Blueberry fruits are tasty and he althy, but unfortunately quite expensive. That is why it is so profitable to grow blueberries on your own plot. And if we already have a few of our own blueberry bushes and we want to increase their number, we can carry outreproduction of blueberryby layering, herbaceous cuttings or woody cuttings. See which method is the best and how to do it correctlyBlueberry propagation
Blueberry propagation - cuttings in pots
The American blueberry is usually a plant that reproduces quite hard. In nature, it reproduces from seeds and sometimes also by suckers.Blueberry propagationin the garden is quite complicated, but it is worth trying to propagate the blueberry using appropriate methods. Most often,American blueberry is propagatedby vertical layering (mounding) and horizontal layering, as well as by woody or herbaceous cuttings. Of course, the specimens from which we will lay up or collect seedlings must be he althy so that blueberry disease does not spread.
Blueberry propagation by vertical layering (mounding)
This methodof blueberry propagationinvolves cutting the plants 3 cm above the ground in spring. When the plants reach a height of 10-15 cm, they are half covered with loose substrate. Until summer, we sprinkle the bush two or three times so that its base is covered with a height of approximately 60 cm.Knocking out shoots will take root in the substrate. In autumn, the soil is exposed and the rooted shoots are cut off from the mother plant.
Blueberry propagation by horizontal deposits
The perfect time to do this simple vegetative methodblueberry breedingis the beginning of spring or fall.
A year earlier, the mother plant should be strongly pruned, then it will produce long annual growths. In March of the following year, strong long shoots bend to the ground. Strengthen the place where we will bend the shoots with compost. Bend the young shoots carefully towards the ground, remove their leaves and bury them in the grooves 10 cm deep. It is also worth fixing the shoot with a U-shaped wire, which we hammer into the ground. Slightly knead the soil and water it.Side shoots growing on strong sprinkled shoots are trimmed at a distance of 2 cm from the root. We remove the weak shoots growing from the base of the mother plant completely.The storage site must be kept moist at all times. In late autumn, carefully dig out the rooted layers, cut them off from the plant and plant them in the position where the new blueberries are to grow.
Propagation of American blueberry by woody cuttings
American blueberry woody cuttingsare taken from the shoots of the last annual growth, but fully woody. They are prepared in late autumn and early winter. The shoots for the seedlings must be disease-free and come from the most illuminated parts of the mother plants. The woody seedling should be 20-30 cm long. The upper cut 1-2 cm above the bud should be made slightly oblique, the lower one under the bud perpendicular to the seedling. American blueberry seedlings are kept in moist sand at a temperature of several degrees above zero, tied in bunches during the winter. You can also plant them directly into the ground for rooting.
Blueberry propagation by herbaceous cuttings
Green blueberry seedlingsshould be taken during active plant growth. This period falls at the end of June and lasts no longer than until mid-July. The seedling should be 8-12 cm long, and the section of the taken shoot should contain at least 2-4 leaves. When propagating American blueberry, the lower leaves should be removed before planting, leaving only 1-2. After planting, the leaves must be sprinkled frequently due to their strong transpiration.
Blueberry seedlings are planted in boxes or frames in a substrate that maintains constant moisture, having a loose structure that ensures an adequate and free supply of oxygen. Remember to ensure an adequate low pH. Sobreeding American blueberryit is worth using a mixture of peat with perlite (1: 1) or peat with sand (1: 1). Inrooting blueberry cuttingsthe first week is the most important.
Pour a layer of substrate into the containers, gently tamp it and sprinkle it with water.Additionally, blueberry shoots can be dipped in a rooting plant and planted 1/3 of their length. The container should be covered with a perforated foil to maintain high humidity. The temperature is especially decisive, which should not fall below 24 ° C inpropagating blueberry from herbaceous cuttingsand 18 ° C in propagating from woody cuttings.
After rooting, which usually lasts 2-4 weeks, reduce spraying and increase ventilation. Then the seedlings are subjected to a hardening process. So it gets used to dry air and more sunlight. When we get readyAmerican blueberry seedlingswe replant them to pots with peat substrate. After about five weeks, it is worth spraying the blueberry with multi-component foliar fertilizer that ensures stronger growth of new shoots.
MSc Eng. Joanna Białowąs
