How to grow blueberries from seeds at home?

How to grow blueberries, from seeds or by cuttings? In this article, we will give an accessible description of both methods of breeding blueberries in their summer cottage. And you will choose the most suitable one for yourself.

Blueberries and features of their cultivation

Before you start figuring out how to grow blueberries from seeds and cuttings, let's find out what kind of berry it is in general and why gardeners are so interested in it.

Wild blueberry is a small shrub that grows in the coniferous forests of Siberia, the Urals, and central Russia. This berry is extremely useful, especially for maintaining eye health. Not to mention how delicious it is.

Video about garden blueberries

For its delicate, soft taste, it has long been loved by both confectioners and diet food manufacturers all over the world.

European farmers took up the cultivation of blueberries on an industrial scale, and faced a problem - wild blueberries, even when the ideal growing conditions were created, did not want to grow. Therefore, varieties of garden blueberries were bred.

How do blueberries multiply? If you decide to take up the cultivation of blueberries in your summer cottage, remember the following:

1. Do not try to bring blueberry bushes from the forest and plant. There will be little sense, but spend enough time and effort.
2. Reproduction of blueberries occurs by dividing adult bushes, seeds and cuttings.
3. For the production of our own planting material, we take only varietal berries.

For the production of our own planting material, we take only varietal berries

Technology for growing blueberries from seeds

The method is quite simple. Ripe, large berries need to be kneaded and filled with cool clean water. Let our "compote" stand a little. As a result, the pulp and empty seeds will float up. Drain carefully. Then we carry out this simple procedure a couple more times. The result is clean, plantable blueberry seeds.

Spread the resulting seeds on a napkin and spread evenly over it. As it dries, the seeds will stick to the paper. This makes them easier to plant, however, like most small seeds.

Blueberry seeds need stratification. Therefore, plant your seeds in late autumn. What is called an ice crust, and immediately to the prepared bed. If you used imported frozen berries to propagate blueberries with seeds, consider that they have already been stratified for you. In this case, planting can be postponed until spring.

In the spring, the bed must be covered with foil or glass, and make sure that the soil is moist. After the emergence of seedlings, after 2-3 weeks, we remove the shelter, but continue to control the humidity level. Young seedlings grow very slowly. Over the summer, literally by a centimeter. In the fall, we transplant the finished seedlings to a permanent place. And before the onset of frost, be sure to cover it with spruce branches. With all the winter hardiness of blueberries, young seedlings still cannot overwinter without shelter. Having learned how to grow blueberries from seeds, we will analyze the second method.

In spring, the bed must be covered with foil or glass, and make sure that the soil is moist

Propagation of blueberries by cuttings

The best time for cuttings is late June - early July. Remember that lignified shoots of varietal blueberries should be used as planting material.

With a sharp, sterile knife, cut the cuttings 4-6 centimeters long. We make the cut straight. Remove the lower leaves. To reduce the evaporation of moisture, cut the remaining leaves by half. Powder the edge of the cutting with root.

At the bottom of the greenhouse or planting box, we pour peat or peat-bog soil, 6-8 centimeters. Pour washed river sand on top, 2-3 centimeters. We deepen the cuttings into the sand, but so that the edge does not reach the peat. Otherwise, rotting of the cutting may begin. Cover with glass or foil on top. Subsequent care comes down to regular spraying. The sand should always be moist. From time to time we raise the glass for airing.

It is advisable not to disturb young seedlings until next spring. Give them the opportunity to overwinter by covering them well with spruce branches. In the spring of next year, transfer the strongest to a permanent place.

Blueberry planting video

When is the harvest expected?

Young blueberry bushes will not begin to bear fruit soon enough. If the plant is obtained from a seed, then the berries will have to wait 5-6 years. In the case of propagation of blueberries by cuttings, a little faster.

In any case, if you grow the seedlings yourself, choose a place and properly prepare the acidic soil, your work will be fully rewarded. And your personal blueberry plantation will annually present you with tasty and healthy berries, and, of course, will become a reason for pride.

Rate the article:

(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

Download Original] ’class =" imagefield imagefield-lightbox2 imagefield-lightbox2-resizeimgpost-500-500 imagefield-field_imgblogpost imagecache imagecache-field_imgblogpost imagecache-resizeimgpost-500-500 imagecache-field_imgblogpost-resizeimgpost-500-500 ″>

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:

Blueberries - growing and caring for pleasure and without hassle

Similar articles

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

Cranberries are sold in sprouts. very large and lingonberries too. I live in western siberia where there is a sea of ​​cranberries and blueberries, blueberries, and a sea of ​​everything. but it is very difficult to create a climate for growing conditions. cranberries in moss on bumps in a swamp growing.

Common blueberry belongs to the genus Heather. The Russian names of the berry (blueberry, blueberry, blueberry, blueberry, blueberry) reflect the coloring properties of its juice. The bushes of the plant in natural conditions reach half a meter in height and are "deployed" in the forests and swamps of the northern regions. In culture, this plant is grown both for decorative purposes and for the sake of obtaining valuable raw materials (berries, leaves). The blueberry bloom season begins in May, and the tasty, dark purple-fleshed, multi-seeded berries ripen in July.Blueberries cannot tolerate stagnant moisture or excessive shade.

The necessary antioxidants that save the body from the formation of various tumors;

Prepare the soil in September, plant in October

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).

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.

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.

1. When planting older bushes that are more than 4 years old, branches should be pruned, but this should be done by no more than 20 centimeters.
2. It should be remembered that all these activities should be done 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.
3. Blueberry photography
4. Blueberries, the cultivation and care of which for a long time was considered an unpromising occupation for a 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.

Easier sprouts however

Shaded areas of land are allocated for the cultivation of blueberries (both shade and partial shade are suitable for the plant, but in the sun it requires regular moisture).This berry crop grows well on light, well-moist, acidic soils (pH 4-5). You can independently have a hand in creating ideal conditions for plant growth by preparing a substrate from peat, sand, sawdust, bark, fallen needles and rotted foliage, mixed in an arbitrary proportion. A small amount of sulfur is most often used for acidification.

The best timing and methods for planting blueberry bushes

There should be at least a meter of distance between bushes and rows.

Pectin, which helps the intestines get rid of toxins;

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.

