Header Ads

How To Grow Blueberries #Fruit_Gardening



As an adult, I buy my blueberries from the farmer’s market, or the grocery store in a pinch. They are still one of my favorite fruits, but now they are so pricey that I dream of the bounty of my youth. So I got to thinking, how hard could it be to grow my own blueberries? Turns out, they are one of the easiest berries to grow, only requiring the following:

1. Sun: Blueberries are sun worshippers, which is why we always found the wild variety in a mountain bald, unobstructed by the forest.

2. Water: If you don’t have regular rainfall, plan on watering your blueberry bushes frequently. Which leads us to…

3. Soil: Even though blueberries love water, they don’t like to be soggy. Fickle! Plant your bushes in well-draining soil, or in a raised bed. A great way to make sure your soil is well-draining is to incorporate peat moss into it.

4. Pruning: This one was hard for me to swallow, but the first year you plant your blueberry bushes? You have to cut off all of the blooms. I know. No blueberries that first year. But, here is the thing: by pruning back the new blossoms in year one, you will have a great crop in years to follow! After the first year, prune at the end of the growing season, removing low growth and any twiggy, non-vigorous branches.

5. Mulch and Fertilizer: Two to four inches of mulch, once a year, will help regulate moisture and keep weeds at bay. Fertilize with an acid fertilizer when the buds appear in early spring, and then again once the fruit is established.



Powered by Blogger.