How to grow blueberries in the garden: how to plant and care for them correctly

Blueberries are a berry that has become extremely popular in recent years. Its sweet and fresh flavor makes it a great dessert in itself, as well as a wonderful ingredient in food and drink. It also turned out that growing blueberries is not as difficult as most summer residents thought.

Yes, you will have to take care of the conditions that are comfortable for the plant – the right soil, protection from the wind, and access to sunlight. OBOZ.UA tells you how to provide blueberries with optimal conditions so that they start bringing a good harvest to your garden.

The main trick to growing blueberries is to prepare the soil properly. The berry does not grow in heavy clay soil. That is why you will have to do a lot of preparatory work to provide the plant with the right conditions.

If the soil is clay, you will need to make it lighter and more drained to grow blueberries. To properly prepare the place for planting the bush, you need to dig a hole about 40 x 40 cm and 35 cm deep. This planting site is filled with high-moor peat. It will provide the acidity the plant needs. The ideal pH for blueberries is between 3.5 and 5.

Sandy and sandy loamy soils are better suited for growing blueberries, but they also need to be prepared. The nutrient content of such soil is insufficient, so it needs to be enriched by adding about half the volume of high-moor peat, which is an ideal substrate for blueberries.

You will also have to monitor the acidity of the site during berry cultivation. Adding colloidal sulfur to the soil will help with this. For one bush, it will be enough to use 20-30 grams of the substance. Sprinkle it evenly on the ground around the trunk of the plant. Sulfur will also protect the plant from the development of fungus. If the soil on your site is simply not acidified enough to grow blueberries, one such treatment in the spring is enough to get a good harvest. If the soil reaction is closer to neutral, colloidal sulfur will need to be applied twice – in spring and fall.

The rest of the care for blueberries does not differ significantly from other garden crops. It needs to be watered in time and protected from diseases and pests, as well as pruned so that they remain healthy and properly distribute the food received.

Subscribe to the OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events.