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 photo, the propagation of blueberries by seeds

All these procedures will make it possible for blueberries to feel good and bear fruit in a new place.

In the photo blueberries

Propagation of blueberries by seeds

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

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, at their summer cottage.

To collect a bucket of blueberries you need a football field. what's the point of growing it. to try a couple of berries? it's easier to go to the forest and collect.

If you wish, you can move a "wild" bush to your site. It is dug out in late summer or early autumn, placed in a bag along with a lump of earth, and then planted in pre-prepared holes.

Components for the substrate: needles, high peat, cones, sawdust, small branches, shavings, sand, transitional and lower peat. You cannot add organic matter and ash, you can pour it with an acidic solution to achieve the required acidity, for this you can use 9% vinegar, oxalic or citric acid.

Potassium, carbohydrates, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, glands, minerals and vitamins.

Blueberry care video

Photo of breeding blueberries

Reproduction of blueberries by dividing the bush

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.

Blueberry in the photo

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

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.

Common blueberries. Growing according to all the rules

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

It is very difficult to grow blueberries from seeds, but it is even more difficult to create a suitable climate for them.

Blueberries are often propagated by seed. To obtain them, the berries are kneaded, poured with plenty of water, mixed and the floating bits of berries and empty seeds are drained. The procedure is repeated until the water becomes clear. The seeds that have settled to the bottom are thrown back on a sieve, dried a little and immediately sown in pots filled with high-moor peat.Seedlings hatch in a couple of weeks. For the winter, the pots are placed in a bright room, where the temperature is 5-10 ° C (if they are left outside, they must be covered with several layers of spunbond or other covering material). In the spring, seedlings dive into boxes and grow. They are planted in a permanent place only the next year.

Blueberries should be bought with a closed root system, before planting, the pot and the blueberries themselves should be soaked in water for about thirty minutes. It should be mulched either with sawdust or needles or the bark of coniferous trees or shavings.

Blueberries are not easy to grow on your site, but this does not mean that you should not try to get such valuable berries. For planting in our latitudes, it is better to give preference to high-mountain blueberries, they are also called blueberries, and in particular: Darrow frost resistance up to - 28 degrees, Blukrot - frost resistance up to - 34 degrees, Patriot - frost resistance up to - 40 degrees, Spartan - frost resistance up to - 40 degrees and Bludzha - frost resistance up to - 28 degrees. All these types of blueberries are distinguished by high yields, excellent taste, disease resistance, and bear a lot in July-August.

4. Harvesting of garden blueberries occurs in June and lasts until the beginning of September. The fruits will ripen unevenly throughout the bush, and one 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. 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.

It is necessary to dive the 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.

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!

Blueberries: growing rules

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.

Peat chips are added to the excavated soil in a ratio of 2: 1.

1. Video about garden blueberries
2. In the future, we are thinking of digging a blueberry bush somewhere in the forest and bringing it to us. Our soil, roughly speaking, is swampy, lingonberries grow right on the site, we want to try, suddenly blueberries will be taken. But to grow it from seeds, oh, how difficult it is.
3. Another breeding method is division. In autumn, the partial bushes are separated from the mother plant, after which they are planted in containers or in open ground. Blueberries can also be grafted. In the summer, after the end of fruiting, twigs 5-6 cm long are cut from the bushes and planted in a film greenhouse. After rooting, the plants are transplanted into the school.

In the first year after planting, you need to water about twenty liters in the center of the bush, preferably twice a week.

When growing blueberries, you must strictly follow certain rules and then blueberries will delight you:

• 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 troublesome, but profitable and exciting!
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Blueberry is 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.
• These plants love acidic soils and their seeds must germinate in an acidic environment. And these are also mycorrhiza plants, they do not live at all without the formation of mycorrhiza with special fungi, in nature, under natural conditions, barely roots appear in the seedling; the fungi immediately populate it and the sprout develops safely. Here's how to meet these two conditions? Especially the second. If you can, then everything will work out. It didn't work out for me with blueberries.
• Today, tall blueberry varieties bred in America are widespread. "Growth" of plants reaches one and a half to two meters, and in terms of chemical composition, the berries are completely identical to those of the wild (the size of the berries is 1-2 cm). By the age of 6-7, tall blueberries consistently produce up to 8 kg of berries from each bush. An important advantage is that tall varieties are not susceptible to diseases and pests, and in winter they easily survive frosts reaching 34 ° C. Plants live for 50-60 years without losing their productivity.

Growing blueberries

So that the acidity of the soil does not fall every year twice under the bushes, you need to pour an acidic solution.

Site selection and preparatory work

The main and basic condition is high acidity, moisture and aeration of the soil. Therefore, it is necessary to pick up peat bogs, sandy loam substrates or sands for her.

Blueberry breeding methods

Blueberries come in many varieties, but their beneficial properties are present in all types. Few people do not know about the valuable effects of blueberries on the human body.

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

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.

Choosing a blueberry variety

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.

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.

Blueberries, cranberries from seeds were grown? Please share your experience.

Kostyukov Walking sticks.

When the soil is rather heavy, for example, clay, then it is useful to add sand. The river is best suited for these purposes.

grandfather fir

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.

Mityai Bukhankin

I recently asked the same question. I came to the conclusion that it is easier and easier to buy or collect in the forest. But since I had already bought the seeds, I had to plant them. Or rather, she left the cranberry seeds for stratification, and planted the blueberries. Poured acidified water, now let's see what happens.

Danka

The most popular are the following tall varieties:
Feed with mineral fertilizers.

Irina Shabalina

For planting blueberries, it is better to choose a sunny area.

Ksyunya

Blueberries are rich in:

Pictured is a blueberry bush

Blueberries are a very healthy berry that contains a lot of vitamins and minerals. The shrub grows mainly in coniferous forests and shady places. In order for blueberries to take root in the beds, they need 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.

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.

To get 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.

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.

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 the seeds, the first berries appear in the third season.

• Bushes should be placed one meter apart.
• If water constantly stagnates on the site, this indicates a high level of groundwater. It is not recommended to plant seeds in these places.
• 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.
• Remember to mulch the soil and remove weeds.
• When planting bushes in open ground, watering is carried out 2 times a week. One bush will need 2 buckets of water.
• Pruning is done in the spring. If there are sick, dried-up branches, they must be removed.
• 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 New Year's tinsel.

