Why blueberries do not grow well. Growing blueberries in the country - secrets and tips Blueberries bloom but do not bear fruit
sour lover
To begin with, blueberries are a close relative of luxurious rhododendrons, azaleas and heathers and belong to the heather family, therefore they have specific requirements for the soil. It likes light, moist, but well-drained (water-permeable) acidic soils rich in organic matter. Therefore, in the spring, when I purchased a seedling of a large-fruited blueberry of the Patriot variety, I dug a hole (about 50x50x50 cm) and introduced a soil mixture consisting of acid peat and leaf humus. You can also add coniferous bedding, but I did not have such an opportunity. I planted a seedling that was two years old, with a well-developed root system, watered and mulched the soil with sawdust with a layer of 5-10 cm. Mulch well protects the soil from drying out and overheating, limits the growth of weeds, and in winter protects the roots from freezing. Garden tall blueberries are not at all a sissy and endure harsh winters with frosts down to -30 degrees, and even lower under snow cover. The summer was hot, and I watered the seedling once a week, about one bucket per bush. My blueberries began to grow very well, and I calmed down, believing that I had done everything right and that we could wait for outlandish berries.Doesn't thrive in the shade
But it turned out that she wanted the best, but it turned out as always. My first mistake was that I planted blueberries in the shade, but it turns out that they grow well and bloom in sunny places protected from the wind. Planted in the shade, it develops poorly and practically does not bear fruit. Mine grew and suffered for 2 years, but still bloomed and even berries ripened on two brushes, but I made another mistake.Manure is contraindicated
For the winter, I covered currants with manure and overlaid blueberries at the same time. It was then that I signed the death warrant for my beloved martyr. She died after wintering. It turns out that blueberries do not require frequent fertilization, and manure does not tolerate at all. If the soil is poor, then about 30 g of complex fertilizer is applied before planting the bush, then nitrogen fertilizers, such as ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate, are applied from April to the end of June, scattering them at a distance of 15-20 cm from the base of the bush. The dose for one biennial plant is up to 30 g, for a four-year-old plant you need 40-50 g, and for an eight-year-old - 150 g. Nitrogen fertilizers can be applied by dissolving one spoonful of fertilizer in 10 liters of water. At the end of the growing season, that is, in autumn, fertilizers containing phosphorus and trace elements are applied (30 g for a young and 150 g for an adult plant).Ripens not at the same time
Bushes of tall blueberries with erect or spreading shoots reach a height of 150-180 cm. The berries are spherical, slightly flattened, dark blue or light blue, depending on the variety, with a bluish bloom from 1 to 2.5 cm in diameter, collected in large brushes. They ripen gradually, so they are harvested several times a season. You should not rush to harvest, after the berries have turned blue, they should still ripen within 3-5 days. A glass of fresh blueberries provides the daily requirement for vitamin C. Early varieties in central Russia begin to ripen in the second half of July, medium varieties in the first decade of August, and late varieties from the third decade of August to early October. The latter most often do not have time to prepare for winter and freeze out. Therefore, gardeners choose early and medium varieties. Blueberries begin fruiting in the 4th year and for 20-30 years give an annual yield of 3 to 6 kg per bush, depending on the variety.Pruning bushes
For good fruiting in early spring, before the start of the growing season, pruning of bushes is carried out. In young plants, only the ends of frozen shoots are removed. From the age of four, they begin to form the crown of the bush. To do this, leave 6-8 strong shoots of different ages, and remove all old, weak and lodging shoots. The need for strong anti-aging pruning occurs only after 15-20 years.And yet she will submit
Now in my garden there are 3 varieties of blueberries that do not bear fruit yet, but develop well, and I hope that this wayward berry will submit to me. Varieties: Patriot - early, Nordland, or Northern Country - mid-early and Bluecrop - medium ripening. All varieties are large-fruited, and I brought seedlings from Moscow from the exhibition. So far, I cannot offer blueberry seedlings to gardeners, but next season it will be possible. And I also want to note that during seed propagation, the signs of the mother plant are not repeated, varieties must be propagated either by cuttings or layering. I offer my seedlings for the new season of 2011. I will send the catalog on 16 pages in your signed long envelope. I would be very grateful if you would also invest 2 rubles worth of stamps, since the catalog is heavy and you have to pay extra.Tatyana Leonidovna Rosina, 155904, Ivanovo region, Shuya, st. 11th Michurinskaya, 17
Large-fruited garden blueberry is an incredibly tasty and healthy berry. To have it on your site is the dream of many gardeners and gardeners. It would seem that it’s easier: provide her with acidic soil, as for garden cranberries, with which I have already dealt, and then row fat crops with a shovel. However, my experience has shown that garden blueberries, planting and caring for which turned out to be by no means an easy task - the girl is picky and fastidious, and pleasing her is still a problem.
