Planting of blueberries in your back yard garden is a simple process as well as a convenient way to provide a healthy snack for the family.
Introduction
Blueberry growing will require plenty of sunlight especially when the plant begins to branch or bramble. This plant will also require the soil to have a particular temperature as well as have greater acidity which should be between 4.09 and 5.0. Drainage of water is also another important issue when growing blueberries and so you should avoid area with low lying as these areas will be slow in draining in the spring. Blueberries have both male and female organs on the same flower but are not self pollinating and hence the need for pollination. Blueberries are known to be high in antioxidants and can deliciously be eaten alone or with other foods including cereals, pancakes as well as yoghurt. The following is the process of planting blueberries:
Types of Blueberries
There are different types of blueberries in the market today and so you should choose the one you want. These blueberries will include high bush which provides about 5 to 10 lbs of blueberries and half high bush where a half produces only 1 to 3 lbs of blueberries.
Choosing the planting area
You should then choose the planting area in your backyard garden, which should be somewhere where there is full sun and has adequate draining as well. Building up of water can lead to your blueberries being killed. The soil in the planting area should have a pH of between 4.0 and 5.5.
Purchasing the blueberry
You should then purchase the blueberry of your choice and this should be from a reputable nursery in the spring which is the best season for planting blueberries.
Planting and caring for the blueberry
You should then dig a hole in the planting area which should be big enough to be able to hold the blueberry plants roots. This hole should be approx 2 feet wide and between 18 to 24 inches deep. The blueberry plants roots should be saturated with water before they are set in the soil and then fill the hole with a combination of moist peat and soil in order to secure the plant. The blueberry should then be watered immediately. The high bush variety plants should be spaced about 4 to 6 feet apart while the half high varieties should be spaced about 3 to 4 feet apart. Spread 3 to 5 inches of mulch on top of the soil and also around the blueberry plants to help retain the moisture and at the same time protect the roots in hot weather. The best type of mulch to use for blueberries will be wood chips, pine needles, saw dust or shredded leaves. You should then remove small side branches and cut back main branches of the blueberry plant after planting. The first 2 years of planting you should remove blossoms as they grow to prevent the blueberry plants from producing fruit. This will thereby increase the growth of fruit in later years and the largest volume of fruit will be produce in the fifth or sixth year.
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