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 when they’re in full sun and 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 to 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 – It is crucial that your blueberries have well-draining acidic soil with a pH of between 4.2 and 5.5 to survive. 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 it was in the 19cm pot to ensure that the crown is not covered and 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 the 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.
Fertilising – Only fertilise your plant every 6 months with our slow release fertilizer. Use compost that is made up of old vegetable and fruit peels to add excellent nutrients to your soil and to 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 that were produced during the previous year’s spring and summer. So, be sure not to cut these off. Prune your bush when it is about 5 years old. The best time to prune is in winter and only the dry branches and branches that have born much fruit during the season, need to be cut.
Harvesting – Different varieties of blueberries ripen at different times of the fruiting season. There are early-season, mid-season and late-season varieties. So, to get the most out of your plants, choose a variety from these blueberry types. This will extend the fruiting period of your harvest by a few months.
Step by step picture video on how to plant:
Don’t rush to pick the berries the moment they turn blue. Rather, wait a few days. When they readily fall off the twig and into your hand, they are perfectly ripe.