So:
Garden blueberries, planting and care. My Trials, Mistakes and Successes
It all started with the fact that a few years ago I was presented with four excellent seedlings of large-fruited garden blueberries of various varieties, bought in a nursery.
Part one. Planting garden blueberries
I started preparing a place for planting for my garden blueberries:
For each seedling, I dug holes measuring 50x50x50 centimeters, which I filled with a substrate consisting of a mixture of forest soil, rotted sawdust and high-moor peat.
I planted bushes there, which I subsequently watered every 20 days with a solution of citric acid.
It seemed to do everything as expected, but in the second year my garden blueberries brought only a handful of berries, and then the bushes completely stopped growing.
Part two. Debriefing, or why my garden blueberries do not grow
After I dug a hole under one of the garden blueberry bushes, a sad sight appeared before my eyes: there was no trace of the acidic loose substrate, and the whole soil was a solid lump of earth with occasional remains of peat and sawdust. Everything was mixed up, and the peat, apparently, was washed away into the lower layers.
It seems that in order to keep the substrate in good condition, it must either be constantly replenished or the technology must be radically changed.
I sat down with the literature on growing garden blueberries and, comparing various points of view, drew the appropriate conclusions for myself.
It is undeniable that for the appearance of berries, garden blueberry seedlings must be of several different varieties. However, the main thing is the soil, and again the soil:
The soil for garden blueberries should be very light, allowing air and water to pass through without problems. The composition of the substrate: a mixture of peat, needles and sawdust.
Pay attention to the complete absence of humus and earth in the presented list!
At the bottom of the planting pit for garden blueberry seedlings, drainage from branches and coniferous chips is mandatory.
From above, mulching is necessarily carried out with a thick layer of 5 to 8 centimeters. The composition of the mulch is rotted sawdust or pine (but not spruce) small twigs, needles, cones.
A place for planting garden blueberries should be chosen with a low location of groundwater, stagnant water in the soil is absolutely excluded. However, drying of the soil deeper than 20 centimeters should also not be allowed. So water your blueberries the same way you water your cucumbers: often, but in moderation, without fanaticism.
Blueberry is a light-loving plant, and therefore planting garden blueberries in the shade is excluded.
Do not disturb the bushes in vain. Pruning garden blueberries begin at the age of six years.
Garden blueberries need acidic soil, and therefore, about once every two weeks, starting from the second year after planting, it must be acidified, maintaining the acidity of the soil around pH 4-5.
Citric acid is unsuitable for this, only sulfuric acid - for example, battery electrolyte, which must be diluted with water in the proportion of 1 milliliter of electrolyte per liter of water.
Once a year, from April to May, we fertilize:
Superphosphate - 50 grams, ammonium sulfate - 100 grams, potassium sulfate - 100 grams (per one adult garden blueberry bush).
In general, everything turned out to be not as simple as it seemed at first, but stubbornness prevailed, and I moved from theory to practice.
Part three. Garden blueberries, planting and care according to the rules
1. At the site for planting garden blueberries, I dug a hefty hole measuring 2.5x1.5 meters and a depth of two bayonets of a shovel.
2. In order to prevent the substrate from further mixing with the surrounding soil, I covered the bottom and sides of the pit with a thick black plastic film. To avoid stagnation of water in the substrate, every 40 centimeters I made cuts in the film.
3. I began to put the ingredients of the substrate into my bottomless pit in the following order:
Needles, wood chips with branches;
river sand;
Soil dug around a pine root (peat-like substrate);
Lowland peat;
Horse peat.
Everything rammed. The result is a low flat mound, slightly above the level of the surrounding ground.
On paper, everything is simple, but - the work of hell!
4. Finally started planting garden blueberries. Planted shallow. Top with a layer of mulch.
Part four. Was the experience successful?
If you were expecting a report from me about fabulous harvests, then it is premature: garden blueberries were planted only last season, but the results are encouraging.
Bushes of garden blueberries, apparently, felt great in their new place: literally on the fifth day after planting, a lot of small young leaves appeared on them, and a month later new branches grew.
It is hoped that next season my garden blueberries will give the first harvest.
Blueberries garden planting and outdoor care with step by step photos
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Friends, our topic today is very interesting and important: how to properly plant blueberries and care for them.
For many gardeners, this wonderful berry simply disappears due to inadequate conditions, improper cultivation practices, or pests.
Garden blueberry is a rather demanding plant, let's discuss in order what it needs for a comfortable life and large yields.
Today's article:
- Planting blueberries at their summer cottage
- Pit preparation for blueberries
- planting blueberries
- blueberry care
- Blueberry fertilizer
Planting blueberries at their summer cottage
So, if you decide to plant blueberries on your hacienda, you should start with high-quality planting material. Buy seedlings from trusted, good manufacturers.
