Make sure you have plenty of blueberries next season

Blueberries are among the tastiest fruits out there and the harvest should be about over around this time. It takes a while for blueberry bush to grow enough and produce a great harvest but even few berries a day will please you. If you managed to eat all blueberries or you made a jam great, but you should know how to prepare bushes for the next blueberry season if you want to have a strong harvest again.

Do not forget watering

We all know that you need to water blueberries while they are producing fruit, but many gardeners stop watering after harvest. You should know that blueberries cannot tolerate long dry periods. So, keep watering, ideally, twice a week. Water slowly to make sure that water gets deep. One plant can easily “handle” 2 litres of water in summer.

Photo: Pixabay

Acidophilic blueberries

Blueberries love acidic soil. Even if you planted in a special substrate intended for blueberries, the soil needs to be acidified from time to time. To do so, you can add more substrate, but you may have a problem with fertilizing. Blueberries need different fertilizers in spring and autumn. Some substrates contain fertilizers that will stimulate growth but will not prepare the bush for winter. Use peat, which is great for blueberries.

Fertilizers

Do not use nitrogen fertilizers which encourage growth. Chose fertilizers that are designed to prepare blueberries for the winter. These fertilizers mainly contain potassium, which helps the plant to mature and create a strong root system.Make sure to maintain soil pH between 4.5 to 5.0 if you want bushes to accept the most of nutrients in autumn fertilizers. Coffee grounds are great and various homemade fertilizers are often used for blueberries.

Pruning

Pruning helps the bush to produce large berries. It also opens the centre of the bush so more sunlight can get in and reduce the risk of diseases. Trim bushes after harvest or bushes that are two to three years old. First, remove dead or crossed branches. The cut should not be too radical. Regular pruning is advisable in winter (February), before the plant wakes up and starts growing again.

Source:

https://justagric.com/how-to-care-for-blueberry-plants-after-harvest/

https://www.ireceptar.cz/zahrada/co-s-kanadskou-boruvkou-po-sklizni-30000829.html

Preview photo: Pixabay