Blueberries are one of the few plants that require little care from the gardener. However, even then, minimal care is needed in the fall to prepare for winter and ensure a good harvest of sweet and flavorful berries. The bush needs to be prepared for the coming cold weather by properly pruning it in the fall, fertilizing it with mineral fertilizer, and then covering it for the winter.
Description
Blueberries are small shrubs with deciduous leaves and belong to the Ericaceae family. They are often called blueberries, water bilberries, or blue grapes. The plant prefers the cool and temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere. They are typically found in marshy soils, highlands, or coniferous forests.
Blueberry bushes reach a maximum height of 1 m. Their branches are straight, with brown or dark gray bark, covered with small, stiff leaves set on short petioles. The upper side of the leaves is covered with a waxy coating and is bluish-green, while the underside is lighter. During flowering, the bush is covered with small, drooping, five-toothed flowers of white or pinkish hues. These are then replaced by small, oblong, blue berries covered with a bluish bloom.
In the Russian climate, common blueberries and some early-ripening garden varieties are successfully grown. In southern regions with favorable climates, American highbush blueberries can be grown. They produce large berries weighing 10-20 g. Yields can reach up to 7 kg when grown properly.
General care recommendations
Caring for blueberries in the fall is essential for good bush growth. This is impossible without proper watering. Beginning in July, the bush should be generously watered, as this is when fruit buds for the next growing season begin to form. As autumn approaches, watering is reduced. If the weather is rainy, watering is stopped completely.
Blueberries are fed exclusively with mineral fertilizers, as they do not tolerate organic matter. Fertilizers are applied twice in the summer. In the fall, a single application of potassium and superphosphate is sufficient. Mineral deficiency causes leaves to wilt and dry out.
In the fall, perform sanitary pruning of the shrub. This involves removing broken, dried, or diseased branches. Parts of the plant infested with pests should also be pruned.
In areas with harsh, frosty winters, blueberries must be covered. To do this, the shoots are attached to ropes stretched between supports and covered with spruce branches. If the temperature in the region does not drop below -25 degrees Celsius, covering the blueberries for the winter is not necessary.
Autumn pruning of blueberries
This procedure is essential for a good harvest in the following growing season. Ignoring fall pruning leads to the rapid degeneration of cultivated berries into wild ones. In the spring, numerous new shoots emerge, which drain all the plant's energy for their development. Due to the dense bush, the branches become weak and thin, and the berries' flavor deteriorates. The dense canopy attracts numerous parasites and becomes a breeding ground for diseases.
Weak, diseased, or broken branches should be pruned throughout the year, not just in autumn. Spring is a good time to prune frozen shoots. During the summer months, remove any undergrowth that thickens the bush. In autumn, the golbika is pruned for sanitation purposes.
Formative pruning
Pruning of branches to shape the bush is done after the sap flow has completely stopped. Beginning in mid-October, branches that are crowding the bush are removed, sealing the cut areas with garden pitch. This prevents infection. Pruning is completed by the end of November to prevent frost damage.
In the fall, blueberries planted in the spring are pruned back to remove all branches and any basal growth that has grown over the summer. After pruning, what remains is a sapling of upright stems 30 to 40 cm long, without any lateral branches.
You may be interested in:Pruning of an adult plant is performed as follows:
- horizontal shoots are cut back to a strong vertically directed branch;
- shoots directed into the bush or downwards;
- branch tops damaged by cold or insects;
- branches shorter than 30 cm.
Rejuvenating pruning
Mature bushes are pruned to rejuvenate their young growth. This involves cutting off all old, non-fruit-bearing branches, which drain nutrients for their growth. After this procedure, young branches grow quickly in the spring and produce a good harvest.
Autumn feeding
After removing all unnecessary shoots, treat the cuts with garden pitch or RanNet. This will protect the plant from insects and infections. Afterward, water the blueberries thoroughly and fertilize. In the fall, use mineral fertilizers enriched with phosphorus and potassium. Avoid nitrogen fertilizers to avoid stimulating foliar growth.