Homemade blueberries require constant attention, so after planting the seeds and the appearance of the first shoots, it is important to properly care for them.

Blueberries are a very healthy berry from the heather family. The fruits contain a huge set of vitamins and minerals, which helps to increase immunity and improve vision.

In nature, blueberries grow in abundance in the forests of central Russia and in cold regions.

Farmers and summer residents are interested in growing blueberries from seeds at home primarily because their fruits are tasty and healthy, and the shrub is great for decorating the site.

Blueberries are a very healthy berry from the heather family.

Blueberry from seed, cultivation

You can grow blueberries at home and it's not difficult to do this. The easiest way for a gardener to dig and transfer a forest bush to his site. In most cases, blueberries are accepted. However, it is not always possible to plant a plant with a bush, so summer residents decide to grow it on their own from seeds collected at home.

Only mature, ripe, selected berries are suitable for growing blueberries from seeds. It is worth using fruits without flaw and damage, of the correct shape. Having chosen suitable berries, they immediately prepare pots with fertile, loose soil for planting. Blueberry seeds are sown immediately after harvest and are not recommended to be stored for a long time.

Growing blueberries from seeds at home is a rather troublesome task.

To collect blueberry seeds for planting, you need to gently knead ripe berries, pour clean water, mix. The pulp and peel will float to the surface of the container, which should be thrown away. The washing procedure is repeated several times until high-quality seeds, suitable for planting, remain at the bottom. They are collected and dried on gauze.

How to grow blueberries from seeds at home:

To plant blueberry seeds at home, use pots with fertilized and moist soil.

If the wet seeds have been placed on paper, they can be planted by cutting off the required amount of planting material and placed in the pot directly with the paper.

Then, after sprinkling the seeds with a small layer of soil, the blueberry pots are transferred to a cool basement, where they will be stored in the soil until spring. The soil with seeds should be watered periodically with a little water so that the soil is always moist.

According to gardeners, most seeds sprout in spring. However, this method of growing blueberries from seed is quite troublesome. Some people propagate blueberries in a different, simpler way.

Ripe berries are dropped on the site and left to overwinter, waiting in the spring at this place for the emergence of shoots.

The disadvantage of this method is that seed germination is low and the seeds germinate unevenly.

Growing blueberries from seeds at home is a rather troublesome task. To facilitate this task, gardeners and farmers buy seeds of high-yielding blueberry varieties with large fruits, which are distinguished by excellent germination and produce a generous harvest of tasty, healthy berries on the site every year.

Cultivation of forest blueberries in your household is not difficult, if the culture takes root, it will begin to regenerate in solid thickets like raspberries, but not so quickly. The success of cultivation depends on the composition of the soil with the necessary acidity and the selection of the place where the mother bushes are planned to be planted.

Blueberries grow and bear fruit only on acidic, light soils and planting is best placed in areas where vegetables have not been grown. The plant will be comfortable if you place its habitat area under the crowns of trees in the garden, behind outbuildings or along the fence.

Blueberries are not yet cultivated, like blueberries and lingonberries, so the location of its plantation should not be adjacent to vegetable beds and a flower garden, in order to avoid infection with pathogenic fungi, infections and parasitic microorganisms.

General agricultural technology

Two-year-old bushes from the forest are used as blueberry seedlings, which are planted whole or divided. Before planting, the site is carefully freed from weeds, dug up and the remnants of rhizomes are removed.

Then the soil layer is removed with a strip to the depth of the shovel bayonet and the trench is filled with a mixed substrate of rotted forest litter, peat, sawdust and sand, which is poured from above.

In the presence of sulfur, it is advisable to add it to the substrate for the period of adaptation of blueberries, protecting young roots from parasites and fungal formations (wood ash is a neutralizer of acidity, therefore it is not used for disinfection and as a top dressing).

If the soil is closer to a neutral structure, the blueberry bed is abundantly soaked with water acidified with a tablespoon of oxalic or citric acid (per bucket), and dried, chopped branches of pine, juniper, cypress or old coniferous bark are added to the substrate.

Planting of blueberries with mother bushes is carried out at a convenient seasonal time, without observing generally accepted terms. In its natural form, the plant clones itself with all vegetative parts, periodically forming shoots, layering, shoots and propagating by seeds, gradually fixing itself on spaces of many kilometers.

The first week, the seedlings are daily watered in the morning, then cut and moistened only in case of visible drying out of the soil.

Blueberries do not tolerate decomposing, active organic matter, the bushes are fed only with mineral compounds in small doses and only twice a season - in the July ripening of berries and September leaf fall. Small bushes receive sufficient micronutrients from the top and mulch layer, wetted by natural sediments, through their growing root branches.

Seed propagation

For the mass cultivation of blueberries, the ideal planting material is in refrigerated display cases ... in a supermarket, in the form of frozen berries. Thanks to logistic refrigerated warehouses and store freezers, the seeds inside the berries have involuntarily gone through the necessary stratification and are ready for sowing in micro-greenhouses.

Having separated the seeds from the berries, they are sown in containers under a film and placed in bright places or under fluorescent lamps. The soil is regularly moistened and aired until sprouts appear, which are formed on the 18-25th day.

Then the film is removed, the humidity is controlled and with the appearance of the fourth leaf, the seedlings are transplanted under a light greenhouse on the site (if sowing was carried out in March).

From August to October, the shelter is removed, and closer to frost, the plantings are mulched with peat and sawdust and, if possible, the young are covered with coniferous spruce branches.

In the spring, the seedlings are transplanted to the planned cultivation site or grown in the school for another year.

Fruiting of blueberries occurs in the third season after sowing.

As noted, blueberries eventually begin to fill the adjacent territories, cloning themselves with all parts of the bush, so the excess shoots that form must be thinned out if the culture is not cultivated for the purpose of implementation.

To protect ripe berries from birds, which they strongly attract, you can use a net stretched over the bushes or dug in pegs with a waving New Year's "rain" of a metallic color.

Any novice summer resident who is more or less aware of the peculiarities of the growth of this culture and is familiar with the rules of caring for it can be engaged in the cultivation of blueberries from seeds! The peculiarity of growing this useful berry is that the plant prefers shady places and coniferous forests! Hence, the composition of the soil for growing blueberries must be unique, otherwise the berry will not grow at home.

