Blueberries and Cranberries are the only berry plants that require a bit of investment and effort to ensure countless years of healthy fruiting.
The correct soil mixture for your Blueberry plant is extremely important
Numerous varieties of Blueberry Plants are available. We provide the most suitable varieties for our South African climate.
We have Early, Mid, and Late fruiting season Blueberry Plants. If you have all three (colder areas), you can pick blueberries for 6 – 8 months of the year.
Our Blueberry plants are self-pollinating but will bear a bigger yield and richer fruit if cross-pollinated. They can be planted during any season; however, if planting in the hotter months, care must be taken not to let the roots dry out.
They may go into shock during transit or replanting but are otherwise very resilient.
Preparation of the soil for your Mid Season Blueberry Plant
Step-by-step picture video on how to plant:
Position – Blueberries do best when in full sun and are protected from the wind. They will survive in a little shade. If you have more than one blueberry bush, plant them together in a patch near one another.
Size – A mature blueberry bush can be between 1 metre to 2.4 metres in height, with a spread of about 1.5 metres.
Soil Type – To survive, your blueberries must have well-draining acidic soil with a pH of between 4.2 and 5.5. It should retain moisture but never become waterlogged. Under these conditions, they can produce delicious fruits for 30 to 50 years.
Create a mixture of one bag of our blueberry mix, a bag of acid compost, one bag of pre-soaked Lithuanian peat moss and a bag of volcanic rock dust. Put this into the pot or 50 x 50 x 50 centimetre hole. Remove your plant gently from the 19 centimetre pot without disturbing the roots. Then, place it into the mixture at the same depth as in the 19cm pot to ensure that the crown is not covered and the roots are not exposed. It should be level with the ground.
Before planting, add your soaked peat moss, berry mix and volcanic rock dust close to the surface. Planting too high or too deep stresses the plant and threatens its long-term health.
Mulch – Blueberries thrive when organic mulch is used to retain moisture and prevent weeds. Use 5 to 10 centimetres of green pine needles or pine bark to impart a more acidic quality to the soil. Remember to keep the mulch away from the trunk or branches, though.
Watering – For the first two or three weeks after planting your blueberry bush, give it between 2 and 5 litres of water per week (unless there’s been rain). Once it is established, you can water it well every third day. Never allow the soil to dry out completely. If it has dried out (perhaps in extremely dry conditions), give it a slow, gentle soaking.
Gently place the plant in the soil mixture without disturbing the roots and cover the roots (not the stem) with Pine Bark Mulch.
Please click on the link https://youtube/CN0Zp0XfkCA to see how it’s done. Cranberry and Blueberry Plants require the same soil and are planted the same way.
