Have you ever thought about growing blueberries in your garden? If you live in a particularly mild place, then know that you have the best habitat to grow this plant in the best way. It will reward you with delicious fruits and with multiple beneficial properties.
Spring is almost upon us and this is the right time to start thinking about jobs to be done in the garden and how to prepare the lawn for the summer. We always think of grass, flowers, but perhaps not everyone knows that there is a plant. It is not only beautiful to look at but that if properly cultivated. It can give you some very good fruits: blueberries.
How to grow blueberries in containers
The blueberry is a very beautiful plant and its fruits are considered a real delicacy. Growing blueberries is also a great way to taste these berries without having to buy them packaged at the supermarket where prices are decidedly higher than the average traditional fruit.
Here then is all there is to know to grow blueberries, waiting for this beautiful plant to give you your fruits with which to indulge in cakes and preserves in the kitchen!
BLUEBERRY VARIETIES
No, there is no single blueberry plant, but there are several varieties in nature. There is the most common cranberry, the wild variety that is recognized by the color of its red berries, but there is also the American blueberry, considered the easiest plant to grow even though it can reach really important measures.
This blueberry variety has small flowers in light colors that bloom in spring and its clusters are a deep blue color. If you have never cultivated a blueberry plant, we advise you to choose this variety, which is easier to treat and with few maintenance interventions.
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THE CHOICE OF LAND AND PLACE
The blueberry is not a plant that needs special attention. The only aspect that needs attention is the choice of the terrain, as well as a climate-type assessment.
Blueberry needs a temperate climate. If you live in a particularly dry area, this cultivation is not for you and for how many efforts you can make to take care of your cultivation. There is the risk that the results are not those hoped for.
The ideal place to grow blueberries is a place with a mild temperature, where summer is not too hot and winter is never too hard. The soil in ideal conditions must have a high concentration of acidity to allow the blueberry to grow well.
THE ACIDITY OF THE SOIL
But what does acid soil mean? This means that to grow in optimal conditions. The blueberry needs soil that has a PH that ranges between 4.5 and 5.5. But how do you get that kind of terrain? Don’t worry; it’s not an impossible undertaking.
In the market, there are preparations of land designed for the cultivation of plants that need an acid environment to grow. It will be sufficient to buy this type of soil and reinforce it later when adding the soil to the garden, with the addition of sulfur and peat. If your soil is particularly strong, to grow in optimal conditions it will also be necessary to add grainy sand.
Fortunately, it is not so difficult: there are already prepared soils for plants that need particular levels of acidity. The bought soil should be placed in a specially prepared hole in your garden and should then be reinforced with the addition of peat and even a little sulfur. If there is a problem with particularly heavy soil, it is necessary to add grainy sand.
BLUEBERRY IN A JAR
If you have decided to grow the blueberry starting from a seedling to be repotted and planted, there are some very important precautions that you should know before proceeding. In this case, your work will start from a plant that has already been made, small, yes, but still large and with imprisoned roots, in the vase, in a small space.
In this case, the first thing to do is to create the space needed to insert the plant into the soil. You will then have to remove the earth that surrounds the plant when you remove it from the pot and gently remove the earth that will remain attached to the roots. An easy way to do this is to use water, as long as everything is done gently (so no violent jets directly on the roots). Once this is done, your blueberry plant will be ready to be placed inside the soil.
HOW TO FERTILIZE THE BLUEBERRY AND FEED IT AT ITS BEST
Now we come to fertilization, a fundamental operation to maintain the plant and nourish it in the most correct way. When you have transplanted your blueberry, it will be necessary to create the most favorable environment around it to allow it to grow at its best. A good tip is to prepare a compost of leaves and peat that will be particularly useful for keeping the soil always moist.
As for the fertilizer, instead, it is good to put it inside the soil at the beginning of spring and never during the growth phase of the plant. For nourishment, however, remember that blueberry is a plant that needs a lot of water, especially rain. In particularly hot periods, or when rain is scarce, you will have to offer the plant the right amount of water through constant watering.
WHEN PRUNE THE BLUEBERRY
Pruning is not carried out before one year. This is because the plant needs to grow naturally. After this time you can adjust its branches. For pruning there is no precise rule to follow, except that of delicately eliminating the fragile branches and the drier ones, thus making room for the healthy branches that, over time, will be those that will give you your blueberries.
The fruits begin to appear during the second year; don’t worry. If during the first months of cultivation nothing seems to happen. This means that your blueberry plant is grown for the better and that you will have to keep looking after it as you are doing.
OTHER USEFUL TIPS
We talked about the varieties, the type of soil, the best climate and pruning. We are almost there, just a few small and useful advice that can serve you during your cultivation project. For example, the position is a very important factor to consider. When planting the plant, make sure it is in an area where the sun’s rays can reach it if you are in a rather cold area. If, on the other hand, you are lucky enough to grow blueberry in a mild area. It is best to choose a spot that is sheltered from the sun.
The soil must always be moist at the right point and occasionally a herbicide operation is also useful. But don’t overdo it though. It is always better to proceed manually to avoid breaking the plant’s roots.
That’s it: this is all you need to know to grow blueberry without making mistakes. This plant does not need special care. So if you are a beginner in gardening and cultivation, this variety is perfect to start with.
With a little patience, you will see your first blueberries tick and you can enjoy these delicious zero-kilometer fruits, with the certainty of bringing a healthy and natural product to the table, without chemical additives and herbicides. And then not a minor aspect, remember that the blueberry plant will fill your garden with beautiful flowers that in spring will bloom intoxicating the space with their scent.