Seed collection and preparation for planting

If you intend to grow blueberries from seeds, you first need to get planting material. Of course, the seeds can be bought, although they are easy to collect yourself from ripe blueberries.

Each fruit is carefully opened with a needle or toothpick and the pulp with seeds is squeezed out of it. To make the planting material easily separate, this gruel is poured with water, stirred and the seeds that have floated to the surface are collected.

The procedure can be repeated several times in order to sufficiently rinse the planting material, but this is not necessary at all.

Spread the collected blueberry seeds on a paper sheet and leave for two days, until they are completely dry, after which the material is ready for use.

Substrate preparation and sowing

Sow planting material in small flower pots or seedling boxes.The soil for this culture should not be ordinary from the garden, but specially acquired for such a case, although it is quite possible to prepare it yourself.

The substrate is based on peat, to which about 1/3 of its amount is added to each of such ingredients as sand, sawdust, bark of conifers and a little fallen leaves. Mix thoroughly.

In order for the substrate to be as similar as possible in composition to the natural preferences of blueberries, a little sulfur is added to it for acidification.

The amount of sulfur is calculated based on the manufacturer's instructions and the amount of prepared substrate.

Seeds are planted, and, lightly sprinkled with soil, watered with warm water and covered with foil. Also acidify water for irrigation with citric acid (a teaspoon of the substance in a 3-liter jar).

The container with the planted seeds is placed in a sunny place, where it is warm and there are no drafts. Waiting for seedlings will only take a few weeks.

During this period, the peat substrate will need to be watered several times, based on the drying time.

Seedling care

When favorable conditions are created, the seedlings will immediately grow. They need to be constantly protected from the cold, watered, acidifying the soil. With the arrival of spring, blueberry seedlings grown independently at home from seeds need a pick, after which the plant is grown in a new place. Such blueberries are grown by transplanting them into open ground at about one year of age.

The root system at the time of transplantation must be protected, not damaged. Planting holes must be prepared taking into account the soil preferences of blueberries. On blueberries grown independently from seeds at home, fruits begin to appear no earlier than in the third year of growth in comfortable conditions!

The source is in constant demand on the market. A berry grated with sugar is not only tasty, but also useful, especially for eyesight. In addition, blueberries look beautiful in the garden, can be used to create berry fields and to decorate the site.

Characteristics and properties

Common blueberry (forest) is a perennial shrub from the heather family, height up to 30 cm, branches from the trunk at sharp angles. Leaves are leathery, egg-shaped, fall off in the winter. The root system is creeping, giving many shoots. Blooms in May with greenish-white flowers. Fruits are bluish-black berries, readily eaten by birds.

The cultivated tall bush (American) blueberry is distinguished by a powerful (up to 2 m tall) bush structure and large berries. The root system is superficial, without root hairs. It can grow and bear fruit for up to 60 years.

Blueberries are high in vitamins and biologically active substances. It is used as an antibacterial and antiseptic agent, it is used for anemia, it is useful for the prevention of visual impairment and eye fatigue.

Varieties

When transplanting forest blueberries, you should immediately take care of the selection of bushes with large berries.

Among the cultivated tall bush varieties, productive varieties are in demand: "Amanda 818 M", "Bluestar 701 M", "Kerry 728 C". Their berries in quality and value do not differ from forest blueberries, but reach up to 1.5 - 2 cm in diameter, which makes it possible to pick up to 8 kg per bush per season.

Site organization and soil preparation

Blueberries are very demanding on the acidity of the soil: better acidic (pH up to 4) than slightly acidic and neutral (pH 6-7).

The soil on the site should be loose, it is best to mulch it.

Shaded places are chosen, in the partial shade of trees. It grows better under deciduous non-garden species and pine trees than under apple or pear trees, especially if organic matter is introduced under them.

Breeding

Blueberries are usually bred with seedlings or, by cultivating young, separately growing bushes with a good root system transferred from the forest in late summer - early autumn.

The soil is watered with acidified water: citric acid is used - 1 tbsp per bucket of water. spoon, or vinegar - for a bucket of water up to 100 grams. After that, the site is mulched with fallen needles, foliage, bark or sawdust.

You can also propagate blueberries by dividing the bushes. The procedure is carried out in the fall and separated bushes are immediately planted.

Blueberries can be cut after the end of fruiting, cutting off the branches up to 5 cm. They are planted in a greenhouse, followed by transplanting after rooting of the cuttings.

You can try growing blueberries from seeds. To do this, ripe berries are kneaded, poured with water and washed until the seeds settle to the bottom. They are sown in a container with a peat mixture. Seedlings appear in 2 - 3 weeks.

They hibernate at temperatures up to 10 degrees in a bright room. In the spring, a dive is carried out and transplanted into boxes for further germination. The seedlings will not be ready for planting in open ground next year.

Landing in the ground

Bush blueberries are planted for the winter in October, in the spring in March or April. Three-year-old plants with a "native" lump of earth on the roots give in to planting better.

The hole should correspond to the root (up to 45 cm deep), filled with a peat mixture with sand, planted according to the scheme: in a row up to 1 m, between rows up to 1.5 - 2 m.

Ordinary blueberries are planted according to the scheme: up to 25 cm apart and up to 35 cm row spacing.

Care

Care consists in regular watering, especially during the fruiting period, however, excess moisture can lead to the death of the roots.

Mulching the soil with peat, sawdust, crushed polymer film reduces the amount of watering and has a beneficial effect on the respiration of the root system.

Do not forget about thinning: once every three years to prevent chopping of berries; every 8 - 10 years - anti-aging pruning.

Differs in high winter hardiness and does not require additional shelter.

It lends itself well to decorative pruning, you can form curbs of various heights.

Top dressing

Organic fertilizers with care, you can feed it with a two-week-old mullein infusion (1 liter per 20 liters of water).

Phosphorus and potassium should be introduced in small quantities as part of a complex fertilizer for 5-7 years. Additionally, you can add ammonium sulfate.

Pests

There are no specific pests and diseases. It can be affected by bacterial spotting, yellow spots form on the shoots, after a while they turn brown. Such shoots are removed and destroyed. Can be treated with copper oxychloride or copper sulfate (for 10 liters of water up to 100 g sulfate). Treatments up to three times with an interval of up to 10 days.

