Why doesn't the blueberry bush grow? Why don't garden blueberries grow? When and how to prune bushes

Blueberries are called “black pearls, the berry of millionaires,” and I would call them “the berry of intellectuals.” Blueberries are a demanding crop, but you can make friends with them. The cultivation techniques to which we are accustomed are absolutely not applicable to it: manure, ash and occasional watering... Blueberries will not grow without an acidic, loose and moist substrate.

1. Wrong choice of blueberry seedlings.

The seedlings must, first of all, be healthy, with green, spotless leaves. If you buy seedlings in early spring or late fall when the leaves have fallen and you can't tell if the leaves are healthy, pay attention to the bark. On the branches it should be free of the characteristic burgundy or brown spots, which indicates a disease called Godronia or Phomopsis.

If you happen to purchase seedlings, for example, by mail (when it is impossible to control their health) and something worries you, simply cut off the diseased branches to healthy tissue. Never buy bare-root blueberries. The plant should grow in a pot or container with an acidic substrate.

2. If blueberry root ball Do not soak or mash them before planting, then your blueberries will not grow and there will be no harvest.

Therefore, before planting, immerse the pots with plants in a container of water for 3-4 hours to saturate the lump of earth with roots with water. After this, carefully remove the plant from the pot, turn the bush over with its roots up and down (to a depth of 4-5 cm), cut the root ball crosswise or knead it with your hands, starting from the middle of the ball. Blueberries have very thin roots, Americans call them “angel hair,” and in order for them to grow to the sides, we carry out the above operation.

Place the blueberry bush in the hole prepared before planting, spread the roots to the sides and cover with the prepared substrate. Make a hole around the bush and water until completely saturated with water.

After this, mulch the hole with bark, pine litter or straw (8-10 cm layer) to reduce moisture evaporation and maintain the looseness of the substrate. In addition, soil bacteria, processing this mulch, form citric and acetic acids, which blueberries need so much.

It is necessary to water the soil so that not only the soil around the blueberries is wet, but also the lump of earth in which the blueberries grew in the pot is saturated with water (even if you actively stirred it up). Otherwise, this lump of earth, densely entwined with roots (it differs in composition from the planting mixture you prepared) will remain dry in the planting hole!

The soil around the bush will be moist, and the blueberry will suffer from a lack of it (I had this happen with rhododendron, they are from the same family with blueberries: although the soil around was very moist, the bush suffered due to the fact that the root ball was completely dry). Therefore, it is very important to frequently observe the blueberries until you see that they have begun to actively grow shoots (summer growth of 50-70 cm indicates that you liked the blueberries).

It is highly advisable, if possible, to use drip irrigation to care for blueberries in the garden. When you squeeze the earth in your hand, you should feel moisture, but water should not flow.

3. The substrate for blueberries must be special.

Remove and DO NOT use all selected soil from the planting hole. Because you probably once introduced ash, manure, or bird droppings into your garden, but blueberries absolutely cannot stand it! Fence the dug hole with boards and logs (you need to do this to make it easier for you to maintain the necessary soil acidity and moisture) and fill it with a previously prepared substrate of high-colored red peat, pine litter, bark, sand, and old sawdust.

Take half a sugar bag for each component; it should be enough for one bush. On light soils, where there is no likelihood of water stagnation, a hole is dug 40-50 cm deep and 70-80 cm wide.

On heavy loamy soils, the holes are made wider and shallower (25-30 cm) and the bushes are planted on a small hill (do not forget to fence and mulch after planting). Low-growing varieties are planted at a distance of 0.8-1 m from each other, medium- and vigorous-growing varieties - at a distance of 1.2-1.5 m.

We do not use mineral fertilizers on the plantation on our farm, but proper agricultural technology can successfully replace them.

4. Wrong choice of planting site for blueberries.

Blueberries love the sun and do not like the wind. The place should be open and sunny. To protect from the wind from the north side, you can offer a fence, a screen made of agro-fabric or a hedge. A fence 1 m high breaks the wind by 10 m, that is, behind a fence 1 m high there will be no strong wind, which manages to wear off the bark on the branches, where infection can then easily enter. Ripening berries lose their delicious blue tinge due to the wind and are poorly stored.

