Planting Blueberries: Get Started Right So That You Can Harvest A Bountiful Crop

Planting blueberries can be done at home. Blueberries are a native to North America and are favored for their luscious taste, tiny edible seeds and nutrients.

Blueberry plants are a good source of fiber, low in calories and do not contain cholesterol. Many eat blueberries as fresh fruits or prepare them for jelly, ham, pies, pastries and beverage.

The first thing that should be decided when growing blueberries is the cultivator. There are four major cultivators of blueberries that can be planted in a yard. Each or a few of them may require similar or different climate zone.

Gardeners can choose from Highbush blueberries, Half-high blueberries, low bush blueberries and rabbit-eye blueberries.Among these, the most popular is the high bush blueberry.

Their fruit is also popular because it is larger than most of its cultivars. Highbush blueberries are hardy from zone 4 to 11.The Half-high blueberries are a cross-breed between low bush and high bush blueberries.

Although their height is incomparable to high bush, half-high blueberries have similar growth pattern. Also, they are cold hardy, and thus, grow in zone 3.

Their fruits taste between high bush and low bush; while the fruit size is also in between these two cultivators.

Growing about less than two feet high, the low bush blueberry plants grow less like common bushes do. They are even considered for ground cover.

However, if planted as such, they can spread through underground runners. Their berries are borne on the second year of their growth. Zones 3 to 6 are the best areas for blueberry plants of such cultivator.

Much more suited to southern climates is the rabbit-eye blueberry. It is native to the southeast. Rabbit-eye blueberry plants can grow as high as ten feet and in zones 7 to 9.

• Planting blueberry may be similar to other crops in terms of the lighting requirements. Blueberries thrive best when they are exposed to several hours of full sunlight.

• The best soil for blueberry planting is fairly acidic with pH level from 4.0 to 4.5. In most cases, the soil is amended with peat moss to attain the desirable pH level.

• Humus and sulfur both make a good amendment on the soil’s pH level. Better yet, plow the ground and mix the soil bed with 4-7% organic matter.

• Blueberries favor good drainage because the plant roots are shallow. Hence, if the soil is clayish, then planting blueberries would be best in raised beds or gardens. Hilling up around the plants is also a good alternative.

Blueberry plants are, generally, self-pollinating, however, the produce can be increased by adding a pollinator bush. In an average family, planting 4 to 5 blueberry shrubs is sufficient.

These shrubs can be planted in raised beds with 5 or 6 feet apart for highbush varieties. For lowbush cultivators, a spacing of 3 feet is adequate.

The best time for blueberry planting is when the last sign of frost disappears. The ground from where the shrubs are to be planted should be dug by 18 inches deep and 18 inches wide.

Mix the soil with a cubic foot of peat moss with top soil until the hole is filled with 4-inch thick of soil from the top. Set the plant and cover the root with the remaining peat moss-soil mix. Encourage runner development by covering the

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