Harvesting

The collection period is from July to August, usually in 2 - 3 receptions. The break is a week. Fresh berries can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Can be boiled, dried, frozen.

Harvested not only berries without stalks, but also leaves for medicinal purposes.

Blueberries originate from the coniferous forests of the Far East and Western Siberia. And if initially this valuable berry grew in limited areas, today it occupies an honorable place among the most valuable garden and berry crops. Our article is devoted to the issue of its cultivation.

Common blueberry belongs to the genus Heather. The Russian names of the berry (blueberry, blueberry, blueberry, blueberry, blueberry) reflect the coloring properties of its juice.

The bushes of the plant in natural conditions reach half a meter in height and are "deployed" in the forests and swamps of the northern regions. In culture, this plant is grown both for decorative purposes and for the sake of obtaining valuable raw materials (berries, leaves).

The blueberry bloom season begins in May, and the delicious, dark purple-fleshed, multi-seeded berries ripen in July.

Site selection and preparatory work

Shaded areas of land are allocated for the cultivation of blueberries (both shade and partial shade are suitable for the plant, but in the sun it requires regular moisture). This berry crop grows well on light, well-moist, acidic soils (pH 4-5).

You can independently have a hand in creating ideal conditions for plant growth by preparing a substrate from peat, sand, sawdust, bark, fallen needles and rotted foliage, mixed in an arbitrary proportion.

A small amount of sulfur is most often used for acidification.

Blueberry breeding methods

If you wish, you can move a "wild" bush to your site. It is dug out in late summer or early autumn, placed in a bag along with a lump of earth, and then planted in pre-prepared holes.

Blueberries are often propagated by seed. To obtain them, the berries are kneaded, poured with plenty of water, mixed and the floating bits of berries and empty seeds are drained. The procedure is repeated until the water becomes clear.

The seeds that have settled to the bottom are thrown back on a sieve, dried a little and immediately sown in pots filled with high-moor peat. Seedlings hatch in a couple of weeks.

For the winter, the pots are placed in a bright room, where the temperature is 5-10 ° C (if they are left outside, they must be covered with several layers of spunbond or other covering material). In the spring, seedlings dive into boxes and grow. They are planted in a permanent place only the next year.

Another breeding method is division. In autumn, the partial bushes are separated from the mother plant, after which they are planted in containers or in open ground. Blueberries can also be grafted. In the summer, after the completion of fruiting, twigs 5-6 cm long are cut from the bushes and planted in a film greenhouse. After rooting, the plants are transplanted into the school.

Choosing a blueberry variety

Today, tall blueberry varieties bred in America are widespread. The "growth" of plants reaches one and a half to two meters, and in terms of chemical composition, the berries are completely identical to those of the wild (the size of the berries is 1-2 cm).

By the age of 6-7 years, tall blueberries consistently produce up to 8 kg of berries from each bush. An important advantage is that tall varieties are not susceptible to diseases and pests, and in winter they easily survive frosts reaching 34 ° C.

Plants live for 50-60 years without losing their productivity.

The most popular are the following tall varieties:

• Bluestar 701 M
• Amanda 818 M
• Chick 725 M
• Kerry 728 C
• Johnny 71G M

Planting blueberries

Blueberries form berries without cross-pollination, but to increase yields, it will not hurt to plant several varieties of this berry crop on the site (necessarily with the same flowering period). Before planting, the soil is watered with water acidified with food acid (citric or oxalic acid - 1 tablespoon per bucket of water).

0.8-1.2 m is left between the plants, and 2-2.5 m between the rows.When tall varieties are planted, the size of the planting holes is 45x45x60 cm (for low bushes, the size of the holes is slightly reduced).

Blueberry care

Blueberries are watered regularly, making sure that the topsoil is always moist, but without stagnant water. To preserve moisture, the surface is mulched with bark, sawdust, fallen leaves or needles (the layer thickness is 3-5 cm). Especially carefully maintain moisture during the fruiting period.

Trace elements are introduced when the plant reaches the age of seven. Top dressing is carried out by foliar application (1 tbsp complex fertilizer per 1 sq. M). Organic fertilizers are completely unacceptable.

Blueberries tolerate pruning well, which is done in order to increase yields and to rejuvenate plants.

For the winter, blueberries are not covered, but during the spring frosts, the bushes are "hidden" under the covering material.

Blueberries, cranberries, lingonberries

Many people like blueberries, and the owner of a personal plot should definitely think about planting such a berry bush. There is nothing complicated, but it is undoubtedly worth learning the features of growing and care.

What is this blueberry bush? This is a light-loving plant that grows well on black soil or slightly acidified soil, well filled with organic matter. On clay soil, blueberries are grown on the ridges. It blooms with white small bells. The beginning of fruiting is from the 3rd year of life after planting and reaches its maximum peak only in the 6th year. The berries themselves are dark blue.

In autumn, the leaves take on a red tint. Blueberries love everything and a lot: a lot of light (from a lack of light, the berries become sour), a lot of water and a lot of space. He does not like transplants, so before planting, try to immediately determine a permanent place for the shrub. For planting blueberries, take only varietal planting material, a seedling brought from the forest will not take root in a garden bed.

Better time to plant

The time for planting blueberries in the middle zone is the end of spring, when the threat of return frosts passes or August-September for the southern regions. If we want to get berries of a large size, and not wild, then the distance between the bushes must be kept at least 1 m, in the aisles - 1.5-2.5 m.

Planting pits 70-80 cm deep, 60x60 cm in diameter. Put a drainage layer of pebbles or expanded clay on the bottom. Next, we put the prepared hydrogel. To do this, dilute 10 g of dry hydrogel in 3 liters of water (for convenience, it is better to do this in a bucket). When the hydrogel swells and the water turns into a jelly mass, add it to the planting pit, mixing it with the top layer of soil.

Thus, the hydrogel will provide the soil around the blueberries with an optimal water balance, it will not allow the soil to dry out or, on the contrary, become waterlogged, it will be enough to water once every 2-3 weeks, which is certainly very convenient. This condition is especially important in the first year after planting, when the seedling has received stress, and it needs not only to root, but also to develop the root system by winter.

We moisten and give time for the soil to settle. In soil with neutral or alkaline pH, peat (2: 1) or colloidal sulfur must be added. This will allow us to achieve the required acidity. River sand is added to heavy soil. The hydrogel may not be added during planting, but this will significantly slow down the growth of the shrub, and will need to be watered more often.

