Last Updated on April 2, 2024 by Real Men Sow
This is the guide to growing blueberries, one of nature’s superfoods. It’s full of essential nutrients and is a fabulous fruit for your garden.
Best Place for Growing Blueberries
Blueberries are best grown at a sheltered site that protects them from winds and is full of sunshine to help the berries mature. It’s also best to grow two varieties of the plant.
What month is best to plant blueberries?
The best time to plant blueberries is in autumn, but you can plant them anytime unless your winters are exceptionally cold and you’ll have to wait for spring.
How to Grow Blueberries in Pots
Blueberry plants need to be planted 5ft apart to get the best yields. The pots you put them in should be frost-proof and 30cm wide with drainage holes in the bottom. Plant the blueberry by removing it from its pot and putting it to your pot with acidic soil. Make sure to cover the whole root ball of your blueberries. Water the plant thoroughly and top it again with your potting mix.
Best Soil for Growing Blueberries
As we’ve discussed before, the best soil for blueberries is acidic soil (ph between 4.0 to 5.5) since it is one of the best ericaceous plants. Adding sulfur chips or organic soil acidifiers to your neutral or alkaline soil is available if you don’t have acidic soil. It’s recommended you rather plant them on a raised bed or a pot with acidic soil. Planting them on pots would be the cheaper choice.
The soil where your blueberries are planted must be kept moist. Make sure that you water your plants with rainwater to retain the acidity of your soil. Feed the plants using liquid fertilizer for acid-loving plants if you planted them in containers. Add mulch with acidic organic material like leaf mold, bark chipping, pine needles, or composted sawdust. As soon as the roots fill the container, transfer them to larger pots.
How to Prune Blueberries
Blueberries require little pruning and are only necessary near the end of winter. Cut dead stems and stem tips and thin overcrowded branches. You need to keep them from the ground too. Cut about a quarter of the oldest branches every year.
Best way to Harvest Blueberries
Make sure to cover your plants with a fruit cage or netting them to keep birds from harvesting them before you do. Once they’re blue all over and can be pulled away from their stalks effortlessly, they’re ready. You can wait for a few days to let them become completely blue to get the best flavor. You can store your excess berries by freezing them.