For planting, we need a healthy plant, with a strong root system.
After you have decided on the variety and purchased high-quality seedlings, we proceed to prepare the blueberry place.
Pit preparation for blueberries
We choose a good, sunny place for our future landings.
It is necessary to dig a hole with a diameter of 90 cm and a depth of 45 cm. Most of the blueberry roots are at a depth of 30 cm, so we need a small depth.
It is determined based on drainage and the necessary bedding.
Blueberries love acidic soil, the ph required for it is in the region of 3.5-5.0.
Rarely does anyone have enough acidic soil on the site to just plant this beauty and forget about it. Therefore, in fact, we need such a hole in order to create conditions for blueberries that they will like.
If this is not done, then in insufficiently acidic soil, blueberries wither, wither, do not grow and bear fruit poorly. And it might even die.
Therefore, in this hole we will put acidic soil mixture. In addition, there are a few more tricks to acidify the soil enough.
If you have strongly alkaline soils, it is recommended to cover the hole with something, for example, non-woven material, this is necessary so that the alkaline soil does not leach out the acidic soil when it comes into contact. Otherwise, it will gradually cease to be sour and blueberries will start to hurt.
If the soil is not too alkaline, you can limit yourself to sprinkling the bottom of the pit with colloidal sulfur. In the process of decomposition by bacteria, sulfur will gradually acidify the soil. You can also add special acidifiers for the soil.
If suddenly there is no bark at hand, then pine litter, rotted sawdust of conifers, fragments of coniferous branches will do. We pour a layer on the bottom with a thickness of about 5 cm.
The basis of the soil will be sour red riding peat.
Since blueberries prefer loose soils, peat can be additionally mixed with fine bark, rotted sawdust and sand.
Add some of your soil to this mixture, provided that your soils are not heavy, clayey.
The soil mixture for blueberries is ready.
planting blueberries
It's time to settle our seedling for permanent residence. Pull it out of the pot and look at the earthen ball, it should be completely braided with roots. You can be sure that the root system of the plant is sufficiently developed and strong.
There is no further consensus on this matter. Many gardeners are of the opinion that it is necessary to stir up, break the earthen ball along with the roots, so that when planted, they begin to interact more quickly with the new substrate.
This is especially true for seedlings that have "stayed too long", have been growing in the same pot for many years, and their root system is a dense lump.
If the roots are soft enough, then the earthen lump can not be torn apart, but only slightly stirred up.
In the finished pit, we make a recess to the size of the coma of our seedling. Let's put a plant in there.
It should be slightly deeper than the edge of the hole. We fill the roots of the seedling with earth.
We compact the earth around the bush.
Watering.
Mulch will prevent weeds from germinating and will retain moisture in the soil, as loose peat itself dries out very quickly.
After planting, we remove all thin shoots from the bush.
It is also necessary at this stage to remove the fruit buds of the plant so that it does not waste energy on fruiting at least this year. Instead, it grew big and strong.
blueberry care
Blueberries will thrive in full sun.
Watering should be regular, in dry periods even frequent. On hot days, it is recommended to spray the bushes in the evening.
For 3-4 years, the first pruning is done: all thin, extra branches are removed, the crown is thinned out. This stimulates blueberries to grow new shoots and lay new fruit buds. Pruning is carried out in the spring, before the dissolution of the foliage.
It is important to monitor the acidity of the soil, not to let it become alkaline, which means to acidify in time. This can be done in the spring with the help of "compote" of sour grass.
It is done like this: cut a large bunch of rhubarb, a bunch of sorrel and sorrel and pour 10 liters of water. Insist 3 hours. And you can carry out watering with such water under a bush.
You can also use lemon juice as an acidifier: 1 lemon per 10 liters of water.
Periodically inspect blueberries for pests and treat if necessary.
The most malicious pest of blueberries is the larva of the May beetle. They simply adore the delicate roots of blueberries, often cramming dozens of individuals under one bush and nibbling it with pleasure.
Therefore, during planting and in the future, preventive treatments against these insects are necessary by spilling the soil with specialized preparations, such as Antikhrushch.
From folk remedies, an ammonia solution copes with the larva of the May beetle: 1 tbsp. l per 10 liters of water.
Blueberry fertilizer
Blueberries need to be fed three times per season. The best choice would be specialized fertilizers for blueberries with an acidifying effect.
First of all, because they contain the optimal dosage for this plant, and of course help to maintain the acidic reaction of the soil.
If you cannot find these fertilizers in your city, then as an option, you can use fertilizers for azaleas - they also acidify the soil and nourish the plant well.
We hope that our article will help you make friends with this wonderful berry and successfully grow it in your area.