In soil, it retains its properties for several years.

After such a thorough preparation of the planting pit, we make a hole in the center, install a blueberry seedling and cover it with earth so that the root collar is on the surface.

Touch the roots as little as possible, because of their sensitivity to damage. After planting, water the blueberry seedling with a small amount, on top we lay a layer of mulch from dry needles under the bush, which will maintain the acidity of the soil.

In the first week after planting, we cover the shrub from the bright sun.

How to care

At first, the shrub is weakened and needs to be fed with nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers, preferably in liquid form, mixed with colloidal sulfur. Colloidal sulfur will prevent nitrogen from neutralizing acidity in the soil. Apply fertilizer at the root in the evening, warm. Such feeding will also give protection against spider mites.

When you see that the leaves have "moved away", their color has become bright and shoots have begun to grow, it means that the blueberry bush has taken root, and you did everything right.

Now you just need to take care of blueberries: water it up to 2 times a month in small portions (when using hydrogel in planting), remove weeds under bushes, add trace elements during the season, and potash fertilizer at the end of summer.

Carry out top dressing after watering in liquid form. During the season, irrigate 1-2 times with acidified water (for 10 liters of water, 1 tsp citric acid).

Remove flowers in the first 2 years, then the plant will not waste energy on flowering and prepare for fruiting, but will begin to intensively gain root mass in order to give a good, large harvest later.After the 3rd year of life, in early spring, it is necessary to cut off old, thickening and thin branches. Older branches can be identified by their color, they are gray.

Blueberries are a winter-hardy plant, but if the winter has little snow, then frost can damage the shoots, this will reduce the yield, so we create snow retention for the winter.

Blueberry bushes over 15 years old drastically reduce yields, so it is better to completely renew them.

Reproduction

Cuttings... In July, cuttings 5-7 cm long are cut from lignified shoots, the lower leaves are removed, and the rest are cut in half. Powder the cut with the Kornevin stimulator.

Pour peat into the planting box with a layer of 6-10 cm, on top of 2-4 cm river sand, set the stalk so that the cut does not reach the peat, cover with a film, creating a greenhouse effect. Ventilate and spray regularly. After rooting, they are transplanted to a permanent place in open ground, around October.

But if the cuttings of blueberries were planted in a greenhouse, then they should be transplanted to a permanent place only in the spring of next year, covered with spruce branches for the winter. Fruiting begins in 4-5 years.

Seeds... Crush a fully ripe berry, preferably a large one, rinse with water through a sieve, put in a glass of water. After a while, the hollow seeds will float, and the good ones will remain at the bottom. Select, dry and plant in potting soil, covered with glass or foil.

After 2-3 weeks, when shoots appear, we remove the shelter. Seedlings grow very slowly and they can be transplanted to a permanent place only in the fall according to the above method. For the winter, be sure to cover it with spruce branches, since young sprouts will not yet be ready for wintering without shelter.

Fruiting begins in 5-6 years.

Blueberries are a delicious, healthy and nutritious berry. It is eaten raw with pleasure, added to yoghurts, oatmeal and desserts, jams, juices and other preparations are made. Some prefer to collect it in the forest, and experienced gardeners successfully grow bushes on their site. All about blueberries, growing and caring for them further in our article.

Recommendations for the choice of planting material

The best material for planting is two- or three-year-old bushes with a lump of earth on the roots, which must be wet before planting.

Tips for planting blueberries in the garden

Blueberries are a forest plant, so at home, planting and caring for them, they need to create similar conditions.

Optimal planting times

You can plant blueberries in fall or spring. The best time for planting is October and November (beginning).

Choosing a place on the site for blueberries

The natural habitat for blueberries is a pine forest, therefore, to grow blueberries in the country, you need to ensure the proper moisture and acidic soil reaction. Garden blueberries grow better in a sunny area, and not in the shade, and excessive soil moisture is undesirable for it.

Preparatory work on the site

Ordinary garden soil is not suitable for blueberries, in inappropriate conditions it will turn yellow and may soon die, so the soil must first be prepared. This should be done in advance: if planting is planned in October, then all measures must be taken no later than September.

For each bush we make a hole 1.5 mx 1.5 m in size and 0.6 m deep.If the soil is light, it is enough to add peat chips, kitchen cleaning, sawdust, crushed bark or rotted oak leaves in a 2: 1 ratio. Powdered sulfur will acidify the soil even more (150-250 g per sq. M). River sand is added to heavy soils.

Before planting, the soil in the hole must settle.

Optimal landing pattern

If you want to plant blueberry bushes in one row, the distance between the bushes should be 1.5 m. For planting in two rows, leave 2.5 m between the bushes.

Before planting blueberries, the roots of the seedlings must be straightened, and a lump of earth must be loosened. In the prepared soil, we make a hole the size of the root, moisten it, plant a bush and fill it with soil.

The soil around the plant needs to be compacted and watered.

Rules for seasonal care for garden blueberries

When caring for garden blueberries, measures such as watering, weeding, loosening the soil, mulching, pruning are important.

How to water

Blueberries need regular, but not too abundant watering. Excess moisture can cause disease.

Weeding and loosening the soil

The roots of blueberries are almost at the surface of the soil, therefore, closer to the bush, loosening should be done with extreme caution, to a shallow depth (about 3 cm).

Role of mulch

Mulch helps to reduce the frequency of loosening, retain moisture in the soil, fight weeds, and prevents the topsoil from overheating in summer.

It is best to apply a layer of sawdust 10 cm thick on the ground near the plant, without covering the root collar, and lightly mix them with the soil. Another good mulch option is shredded kitchen cleaners.

With less efficiency, you can use straw and fallen leaves.

How to feed

Blueberries will reward you with a generous harvest if you feed them properly. Organic fertilizer for garden blueberries can be manure, compost or peat chips. Every 2-3 years they are brought into the topsoil at the rate of 3-4 kg per sq.

m. From mineral fertilizers used superphosphate, ammonium superphosphate, potassium magnesium. With low acidity of the soil (pH above 5.0), powdered sulfur (50-60 g each) is added annually under each bush. With high-quality mulching, this procedure is optional.

