How to grow blueberries from seeds at home. Blueberries: growing from seed

Blueberries are a particularly healthy and tasty berry, which is why a large number of gardeners willingly agree to plant one in their garden. by the most in a simple way to do this is to use seedlings. In order not to buy them, you can sow the seeds.

Blueberry Features

As the description of blueberries in the scientific literature makes clear, the plant belongs to the Heather family. The optimum environment for this plant is a marsh environment with a low pH.

The blueberry bush begins to bear fruit in about 3-4 years from the moment of planting. The plant has many varieties that differ in height, size and taste of berries, flowering and fruiting period. The bush begins to grow as soon as the air temperature rises to 7 degrees Celsius. If the street is more than 18 degrees with a plus sign, during the period of active growth, it can increase by 1 mm in just one night.

The root system of the culture can be skeletal and overgrowing. The plant is resistant to frost, but very sensitive to fluctuations in soil moisture.

Growing blueberries at home

On a note: Blueberries are distinguished by a high content of useful trace elements (iron, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium), vitamins (groups B, E, P, C, A). That is why blueberries are often recommended for various diseases blood, digestive, urinary, vascular systems.

What does blueberry planting material look like

Answering the question: what do all blueberry seeds look like, it is worth saying that outwardly they are very similar to buckwheat, however, they are very small in size. They have the same uneven, round or oval shape. The seeds are brown. Breeding of the plant can only take place if the seeds themselves are ripe. Therefore, they are taken out of overripe berries, the flesh of which is more like gruel. Planting material (seeds) is lightly washed and dried in a natural way.

Important! Their shelf life is 10 years. For long-term storage, blueberry seeds are placed in paper bags.

Reproduction methods

Blueberry seeds can be planted immediately after harvest and proper preparation, in August. You can also use stratification technology. This is a simple procedure aimed at the most successful preparation of seeds for planting. Planting material should be placed in a container filled with wet sand or moss. So the seeds are aged for 3 months at a temperature of 3-5 degrees Celsius. Stratified seeds can be planted in the spring.

On the street

As soon as the snow melts on the street, and the earth is ready for the birth of new plants, blueberry seeds can be sown. If such a gardener collected in August-September last year, then they can be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 0 to +5 ℃. Plant them immediately permanent place, to a depth of about 1-1.5 cm. You can count on the appearance of sprouts already in May-June.

First blueberry sprouts

Important! Sowing blueberry seeds should take place taking into account the needs of the variety. A mandatory process is the mulching of the earth with a mixture of peat or leaves, sawdust.

In greenhouse conditions

Blueberries grow rapidly from seed, which is grown at home. For the plant, you need to prepare suitable containers filled with earth. Seeds can simply be spread out on the surface of the earth, and covered with a thin layer of sand (up to 2 mm) or sawdust (4 mm) on top. After planting, the ground must be watered, and then covered with plastic wrap to ensure the greenhouse effect. Another option is to cover with glass and put in a sunny place.

Seedlings should appear in about 2-4 weeks. Noticing them, the film must be removed immediately. From time to time, seedlings need to be aired and watered. It is allowed to transplant a plant when at least 5-6 leaves appear on it. A plant can be planted for a permanent place of "residence" 2 years after sowing.

For what varieties is this reproduction

You can grow a blueberry bush using seeds of the following varieties:

Soil preparation

Those who are thinking about the question of how to grow blueberries from seeds at home should, first of all, take care of right choice soil. If the area is swampy, then the blueberry roots will quickly take root. The best option for blueberries, which will help it grow quickly, will be a mixture of sand and peat.

At the bottom of the pit, where the seedlings will eventually fit, sprigs of conifers or wood chips fall asleep. Then spread a layer of peat with sawdust.

For mulching (backfilling the top layer) are perfect:

• humus;
• rotted sawdust;
• needles.

Important! It is forbidden to sprinkle blueberries with ashes, because such material reduces acidity, so the plant will not produce the desired yield and will grow very slowly.

Germination

In order to make it easier to plant blueberries and germinate faster, some owners offer seed germination. To do this, the seeds of the plant are placed on a clean, damp cloth and kept there until they germinate.

Having planted the plant, a container with it (greenhouse) is placed on the windowsill. Shoots from seeds at home appear after 1 month.

