Planting blueberries according to the rules is a guarantee of high survival rate of seedlings and a good harvest
Do you know why blueberries most often grow in the wild, in the forest, and not in gardens next to strawberries or currants? The thing is that this culture only needs acidic soil, so planting blueberries in the garden is a scrupulous and somewhat troublesome business. In ordinary soil, on black soil, it will not take root. If you plan to grow a useful berry in the garden, you will have to immediately assign it a separate place and work a little. You can't just plant seedlings. It is necessary first to create conditions for them that are as close as possible to the natural growing environment. In other words, acidic soil should be prepared for the plant. How to do this, we will tell you today.
Preparing the "right" soil for growing blueberries
The first step is to decide where your blueberry plantation will be. Most garden crops just do not like the increased acidity of the soil. Therefore, it is better to set aside a separate corner plus fence off the plant's growing area to avoid oxidation where it is not needed. Since the soil will be completely replaced, this dictates its own characteristics for planting blueberries.
Soil preparation will take place in the following stages:
- Dig a hole or, more correctly, a planting hole. Although the seedlings themselves are usually small, the diameter of the hole should be at least 4 times the size of the root system. Focus on a depth of 80 cm and a width of 60 cm.
- Cover the sides of the pit with a thick film. It will keep the acidity of the soil in the right place and will not allow it to spread to the rest of the site.
- Place a good layer of coniferous litter on the bottom of the hole.
- Cover the litter with a layer of earth.
- Repeat the procedure, alternating layers, until you fill the entire hole.
Plant blueberries in a well-lit, draft-free area.
Planting blueberries and further care of the seedling
When the hole is full, make a depression in the center and place a blueberry seedling in it. If you have purchased planting material with a closed root system, slightly straighten the roots by wrinkling the substrate with your hands. Cover the plant with soil, adding more needles if necessary. Pour abundantly on top as well mulch coniferous needles.
The root collar should not be buried in the ground.
Further care for the planted blueberries consists in regular watering and feeding. Also, remember to remove the weeds if they get through the mulch. By the way, it needs to be updated periodically.
It is better to feed blueberries only with mineral fertilizers. It reacts badly to the introduction of organic matter and it is easy to overdo it with the dosage. You can sometimes water the bush with the addition of citric acid. Mature plants need to be pruned due to the fact that the bushes are growing a lot. Without pruning, the berries become smaller.