Competent pruning

Correct cultivation of garden blueberries is impossible without high-quality pruning, since the bushes grow strongly. Pruning is best done in early spring when the blueberries are not budding. Pruning late during flowering can lead to lower yields.

If you are replanting bushes that are more than 3 years old, after planting, the branches must be cut to a height of 20 cm so that the plant can develop young healthy shoots. When the bush reaches 3-4 years of age, it needs regular pruning.

A healthy bush consists of 6-8 branches, all damaged, dry or diseased branches must be removed. Lateral shoots with buds are also removed, small berries are formed on them and ripen longer.

For old shrubs over 15 years old, rejuvenating pruning is recommended to a height of 20 cm. This measure will help maintain yields.

Protection from pests and diseases

To prevent plants from pests and diseases, you need to collect and burn fallen leaves, and regularly mulch the bushes.

When blueberry leaves are affected by aphids, the bushes are treated with insecticides, and they are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid from the scale insect. Miskosphereliosis affects blueberry leaves, forming reddish-black spots. The plant is sprayed with Topsin's or Fundazol's solution (2 g per 1 liter of water).

The appearance of dark brown spots on the leaves means that the plant is affected by rust, a measure of control will be the use of special anti-rust fungicides. Gray mold can destroy berry crops.

To combat it, the plant is sprayed with a solution of Bordeaux liquid: the first time - before flowering, the second - after, the third - after a few weeks. Also used fungicides ("Topsin", "Fundazol", "Euparen").

Harvesting and storage

Blueberries are harvested from mid June to early September. Since the berries ripen unevenly, they are harvested at intervals of 5-10 days. For collection, it is better to take not a bag, but a plastic bucket. Choose dark, blue-violet berries with whole skin. To tear the berry off the stem, you need to scroll it, gently holding it with two fingers.

You can also use a special harvester to pick berries. It looks like a scoop consisting of a body and a handle. The bottom of the body is equipped with a "comb" of rods. To prevent the berries from falling out, there is a hinged door in the front of the device.

The mechanism greatly speeds up and simplifies the harvesting process, but leaves can get inside along with the berries. If the harvester is homemade or of poor quality, it can harm the bush.

Vacuum collectors with a gasoline engine and a pump are on sale.

A simple device can be built from a hose and an ordinary plastic funnel. We put the hose on the funnel, and lower the other end into the bucket. We throw the berries into the funnel, through the hose they fall into the bucket.

In addition to berries, blueberry leaves are also harvested. In May, when blueberries begin to bloom, non-flowering shoots with green shoots or individual leaves are cut with scissors and dried. They are used as a medicine with a hemostatic, astringent, urinary and choleretic, restorative effect.

The maximum benefit can be obtained from fresh blueberries. At zero temperature, they can be stored for up to 6 weeks.

From the fruits, you can cook compote and jam, freeze, grind with sugar.

Advice for long-term storage: bake glass bottles well in the oven, add peeled blueberries, cork and wax. Store in a cool, dark place.

Blueberry breeding methods

Seed and vegetative propagation methods are suitable for blueberries. Young blueberry bushes will not begin to bear fruit soon enough. If the plant is obtained from a seed, then the berries will have to wait 5-6 years. In the case of propagation of blueberries by cuttings, it is somewhat faster.

Blueberry seed

To get seeds from berries, you need to knead them and mix with water. After a while, empty seeds and remnants of berries float to the surface. The water must be drained until it becomes clear and no seeds remain at the bottom. We take them out of the container and dry them on a paper napkin.

In the future, you can plant blueberries from seeds directly on them by cutting them into strips. Planting blueberries with seeds is carried out in boxes or pots with peat. Shoots appear in a few weeks. In winter, the container with sprouts should be kept in a bright room with a temperature of 5-10 ° C.

In the spring, seedlings need to be dived, and then grown, and planted in a permanent place next year.

Bilberry grows naturally in northern and temperate latitudes, from the high mountains of the Caucasus to taiga and forest-tundra. The optimal conditions for it are damp pine and spruce forests. Recently, however, garden blueberries can be seen more and more often on personal plots.

Delicious berries are eaten fresh with pleasure, jam is made, dried and frozen. Blueberries are also used for garden decoration. Arranging an alpine slide, it is often planted along with other flowering shrubs: lingonberries, rhododendrons, erica.

Is it possible to plant blueberries on the site

It is not necessary to go to the forest for blueberries; they can also be grown in the garden, creating comfortable conditions for them. The culture loves coolness, tolerates winter cold well, but can suffer from early autumn frosts.

It takes a month and a half for blueberries to transition to a dormant state. If the crop is not harvested 50 days before frost, then early cold weather down to -10 ° C can damage the bush.

Spring return frosts are not dangerous for blueberries, since they bloom late, in the second half of May.

Blueberry lovers do not need to go to the forest, because you can eat them in your garden.

When growing blueberries, it should be borne in mind that they are very sensitive to lack of moisture. During the season, it is necessary to keep the soil moist, otherwise the bushes will begin to dry out.

Choosing a place

The garden form of blueberries - a perennial low shrub with sweet and sour berries in appearance is no different from its forest relative.

However, the growing conditions for cultivated berries are somewhat different. In the forest, the berry grows in the shade of trees; for planting in the garden, it should be allocated a sunny area.

In case of insufficient lighting, the berries become smaller, the yield decreases.

Blueberries should be protected from strong winds, especially in winter. Therefore, it is better to set aside quiet corners in the southern part of the garden for planting, closed from cold winds by a fence, hedges, garden buildings. In such a place, a warmer microclimate is created; in winter, snow lingers, creating a reliable protective cushion for plants.

The place for blueberries in the garden should be taken as the brightest, most of the day warmed by the sun

Garden blueberries are quite demanding on the composition of the soil. It grows well on air-permeable loose peat-sandy soil with a high acidity level - pH in the range of 3.8–5.

Groundwater should lie 40–60 cm from the surface of the earth, but with regular irrigation, deeper water layers are also possible. However, you should not plant bushes in lowlands or in clayey areas where water stagnates for a long time - blueberries cannot stand flooding.

Clay soil can be made looser by adding a bucket of sand for every square meter.

Optimal planting times

Planting time for blueberries depends on the climatic conditions of the region.

It should be remembered that blueberries love coolness, therefore, in regions with a warm climate, it is better to plant them in September-October, when comfortable warm and humid weather remains.