Agricultural technology

Important! On the best result can be calculated if blueberries are planted in accordance with the basic agrotechnical conditions. Like all blueberries, blueberries do best in acidic, moist soil.

The optimal size of the landing pit for a permanent place is 60 by 60 cm. The distance between the rows cannot be less than 2 m. Step by step instruction suggests that for planting a garden blueberry bush, you need to remove it from the greenhouse, slightly shake off the peat layer, gently straighten the roots and place the plant in a vertical direction in a hole.

planting blueberries

It is allowed to fill up the pit with earth brought from the forest or marshland. If necessary, you can slightly acidify the soil. For this purpose, vinegar dissolved with water (1 cup per 10 liters of water) or citric acid (3 tsp per 10 liters of water) is added to the pit.

Berries will be large if the bush is in a sunny place.

Care

Unlike forest, garden (home) blueberries require proper care. A seedling never goes without watering. You also need to “water” the plant in case of dry weather, as well as during the period when berries appear.

Mulching should take place every spring. A layer of sawdust is best suited for this purpose. You can fertilize the plant with nitrogenous top dressings, however, not with organic fertilizers. Cultivation of the land around the bush is mandatory during the first 3-4 years of blueberry life.

Note! Plant care will be incomplete if it is not systematically cut. For a successful harvest, you need to do such work in the fall, when all the leaves from the bush have already fallen off. Old shoots are best removed when the plant is 6-7 years old.

Growing seedlings

Planting ordinary seedlings can occur almost throughout the growing season. In the spring, such work can be done as soon as the earth warms up a little, and there are no more night frosts.

If the seedlings have an open root system, they can be planted in April and October. The optimal planting depth is 6-8 cm deep. If the soil is heavy, the diameter of the planting hole should be more than 65 by 65 cm, and the depth is slightly less than in the usual version - 5-6 cm.

You can add "cubic rot", as well as peat, to the planting pit. Such additives contribute to the preservation of moisture, optimal chemical composition soil. The blueberry root system becomes more developed.

Some owners suggest using plastic films that cover the bottom of the planting pit. They will prevent root rot in case of stagnant water.

Blueberry is a shrub common in Central Europe, rapidly gaining popularity in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other countries of the near abroad. Since its berries have exceptional useful properties- high content of vitamin C and other minerals and vitamins, it is necessary in the diet of every healthy person. However, many summer residents refuse to grow it just because they do not know how to grow blueberries correctly. Although this shrub is not at all whimsical to care for and does not require much effort, only a few nuances must be observed when growing blueberries.

Growing conditions

Industrial cultivation of blueberries is carried out only on acidic soils. The plant develops well on sandy and sandy substrates, peat bogs. To significantly improve the water regime and soil fertility, rotted leaf litter is used. On the garden plot you can create such a soil using acidic high-moor peat, sawdust, bark, foliage or other materials, increasing the acidity of the soil to 3.7-4.8 units (pH) with sulfur, citric, acetic or malic acid.

One of the main conditions for the successful cultivation of blueberries is moderate soil moisture. Therefore, it should not be planted in areas lying in the lowlands, since in such cases there is a risk of waterlogging.

In a plant that has been growing for a long time in places with an excess of moisture, the roots begin to quickly rot and die off, and the bush itself stops its development and ceases to bear fruit. In the country, you should choose the most illuminated place for planting blueberries, protected at the same time from strong winds. In partial shade, the yield will be significantly lower, and the quality of the berries will deteriorate. In addition, with a lack of light, the growth of shoots lengthens in time, and they do not always have time to become woody before the first frost, as a result of which they can freeze in winter.

It is cost-effective to plant several varieties of blueberries in the garden. Such a mixed planting of different varieties not only ensures good pollination and high yields, but also significantly improves the taste of berries and reduces their ripening time. If the plot is quite large, you can organize a home business, growing blueberries from seeds for sale.

Blueberry Planting Scheme

Landing

Low-growing varieties of blueberries are planted at a distance of 70-80 cm from each other, strong and medium-sized varieties - at a distance of 90-120 cm. Planting pits are prepared earlier, 40-50 cm deep and 60-70 cm in diameter. On loamy heavy soils, the pit is made less than 20-30 cm deep, but wider and equipped with an additional drainage layer of 10-15 cm or blueberries are planted on the ridge.

