Can blueberries be grown at home?

Blueberries, the cultivation and care of which have long been considered an unpromising occupation for the personal plot, have now become a popular crop. Despite the laboriousness of agricultural technology, many amateur gardeners successfully cultivate this forest berry on their plots. Read about all the intricacies of agricultural technology and the secrets of blueberry yield.

How to grow common blueberries in the country. Just about complicated

Going into the forest for blueberries, everyone prepares himself for the fact that now he will have to stand in an inclined position for a long time, picking berries. Such is the peculiarity of this plant. And at this moment, everyone really wants the bush to grow not somewhere out there, deep in the forest, but right in front of the house, in the summer cottage.

Despite the fact that this is a wild plant, and not a garden one, in order to start growing it at home, you need to work. It would seem that such an unpretentious plant, why does it need special conditions on the garden plot?

Video about garden blueberries

Blueberries are a plant that has taken root well in the middle lane, and neither frost nor heat is afraid of it. It is found even beyond the Arctic Circle. The main place of its growth is a pine forest. And pines, as you know, grow where there is enough groundwater and acidic soil. When growing blueberries in your garden, you should choose a suitable place or create it artificially.

Prepare the soil in September, plant in October

Before you start growing blueberries at home, you need to prepare the site well. Many people mistakenly think that this plant should be planted in the shade under the trees. This is a mistake. Only sufficient lighting will allow you to get a good harvest of berries. Partial shading, meadows between trees and near a reservoir are suitable.

Only sufficient lighting will allow you to get a good harvest of berries.

The main requirement is constant moderate moisture in the soil and air.

1. The land in the country, as a rule, has a weak acidity. In order for blueberries to grow and bear fruit well, this must be corrected. If we are talking about a bush planting, then a hole is dug under each bush, 150 by 150 cm in size and 60 cm deep.
2. Peat chips are added to the excavated soil in a 2: 1 ratio.
3. True, the natural acidity will not be enough, so it is necessary to add powdered sulfur. A good top dressing in this case will be oak foliage, and, of course, pine needles.
4. When the soil is rather heavy, for example, clay, then it is useful to add sand. The river is best suited for these purposes.

It should be remembered that all these activities should be carried out in advance. Before landing, all actions will be in vain. All additives must settle in the ground. If planting is planned for October, then September will be the main month for soil preparation.

If planting is scheduled for October, then September will be the main month for soil preparation.

The best timing and methods for planting blueberry bushes

Usually, blueberries are planted in the fall or spring. The most favorable is the end of October and the beginning of November.

It is necessary to plant 2-3-year-old plants with a native lump of earth. It is necessary to moisten the soil on the roots with plenty of water. If you ignore this requirement, the bushes, most likely, will not take root and will quickly die.

The root ball must be loosened before the shrub is placed in the ground. In addition, the roots should be straightened, after which they are covered with earth and then everything is compacted. We water the planted bush with water, which will take a lot, but only so as not to completely flood the root system.

If possible, the area with seedlings should be mulched, that is, materials should be placed around the bushes that are suitable to delay evaporation of moisture. This can be sawdust, fresh peat, or large fallen leaves such as oak or maple.

When planting older bushes that are more than 4 years old, branches should be pruned, but this should be done no more than 20 centimeters.

All these procedures will enable blueberries to feel good and bear fruit in a new place.

When planting older bushes that are more than 4 years old, you should prune the branches

Propagation of blueberries by seeds

Have you bought large berries at the market or in the supermarket and want to start a similar variety in your garden? Let's try to get seeds from them!

How to do it? Ripe berries are crushed in a saucepan until thick. The resulting mass is mixed with water. To speed up the process of washing out the seeds, there must be a lot of water. At the same time, empty ones float to the surface, and good ones settle. Remove everything that has surfaced and remains of the berries. Rinse until the water stops turning dark. After draining the water, at the bottom of the container there will be just those seeds that will be used in the future for growing blueberry seedlings at home.

You can sow such seeds in a pot or box almost immediately. It is enough just to dry it a little on a sheet of filter paper. It is best if the planting containers are filled with sifted fine peat with sand and pre-moistened. It is good to add chopped needles.

Make shallow grooves, up to 0.7 cm, and distribute the seeds evenly. Sprinkle with moist soil and compact slightly. Cover the bowls with foil, or better with glass.

You can sow such seeds in a pot or box almost immediately.

We place containers with seeded blueberries under fluorescent lamps, ventilate them daily and keep them at a moderate humidity. The first shoots should appear within a few weeks, on days 25-28. In winter, after emergence, they should be moved to a bright, cool room, where the constant temperature will be about + 5 ° to + 10 ° C.