How and where blueberries grow in Russia: useful properties of berries
- Common blueberry: features of cultivation, planting and care Olga Alekseeva
- Gonobobel is a berry of the Russian North. Popular varieties of tall and short blueberries Svetlana Gilfanova
- Blueberries: properties and contraindications Fedorova Victoria
- How to grow blueberries: varieties, planting, top dressing Lazko Natalya
- Tall blueberries: description, planting and care, reproduction Anastasia Efremenkova
- Blueberry Elizabeth: variety description, characteristics. Planting blueberries Victoria Litvinova
- Blueberries and blueberries - what's the difference? Berry berry strife Kseniya Nikolaeva
- Garden blueberries - tasty and healthy Ruslan Polishchuk
- Blueberry Bluecrop: variety description, cultivation and care, photo Elena Kerra
- Why blueberries are useful for human health Lyudmila Frolova
- Early varieties of garden blueberries for the Moscow region Nina Danilenko
- Lokhina - what is this berry, what is its use? Yurtikova Olga
- Wild berry. Names of forest berries (blueberries, stone fruits, lingonberries, blueberries, cranberries) Daria Zabarnaya
- Where does blueberry grow? Where does blueberries grow in the Moscow region? Forests where blueberries grow in Russia Natalia Korshunova
- Blueberry. Landing and care. Grow amazing berries yourself! Daria Zvereva
Blueberry garden planting care growing top dressing and watering
Blueberries are called "black pearls", "millionaires' berries", but they are also considered "intellectuals' berries". Garden blueberries are a rather demanding crop, but you can find a common language with it. The methods of cultivation to which we are accustomed are absolutely not applicable to it: manure, ash and occasionally watering. This shrub will not grow well without an acidic, loose and moist substrate.
- What is a blueberry
- Planting garden blueberries
- Selection of seedlings
- Planting process
- blueberry care
- How to properly feed
- Preparing for winter
- Watering rules
What is a blueberry
Blueberry is a small shrub, usually about 1 meter high.. It has curved, smooth branches of a gray tint. The leaves reach a length of 3 cm. The flowers are rather small, five-toothed white or pink. The berries themselves are blue and bluish bloom. The fruits of the shrub are edible, very juicy and sweet.
Blueberries have several popular names: dove, dope, drunken berry, drunkard, etc.
Differences between blueberries and blueberries
Blueberries and blueberries belong to the same family but there are still some differences between them.
blueberries and blueberries
These two shrubs - blueberries and blueberries - are very similar to each other, but still they can be distinguished from each other.
Where does blueberry grow and when should the fruits be harvested?
Blueberries grow in completely different areas. This shrub is so unpretentious that it can bear fruit well even on poor soils. Common blueberries are most common in the territories of Siberia, the Urals, as well as in the forests of the western part of Russia. In swamps, in the shade, blueberries ripen the largest.
Blueberries ripen in mid-summer and can be harvested until the end of August - beginning of September. Some people use a special machine to pick blueberries. This is not entirely correct, because in this way it is possible to damage the fruits during their collection, as well as the root system. It is better to pick berries manually.
Is it possible to grow blueberries in a summer cottage?
You can plant blueberries in your summer cottage. To date, a large number of varieties of garden blueberries are known, the most popular are: Patriot, Blueray, Duke, North Country and others. But, if you do not take into account a number of features of growing this shrub, then an attempt to get a good harvest may not be successful.
Planting garden blueberries
When planting blueberries in a summer cottage, you need to pay special attention to some Growing features this shrub.
Selection of seedlings
Blueberry seedlings
It is very important that the seedlings are healthy, and their leaves are green and free of spots. If the purchase of seedlings is carried out in spring or late autumn, when the foliage has already fallen and it is not possible to accurately determine whether the leaves are healthy, then It is worth paying special attention to the bark. On the branches, it should be without characteristic burgundy or brown spots, which indicates any diseases of the plant. But there are situations when it is not possible to look at the condition of the seedlings, for example, if they were ordered by mail. In the event that any defects were found in the end, then You can simply cut diseased branches to healthy tissue. Also, seedlings can be grown independently from the seed of blueberries.
You can not buy blueberry seedlings with an open root system. The plant should be grown in a pot or container with an acidic substrate.
Choosing a place to land in the country
Blueberries love the sun and dislike the wind. The place should be open and sunny. To protect from the wind from the north side, you can use a fence, agrofabric screen or a hedge. A 1m high fence breaks the wind by 10m, that is, behind such a hedge there will be no strong wind, which manages to erase the bark on the branches, where the infection then easily gets. Ripening berries lose their delicious blue bloom due to the wind and are poorly stored.
Substrate for blueberries, preparing a pit for planting
From the landing hole you need to dig and not use all the selected land. Because, for sure, ash, manure or bird droppings were once brought into the garden, and blueberries absolutely cannot stand this. It is necessary to enclose the excavated recess with boards, logs(this must be done in order to make it easier to maintain the necessary moisture and acidity of the soil in the future) and fill it with a substrate prepared in advance from riding red peat, sand, bark, coniferous litter, old sawdust.