For planting, I use two- and three-year-old seedlings with a closed, developed root system. A pot with a plant immediately before planting is immersed for 20-25 minutes in a container of water to saturate the roots and earthen coma with moisture. After that, the seedlings are carefully removed from the pot, kneading the lump with their hands. A young bush is turned upside down, the root ball is cut to a depth of 5-7 cm crosswise or torn with hands, starting from the middle.

A small amount of high-moor peat is poured at the bottom of the pit, fertilizers are not applied, a seedling is placed there, spreading the roots in different directions and also covered with prepared acidic soil. The plant is buried 6-7 cm above the level of the coma in the pot. After that, the earth is slightly compacted, a shallow hole is made around the bush and watered abundantly. Then the near-trunk zone is mulched with sawdust with a layer of 7-9 cm.

Care

Constant moderate watering, without swamping the soil and preventing it from drying out - important condition good survival and development of bushes. Watering is carried out by finely drip irrigation or drip irrigation of the soil around the bush directly.

In the summer period in mid-July and August, the plant should be watered twice a day - in the morning and in the evening, 2-3 times a week, at the rate of 1.5-2 buckets for each bush. During this period, abundant watering is very important, because simultaneously with fruiting, flower buds of the next year's crop are laid on the bushes. The lack of moisture will be reflected in its significant decrease, both in the current year and next.

In especially hot, stuffy times, the bushes should be cooled by spraying them with cool water during the daytime at 12-13 o'clock. With such a simple manipulation of agricultural technology, the rate of photosynthesis increases and stress from overheating of the plant is minimized. Mulching plantings with needles, rotted leaves, straw or sawdust not only slows down the germination of weed seed, but also allows you to retain moisture in the soil and even out its temperature. The mulching layer is maintained at a height of 7-12 cm. When mulching with fresh bark or sawdust, additional nitrogen fertilizers should be added so as not to slow down the growth and development of bushes.

Blueberries react to lack of fertilizer, especially taller varieties like Canadian. The first top dressing with complex mineral fertilizers, such as Azofoska or Fertik, is carried out in early spring, when the buds swell, the second - during flowering, the third - when small berries appear, but no later than July 1. Depending on the age of the bush, a different dose of fertilizer is applied per season: for a two- and three-year-old bush - 10-20 g, for a four-year-old bush - 40 g, for a five-year-old dose 70-80 g, for an older plant - 150-160 g.

Growing mistakes

One of the most common mistakes is the application of organic fertilizers. Blueberry variety Canadian and others not only do not tolerate compost, manure and chicken manure, but can also die after using them. Also, many gardeners ignore such an important event as maintaining optimal soil acidity. Why twice a month from April to September, each bush is watered with a weak solution of citric acid - 5-12 g per 3 liters of water, or vinegar. 180-200 ml per 8-10 liters of water.

High fruiting is ensured only with regular spring pruning of bushes. At the same time, diseased branches lying on the ground and a small bushy growth at the base are removed. If the bushes are older than 5-6 years, part of the branches with flower buds should be cut, leaving only a few shoots up to 6-8 years old, and 4-6 of the most developed ones are left from annuals. In bushes of a spreading type, the lower drooping branches are removed, in bushes of an upright type, the middle is thinned out.

When removing weeds around the planting, it should be borne in mind that the roots of blueberries are located very close to the soil surface. Therefore, inter-row processing is carried out with the help of herbicides or shallow weeding. More often they are sown with low-growing grasses, which are mowed several times during the season and left to rot.

Video "Growing tall blueberries"

This video tells how to grow blueberries, what are the nuances in caring for bushes, which is the key to high yields.

Growing blueberry seedlings is much easier than fiddling with seeds. However, if there are no seedlings, nothing else remains. We have to pay a lot of attention to them until the seedlings get stronger. To do this, you should familiarize yourself in more detail with the rules for growing blueberries from seeds at home.

Culture features

A distinctive feature of blueberry seed propagation is the fact that the period from sowing to the first harvest can take several years. The berry belongs to the Heather family, for which wetlands are the natural habitat. Their pH level is extremely low.

