cut into cuttings length
20 cm. They are placed under a film in a container with peat and sand, which are mixed in equal proportions. Several times a week, watering is carried out. In August, they take off the film, and in autumn cuttings are planted in open ground; - layers. Planting of garden blueberry in this way is made by bending the branches of an adult plant and burying them in a substrate consisting of a mixture of peat, sand and sawdust. Separation of layers from the mother's bush is carried out in the spring of next year.
Thus, by properly planting the garden blueberry, you can harvest the harvest of this useful berry on your site.