Before planting blueberries, the pit is covered with a specially prepared substrate.
You need to take each component in half a bag of sugar. This amount is enough for one bush. On light soils, where there is no chance of stagnant water, Dig a hole 55 cm deep and 70-80 cm wide. On heavy loamy soils, you need to make the pit wider and less deep (30 cm) and plant bushes on a small hill (it is important not to forget to fence and mulch after planting).
Planting process
Before planting blueberries Shrub pots should be immersed in a container of water for 3-4 hours so that the earthen ball with roots is saturated with moisture.
If the blueberry root ball is not soaked and mashed before planting, then the plant will not grow and there will be no harvest.
After soaking, the plant must be carefully removed from the pot. Then it is necessary to expand the bush with the roots up and cut the lump with the roots crosswise from the bottom or knead it with your hands. Blueberries have very thin roots., Americans call them "angel hair", and in order for them to grow to the sides, it is just necessary to perform the actions described above.
For the first watering of a blueberry seedling, it is necessary to use acidified water.
Then the blueberry bush should be immersed in the hole prepared before planting, spread the roots to the sides and covered with the prepared substrate. Around the bush you need to make a hole and pour until completely saturated with water. After that The hole must be mulched with bark, coniferous litter or straw(layer 8-10 cm) to reduce the amount of evaporated moisture and keep the substrate loose. In addition, soil bacteria, processing this mulch, form citric and acetic acids, which are so necessary for blueberries.
Transplanting blueberries to a new location
It is necessary to transplant garden blueberries to the same depth at which it was in its original place, while It is allowed to lower the plant deeper than the previous level by 3-5 centimeters to cover all roots. It is desirable to dig out at the age of two, when the seedling reaches 50 cm in length and looks strong enough. Before digging it is necessary to remove all green shoots and flower buds.
It is necessary to plant a shrub at a distance of 1.0 to 1.5 m from each other within the same row. Permissible distance between rows is from 1.5 to 3.0 m, depending on the available space and the desired passage width.
When transplanting to a new place, do not immediately fertilize the soil. During the first year, as soon as the first green leaves and shoots appear, a special fertilizer or 2 ounces of azalea can be used. In case of heavy rainfall, after 2-3 months, fertilizer can be applied again in small doses. Fertilizer should be evenly distributed over the soil surface with a radius of 20-30 cm from the plant itself.
blueberry care
How to properly feed
Blueberries are recommended to be fed from the age of 2.. Feeding should be introduced gradually. It is worth using mineral fertilizers for this. They contain all the necessary trace elements and nutrients in the required amount.
Garden blueberries need to be fertilized every spring. Proper growth and development of shrubs requires regular fertilizing with minerals..
- nitrogen fertilizers are needed to stimulate the growth and formation of the fruits of this shrub. Blueberries usually require about 55 g of this top dressing. Along with this, the plant needs to be fed with magnesium. Feeding shrubs with nitrogen fertilizers costs about three times per season. The very first top dressing is carried out in the spring, before the buds swell. It will require about half of the total amount of feed for the entire season. The second feeding is done at the end of May. And the third portion of the fertilizer is introduced into the soil in June.
Fertilizer for garden blueberries
- Phosphate fertilizers necessary to provide the plant with the necessary substances for stability and viability, as well as to improve the yield. For the full nutrition of one blueberry bush, about 30 g of phosphorus is required. This dressing should be introduced into the soil in 2 stages. The first feeding should be done in April, and the second in early June.
- potash fertilizers are needed to increase the frost resistance of the plant. And also to protect against drought. In addition, this type of top dressing protects blueberries from various diseases and pests. The plant needs about 35 g of potash fertilizers per year. You need to feed blueberries with this fertilizer according to the same principle as with phosphorus fertilizers.
Preparing for winter
This garden plant tolerates the cold season well. But still, there is a risk of frostbite of the bushes during very severe frosts. To avoid such unpleasant consequences, you can prepare blueberries for the winter in advance. What is the preparation?
Too much nitrogen can cause young shoots to fail to mature.. This is due to the fact that the shoots remain too dense and the entire bush may not survive the winter.
Top dressing with nitrogen fertilizers should be carried out only in the spring or at the beginning of the summer period. It is impossible to feed blueberries in the fall.
How to care for blueberries in the autumn? In autumn, it is necessary to provide blueberries with moisture. The soil must be saturated with moisture 35 cm deep. For bushes that are 3 or 4 years old, about 5 buckets of water are needed.
Blueberries feel comfortable in cold weather down to -7 degrees.
When and how to prune bushes
Blueberry fruits develop on the growth of the previous year. That is why Cut blueberry bushes only in early spring, before the buds open.. You should not do this in the fall, as there is a chance to cut high-quality, good branches with fruit buds. In this case, there will be no harvest next year.