5. Incorrect soil acidity for blueberries.

For blueberries, it should be between pH 4 and 5.5. This is a very important indicator, otherwise the bushes will not grow and bear fruit well. Usually the acidity of the soil on our acres is pH 6-7; you can acidify the soil to a better value with colloidal sulfur, which is sold in garden stores. 1-2 tbsp. spoons around the bush will be enough. Soil bacteria oxidize sulfur, resulting in the formation of sulfuric acid, which causes a decrease in pH. Sulfur is usually applied in the spring, but for good results the soil must be moist and well aerated. Acidify the soil in the future (if blueberries do not produce good (50-70 cm) growth and the foliage has a light green tint), preferably with oxalic acid - 0.5 teaspoon per 1 bucket (10 l) of water.

6. Blueberries do not like crowded conditions.

The distance between the bushes should be at least 1 m so that each berry has enough sun and warmth.

Planting and caring for blueberries - personal experience

My first experience of planting blueberries was unsuccessful. After analyzing the mistakes, I discovered this culture in a new way.

The soil must be acidic. At first I prepared a mixture using peat from nearby swamps. But the forest soil turned out to be ideal (I remove the top layer), on which wild blueberries grow.

The farmer from whom I purchased the first seedlings did not explain that when planting a 2-year-old plant from a container, the roots need to be spread out in the soil! Otherwise, they grow towards each other, intertwine - and after a few years the plant dies.

My site has light loam.

Blueberries need a breathable substrate. This is exactly what she filled the planting holes with, but... did not protect their walls. Over time, due to rains and watering, heavy soil ended up in the root system area. As a result, due to a lack of oxygen, the processes of respiration and metabolism are disrupted, the roots rot and die. Now I fence the walls of the planting pit with roofing felt, metal plates, and slate.

After planting, it is important to mulch the soil under the bushes with sawdust - preferably pine (10-15 cm layer). They retain moisture well, reflect the sun's rays - and the root system does not overheat during the heat (+25...+30 degrees). .

Garden blueberry roots are sensitive to chlorine, so chlorine-containing fertilizers are not suitable for the crop! I use complex mineral fertilizer for blueberries (I apply it in spring and early summer, but no later than mid-June).

May beetle larvae are very harmful to blueberry roots. When I fence the walls of the planting pit, I leave sides 10 cm high above the soil level. The pest does not lay eggs in such “wells” with sawdust.

Below are other entries on the topic “Do-it-yourself cottage and garden”

: HOW TO CORRECTLY FORM A BLUEBERRY BUSH It turns out...

: Blueberries - the right planting Dacha village...

: Planting large-fruited blueberries Very tasty and...

: Growing blueberries - sharing my...

This berry and several varieties were considered garden blueberry. And in this article we will deal with landing issues garden blueberry and caring for her.

Blueberries are not one of those plants that can be said to be “planted and forgotten.” She will give us her delicious and healthy berries, only with proper planting and proper careful care.

Planting garden blueberries

Plant in a permanent place garden blueberries It is possible both in autumn and spring, but spring planting is still preferable because the risk of young seedlings freezing in winter is reduced.

Blueberries are a very sun-loving plant and do not like cold winds, so it is best to plant them in a sunny place protected from the wind.

If you plant it in the shade of trees, the berries will be sour, and their quantity will not please you.

Blueberries are very demanding of soil and prefer to grow in an area with acidic soil (pH 3.5-4.5), not previously occupied by other cultivated plants, since the mycorrhiza that lives on the roots does not tolerate developed soil very well.

If you do not have such a place, then you should try to create it, based on the fact that blueberries love peaty-sandy or peaty-loamy well-drained soils.

To do this, we dig a hole measuring 60x60 cm and 50 cm deep; it is advisable to loosen the surface of the bottom and walls of the hole a little, so that over time they do not become dense and do not impede the flow of water and air.

Then we fill the pit with slightly decomposed high peat or a mixture of peat, sawdust, fallen pine needles and sand, and also add 40-60 g of sulfur to the pit (for acidification), mix and compact everything. In other words, we make an acidic substrate, in which blueberries love to grow.

You can also use a solution of citric or oxalic acid to acidify the soil (add 3 teaspoons of acid per 10 liters of water), as well as malic acid or 9% acetic acid (100 ml of acid per 10 liters of water).

For now, there is no need to add any fertilizers to the planting hole, especially organic ones, which alkalize the soil.

