Growing Blueberries - 9 Tips For Planting Blueberry Bushes

The down economy has prompted many of us to4. Blueberries prefer soil with an acid pH level so if
start growing food in our backyards. I've grownyou are planning on growing blueberries, you will
tomatoes for almost 20 years, but last growingneed to prepare the soil for planting. Purchase
season I decided it was time to try growingsome peat moss and aluminum sulphate when
blueberries. I wanted to plant blueberries becauseyou purchase your blueberry plants. Work the
my family loves them and I don't like the price Ipeat and aluminum sulfate into the soil. The hole
have to pay for them at the grocery store. Plus,you dig should be 4 or five inches deeper than
blueberries are one of the most nutritious foodsthe pot and at least 2 times wider than the pot.
on the planet - these super-fruits have been5. Plant the bush so that the soil surrounding the
shown to shrink tumors, lower cholesterol andplant is even with the soil in the pot. You will want
improve memory.to mulch around the bush. Pine needles create an
My blueberry plants are in their second season,acid pH level so mulching with pine needles or pine
the blossoms have faded and blueberries arebark is ideal. However, other mulching material will
forming. Before I planted my bushes, I did a lot ofwork too.
research on how to select and plant blueberries.6. Water your bush thoroughly and make sure to
This article summarizes what I've learned aboutwater it regularly (maybe two or three times a
growing blueberries.week) when it is newly planted. If you are
1. Make sure you purchase at least two varietiesgrowing blueberries that are established, they
of blueberry bushes. Most species need crossneed approximately one inch of water a week
pollination in order to produce fruit. I've metduring growing season.
people who say they don't get berries on their7. The most painful part of the process of
blueberry bushes. After asking them someplanting blueberries is to take off all or most of
questions, it turns out that they are growing justany existing blossoms so that the plant can put its
one variety. There are highbush varieties that canenergy into the root system. I clipped all the
grow more than 6 feet tall, lowbush varieties thatblossoms when I planted my plants the first
are generally shorter than 2 feet, and half highseason. This year I added one more variety to
varieties about 3 feet tall.my blueberry garden and I only clipped about 2/3
2. Be sure that you are purchasing a variety thatof the blossoms.
will live in your growing zone. Blueberries can be8. In my garden, rabbits have been known to
grown virtually anywhere in the continental Unitedcompletely devour bushes and plants, so I added
States and into Canada. When I was purchasinga small fence to protect the blueberry plants. If I
my plants at a reputable garden center, I noticedsee birds eating the berries, I can drape netting
that the nursery was selling varieties that couldover the top of this fence.
not survive the cold winters of Zone 4 where I9. The second season after you plant the
live. Pay attention to the zones indicated on theblueberry bushes, you will want to fertilize with a
label.fertilizer meant for plants that like acid conditions,
3. Choose an area with at least 6 hours of sun tosuch as Miracid.
plant your blueberries. In the desert heat in areasI just checked my bushes this morning and I've
such as Arizona, you will probably want to keepgot some green blueberries. It should just be a
the blueberry plants out of the sun during thefew more weeks until I can add freshly picked
scorching heat of the day.berries to my cereal or yogurt.