Form pruning garden blueberries
Trimming bushes of tall blueberries is an important point in the process of caring for the plant. The process of cutting the bushes should begin when the plant reaches the age of three.. This is necessary in order to form a strong skeleton of the berry. Only small growths that are located at the base of the plant, as well as branches affected by any diseases, should be cut.
Blueberry pruning plan:
- You only need to cut Branches growing close to the ground and keep upright branches;
- If in the middle of the bush Branches are too dense, then weak and old growths should be found among them and cut off;
- Almost all Small growths need to be trimmed, leaving the largest, dense skeletal branches and strong shoots.
Watering rules
The soil must be watered so that not only the soil around the blueberries is moist, but also the clod of earth in which the blueberries grew in a pot is soaked with water (even if it was actively stirred before). Otherwise, this clod of earth, densely braided with roots, will remain dry in the landing pit. The soil near the bush will be wet, and blueberries will suffer from its lack. Therefore, it is very important to observe the blueberries frequently until it is noticed that they have begun to actively grow shoots (a summer gain of 50-70 cm indicates that the blueberries have taken root).
It is important that when the earth is compressed in the hand, moisture is felt, but the water should not flow.
To grow this shrub in the country, it is advisable to use drip irrigation.
Blueberry is a fairly unpretentious plant and does not require any special care. You should follow some rules for planting, watering and caring for this shrub. in order to get a large amount of high-quality crop as a result.
7 BIG MISTAKE WHEN GROWING BLUEBERRY. Garden blueberries are a useful fruitful berry that has recently attracted the attention of gardeners. However, in order to grow it, you need to have a certain amount of knowledge. Below are tips for growing crops provided by the Rosinka Nursery from the Moscow Region. The first mistake: blueberries grow in a swamp, so they should be planted in a lowland where water stagnates, or create conditions with increased soil moisture. In no case! Blueberries grow on the outskirts of swamps or on bumps, where there is a drought rather than an excess of moisture. Roots need not only water, but also air to breathe, and this is especially important for blueberries. In addition, frosts often occur in the lowland, which damage young shoots, flowers, ovaries, and berries in autumn. Therefore, blueberries should be planted in an area where the threat of frost is minimal, with moderate moisture and to prevent stagnant water.
The second mistake: blueberries grow under the canopy of the forest, which means that they need to be planted in shady places on the site. Blueberries grow in shady places, but do not bear fruit. For the formation of the crop, she needs good lighting. Therefore, blueberries must be planted in a place well lit by the sun, protected from the wind.
Error three: I have acidic soil on my site, because it is located on a peat bog, horse sorrel, wood lice, etc. grow. These plants, as a rule, grow on slightly acidic soil (pH 6.0-6.5), and blueberries need more acidic soil with a pH of 3.5-4.5, and peat is raised (acidic) and lowland (slightly acidic). Therefore, it is necessary to check the pH. In areas with a pH above 5.5, blueberries do not grow, and have a light green leaf color. The reason for this phenomenon is the insufficient absorption of nitrogen, primarily due to the fact that under such conditions mycorrhiza does not work on blueberry roots.
Fourth mistake: the pit was prepared correctly, but the blueberries do not grow. The reason may be: 1. Excess water. The recommendations, as a rule, refer to sandy soils, sandy loams, peat bogs, i.e., soils that are easily permeable to water and air. Gardeners arrange "wells" with acidic soil in clay areas without taking care of good drainage. As a result, during rains or frequent watering, water accumulates in the "well", which deprives the roots of air, the root system suffocates, dies, and then the entire bush dies. 2. Lack of nutrition due to natural deoxidation of the soil due to rain, moisture inflow from the lower layers of the soil, irrigation. If the pH of the water with which the plants are watered is above 5.5, then over time the pH of the soil with which the planting hole was filled will also become above 5.5 units. To do this, once a week from April to September, you need to water the blueberry bushes with acidified water. For acidification, you can use acetic or malic acid (9% vinegar, 200 ml per 10 liters of water), citric acid (2 teaspoons per 3 liters of water).
Fifth mistake: we are doing everything right, but blueberry bushes do not grow. The reason is: 1. Blueberries are planted in the area where potatoes or other vegetables grew. The predecessors for blueberries are only perennial grasses and those areas where organic fertilizers have not been applied for five years. 2. Incorrect planting of the bush. As a rule, gardeners try to buy a bush with more branches and in a smaller pot so that it is easier to carry. The roots of such a seedling are densely woven and wrapped inward. Before planting, the pot with the plant must be placed in water, after 10-15 minutes, remove the pot, and knead the roots with your hands, divide and spread horizontally in the soil. They themselves are no longer able to unfold in the soil, the root system does not grow, and if after a few years you dig such a bush, you can see that the root system is still the same pot as when planting. As a result, the plant will die after some time.