The root system is practically devoid of hairs. It is extremely sensitive to fluctuations in soil moisture. Blueberries can coexist with mycorrhizal fungi, with which they share carbohydrates. In return, she gets better absorption of water and mineral elements. There are many varieties of blueberries. Some are relatively small in stature, while others reach a height of more than 1.5-2 m.

Modern varieties of berries that are usually planted on the site are hybrids. This is the key to successful cultivation. The root system is skeletal and fouling. It starts growing at a temperature of +7 degrees. When especially comfortable conditions(+17 degrees) it increases by 1 mm per day.

There are many useful qualities in this culture. Due to the content of antioxidants and a complex of vitamins, it has a positive effect on visual acuity, the functioning of the digestive tract, and reduces the manifestation of allergic reactions.

Unlike other plants, blueberries are unable to move water and nutrients horizontally from one side to the other. For this reason, it must be watered from all sides.

What does the planting material look like?

Planting material is nothing more than small seeds Brown color. The seeds are oval or round in shape, depending on the variety. They are taken out exclusively from ripe and large berries, which are kneaded to a state of gruel. After that, they are washed, then dried and stored in a paper bag or planted immediately. The collected planting material can be used for 10 years.

Description of the method of reproduction

To grow blueberries from seeds, they must be stratified. By this word is meant a simple, though not fast procedure. For her, you need moss or wet sand. Planting material is placed there for 3 months and kept at a temperature of 3-5 degrees above zero.

Reproduction of blueberries by seeds can be done in two ways. The term for sowing blueberries with seeds is different and depends on the type of planting material. If these are freshly harvested seeds, they are planted in August, and those that have undergone stratification are sown in the spring.

On the street

You can put the dried seeds in the refrigerator for the winter. At a constant temperature of 0 ... + 5 degrees, they will remain until spring. They are sown in the top layer of soil, deepening inward by 1-1.5 cm. In this case, it is imperative to mulch the soil with a mixture of peat, sawdust and leaves. The first sprouts will appear in early May - early June.

Without feeding and watering, they can die. They need to be sown immediately in a permanent place.. Do not use heavily germinated material for seedlings.

Not every seed variety is able to adapt to spring soil, which should be warm at the time of planting. For this reason, blueberry seeds should not be planted. in early spring.

In room

Seeds can be planted in a pot or box. The propagation method is simple: the seeds are scattered on the surface of the prepared soil. After that, a thin layer (up to 2 mm) of sand is sprinkled on top. If there is no sand, sawdust can be used. In this case, the thickness of the layer sprinkled on top will have to be increased by 2 mm. Both sawdust and sand need to be moistened with a spray bottle and water at room temperature.

After that, the pot or box should be covered with transparent plastic wrap or glass and placed in a sunny place. It's good if it's warm. This will speed up the germination of planting material.

In order to prevent the death of newly appeared sprouts, it is worth considering several important nuances:

• the substrate with germinating seeds should be watered and ventilated;
• when mold appears on the surface of the soil, it must be treated with a fungicide;
• glass or film is removed as soon as shoots appear (after 2 to 4 weeks from the moment of sowing);
• transplantation is possible only when the first true leaves appear (these are 3 and 4 leaves after the first two);
• for growing seedlings can be placed in a greenhouse. to a permanent position (in open ground) bush can be transplanted 2 years after planting.

Using peat tablet it is poured with 50 ml of water at room temperature. After it increases 5 times in height while maintaining the diameter, blueberry seeds with perlite are placed in it. After that, it is placed in a pot with soil prepared in advance, sprinkled with sand on top. Then put on the lid of the pallet. Excess water will accumulate on the lid due to drainage.

What varieties are suitable?

The breeding method of blueberries is suitable for garden varieties. It can be grown from the seeds of the following varieties:

• "Canadian nectar" - tall blueberries with berries ripening in early August - mid-September;
• "Blue placer" - marsh variety with large berries, distinguished by a sweet and sour taste;
• "Forest Treasure" - shrub culture with long-term fruiting;

• "Blue Crop" - tall blueberries up to 2 m high, disease resistant, frost-resistant;
• "Early Blue" - a variety ripening in early June;
• "Patriot" is a high-yielding and frost-resistant variety that ripens in the second half of July;
• "Elizabeth" is a berry of late fruiting, characterized by frost resistance and good taste.

