How to care for your blueberry plant
We are obsessed with the latest addition to our website!
The Biloxi Southern Highbush Blueberry Plant – Ready to be planted, nurtured and eventually harvested.
We want to help you during your journey from receiving the plant, planting it and nurturing them to ensure a delicious, healthy harvest in the end. We have compiled a list of to do’s, we hope you are as excited about them as we are!
How to Plant Northern Highbush Blueberries in your garden:
For best results, plant your blueberry bushes in early spring. Once your plants arrive, plant them immediately. If you cannot plant immediately, keep new arrivals cool and roots moist.
- Unpack and Soak: Unpack your blueberry bush and soak in water for 3 to 6 hours just before planting.
- Cut Broken Roots.
- Dig Hole(s): The width of the hole should allow you to spread roots. If you are planting multiple blueberries, dig holes 10.16cm -15.24cm apart. If you are creating several rows dig holes 17.78cm -30.48cm apart.
- Spread Roots in Hole
- Shovel Dirt Back in Hole and Add Amend Soil.
- Do Not Tap Soil: Don’t step on the soil or tap it down.
- Water: Give each plant 16.4 ml -3ml of water.
HOW TO NURTURE:
Light: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Soil: Moist, acidic, organic, well-drained soil. Highbush blueberries require a soil pH of 4.0-5.2. If you do not have acidic soil, it can easily be changed by working with a local lawn and garden supply store to help lower your soil’s pH..
How to Water Blueberries
Water blueberry plants during the day. Keep the soil moist but not soggy. Give them at least 16.39 ml per week during growing season and up to 65.55ml per week during fruit ripening.
Keep the soil moist to a depth of 2,54cm. Water evenly on all sides of the plant. Insufficient water when the buds start to grow in late summer and when fruit is developing the following summer can lead to smaller berries. Too much water can lead to large, bland fruit.
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How to Grow Blueberries in a pot:
- Choose your pot
For blueberry plants, that means opting for the largest pot possible, planting one plant per pot. Choose a container that’s at least 45.72 deep and boasts ample drainage holes.
2. Prepare the soil
Blueberry bushes like very acidic soil, you can buy or create an acidic blueberry-friendly potting mix to ensure your plants will thrive. Fill your pots two-thirds of the way full of regular potting mix, adding a potting mix designed for acid-loving plants. If you can’t find a high-acid potting mix, add a fertilizer blend designed for acid-loving plants to a third of the soil
3. Plant the Blueberry plant
Plant your blueberry bushes into their pot, burying them as deep as they were in their nursery pots. If necessary, top with additional soil, leaving the top inch or so of the container empty. Immediately water the pot thoroughly to settle the soil and eliminate any air gaps around the plant’s roots.
4. Water Consistently
Blueberry plants need a lot of water, but they also like sandy, well-draining soil. In other words, they don’t like to be sitting in water, so keep the soil consistently moist, but not soggy. When it rains, don’t assume that you don’t have to water your plants. The leaves of the blueberry plant can act as an umbrella, preventing water from making it to the base of the plant and into the container. Always check the soil with your finger to see whether it’s wet an inch or two below the surface.
5. Maintain the proper light
Blueberry plants need six to eight hours of sunlight per day. You may need to move your containers around during the day to ensure the plants get the required amount of sunshine.
6. Fertilize your plant
Blueberries don’t like too much fertilizer, so a single feeding in the early spring typically works well.
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Growing blueberry plants in your garden can be rewarding. With a little tender, loving blueberry plant care, you can be serving your very own homegrown blueberries in no time.