Fertilizing blueberries begins when they're two years old. Young plants require less fertilizer than larger, more established plants. In July, apply urea or ammonium sulfate, being careful not to let the minerals get on the leaves. A convenient solution is to dissolve 40 grams of granules in water per bucket of water and water the soil with this solution, leaving a 15 cm (6 in) gap around the bush.
To increase disease resistance and reduce the risk of pest attacks, apply fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus in the fall. This improves the flavor of the berries significantly. For each mature plant, apply 40 g of potassium and superphosphate.
Two weeks before harvest, spray the bush with Kristalon. This fertilizer is a chlorine-free blend of beneficial minerals. It is safe for all types of berries, vegetables, and fruit crops. Dissolve 20 grams of the product in a bucket of water and spray the bush during off-peak hours. It promotes growth, increases pest resistance, and improves crop quality.
Shelter for the winter
Blueberries are a relatively frost-hardy crop. They can survive the winter successfully as long as winter temperatures don't drop below -22°C (-22°F). Otherwise, the bushes are insulated to prepare them for winter. In frosty but snowless weather, blueberry survival is significantly reduced. Therefore, in our country, blueberries are always covered for the winter.
Insulation of shrubs in autumn is carried out in stages:
- Before the onset of severe frost, the shoots are straightened and bent toward the ground. To prevent them from rising, they are secured with special support arches or tied with twine.
- When the first frosts of winter hit, cover the blueberries with agrofibre or regular burlap. Do not use plastic film for this purpose, as there is a high risk of the plant rotting and becoming infected with fungus.
- When snow falls, it is thrown over the covered bush. This additional insulation will protect against the damaging effects of the cold.
- With the arrival of spring, the covering is removed. Then, the blueberries are inspected and the tips of branches damaged by frost are trimmed. Potential frosts pose no danger to blueberries. Their buds and flowers can withstand temperatures down to -8 degrees Celsius.
Winter preparations by region
The Moscow region is considered ideal for growing blueberries in our country. But even there, winters can be quite harsh, so don't neglect shelter. Wrap the bush in burlap and bend it down to the ground, tying it with rope. Pine branches also work well as shelter. In this case, bend the branches down to the ground first, then cover them with more branches.
In Siberia and the Urals, special blueberry varieties bred specifically for these regions are grown. Hybrid varieties of marsh blueberries, such as Canadian Nectar, Divnaya, and Taiga Beauty, are considered good options. Their bushes grow up to 80 cm and are characterized by good cold tolerance. All preparatory work for them is carried out as usual, but they do not require winter shelter. They thrive with the heavy snowfalls typically seen in these regions.
The Volga region's climate is unsuitable for blueberry cultivation. Therefore, this crop is not grown here, and instead, imported berries are used.
Mistakes in autumn care and preparation for winter
Although blueberries are not an unpopular plant, some gardeners care for them improperly. This reduces yield and degrades the taste.
There are traditional mistakes in caring for blueberries:
- Overwatering causes waterlogging of the soil. This deprives the roots of oxygen during the growing season, and increases the risk of root freeze in winter.
- Exceeding the permissible dose of acetic acid threatens the death of the mycorrhiza fungus, which promotes the proper absorption of beneficial elements.
- Growing the bush in a shady place or too densely planted causes diseases and degrades the quality of the berries.
- Failure to fertilize causes a gradual deterioration in the bush's appearance and reduces the quality of the berries. Therefore, fertilization should be performed at least once every 5 years.
- Using organic and chlorine-containing fertilizers for top dressing. These negatively impact yield and can kill the plants.
- Loosening the soil to a great depth damages the shrub's shallow root system. Therefore, loosening the soil to a depth of only 3 cm is permitted.
You may be interested in:
In conclusion
Basic blueberry care involves timely and thorough pruning, adding mineral fertilizers to the soil, and creating an acidic environment. Otherwise, the plant will turn wild, the berries will lose flavor, and their size will decrease.
Valeri Mishnov
All this nonsense about bush garden blueberries. The light blue color of the fruit doesn't mean they're blueberries. The author has never even seen a blueberry. Bush garden blueberries were imported from Canada, and in Scandinavia, breeders have developed many varieties, both self-fertile and self-sterile. Pay attention to this when growing this very useful plant.