It is best to buy blueberry seedlings with a closed root system (in pots or containers), and then it is very important to plant them correctly.

In no case should you simply transfer a seedling from a container into a hole, since the tender roots of blueberries will not be able to turn to the sides in a dense clod of earth and the root system will not be able to develop normally, and therefore the plant will most likely die in a few years.

To prevent this from happening, before planting, it is necessary to immerse the container with the seedling in water for only 10-15 minutes, then remove the plant from the container and try to very carefully knead this earthen lump, and if the roots are tightly entwined in the ground, then you need to carefully straighten them with your hands.

We plant the seedling 5-6 cm deeper, as it grew in the container, water it and mulch it with sawdust (or some other mulch).

Mulch in the summer can protect against weeds, retain moisture, and simply serve as additional fertilizer; in winter it will protect the roots from freezing.

How to care for blueberries?

Regular weeding is of great importance when caring for blueberries. Especially while the bushes are young, weeds are the worst enemies of blueberries.

Loosening is no less important, but we should not forget that the root system lies at a depth of 20-40 cm and, therefore, we should loosen the tree trunk circles to a depth of no more than 8-10 cm.

During the growing season of the plant, it is advisable to mulch the trunk circles 2-3 times with a mixture of sawdust and rotted manure.

Water regime is very important

When growing blueberries, it is necessary to constantly monitor the water regime, since this plant needs moisture. It is very important to prevent the soil from drying out.

Until the blueberry seedling takes root, the soil must be constantly moist.

And for several weeks you need to maintain watering two or three times a day.

And, in the future, if the weather is dry, blueberries need to be watered twice a week and it is better to do this in the morning and evening.

And in hot weather, it is also advisable to spray the bushes with cold water.

In July-August, when the bushes bear fruit and lay flower buds for the future harvest, blueberries really need abundant watering.

But, at the same time, although blueberries are a very moisture-loving plant, excess moisture is also contraindicated for it, so stagnation of water should be avoided.

When should you prune blueberry bushes?

It is not recommended to prune blueberries when they are young. You can only cut out diseased, broken, weak and frozen branches from non-bearing bushes in early spring (before the buds swell).

But by the age of 10-12 years the bush begins to chop the berries and reduce the yield.

Therefore, it is necessary to carry out anti-aging pruning, which can be done in two ways:

Immediately in one year we remove all old branches. The disadvantage of this method is that there will be significant yield loss within 2-3 years.
In the first year of pruning, we remove only part of the old branches, and leave the rest for fruiting. And then next year, when the young shoots grow, we remove the remaining old ones.

Plant nutrition

To improve growth and increase yield, it is good to feed blueberries with mineral fertilizers, while organic fertilizers are simply contraindicated for them.

We feed the blueberries once when the buds swell, and the second time after 6-7 weeks.

Feeding blueberries should begin in the second year of cultivation:

For a two-year-old bush, apply 1 tablespoon of complete mineral fertilizer,
for a three year old - 2 tablespoons,
for a four year old - 4 tablespoons,
for a five year old - 8 tablespoons,
for six years and older - 16 tablespoons.

By the appearance of blueberries, it is very easy to determine which mineral elements it is currently lacking.

So, for example, if you are missing:

nitrogen- shoot growth slows down, old leaves become yellowish-green, and if the nitrogen deficiency is significant, then the entire bush looks yellowish-green, then a reddish tint appears on the leaves and the yield decreases, the berries become smaller;
phosphorus- the leaves are pressed closely to the stem and acquire a purple tint;
potassium- the tips of the leaves die off, spots appear, the tops of young shoots turn black and die;
calcium- the leaves become deformed and their edges become yellow;
magnesium- the leaves have red edges, but at the same time the green color remains near the midrib;
boron- the apical leaves acquire a blue color, yellowing appears between the veins of old leaves, the growth of shoots stops, and then they die;
gland- on young apical leaves, yellowing appears between the veins, a network of green veins is formed against the background of the yellow color of the entire leaf;
sulfur- the leaves acquire a yellowish-white color, and sometimes become completely white.

Knowing these signs, you can determine with great certainty which elements the plant lacks and promptly compensate for this deficiency by additionally feeding it with appropriate mineral fertilizers.

Shelter for the winter

In most cases, the limit of frost resistance of highbush blueberries is a temperature of minus 23-25 degrees and, of course, the probability of freezing is especially high in a snowless winter.

