Higbush or Canadian blueberry. Protect them before winter

The popularity of these big berries has been rising for quite some time and rightly so. These sweet berries are used in many delicious recipes but they are not only delicious but very healthy too, as they are rich in antioxidants. But that does not apply so much to blueberries bought in a store. To get all the benefits, you need to grow highbush blueberries at home and you may do it in your balcony. Even if you live in an apartment building you can have fresh berries. Great, but do not forget proper wintering. Do you know how to do that?

Winterizing Canadian blueberries

This nice shrub produces healthy berries but it is also a great decorative shrub. You may shape it easily and make it look very nice and enjoy beautiful and cheerful autumn colours of its leaves. If you provide proper care you can get several kilograms of blueberries every year! The most important is soil. Highbush blueberry loves acidic soil with a plenty of humus content. A rich peat is best.

Now back to winterizing. To make sure that the bush can handle freezing temperatures, you need to provide the right protection but relax because this bush can survive -30 °C. The important thing is to protect the root system. Use sawdust or wood shavings from conifers and use it as mulch. Pour the mulch around the bush and create a layer ten to fifteen centimetres thick.

Photo: Pixabay

Wintering blueberries growing in a pot

Bushes grown outside in pots are much more susceptible to frost damage. A great protection is to bury pots deep in soil but if you do not have a garden, wrap an insulating material around the bush and the pot. A bubble wrap or polystyrene work great. You may also cover branches with a non-woven fabric and soil with straw, for example.

Autumn fertilization

Do not forget to fertilize in autumn, because peat alone will not provide sufficient amount of nutrients. Do not use spring and summer fertilizers. Autumn fertilizers are rich in potassium and help bushes to remain strong throughout the winter.

You need to monitor soil moisture. Water blueberries until the soil freezes.

Editor’s tip: Many growers also recommend covering bushes with branches to protect them from weight of snow and to eliminate breaking. A good idea is to create a roof-like structure from bamboo sticks and cover it with a non-woven fabric or a regular fabric. A tent of some sort.

https://www.zahradnictvi-spomysl.cz/navod-na-pestovani-boruvek/

https://www.ireceptar.cz/zahrada/kanadska-boruvka-podzim-30001111.html

Preview photo: Pixabay