Hot days come quickly in the south in spring, blueberries may not take root and die. When planting in autumn, before the onset of frost, the plants will have time to adapt to a new place.

Healthy blueberry bushes quickly adapt to new conditions and soon begin to bear fruit

Planting blueberries in spring

The best time to plant blueberries in the central and northern regions is late spring, when the threat of return cold weather has passed. During the summer months, the plants will get stronger and prepare for wintering.

When planting in autumn, there is a high risk of death of the shrub, since in autumn the nights here can be very cold, early frosts are not uncommon.

At first, blueberries should be shaded with spunbond so that the bright spring sun does not damage the young plantings.

How to plant blueberries correctly

Just like forest blueberries, garden blueberries prefer to grow in acidic soil, so prepare the site before planting. Sand, coniferous litter, sawdust are added to the peat and must be acidified. A year before planting, you can add ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate (20 g each), nitroammofosk and potassium sulfate (10 g per m2) to the soil.

Or, in a few days, shed the soil with a solution of citric or oxalic acid (15 g per 10 l), apple cider vinegar (100 ml), powdered sulfur (60 g per m2). If the soil on the site is heavy, a little more river sand is added to it.

You should not fertilize the soil with manure or ash, otherwise the bush will only intensively increase the vegetative mass, and it will not have enough strength to harvest.

Having created the necessary soil conditions for blueberries, you can count on a good harvest.

For better rooting of bushes, it is recommended to use a hydrogel. 10 g of the substance is poured into 3 liters of water and, after swelling, is mixed with the soil.

The hydrogel retains moisture in the soil for a long time and protects the roots from waterlogging, which is especially important for young plants.

The hydrogel acts as a reserve source of moisture that can water the shrubs, prevent them from withering and drying out during severe drought and heat.

Step-by-step process of preparing a site for planting blueberry bushes:

• Dig holes 60 cm wide to a depth of 80 cm, leaving a distance of 1 m between them. Pits for blueberries are prepared in advance so that the donkey soil
• Drainage is placed on the bottom - pebbles, expanded clay with a layer of 10 cm, a part of the prepared substrate is poured on top.
• They spill the soil, allow the water to be absorbed.
• Knead the earthen ball, straighten the roots and place the seedling in the hole.
• Sprinkle with earth, without deepening the plant. The blueberry bush is covered with earth, without much deepening
• Water the plant.
• After absorbing moisture, mulch is laid out under the bushes.Sawdust, bark, needles can be used as a mulching material.

Tips for gardeners on growing garden blueberries

In the future, blueberries are moistened with 2 buckets of water twice a week. To maintain the pH level, the soil is acidified 2 times a year. In areas with neutral acidity, foliage turns yellow, shoots stop growing, the bush withers and may die.

In the first years after planting, pruning of blueberries is not required, only broken or dry branches need to be removed. In the fourth season, after leaf fall, regulating pruning is carried out, leaving 6–8 of the strongest shoots on the bush.

The blueberry bush should be well lit and ventilated. Over time, rejuvenating pruning is carried out, gradually replacing old branches with new ones.

Blueberries should be fed only with mineral fertilizers in small quantities (for example, Aelita fruit and berry - 20 g per 10 liters of water).

From blueberry bushes, you can create a container garden that will decorate any corner of the site

Planting methods for blueberries

It is not difficult to propagate garden blueberry bushes independently by seed or vegetative methods.

Sowing with seeds

Ripe berries are kneaded, dipped in water and stirred. Several times the water is poured with the seeds floating on the surface. Seeds that have settled to the bottom are dried and sown in wet peat in a greenhouse.

Water it regularly, open it slightly for ventilation. Shoots should appear in 2 weeks. The film is removed and the containers with sprouts are removed for the winter in a well-lit cool room (with a temperature of + 5-10 ° C).

You can take the pots out into the garden, but be sure to cover them with agrofibre folded in several layers.

Two weeks after sowing blueberry seeds, shoots appear

In the spring, after the soil thaws, the shelter is removed, the sprouted seedlings dive into boxes and put in a place protected from wind and direct sunlight for growing. The seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place a year later in late summer or early autumn. The berries will appear in the third year.

Planting seedlings

For planting, you should purchase 2-3-year-old bushes in pots. Bare-rooted blueberries dry out very quickly and may not take root. The container plant is removed from the package before planting and immersed in water for half an hour. Seedlings are planted in pre-prepared pits, watered and mulched.

For planting, it is better to use two-three-year-old blueberry bushes.

Division of the mother bush

In the fall, a blueberry bush is dug up and carefully divided so that each part is a relatively autonomous plant and has roots and shoots with intact buds.

Such bushes associated with the parent ground or basal shoot are called "partial". For good survival, each layer must have at least five healthy buds.

The divisions are planted in the garden on a pre-prepared area or in a spacious pot and left to winter in a cool room.

Planting cuttings

When propagating by cuttings, young shoots are cut into pieces of 5–7 cm at the end of June. The upper leaves are slightly cut off, the lower ones are cut off.

The cuttings are dipped for an hour in a solution with Kornevin or Heteroauxin, which stimulate root formation, and planted in pots with peat soil. Watered and covered with foil. Within a month, the soil is moistened, airing is carried out.

Rooted green cuttings are planted in a growing area. Young plants are planted in a permanent place in the fall or next spring.

It is not difficult to propagate garden blueberries by cuttings that are harvested in the summer.

Transplanting blueberries to a new location

The need to transplant an adult plant may arise when you need to rejuvenate a bush or find a more suitable place. Garden blueberry bushes easily tolerate transplanting.

An old blueberry bush transplanted to a new place, after rejuvenating pruning, significantly increases productivity

In late spring or autumn, the plant is dug up along with a large clod of earth and planted in a new place. Sprinkle with soil, water and mulch. Old bushes with the help of pruning rejuvenate: they completely cut off all branches, leaving hemp no more than 20 cm.

Reviews

Blueberries are a valuable berry crop. Growing it in the garden is not so difficult, you just need to follow the rules of agricultural technology. Gardeners love domesticated blueberries for their delicious berries that can be enjoyed in the comfort of your home.

Blueberry leaves and fruits are also widely used to boost immunity and improve vision.

A beautiful shrub of light green color, which acquires a reddish tint in autumn, will serve as an excellent decorative decoration of the site.