I would like to share my experience in the cultivation of American blueberries and give some tips on how to care for them.I grow three varieties of American blueberries: 'Jersey', 'Earliblue', 'Bluecrop'. They are all resistant to low temperatures and winter well in our climate.
What soil is best for blueberries
For proper growth, they require humus soil, moderately moist and acidic. In the case of such amateur cultivation as mine (I have 7 blueberry bushes), I obtain acidic soil using peat with a pH of 4-5.5. I also spread sawdust or bark of conifers around the planted bushes.I supplement this bedding every second or third season.
Position, irrigation and fertilization ideal for blueberries
Blueberry likes a quiet, warm and sunny position. During longer periods of drought, it requires irrigation, as the lack of sufficient water may lead to the drying of fruit or whole shrubs. This plant takes root on the surface, so every spring I sprinkle each bush with a mixture of compost and peat. Thanks to this treatment, I not only cover the shallow root system of the plant, but also fertilize it in an ecological way. This is of great importance to me, because I use blueberries for food.
First of all, I eat them raw, because I know that they are the he althiest. I also add them to jellies, kefirs and cakes. However, my crops are always so large that I freeze the excess fruit for the winter. I strongly encourage everyone who has at least a piece of a plot to grow blueberries.
As I finish my letter, let me give you one more piece of advice. Blueberries should be planted in groups of at least three shrubs of different varieties. Plants will then create their own microclimate in which they will grow well and bear fruit abundantly every season .
Grażyna Pytel
Garden recipe
Why is it worth planting different varieties of blueberries?
The American blueberry is a non-pollinated plant. This means that for the proper fertilization of flowers, it needs pollen from other varieties. That is why it is worth planting blueberries in groups. When choosing planting material, let's take into account the fruiting time of individual varieties. Thanks to this, we will have fresh fruit until the end of September. The earliest, since mid-July, the cultivars 'Sunrise', 'Earliblue' and 'Duke' bear fruit. 'Spartan', 'Bluejay' and 'Patriot' ripen at the end of July. A little later: 'Nelson', 'Berkeley' and 'Bluecrop' (August) and 'Darrow' and 'Elliott' (September).