It is necessary to dive seedlings into cups with a capacity of 0.5 liters already in the spring. In this container, the shrub must grow for another year. After that, the seedlings should already find their permanent place of growth, that is, at their summer cottage, and study the technology of its cultivation.

After sowing the seeds, blueberries will begin to bear fruit in 3 years! Of course, this method is for the patient and persistent, but it is the most productive and inexpensive.

Reproduction of blueberries by dividing the bush

This type of reproduction, such as dividing a bush, is a faster process than growing from seeds, but no less laborious. In the autumn, the mother plant is divided into several partial shrubs.

A partial shrub is a relatively autonomous young plant associated with a parental root or ground shoot. Partial bushes can be obtained both naturally (root suckers), and by dropping the shoot.

It should be noted: in order for further growth and productivity to be normal, new bushes obtained in this way must have from five healthy buds.

In the autumn, the mother plant is divided into several partial bushes.

Common blueberries. Growing according to all the rules

1. Pruning. In order for the black berry in the garden to grow correctly, evenly and give good fruits, it must be constantly looked after. To begin with, it should be trimmed, that is, cut off excess processes. Plants are suitable for this from three to four years. All diseased, damaged and dried branches should be eliminated. Cutting height 20 centimeters.Ideal when 5 to 9 full and strong branches remain on the bush. This will be the main part of the whole bush. If the plant produces many young shoots on which buds develop, they still need to be removed. It will not work normally to harvest from such branches. The berries will be too small and rare.

Old bushes, which are already 15 years old or more, should be cut vigorously. The height of the stem left is about 20 centimeters. Thus, the bush rejuvenates and continues to bear fruit at the same level.

Spring is the most favorable for pruning and forming bushes. The main thing is that frost does not hit after this procedure. Branches should not be pruned too late, especially when flowering begins. This will lead to lower yields.

Spring is the most favorable for pruning and forming bushes

2. Watering. The shrub should be watered regularly. But it's important not to overdo it. The soil under the bush should be slightly damp at all times. To do this, you can use mulch. If blueberries are in an open area, on hot days it is necessary to spray, or arrange small reservoirs next to the plants, placing buckets, basins and other containers with water. If the soil is not acidic enough, pour it with slightly acidified water (1 teaspoon of citric acid in a bucket of water).

3. Top dressing is an important condition for successful blueberry cultivation and good fruiting. It is worth noting that the plant will not tolerate actively decomposing organic matter. It is best to apply a full range of mineral fertilizers in early spring or late autumn.

Blueberry care video

4. Harvesting of garden blueberries occurs in June and lasts until the beginning of September. The fruits will ripen unevenly throughout the bush, and you should not wait for a one-time harvest. They will have to be collected every 5-10 days. Harvested berries are blue-violet or black in color. In order not to damage the berry during collection, it must not be plucked, but rotated. At zero temperature, the harvested crop lasts up to 6 weeks.

Common blueberries are not subdivided into varieties. But the myths about it are created by the engine of trade -. After all, many people want to have this plant on their site, so they buy seedlings of the so-called garden blueberries in the markets, the cultivation of which has its own subtleties. It is worth considering carefully the choice of such planting material, because often instead of ordinary blueberries, you are offered a varietal blueberry similar to it. In order not to fall for a fake, grow the planting material yourself. It is, albeit troublesome, but profitable and exciting!

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Blueberries are a very healthy berry that contains a lot of vitamins and minerals. The shrub grows mainly in coniferous forests and shady places. To

blueberry

has taken root in the beds, she needs to create comfortable conditions. It is not difficult to grow a berry at home, the main thing is to know how to properly plant and care for it.

Content:

• Blueberry breeding methods
• Garden blueberries: propagation from seeds of ripe berries
• Recommendations for growing blueberries

Blueberry breeding methods

Blueberries belong to the Heather family. It is a shrub with numerous shoots. In height, it can reach up to 80 cm. The fruits of blueberries have a black-purple flesh, inside which there are a large number of seeds. When planting blueberries in a summer cottage, you should take into account the composition of the soil and choose a suitable place. Shrub grows well on acidic soils. It is better to choose shady places for placement: along fences, next to outbuildings or under tree crowns.

There are 3 ways to grow blueberries:

• cuttings
• dividing the bush
• seeds

Propagation by cuttings is carried out as follows: in the summer, cut the cuttings 60 mm long.Then root it in a greenhouse and after a while plant it on a garden bed. The division is carried out in the fall when the mother bush grows. It should be dug up and divided into partial bushes. This is a rather painstaking procedure. It is important that there are about 5 intact buds on the separated bushes. The most common way of propagation of blueberries is by seeds. Seeds can be separated from both ripe and frozen berries.

