How to Grow Blueberries
Delicious, nutritious and easy to grow . What more could a gardener ask for?
Well, for starters, I'd ask for the birds to stay away from them. But how
can you blame them for enjoying this great summer snack?
Many fruit trees are simply too big and require too much maintenance for
the average homeowner. Not so with a blueberry bush. Once your blueberry
bush is planted and established, it will grow well for years with a little
sunshine, water and occasional shot of fertilizer.
Did you know? Blueberries can help lower cholesterol and reduce the
risk of cancer. As if the great taste wasn't enough reason to eat them in
large quantities......
The month of July is Blueberries Month. That's because the blueberry harvest
in most areas of the country is during July.
How to Grow Blueberries:
Select healthy young plants from a reputable nursery or garden supply store
.
Plant them in the spring. Blueberries grow best is full sun. They need acidic
soils with a pH of 4.0 to 4.5. They like clay and other poor or rocky soils.
You may need to increase the acidity in your soil to grow healthy bushes.
Space blueberry bushes about five to six feet apart. We recommend rows eight
to ten feet apart. They will tolerate a little crowding. Mix in healthy amounts
of compost and other organic matter. Keep a thick layer of mulch around your
blueberry bushes to eliminate weeds, and help keep the soil moist. Water
well after planting and in the first few weeks as necessary to promote good
root growth.
Now the waiting begins. A new bush will produce fruit in the third year!
After that, your bush will thrive for many years to come with just a little
care and maintenance.
Add fertilizer once in the spring and again in late summer. The latter
application will help to promote buds for next year.
Pruning Blueberry Bushes
Buds for next year's fruit forms in late summer through early fall. Blueberry
buds for next year will form on second year wood. Keep this in mind when
pruning. Pruning is recommended in the winter. As you prune the newest growth,
you are reducing production for the following year. As you cut well down
an established stalk, you are cutting reducing fruit production for the upcoming
year.
So, what does a home gardener do? First and foremost, remove any dead or
diseased branches and stems. Then, cut away a few stalks from bushy plants.
And, trim back your bush to maintain an acceptable height. But, be careful
not to cut away more than 1/2 of the newest growth.
Keep in mind pruning leads to healthier plants and fewer, but bigger berries.
The Birds and the Blueberries
Forget the story of the birds and the bees. We're talking the "birds and
the blueberries". Specifically, birds love blueberries. Both home gardeners
and commercial growers quickly find this out. And those birds can be oh so
smart! I realized this one day as I walked amidst the blueberry field of
a farmer friend of mine. He had bought an expensive sound system which
alternately played a variety of predator bird sounds and calls. I watched
as a small flock of birds munched on plump blueberries right next to a speaker.
If you are going to grow blueberries, you need a plan of attack to keep the
birds away. One approach is to simply share your fruit with them. As a fellow
bird lover, this may not sound too bad. But, you will need several bushes
to keep your family and the birds satisfied.
We recommend you make those birds feel blue. Take the fruit of your labor
away from them. The most effective means short of a shotgun is bird netting.
It is relatively inexpensive and will last for a few years.
Find Bird Netting now.
More Information:
Growing
Blueberries in the Home Garden excellent reading.
Principles
of Pruning Blueberries
More on Bird Control
Soil Testers
Bird Netting - Why let the birds eat all those plump
Blueberries?
Buy Jobe Fruit Tree Spikes
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