If you planted late-ripening varieties, then do not forget that they often suffer from early autumn frosts and, therefore, these varieties must be covered first with non-woven material or burlap.

Preparing bushes for wintering should begin in advance.

The branches must be bent to the ground; for this you can use twine or wire arches, placing them in a cross.

Then, with the onset of stable frosts, we cover the bushes with non-woven material, burlap.

But it is better not to use plastic film.

You can throw spruce branches on top. In winter, the bushes can also be sprinkled with crumbly snow so that the tops of the stems are always under a white blanket.

With the onset of spring, we remove the cover and cut off the ends of the frozen branches.

Blueberry flowers usually do not need protection from spring cold snaps, as they can tolerate frosts up to 7 degrees.

Harvesting

The timing of berry picking depends on what varieties we planted. So if the blueberry variety is:

early ripening, then we begin to harvest the berries from the first ten days of July;
if mid-season - from the second or third decade of July;
and late-ripening - from the second or third ten days of August.

Blueberry fruits do not ripen at the same time, so harvesting on the bush lasts more than a month.

The first sign of blueberries beginning to ripen is the change from green to bluish-purple. This means that in a week, if the weather is good, the berries will already ripen.

It is necessary to remove from the bush only those berries that are easily separated from the brush with a dry tear.

The largest, most attractive and tasty are the berries of the first and second harvests, so they are best consumed fresh.

And the berries of the following harvests are much smaller and I recommend using them for processing.

Now we know almost everything about this wonderful berry. We just have to consider: how blueberries reproduce; what diseases and pests bother her; how to deal with them. But we'll talk about this later.

See you soon, dear friends!

Lover of sour things

Let me start with the fact that blueberries are a close relative of luxurious rhododendrons, azaleas and heathers and belong to the heather family, therefore they have specific requirements for the soil. It is suitable for light, moist, but well-drained (water-permeable) acidic soils rich in organic matter. Therefore, in the spring, when I purchased a large-fruited blueberry seedling of the Patriot variety, I dug a hole (about 50x50x50 cm) and added a soil mixture consisting of acidic peat and leaf humus. You can also add coniferous bedding, but I did not have this opportunity. I planted a two-year-old seedling with a well-developed root system, watered and mulched the soil with sawdust in a layer of 5-10 cm. Mulch protects the soil well from drying out and overheating, limits the growth of weeds, and in winter protects the roots from freezing. Garden highbush blueberries are not at all tender and tolerate harsh winters with frosts down to -30 degrees, and under snow cover and below. The summer was hot, and I watered the seedling once a week, about one bucket per bush. My blueberries began to grow very well, and I calmed down, thinking that I had done everything right and that I could wait for strange berries.

Doesn't bear fruit in the shade

But it turned out that I wanted the best, but it turned out as always. My first mistake was that I planted blueberries in the shade, but it turns out that they grow and bloom well in sunny places protected from the wind. Planted in the shade, it develops poorly and practically does not bear fruit. Mine grew and suffered for 2 years, but still bloomed and even berries ripened on two clusters, but I made another mistake.

Manure is contraindicated

For the winter, I covered the currants with manure and covered the blueberries at the same time. This is where I signed the death warrant for my beloved martyr. After wintering she died. It turns out that blueberries do not require frequent fertilization, and they do not tolerate manure at all. If the soil is poor, then before planting the bush, approximately 30 g of complex fertilizer is applied, then from April to the end of June, nitrogen fertilizers, such as ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate, are applied, scattering them at a distance of 15-20 cm from the base of the bush. The dose for one biennial plant is up to 30 g, for a four-year-old plant it is needed 40-50 g, and for an eight-year-old - 150 g. Nitrogen fertilizers can be applied by dissolving one spoon of fertilizer in 10 liters of water. At the end of the growing season, that is, in the fall, fertilizers containing phosphorus and microelements are applied (30 g for a young plant and 150 g for an adult plant).