Ready-made planting material can be bought in a specialized store. Garden blueberries should be distinguished from wild ones. Garden blueberries are much higher than those that grow in the forest. Length in height can reach 1.5 m. The aroma of garden blueberries is weaker than wild ones. The garden berry does not taste bitter.

Garden blueberries: propagation from seeds of ripe berries

To obtain

the seeds

, the berries should be kneaded in a glass and a large amount of water should be added. After the seeds float, remove the peel with pulp and drain the water. This must be done several times to keep the water clear. Dry the resulting seeds: remove from a glass and put on napkins. Fill boxes, pots or other containers with peat. Seed material can be planted with a paper layer.

The first shoots will appear in a few weeks. Before the onset of cold weather, the seedlings are transferred to a warm room, where the temperature should reach 5-10 degrees. In the spring, a pick is made and the plant is grown. The seedlings are planted in the designated place the next year. You can grow blueberries in another way: in the allotted area, dig in the berries without separating

the seeds

... After that, they are waiting for spring shoots. This method of reproduction is unproductive, due to the heterogeneous formation of seedlings.

The germination process can take up to 3 years. It is not difficult to grow blueberries from frozen berry seeds. You can purchase them from the store or do it yourself. Since the berries are stored in the freezer, they do not need to be stratified.

Separate seeds from frozen berries, leave to soak in Zircon solution for a day. A similar growth stimulant can be used. After that, sow in the school.

It is important that the soil environment is as close to natural as possible. For the substrate, you can use peat in combination with sand, bark, sawdust, fallen leaves. For acidification, 100 g of sulfur can be added to the peat mixture. Also, when planting, the soil is watered with not very acidified water. Add a teaspoon of citric or oxalic acid to 3 liters of water. You can use malic acid, acetic acid: for 10 liters of water, 100 ml of food acid. With a competent approach and adherence to all growing conditions, the emergence of shoots from stratified seeds can be seen in a month. After

sowing

seeds, the first berries appear in the third season.

Recommendations for growing blueberries

1. Bushes should be placed one meter apart.
2. If water constantly stagnates on the site, this indicates a high level of groundwater. It is not recommended to plant seeds in these places.
3. It is undesirable to plant blueberries with an open root system. The bush must be in a pot. After purchase, the seedling must be lowered into water for half an hour, and then planted in the ground.
4. Remember to mulch the soil and remove weeds.
5. When planting bushes in open ground, watering is carried out 2 times a week. One bush will need 2 buckets of water.
6. Pruning is done in the spring. If there are sick, dried-up branches, they must be removed.
7. Mineral fertilizers are applied in March or November.

It is also worth noting that every 3-4 years blueberry bushes should be fed with mineral fertilizers. You can use a complex fertilizer designed for heather. Birds often love to feast on delicious ripe blueberries.To scare them away, you can use a net or Christmas tinsel. Homemade blueberries require constant attention, so after planting the seeds and the first shoots, it is important to properly care for them.

Blueberry tips video:

In summer, blueberries bear fruit abundantly in the forest. In order not to go for berries in the thicket, you can start growing this useful garden culture in the open field right on your site. Planting a plant and caring for it requires certain knowledge, so those who decide to cultivate berry varieties in the country will find this article useful.

Description: varieties and varieties of garden blueberries

You will be surprised to learn that garden blueberries do not actually exist. Tall blueberry varieties are hidden under this name. These related plants are very similar. It is almost impossible to distinguish them from the photo: you need to look and touch the berries "live". If you want to root real, short blueberries, go to the forest.

Blueberries are rich in vitamins and microelements, so the desire of summer residents to grow them in their garden is understandable. If the site is located in the Moscow region or another Russian region, its owner should pay attention to the following varieties:

Blueberries are famous for their beneficial properties

• Atlantis;
• Patriot;
• Darrow;
• River;
• Spartan, etc.

In addition, there is a popular blueberry / wild blueberry hybrid called Top Hut.

Planting a plant in a summer cottage

In open ground, blueberries are planted in mid-April or October. For tall varieties, sunny areas are suitable. Bushes dug out in the forest love shade, or at least partial shade: in the future, this will facilitate care. The soil should be loose and acidic. Before rooting seedlings, the earth is spilled with water with oxalic or citric acid (at the rate of 1 tbsp. L. Per bucket of water). An alternative is apple cider vinegar (100 ml for the same amount of water).

The distance between the holes is up to 2 m. The depth of the holes is 0.4-0.6 m, the diameter is 0.8 m. The bushes are planted with a moistened earthy clod, the roots are gently straightened and sprinkled with a mixture of peat and soil. The wells are compacted, watered abundantly, and then mulched. Although blueberries are considered frost-hardy, if there is a threat of return frosts (during spring planting), they are covered with agrofibre at night.

