It does not take much for blueberry plants to be productive, as they are self-fertile and do not require much care. All thats needed is just a bit of know-how on what to do and how to do it right. Basic things like, watering the plants. So to have those blueberries nice and plump, they require water. Fertilising is also something to consider as plants do need a bit of nutrients. Of course where to plant and how to plant to make the growing of blueberry plants and bushes the best thing for gardens!
Planting them in containers or pots , or just out in the garden is not a bother or a chore. There is no pruning required of the blueberry plants, other than the odd broken branch, or one that has died. They tend not to grow to massive heights, about feet and it is very manageable. Make sure that you plant the bush about feet apart as they will become nice bushy plants and need the room. Planting in containers or pots is great, as you can have your blueberry plant anywhere in the garden and growing blueberries in pots is so easy.
So be prepared to wrap the container in horticultural fleece if conditions get too severe. And of course water it in well. These are plants that never like to be dry at the roots. You can sit the pot[s] in a shallow tray of water to facilitate convenient watering, it is easier to water from the bottom and simply remember to fill the tray up once each day, or every other day as the nights draw colder.
Watering during the winter is seldom required. After 4 or 5 years it is best to re-pot your Bluebrrries. It should not be necessary by now to increase the container size, but you can tease out some roots and remove some of the loose compost to make some room and then re-set in the same container with some fresh compost. One creepy crawly that is especially troublesome to Blueberries is the Vine Weevil and this seems to be especially true with plants grown in pots.
Keep an eye out and if necessary apply one of the many treatments available on the market. But young specimens can sometimes be reluctant to branch well and in this situation the main stems can be reduced by a third to encourage branching.
Established bushes can benefit from shortening of some older fruit-bearing branches. They can be shortened to a vigorously growing shoot so as to encourage good new fruit bearing growth.
Any damaged or dead branches should be removed completely at the base. Pruning is best carried out during the winter time. You can redress this with a good mulch of plain peat and by feeding with sequestrine. Both young vigorously growing bushes, and established older ones that have maybe lost their impetus, benefit from a good feed on a regular basis.
It's important to remember their acid-loving tendencies when selecting the right food for them. For the best results we recommend sequestrine of Miracle Grows special Camellia, Azalea and Rhododendron feed - it works a treat for Blueberries as well; apply as per the manufacturers instructions, during the growing season, or at the start of the growing season. Our feathered friends are quite partial to Blueberries alas so some protection is necessary unless you live in a very urban area where it is likely to be less of a problem.
Bushes grown in the open ground should be netted just as the first berries are beginning to turn colour. The same applies to those grown in containers, although where these are placed close to the house on the patio the fruits might escape predation. You might want to build a basic mesh covered wooden frame to place over your bushes, this can be brought out and re-used every year, and allows the berries to keep on ripening whilst also allowing easy access for harvesting.
Blackbirds and thrushes [much as we love them so] are the worst culprits followed by pigeons. Smaller birds are not so much of a problem with blueberry predation. If you have a fruit cage then the Blueberry would be one of the first choices to allocate valuable space within it. They also freeze well and are suitable for all purposes, be it dessert use, jams, pies or juicing. Few of our fruiting plants are troubled less with pestilence than the Blueberry.
The bushes can be targeted by vine weevils, especially those grown in pots so be vigilant against those insects. Most blueberries will be supplied as pot-grown plants. Planting the bushes when they are dormant between late autumn and early spring will ensure the least disruption and they will be able to get away without delay as soon as the growing season commences. Thoroughly water prepared ground before planting so that the bushes find a moist, welcoming environment.
Remove the bush from its pot and soak the rootball in water if it is dry. Tease away the outside roots if your plant has become pot-bound to help them quickly break out into fresh soil. Dig a hole for the rootball, lower the plant in and firm it into place. The top of the rootball should sit at ground level. Recently planted blueberries will need to be watered in dry weather.
Collected rain water is always preferable to tap water, which tends to be more alkaline, especially if you live in a hard water area. Apply this generously once or twice a week, making sure the moisture reaches further down into the soil than just the top few centimetres. Top up the mulch each spring and at the same time incorporate a fertiliser formulated for acid-loving plants, such as rhododendrons, into the soil.
Blueberries are seldom troubled by insect pests and diseases. However, hungry birds can peck away at the developing fruits so you will need to add netting around the plants.
Support this over them from early June as the fruits begin to swell, or consider siting blueberry bushes within established fruit cages. Lift netting clear of plants by supporting it on canes topped with cane tops or upturned plant pots.
It is essential to keep the netting taught and to check it daily for trapped birds. As soon as the last of the fruit has been enjoyed in early autumn the netting can be removed. From the second year plants can be left to form their fruit unhindered. Fully mature bushes of the most productive varieties in open ground will yield up to an impressive 5kg of fruit each summer.
Not all the fruits ripen at the same time, so pick over plants several times from midsummer to autumn. Enjoy the berries fresh or store them in the fridge for up to a week. Blueberries require very little attention during the first three years of their life, other than cutting away branches that trail on the ground.
From then on pruning is performed each winter and is simply a question of cutting away old, dried-out stems that are no longer productive. The fruits are formed at the tips of the stems on wood that was formed the previous year. This wood appears in late summer as sturdy, erect shoots growing from the base of the plant after the bushes have fruited. The young stems have a bright orange-red colour and will sit through the winter ready to flower and set fruit the following spring.
Each winter, cut back woody, tired branches to new growth. Thick branches that are spent and unlikely to fruit well again will need to be pruned right back to ground level, which will encourage productive new stems to form.
Given this regime you should always have a good quantity of productive growth that will produce plenty of blueberries. Plant new specimens throughout the winter months. Refirm any new plants that many have been lifted by the frosts. Finish pruning plants this month. Try to get plants in the ground before they set into growth. Apply a thick mulch to lock in moisture and begin feeding plants with an ericaceous fertiliser. Bushes will be in full leaf this month. Keep young plants watered, applying generous quantities once or twice a week.
Net plants as soon as they begin to form berries to keep birds away from the fruits. Check that netting is secure to avoid birds getting trapped. Pick off all but a handful of fruit on new plants so they can concentrate on establishing.
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