Mistake six: they fed very well, but the bushes died. Most likely, blueberries were fed with organic fertilizers: manure, bird droppings, etc., in which there is a lot of nitrogen and which is very easy to burn blueberries. MANURE SHOULD NOT BE USED!!! Feed only with mineral fertilizers, which are applied in spring and early summer, but no later than July 1, in three doses. Fertilizers for heather, Fertik-universal, Azofoska, Mortar or any other complete mineral fertilizer are suitable. We bring 1 tablespoon under a 2-year-old bush, 2 tablespoons under a 3-year-old bush, 4 tablespoons under a 4-year-old bush, 8 tablespoons under a 5-year-old bush, 16 tablespoons under a 6-year-old and older. This is the amount of fertilizer that must be applied under one bush from the end of April to July 1st!!!
Error seven: loosening the soil around the bushes. In blueberries, the root system is not deep, almost all in the upper soil layer up to 25 cm deep. When weeding, you should not use a hoe or other devices, as they damage the root system, which is then not restored. You can loosen the soil around the blueberry bush no deeper than 3 cm. It is necessary to mulch the soil surface around the bush with sawdust in a layer 5-8 cm thick. This will solve a number of problems. Firstly, a layer of mulch will allow you to get rid of weeds, secondly, it will regulate the water-air and temperature conditions of the upper soil layer (i.e. the soil does not dry out and does not overheat), thirdly, it will improve the illumination of the bush, fourthly, help fight diseases, etc.
And a few more tips: If your site has heavy clay soil, then the easiest way is to plant blueberries on the ridge. To do this, remove a layer of soil 5-8 cm deep and distribute it around the planting hole. Fill the hole with high-moor peat or a mixture of peat with sand, sawdust, needles, etc., so that a mound is formed. Plant a blueberry bush on the top of the mound and mulch the surface around with sawdust. As a result, excess water will drain over the soil surface, and blueberry roots will receive water and air in the optimal ratio. To obtain regular crops and large berries, prune bushes from the age of 6. At the bottom of the bush, all low, empty branches are cut out, thickening the bush. Then, branches older than seven years are removed (6-year-olds are also possible). Of the large annual shoots, 3-5 of the strongest and healthiest are left, the rest are removed. For the winter, it is desirable to provide protection from hares. They are very fond of eating annual shoots. To do this, it is enough to overlay the bushes with spruce branches. In the absence of snow cover and the temperature drops below -23 -25 ° C in winter, it is necessary to cover the bushes. In spring and autumn, treat the bushes with fungicides to protect against diseases. Early in the spring, it is necessary to carry out a general eradicating treatment (polycarbacil - 1% solution; Bordeaux liquid, Rovral - 1% solution). After the leaves bloom, you can spray the bushes 3 times with an interval of 7-10 days with a 0.2% solution of one of the fungicides: topsin M, cuprosan, euparen, benomyl, rovral, etc. In the fall, after harvesting the berries, also carry out 3 treatments with fungicides, and after leaf fall - one eradicating treatment. #berries #Garden Garden
When buying garden blueberries, every amateur gardener hopes that next year the plant will begin to bear fruit abundantly and delight with its fruits. However, it often happens that this is not the case - blueberries grow fully and even bloom, but neither this year nor the next, and so for quite a few years, they have not brought any fruits to their owners!
Perhaps the soil on which the plant was planted and the climate of these places are completely unsuitable for growing garden blueberries. Then why do blueberries with a lot of berries flaunt in the neighboring area? Let's figure it out!
Reasons for the lack of fruiting garden blueberries
- Young blueberries, no matter how well they take care of them, begin to bear fruit no earlier than in the third year, but fruiting will be abundant only five years after planting.
- Cultivation of blueberries should be exclusively in acidic soils. If your area does not have such features, the plant, of course, will grow, but it will not have enough strength and necessary substances to bear fruit. In this case, at least once a month, it is recommended to water the plant directly under the roots with acidified water. It is not difficult to prepare such water - just put a small pack of citric acid in a bucket of water with water and stir. It is desirable that this solution does not fall on other parts of the plant, except for the roots.
- The fruiting period will be delayed for a long time in blueberries, which were recently transplanted, and incorrectly. If, when transplanting a plant, the root system is disturbed, and this is exactly what happens when a lump of earth disappears from the roots, then it will take a long time to restore normal life.
- Blueberries do not bear fruit due to some disease that disrupted the process even during the flowering of the plant or the direct ovary of the fruit.
- If the flowering of garden blueberries fell right on the last spring frosts, then fruiting will be weak, and in the worst case it threatens with its complete absence.
- Fruit on blueberries bear shoots that grew last year. If you unknowingly performed the wrong pruning or untimely, then there will be no fruit. Therefore, it is necessary to remove only the frozen parts of the plant, if there are no such branches, it is better not to do pruning at all.
