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BLUEBERRY GUIDES
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Blueberries are delightful fruits that can be grown in many gardens as long as you supply the acidic condition they call for to flourish .
In this guide , we will take a closer look at these berries , why growing them could be a neat idea and where and how to raise blueberries in your garden .
We have join forces withLorraine Summersacross our blueberry grow guides , the owner of Trehane Camellia and Blueberry Nursery , a specialist industrial plant nursery ground in Dorset .
“ Blueberry plants are easy to spring up and they produce lovely , tasty Charles Edward Berry , ” Lorraine says when require why she enjoys growing these tasty fruits .
Blueberries grow on bush native to North America which are classified as Vaccinium ( typicallyVaccinium corymbosumor ‘ highbush ’ type).1Vaccinium corymbosum . ( n.d . ) . Kew Royal Botanic Gardens . recall March 13 , 2023 , fromhttps://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:261823-2
Overview
PreferredFull Sun or Partial Shade
ExposureSheltered
Height1 – 1.5 M
Spread1 – 1.5 M
Bloom TimeSpring
PreferredLoam , sand
MoistureMoist but well - drained
pHAcidic
In Europe , pertain mintage , whinberry , are sometimes draw as blueberries – and these also sit within the Vaccinium genus – usuallyVaccinium myrtillus(often referred to as the ‘ European Blueberry’).2Bilberry . ( n.d.-b ) . The Wildlife Trusts . retrieve March 13 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/trees-and-shrubs/bilberry
These are intimately related to North American blueberries , but though they grow prolifically in the wild in acidic , alimental - poor grease in temperate and subarctic regions , they are challenging to grow – and so are not usually grown commercially or cultivated in gardens .
If you are thinking about growing blueberries in your garden – rather than foraging for bilberry in the wild – then you will be likely be look for berry George Bush which often come from intercrossed cultivars , which were developed around the source of the 20th Century.3History of Blueberries . ( 2021 , August 4 ) . US Highbush Blueberry Council . call up March 13 , 2023 , fromhttps://blueberry.org/about-blueberries/history-of-blueberries/
The plant life you may buy for your garden typically derive from these North American type .
Why Grow Them in Your Garden?
Though blueberry are not a native berry bush , they can still be a very useful and interesting increase to your home - develop repertory .
By growing these at nursing home , you may take advantage of the useful attribute of these berries without have to buy them .
In the prospicient term , this can save you money and reduce the amount of fruit you need to buy from the supermarket .
How To Grow Blueberries
Blueberries require a sunny location to fruit well .
Though some can cope with mottled shade , most cultivars will expect at least 6 hours of sunlight a day to achieve the best yields .
They will also do best in a comparatively shelter speckle , shielded from strong winds and colder temperatures .
The most of import matter to remember when it total to growing blueberries relates to their soil requirements – blueberry are very fussy when it comes to soil pH.
They are ericaceousandrequire an acidulent pH of below 5.5 so as to avoid any issues.4Acidifying Soil for Blueberries and Ornamental Plants in the Yard and Garden . ( 2003 , April ) . Oregon State University . Retrieved March 13 , 2023 , fromhttps://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catalog/files/project/pdf/ec1560.pdf
So unless you have acidic filth where you last , blueberries are best grow in container or call down beds .
If you havea heavy clay soil , you should also grow blueberries in a raise seam or container , since blueberries like light and moist ( yet innocent - draining ) grease .
Blueberries can be buy as bare - root flora in the autumn and planted during the torpid period of time .
you could also buy pot - grown blueberry from garden centres and nurseries all year around .
For respectable results , these should generally be planted out or repot in the spring or autumn .
obviate planting out during particularly hot and dry stop to reduce industrial plant accent .
mention that not all blueberry bush are self - prolific – even those multifariousness which are self - productive will in the main produce sound yields if grown with at least one fellow traveller .
You should usually , therefore , grow more than one blueberry plant life , whether in pots or container , raise bed , or in your acidic soil garden .
Once you have sourced your blueberries and prefer a site , ready the territory if suitable , built conjure up beds or prepared container with ericaceous compost – you should plant your blueberries at the same astuteness they were antecedently institute .
Firm the soil or potting mix around your industrial plant – take care not to create large strain pockets but also make indisputable that you do not pack it too much .
Water in well , then mulch around your blueberry bush bushes with a sweet mulch of pine needles , oak or beech leaf mould , conifer wood chip orbark splintering .
Blueberries can of course be grown in pots on their own .
However , you could attain skilful yield if you companion plant life blueberry bush withother superman - loving plantswhich can attract pollinators during the spring when the President George W. Bush are in peak , and attract other beneficial insect which help keep pest number down .
Some good choices are :
blueberry bush can also be develop alongside other berry bushes which like acidulent conditions , like cranberry , for example .
They also look good when planted alongside conifer , small Acers and/or holly .
Note however that blueberries have shallow roots , so companions should be placed outside the area of their source geographical zone – and should not have invasive rootage .
Around the gay side of blueberries , you may also consider plant strawberries ( which should be fine at a pH of around 5.5 ) and aromatic herbslike thymeandrosemary .
These are good companion plant which should be able to tolerate acidulent term .
Blueberry Plant Care
As long as you meet the acidic conditions required , blueberry bush are generally comparatively easy and trouble - complimentary to grow .
Remember that blueberries grow in container will want to be water more frequently than those grown in the ground .
rap piddle can reduce acidity , so be sure to always use rain when watering your blueberry bush plant .
blueberry bush do not usually have a lot of pest issues .
However , birds can be an issue , and may eat up all the berries before you get the chance .
If birdie are a problem , you could see protect your blueberry with snort netting , or in fruit cages , polytunnels or other cover structure , as Colin Skelly , a Gardening adviser and Horticulturist contribution :
“ The chick in my garden seem to be skillful and judging the ripeness of my blueberries , such that they will strip them before I get the chance to reap them .
“ I have adjudicate various bird - scare ideas , such as CDs tie to a cane or fans that whirl in the hint , but the birds seem to flout at these efforts .
“ The only workable pick that I have find ( not wanting to erect a permanent fruit cage ) is to construct temporary netting around the bushes using canes . ”
Companion planting ( ideally withplants which appeal saphead - suckers such as Nasturtium ) should avail you deal with aphid and other pestilence which can sometimes plague berry George H.W. Bush .
comrade plants should attract predatory insect to keep their numbers down .