Any of these varieties can be sown with seeds from ripe berries.

Soil preparation

Growing blueberries at home requires proper soil preparation. If the type of soil in the area is close to swampy, the horizontal blueberry root system can quickly capture the space. The best soil for planting blueberries is a mixture of sand and peat. In order to mulch the soil, you can use:

• rotted sawdust;
• humus;
• needles.

Chips and branches of conifers are poured to the bottom. Top add a mixture of peat with sand, rotted sawdust. You can add humus. When preparing the soil, ash should not be used. It reduces the acidity necessary for the proper growth and health of the bush. To fertilize the soil, you can use comfrey infusion.

Germination

To ensure germination or speed up the process of growing blueberries for seedlings, you can put the seeds on a damp cloth and keep moist until germination. This method will allow blueberry seeds to germinate faster if planting time has been missed. Some growers store seed bags in the refrigerator for stratification purposes.

In the spring, when it is necessary to plant them, planting material is placed on the surface of the soil. Sometimes they are not covered with sand at all. However, planting correctly means following the technology. A greenhouse (an ordinary plastic bowl) is placed on the windowsill. Do not wait for seedlings quickly. The maximum period of appearance is about 1 month.

agriculture

Conditions for growing blueberries include open areas, acidic soil, moderate soil moisture, proper pruning of the bush and planting according to all the rules. The size of the planting pit is approximately 60x60 cm. Before planting, the seedling is taken out of the container, fluffed up with a clod of peat, straightened the bent roots. They are placed vertically in the landing pit.

Blueberries need weeding. However, this must be done very carefully. Work with a slipper in trunk circles should be extremely careful. This can damage the root system.

Seedlings are extremely sensitive to transplantation. Until they take root, it is necessary to carefully monitor the water regime.

For this berry, you can use soil brought from a pine forest or marshland. Landing pits can be spilled with a solution:

• citric acid (3 tsp per 10 liters of water);
• vinegar 9% (1 cup per 10 liters of water).

Blueberries love sunny places, otherwise the berries will be small and sour. In order to increase productivity, it is necessary to cut the bush. This should be done in late autumn, when the bushes shed their leaves.

Care

Caring for blueberry sprouts begins with the sowing of seeds. While they are small, it is necessary to monitor the moisture content of the soil. There are other nuances:

• do not irrigate the soil with ice water;
• after planting in open ground, it is necessary to add nitrogenous fertilizers to the soil, but organic matter is excluded;
• row spacing should be at a distance of 2 m;
• in the spring it is necessary to add mulch with a layer of up to 10 cm, using sawdust;
• cut the bush should be in early spring. In young bushes, small and diseased shoots should be removed;
• it is necessary to remove old shoots when the bush is 6 - 7 years old;
• green cuttings are carried out in July;
• to get large berries, you need to leave no more than 4 - 5 strong stems on the bush;
• bushes can be fenced so that the crowns do not touch the ground: this increases productivity;
• it is necessary to ensure that the bushes do not close; this is reflected in the taste of berries and productivity;
• during the ripening period of berries, watering is prerequisite care.

After how many years does it bear fruit?

To get the first crop in a garden plot or in a vegetable garden, at least 2 years must pass from the moment of planting. Sometimes you have to try the first berries later. The term depends on the type of soil, temperature regime, climatic features of the region, shading of the selected area. Sometimes gardeners note that the first berries can be removed from the bush after 4 years. The bush grows in different ways, which also depends on the care and sun that blueberries love.

In order for the plant to please the owners of the site with ripe and tasty berries for a long time, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• The best and long-lasting fertilizer for the bush will be coniferous sawdust. You need to sprinkle them occasionally.
• You can not plant a bush where water is constantly in excess. From moisture, the access of oxygen to the roots will be blocked, the plant will die.
• The main plant diseases are associated with the soil. If the acidity is neutral, the leaves turn pale. Digging up, removing the soil, adding peat and re-planting will help save the plant.
• It is better to plant the plant in the spring. Such plants are stronger, they are more adapted to climatic conditions region.
• The berry does not like overheating of the soil. The ground around the bush should be covered with sawdust or planted with cranberries.
• It is necessary to monitor the acidity of the soil. The plant needs gray peat. This is moss that has rotted for several years.