They do not ripen at the same time

Tall blueberry bushes with erect or spreading shoots reach a height of 150-180 cm. The berries are spherical, slightly flattened, depending on the variety, dark blue or light blue with a bluish bloom, from 1 to 2.5 cm in diameter, collected in large clusters. They ripen gradually, so they are harvested several times per season. There is no need to rush into harvesting; after the berries have turned blue, they should still ripen for 3-5 days. A glass of fresh blueberries provides a person's daily requirement for vitamin C. Early varieties in central Russia begin to ripen in the second half of July, medium ones - in the first ten days of August, and late varieties - from the third ten days of August to early October. The latter most often do not have time to prepare for winter and freeze out. Therefore, gardeners choose early and middle varieties. Blueberries begin to bear fruit in the 4th year and for 20-30 years produce an annual harvest of 3 to 6 kg per bush, depending on the variety.

Bush pruning

For good fruiting in early spring, before the start of the growing season, the bushes are pruned. In young plants, only the ends of frozen shoots are removed. From the age of four they begin to form the crown of the bush. To do this, leave 6-8 strong shoots of different ages, and all old, weak and lodging shoots are removed. The need for strong anti-aging pruning arises only after 15-20 years.

And yet she will submit

Now there are 3 varieties of blueberries growing in my garden, which do not bear fruit yet, but are developing well, and I hope that I will conquer this wayward berry. Varieties: Patriot - early, Nordland, or Northern Country - mid-early and Bluecrop - mid-ripening. All varieties are large-fruited, and I brought the seedlings from Moscow from the exhibition. So far I cannot offer blueberry seedlings to gardeners, but next season it will be possible. And I also want to note that during seed propagation, the characteristics of the mother plant are not repeated; varieties must be propagated either by cuttings or layering. I offer my seedlings for the new 2011 season. I will send you a 16-page catalog in your signed long envelope. I would be very grateful if you also put in 2 rubles worth of stamps, since the catalog is heavy and you have to pay extra.

Tatyana Leonidovna Rosina, 155904, Ivanovo region, Shuya, st. 11th Michurinskaya, 17

Why garden blueberries don’t grow is the question of many novice summer residents who have not understood the nature of this crop. But blueberries are one of the healthiest berries, and also incredibly tasty. It is quite expensive in stores, and not everyone has the opportunity to collect it in the forest. Therefore, for many gardeners, growing blueberries on their own plot can be an excellent solution. We analyze the mistakes of growing highbush blueberries.

Basic mistakes why blueberries don’t grow

Overall, growing blueberries is much easier than you might think. Basically, it requires care only in the first season, and in subsequent years, care is reduced to a minimum, but the harvest can be harvested in buckets! However, when growing even such an undemanding plant, you can make some mistakes. Here are the main four and how you can avoid them.

1. Unknown soil acidity

Most plants grow happily in soil over a wide pH range. But not blueberries. It prefers acidic soil, somewhere between 4.0 and 5.0. Different areas of the garden may have different pH values, and given that blueberry bushes live for several years, it is worth checking the pH of the soil before planting.

If the soil in your area is not acidic enough, you can add sulfur, but it will take time for the soil's acidity to change. If you want to plant blueberries this coming season, try using container planting or raised beds with the right soil. Or carefully prepare the planting hole as in this video:

Even if the soil is acidic, it will be good to add peat, pine needles, wood chips (not fresh) and even ground coffee to the soil. Remember, blueberries have the same root system as rhododendrons; they feed on mycorrhizae. Insufficient acidity does not allow the fungal root to develop well and blueberries experience a nutritional deficiency (especially nitrogen), the leaves become light and chlorotic:

2. No mulch

Blueberries have a shallow root system that dries out unless a thick layer of mulch is used to protect the soil from moisture evaporation. It is recommended to cover the soil around the bushes with a 10 cm layer of wood chips in spring and autumn.

Another benefit of mulch is that it discourages weed growth. Again, due to shallow roots, blueberry bushes will suffer from competition with weeds for water and nutrients.

3. Insufficient drainage

Blueberries do not like “wet feet.” Make sure your blueberry growing area is well drained. Remember that this is not an annual crop, and it is better to immediately choose a suitable location and prepare it properly.

4. Planting only one bush

Blueberries are not self-pollinating. At least two different varieties must grow close to each other so that they can pollinate each other. In other words, if you plant just one bush, you'll end up with a pretty plant with attractive flowers, but no berries. In addition, we must pay attention that not all varieties are equally well suited for pollinating each other. It is better to choose well-combined plants.

Now you know why blueberries do not grow or bear fruit poorly on your plot. Analyze and correct mistakes before it’s too late, otherwise you will lose not only the harvest, but also the bushes themselves. I wish you success!