Blueberry is a small berry fruit tree originating from the United States. The fruit is blue-purple, with fine pulp, sweet and sour taste, rich in nutrients, and very popular with consumers. Basically, the supply exceeds demand on the market. The flavonoids and polysaccharides contained in it have very good cultivation value and nutritional value. So how to grow blueberries in the garden? Let’s find out together next!

1. Deep plowing and soil preparation: After the blueberry garden site is selected, deep plowing with green manure should be carried out one year before planting. The appropriate depth is 20 to 25 centimeters. Deep plowing and ripening will be effective for soil types that do not meet the requirements of blueberries. Soil improvement should be carried out before planting to facilitate the growth of organic blueberries.

2. Planting time: In the south where the winter is not very dry, it is best to plant from autumn to early spring before germination. In places with drought in autumn and winter, it is appropriate to plant when the rainy season arrives. In places with irrigation conditions, it is one year. Can be planted in all seasons.

3. Planting density: The planting depth of annual seedlings is 15 to 20 cm, and the soil must be stepped on tightly and compacted to achieve "three supports, two steps and one lift of seedlings". Rabbit-eye blueberries often use 2 ×2 meters or 1.5 × 3 meters, high bush blueberries 1.2 × 2 meters, low bush blueberries (0.5 ~ 1) × 1 meter.

4. With pollinating trees: Rabbiteye blueberries must be equipped with pollinating trees. Highbush blueberries and lowbush blueberries have higher self-fruiting rates, but arranging pollinating trees can also improve fruit quality and yield. The configuration method is: The main planting varieties and pollinating varieties should be planted in a ratio of 1:1 or 1:2.

5. Soil management: The root system of blueberries is shallow, slender and has no root hairs, so it requires loose soil and good ventilation.

① Clear tillage method: Clear tillage can be carried out from early spring to August. Clear tillage after autumn is not good for overwintering. The clear tillage method is commonly used in the cultivation of highbush blueberries on sandy loam soil. The clear tillage depth is 5 ~10 cm is appropriate, as too deep may damage the root system.

② Grass-growing method: That is, grass-growing between rows. Compared with the clear tillage method, the grass-growing method is also conducive to increasing yields, and has the advantages of maintaining soil moisture and facilitating mechanical operations.

③ Mulching method: Soil mulching method is widely used in blueberry production. It has many functions such as increasing soil organic matter, improving soil structure, regulating and maintaining soil moisture, reducing soil pH value, and controlling weeds.

6. Fertilization method: It is recommended to use organic fertilizer when fertilizing blueberries. The excessive use of chemical fertilizers in my country's agricultural land has caused serious pollution, and eventually the land production is reduced or even eliminated.

① Fertilizer types: Applying nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizers is more effective than applying single fertilizers. The ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers is 1:1:1. It is better to apply ammonium nitrogen fertilizers such as ammonium sulfate. It is better not to apply nitrate nitrogen fertilizer, and do not use chlorine-containing fertilizers such as ammonium chloride and potassium chloride.

② Fertilization method: High bush and rabbiteye blueberries can be fertilized in a ditch, with the appropriate depth being 10 to 15 centimeters.

Fertilization should be carried out in early spring before budding, and can also be applied again during the berry ripening period.

③ Fertilizer quantity: Excessive fertilization can easily damage the blueberry tree or even kill the entire plant. Therefore, the amount of fertilizer must be determined very carefully and must be based on soil fertility and tree nutritional status.

7. Irrigation method: Blueberries have shallow root systems and like to be moist. Timely irrigation is very necessary, but attention should be paid to the water source and water quality. Deep well water generally has a high pH value and high sodium and calcium content. The pH can be adjusted with sulfuric acid. Adjust the value to around 4.5~5.5 before filling again.

8. Disease control: Blueberry diseases are caused by fungal diseases, bacterial diseases and nematodes, etc. However, our country is a newly introduced cultivation area, so the occurrence of diseases and insect pests is less, so just do a good job in prevention.

9. Timely harvesting: Rabbiteye and southern highbush blueberry fruits have different maturity periods. Generally, harvesting takes 20 to 30 days, usually once a week.

When the fruits are eaten fresh, they must be picked manually. For processing, blueberries can be harvested mechanically.

So far, the tips for growing blueberries in the garden have been shared here. It is very fun to grow blueberries at home and eat blueberry fruits when they bear fruit.

That’s it for the content about garden blueberry cultivation. Welcome to read other agricultural content on Qinggua.com.

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