Growing seedlings

Planting seedlings can be carried out throughout the growing season until the first frost. In the spring, this is possible when the soil warms up a little.

A seedling with an open root system can be planted in spring and autumn (in October) to a depth of 6-8 cm. You can not plant a plant in a lowland. With heavy soil, the height of the hole should be smaller, while the diameter is larger.

When planting, you can use riding peat. It is mixed with the earth in proportions of 1: 1. It will retain water and create the conditions necessary for the chemical composition. You can add "cubic rot" (the remains of rotten pine stumps) to the planting pit. white color). They will help ensure that the blueberry roots receive the necessary nutrients from the soil.

Soil type matters, which varies from region to region. If it is clay, you will have to plant blueberries on raised ridges. If this is not done, after rain on a flat surface, air will be blocked for the roots. Therefore, the plants will rot. Black soil harms the roots when overheated. It must be hidden from the sun.

Some gardeners, when planting bushes in open ground, use a film for a permanent place. It is covered at the bottom of the landing pit.

However, for optimal conditions it needs to be perforated. If the ground is sandy on top and clay below, there is no need for a film.

The blueberry habitat is limited to swamps with high humidity and a special soil composition. Blueberries love drained soil with a pH of at least 3.5. The growth of berries in certain areas has another secret. The development is facilitated by the saprophyte fungus, which lives in the fertile soil layer. This symbiosis of a plant and protozoan fungi helps blueberries to exist in conditions high humidity and soil acidity. For breeding in the country, cultivated varieties of blueberries are used.

Blueberry garden - juicy berry of blue color with an intense wax coating that gives it a blue tint. The fruits contain important minerals, vitamins, tannins, pectins, etc. Therefore, blueberries are widely used to treat the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, heart, blood vessels and other organs. The value combined with the difficulty of growing blueberries creates a persistent scarcity. The price of 1 kg of fresh berries sometimes skyrockets.

Planting bushes, reproduction and care are difficult, but the result lives up to expectations. With the help of the recommendations of agronomists, photos and training videos, breeding blueberries in the country will not be difficult to answer the questions:

1. Is it possible to plant a plant on 6 acres and get record yields?
2. What varieties to choose, and what kind of care will be required?

How to prepare the site

When choosing a site, factors are taken into account:

Under natural conditions, the development of wild blueberries takes place with the participation of the simplest fungi - endotrophic mycorrhiza, which are located in the upper soil layer. It is impossible to create such conditions on 6 acres. Therefore, for breeding blueberries on suburban area approach on the other hand: varieties obtained by selective methods are planted.

Which variety to choose

The choice of variety depends on the climate of the area. Distinguish early ripe And late-ripening varieties. For example, for the north, early-ripening varieties of garden blueberries are ideal, which will have time to bloom and produce a crop. There are up to 30 varieties, the cultivation of which is carried out in the conditions of different climatic zones of Russia.

The most common varieties for cultivation in central Russia are:

1. Bluecrop (Blucrop)

A popular mid-season variety, a classic of breeding, forms large fruits diameter up to 16 mm (see photo). The berries are juicy, elastic, slightly flattened. Suitable for canning and freezing. The fruits ripen unevenly, the crop is harvested from late July to September. The variety is frost-resistant (up to -34 degrees), little susceptible to disease. From one bush they collect 7-9 kg.

2. Blue Ray (Blue Ray)

Mid-season variety with a powerful aerial part. The height of an upright bush is 1.2-1.8 m. Resistant to cold and disease. The fruits ripen in mid-July. Fruiting lasts 14 days. The berries are large (up to 21 mm). From one bush get 4-7 kg.

3. Duke (Duke), Early Blue (Early Blue)

Early ripe varieties with large berries with a diameter of 17-20 mm. The bush grows up to 1.8 m. The taste of the berries improves after freezing. The first harvest is given from mid-June. They tolerate cold well. From one bush collect 6-8 kg.

4. Patriot (Patriot)

Mid-early variety with fruits 17-19 mm in diameter (see photo). Berries flattened, form clusters different size. They ripen in mid-summer. Resistant to cold (up to -29 degrees) and fungi. The stems are straight, the branches reach 1.2-1.8 m.