- The lack of periodic top dressing can lead to the fact that the plant will completely cease to bear fruit for a while.
- Garden blueberries love a sunny location and abundant watering, which must be timely.
- Blueberries bear fruit well at high humidity, which is why blueberries may not bear fruit where there are constant winds and drought.
As you can see, garden blueberries are a very capricious plant. However, if everything is done correctly, then this beauty will also become an excellent ornamental plant on your site and will bear fruit no worse! And it is hardly possible to find another such perennial plant as garden blueberries! With proper cultivation and proper care, your blueberries will grace your garden for at least 30 years!
Error one: blueberries grow in a swamp, so they should be planted in a lowland where water stagnates, or create conditions with increased soil moisture.
In no case! Blueberries grow on the outskirts of swamps or on bumps, where there is a drought rather than an excess of moisture. Roots need not only water, but also air to breathe, and this is especially important for blueberries. In addition, frosts often occur in the lowland, which damage young shoots, flowers, ovaries, and berries in autumn. Therefore, blueberries should be planted in an area where the threat of frost is minimal, with moderate moisture and to prevent stagnant water.
Error two: blueberries grow under the canopy of the forest, which means that they need to be planted in shady places on the site.
Blueberries grow in shady places, but do not bear fruit. For the formation of the crop, she needs good lighting. Therefore, blueberries must be planted in a place well lit by the sun, protected from the wind.
Error three: I have acidic soil in my area, because it is located on a peat bog, horse sorrel, wood lice, etc. grow.
These plants, as a rule, grow on slightly acidic soil (pH 6.0-6.5), and blueberries need acidic soil with a pH of 3.5-4.5, and peat is raised (acidic) and lowland (slightly acidic). Therefore, it is necessary to check the pH. In areas with a pH above 5.5, blueberries do not grow, and have a light green leaf color. The reason for this phenomenon is the insufficient absorption of nitrogen, primarily due to the fact that under such conditions mycorrhiza does not work on blueberry roots. Remove and DO NOT use all selected soil from the planting hole. On light soils, where there is no stagnant water, a pit measuring 40x40cm should be filled with acidic high-moor peat (you can add sawdust or coniferous bark, needles, river sand). 
Mistake four: the pit was prepared correctly, but the blueberries do not grow.
The reason may be excess water. The recommendations, as a rule, refer to sandy soils, sandy loams, peat bogs, i.e., soils that are easily permeable to water and air. Gardeners arrange "wells" with acidic soil in clay areas without taking care of good drainage. As a result, during rains or frequent watering, water accumulates in the “well”, which deprives the roots of air, the root system suffocates, dies, and then the entire bush dies. If your site has heavy clay soil, then the easiest way is to plant blueberries on the ridge. To do this, remove a layer of soil 10-15 cm deep and distribute it around the planting hole. Fill the hole with high-moor peat or a mixture of peat with sand, coniferous sawdust, needles, etc., so that a mound is formed. Plant a blueberry bush on the top of the mound and mulch the surface around with sawdust. As a result, excess water will drain over the soil surface, and blueberry roots will receive water and air in the optimal ratio. 
Mistake five: we do everything right, but the blueberry bushes do not grow.
Incorrect planting of the bush. As a rule, gardeners try to buy a bush with more branches and in a smaller pot so that it is easier to carry. The roots of such a seedling are densely woven and wrapped inward. Before planting, the pot with the plant must be placed in water, after 20-30 minutes, remove the pot, and knead the roots with your hands, divide and spread horizontally in the soil. They themselves are no longer able to unfold in the soil, the root system does not grow, and if after a few years you dig such a bush, you can see that the root system is still the same pot as when planting. As a result, the plant will die after some time. 
Mistake six: fed very well, but the bushes died. Blueberries do not need large doses of fertilizers, do not tolerate organic fertilizers (manure, bird droppings, etc.) and potassium chloride. You can only feed with mineral fertilizers. Fertilizers are suitable for heather, Kemira (Fertik) - station wagon, Mortar or any other acidic, complete mineral fertilizer.
Error seven: loosening the soil around the bushes. In blueberries, the root system is not deep, almost all in the upper soil layer up to 25 cm deep. When weeding, you should not use a hoe or other devices, as they damage the root system, which is then not restored. You can loosen the soil around the blueberry bush no deeper than 3 cm. It is necessary to mulch the soil surface around the bush with sawdust in a layer 5-8 cm thick. This will solve a number of problems. Firstly, a layer of mulch will allow you to get rid of weeds, secondly, it will regulate the water-air and temperature conditions of the upper soil layer (i.e. the soil does not dry out and does not overheat), thirdly, it will improve the illumination of the bush, fourthly, help fight diseases, etc.