Advice. The height of the earthen lump of the seedling should be about 7 cm, and the "age" of the bush should be 2-3 years.

Blueberry care

1. Watering is one of the basic rules of care. It should not be plentiful, but regular. Make sure that the soil remains moist at a depth of 15-20 cm, but not too damp. Add oxalic acid, citric acid, or acetic acid to your irrigation water once a month.
2. Mulching. To do this, take sawdust, bark, foliage or needles. Pour a layer, the depth of which is from 4-5 cm.
3. Loosening. Do it periodically and very carefully. Be careful not to damage the root system.
4. Pruning. This procedure should begin 3-4 years after planting. You need to remove weak, diseased branches, as well as lateral shoots with buds. An ideal blueberry bush has no more than 7-9 strong branches. To stimulate the growth of young shoots, the old ones are shortened by about 20 cm. Plants that are already 15 or more years old are cut to a height of about 0.2 m from the ground. Pruning should be planned for early spring.

Attention! If you are growing blueberries in a sunny area, then in dry periods, add one more rule to the basics of care: spraying the bushes 3-4 times a day.

Fertilizing and feeding crops

Despite the frequent recommendations for the application of organic fertilizers, this cannot be done. Blueberries react poorly to feeding with manure or bird droppings. She can get sick, develop worse, give a bad harvest, or even die altogether. Therefore, if you add fertilizer to the soil, then only mineral fertilizer. Dosage - no more than 1 tbsp. for 1 sq. m.

No need to fertilize blueberries

Every 2-3 years, under blueberry plantings, you need to renew the soil. For this, peat mixed with sand is poured. You can feed the bushes with a mixture of sawdust, dry grass, leaves.

Attention! The plant does not tolerate fertilizing containing chlorine.

Plant propagation: methods

• For seed propagation, crush a ripe berry and fill it with water. Empty instances will float to the surface. Repeat the procedure until the water is clear. Dry the seeds a little and plant them in a container with peat. "Firstborns" will hatch in a few weeks, but only with proper care, in particular, regular watering. It is better for them to winter in a room with t + 5 ... + 10 ° C. In the spring, the seedlings must go through a pick. They will be ready for planting in open ground next year.
• When propagating by cuttings, select strong bushes and cut off healthy young shoots from them. Root the cuttings in containers with peat and cover with foil. If you do this at the end of summer, then by October you will receive ready-made planting material.
• For the autumn period, culture propagation by dividing the berry bush is also suitable. After digging up the mother plant, divide it into parts so that each of them has at least 5 strong buds. The planting method is the same as for a 2-3 year old bush.

Diseases and pests of blueberries

One of the main advantages of caring for blueberries - both in natural and at home conditions - when grown on a garden plot in the open field, it rarely suffers from diseases and insects.

For the prevention of fungal ailments (such as moniliosis, white spot, etc.), berry bushes should be sprayed with preparations containing copper before and after flowering. The concentration of the solution should be low. Viral infections that can infect blueberries are dwarfism, mosaic, filamentous branches, or mottling. If symptoms of these diseases are detected, dig up diseased plants and burn them.

Advice. If you doubt that you have correctly established the "diagnosis", consider the signs of viral ailments in the photo, consult with more experienced summer residents.

Among insects, blueberries can be disturbed by aphids and scale insects. In the first case, insecticides will come to the rescue, in the second - Bordeaux liquid. The best prevention of the appearance of these pests is good care: burning foliage in late autumn, mulching, treating blueberries with anti-insect drugs on the eve of shoot growth.

At a time when berries are already ripening on the bushes, birds can flatter the future harvest. To protect against them, the planting of blueberries is covered with a thin mesh fixed to the frame. A Christmas tree rain is also suitable: you need to hang it on ropes stretched next to the beds.

Avoid planting blueberries near crops that require regular feeding

Blueberries: Combine with Other Plants and Harvest

This culture is valuable not only for useful properties, but also for decorativeness. In Europe, they are engaged in the cultivation and reproduction of different varieties of blueberries to decorate garden plots, especially shady ones.

It looks good in rockeries and group plantings. The combination of this shrub with conifers is considered successful. You can also plant a plant under deciduous trees, but refrain from the proximity in open ground with fruit trees, under which you apply organic fertilizers. Berry bushes border ponds and garden paths.

Advice. Blueberries lend themselves well to shearing: they are used to make curbs of different heights.

Harvesting begins in summer and lasts until autumn. It is best to do this in dry weather. Fresh berries are delicious, but when combined with strawberries, raspberries, strawberries, and cloudberries can cause stomach upset. For the winter, blueberries are dried, frozen, compotes and jams are made from them. Well, the classic blueberry treat is a delicious jam with the aroma of a sunny summer.

Planting garden blueberries: video

Growing blueberries: photo