Below is the planting information for Blueberry plants and a link to a step-by-step video on planting our Cranberry plants which is exactly the same for Blueberries
Step-by-step picture video on how to plant:
Position – Blueberries do best in full sun and sheltered from wind. They will survive in a bit of shade. If you have more than one blueberry bush, plant them about 1.5 mt apart.
Size – A mature blueberry bush can be between one to 2.5 mts in height, with a spread of about 1.5 mts.
Soil Type – For blueberries to survive, they must have well-draining acidic soil with a pH of between 4.2 and 5.5. The soil should retain moisture but never become waterlogged. Under these conditions, they can produce delicious fruits for 30 to 50 years.
Whether planted in a pot or the ground, your base soil is one 30-dm bag of acid compost mixed with any other soil—potting soil for containers and compost or your garden soil in the ground.
Before planting your blueberry, 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.
Create a mixture of one bag of our blueberry mix, pre-soaked Lithuanian peat moss, and a bag of volcanic rock dust. Put this into the pot or a 50 x 50 x 50 cm hole if planting in the ground. Remove the plant gently from the plastic pot without disturbing the roots. Then, place it into this soil mixture at the same depth as in the 19cm pot to ensure the crown is not covered and the roots are not exposed. It should be level with the ground.
Mulch – Add organic pine bark mulch to your blueberry bushes regularly (every four or five months). Mulch helps to retain moisture and prevents weeds. It also shelters the roots from the sun and helps keep the soil from freezing in the winter. More importantly, the pine bark adds acidity to the soil. Remember to keep the mulch away from the trunk or branches.
Watering – For the first two or three weeks after planting a blueberry bush, give it between two and five litres per week (unless there’s been rain). Once established, water well every third day. Never allow the soil to dry out completely. Should it dry (perhaps in extremely dry conditions), gently soak it.
Fertilising – Only fertilise your plant every six months with our slow-release fertilizer. Use compost of old vegetable and fruit peels to add excellent nutrients to your soil and keep it acidic. Do not fertilise with manure, worm tea, or coffee grounds, as they are too intense for blueberries.
Pruning – These delightful little berries grow on the short side shoots produced during the previous year’s spring and summer. So, be sure not to cut these off. Prune your bush when it is about five years old. The best time to prune is in winter, and only the dry branches and branches that have borne much fruit during the season, need to be cut.
Harvesting – Different varieties of blueberries ripen at different times during the fruiting season. There are early-season, mid-season, and late-season varieties. So, choose a variety from these blueberry types to get the most out of your plants. In this way, you can harvest blueberries for most of the summer months.
Step-by-step picture video on how to plant:
Wait for the berries to turn dark purple before picking. Blueberries can survive a few days in a refridgerator after being picked. Blueberries ripen over four to six weeks, so pick some daily.
