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If you have alkaline soil or heavy clay, grow blueberries in large containers or raised beds (15–20cm/6–8in high) filled with ericaceous soil or ericaceous potting compost. Improve your soil before planting by digging in lots of bulky, acidic organic matter, such as pine needles, leafmould, composted conifer bark or bracken.
- Where to Plant Blueberries
- When and How to Plant A Blueberry Bush
- How to Care For Blueberries
- How to Prune Blueberries
- How to Harvest Blueberries
- Storing Blueberries
- Growing Blueberries: Problem Solving
The key to growing blueberry plants successfully is getting the soil conditions right. They need acidic soil, with a pH of between 4 and 5.5, and the texture should be light and free-draining. If you don’t have acidic soil in your garden, you can grow blueberries in pots of peat-free ericaceous (acidic) compost. Blueberries will fruit in partial sh...
You can plant a blueberry bush at any time of the year, except when the ground is frozen. For the widest range of varieties, it's best to buy online or via mail order. If planting in the ground, dig a hole that's a little larger than the plant's previous pot. Plant to the same depth as the 'soil tide mark' (if it's bare-root) or to the same depth a...
Water blueberries regularly, with rainwater rather than tap water whenever possible. Tap water contains lime and this can make the soil more alkaline over time. A change in soil acidity levels can cause blueberry leaves to yellow with chlorosis. A spring mulch of pine tree needles or bark chippings is a good way to maintain soil acidity. If you're ...
Blueberries don’t need pruning in their first two years - simply remove any crossing or rubbing branches. Once established, bushes benefit from regular pruning to keep them healthy and productive. Prune while the plants are still dormant in late February or March, when it's easier to distinguish the fruit buds from the leaf buds (the fruit buds are...
You can start harvesting blueberries from midsummer, over a few weeks as they ripen gradually. Gently pick off the deepest blue berries, leaving the greener ones to continue ripening. It will take several years for your plant to crop heavily but you should enjoy fruits in the first summer.
Blueberries are best eaten freshly picked, but freeze very well. Frozen blueberries work well when baking or when used in smoothies, jams or compotes.
Blueberries don't generally suffer from many pests and diseases. Look out for common problems like powdery mildew,vine weevil and aphidson new young shoots. Birds, especially pigeons and blackbirds, may be a problem as the fruit starts to ripen – you could cover the bushes with nets to deter them, but take care to ensure birds and other wildlife do...
- BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
- 1 min
PLANTING. Blueberry bushes may be planted at any time of year as long as the ground isn’t frozen. Dig a hole twice the size of the root-ball, spreading the roots as you refill the hole to the base of the stem. Press the soil down with the heel of a boot. Though tolerant of light shade, blueberry bushes in the sunniest spots will produce the ...
Feb 16, 2024 · As these shrubs do not thrive in regular soil. ‘Blueberries thrive best in well-draining acidic soil that has a pH of around 4.5 to 5.5,’ Steve says. ‘If your garden soil isn't naturally acidic, I would recommend growing them in containers filled with a type of compost called ericaceous compost, as this is acidic compost.’.
Blueberries are an easy-to-grow superfood. They make good plants for containers so you can get a reasonable crop whatever the size of your garden. Blueberries, Vaccinium corybosum, taste delicious ...
Place your blueberry plant in the pot, ensuring the crown (the knob at the base of the stem) sits slightly above the rim of ...
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Space plants 1.5m apart. After planting, mulch around the base of the plants with pine needles or wood chippings. When planting blueberries in containers, choose a container at least 30cm (12in) in diameter, with good drainage holes. Use ericaceous soil or compost.