How to plant blueberries

Depending on the composition and moisture content of the soil, blueberry cultivation is possible in the following ways:

• planting seedlings in trenches;
• planting seedlings on a hill.

Plants are planted in rows with a distance between them of 0.8-1 m, the row spacing should be at least 1.5 m. On an industrial scale, blueberries are planted in rows with a gap of at least 2.5-3 m. This is important for the convenience of harvesting with the help of agricultural machinery . We offer you to watch a video on how to properly plant blueberries.

Planting blueberries in wells is relevant if the depth ground water below 60 cm. On loams and heavy soils with poor drainage, this cultivation method is not suitable. Before planting the bushes, they dig a track 40 cm deep and 0.6-0.8 m wide. The walls of the well are lined with polyethylene. They fall asleep with a substrate: a mixture of peat, sand, forest humus from needles, pine sawdust.

For the substrate normal fit humus, manure, compost, ash and other organic matter.

Seedlings in pots are soaked for half an hour in water to deeply moisten the roots and soil. The young shoot is taken out of the container along with the ground, planted in a hole so that the rosette of roots is 5-10 cm below the ground level. They fall asleep and press the soil around the trunk, water it.

Planting seedlings on a hill is relevant for heavy alumina. Planting technology consists in arranging a hole 10-15 cm deep. The hole is filled with a substrate with an acidic Ph reaction. A mound or ridge is organized from the soil. Blueberry bushes are planted at the top of the hill. Abundantly watered.

How to take care of plantings

Growing blueberries requires careful attention to drainage and soil moisture. The plant does not tolerate stagnant water, lack of sun and moisture. To achieve good harvest, you need to water the plantings at least 2 times a day.

Mulching the soil with straw, needles, pine or spruce sawdust will help reduce the evaporation of moisture in the heat. This keeps the soil moist and acidic. The layer of mulch should be 5-15 cm.

It is important to regularly feed the plants with mineral fertilizers, or coniferous humus. Suitable sphagnum moss and peat with an acidic reaction.

It is impossible to fertilize garden blueberries with manure, humus, compost. Garden blueberries are watered with water with the addition of organic acids. To do this, dilute citric or oxalic acid (1 tsp per 3 liters of water), vinegar (1 cup per 10 liters of water).

Care for blueberries consists of frequent watering, pest and disease control, preparation for cold weather and pruning in the spring. In the process of growing summer residents may encounter plant diseases such as:

For treatment, fungicides are used by spraying: Trichodermin, Gaupsin, Phyto-Doctor, etc.

To prepare the bushes for winter, branches are bent to the ground, fixed with stakes or arcs, covered with spruce branches, burlap. Polyethylene is not suitable for these purposes. Blueberry pruning is carried out in the spring and consists in removing dead branches, forming a bush (see video). The first pruning is done 2-4 years after planting. Leaving in the spring is important for the proper development and laying of the future crop.

How blueberries reproduce

Reproduction of blueberries occurs in two ways:

• seeds;
• cuttings.

The preferred method is propagation by cuttings. To do this, shoots 10-15 cm long are cut with secateurs in the fall. Soil is prepared with an acidic Ph reaction. The soil is placed in pre-prepared containers made of cardboard, plastic. One cutting is planted in each pot. Moisten with water and store until spring in a warm room. Water regularly during the winter.

The survival rate of cuttings is approximately 50%.

Reproduction of blueberries is a long process, since seedlings are planted in open ground only after 2-3 years. Until this time, their cultivation takes place in a greenhouse. Proper cultivation of seedlings and care for cuttings are clearly presented in the video.

Reproduction by seeds is an easier procedure, as they are sown immediately in open ground. To prepare the seeds, ripe large berries are selected, washed and dried. For the winter put in refrigerator compartment with a temperature of 0 to +5 degrees or in the basement. In April-May, seeds are sown to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. Sprouts appear at a temperature of +23 ... +25 degrees. Weeding and moistening the soil are required. Growing fruit-bearing bushes from blueberry seeds takes 7-8 years.

Proper care of blueberries will allow you to get a rich harvest of useful and rare berries. This is a profitable business project for owners of 6 acres to receive a stable income year after year. For beginner gardeners, we recommend watching the instructional video.