If you like gardening you should know that the blueberry is a fruit that you can grow very easily at home, either in an orchard or in pots; it reaches a maximum height of 6 meters and if you take good care of it you can have it for many years. The best thing about this small berry is that it brings unparalleled benefits to the body, because it is antioxidant, i.e. it prevents diseases; contains calcium to strengthen the bone/muscular system, iron that prevents anemia, a high in vitamin C, which keeps away infections or viruses, and even helps to control blood pressure thanks to its flavonoids.
If you dare to plant blueberries at home we will give you a key: The perfect time to do it is in spring, so that the temperature is neither so cold that it puts at risk the small roots, nor so hot that it promotes the appearance of fungi or slows growth. Read on to learn about the best cultivation process.
How to plant blueberries in pots step by step
The most important thing is to hydrate the seeds. This is done by placing them in a glass of water for 1 day. Get rid of those that float because it means they may not germinate.
- Place these seeds on a cloth or napkin inside a container; it should be at a warm temperature and every day you should moisten them a little. It will begin to germinate in 7 to 10 days.
- After this time, prepare the potting soil. At the bottom is a layer of clay and then black soil with leaves. It is not necessary to fill the entire container, just make sure that the soil is loose.
- Open a few small holes, not too deep, place the seeds and cover them with soil, but not crushed, so that the leaves can easily come to the surface. It is necessary that it is quite humid when it is sown and that you do not place many seeds together. If what you have is a seedling, you should not exert pressure on the soil either.
- Water the blueberry two or three times a week, but make sure the pot has good drainage. Expose the plant to the sun daily, if it is in semi-shade better. In the third year, the first fruits will appear.
- If you want to transplant to the ground do it when the blueberry is a little grown. For the process to generate the least impact, place the roots in water for 10 minutes before planting and moisten the soil where you are going to place it. Keep in mind that you must leave a perimeter of at least 1m2 between each plant.
- Some people plant two plants of different crops together to ensure pollination, although most blueberries are self-pollinating. In that sense, if your orchard is spacious, the recommendation is to plant in groups instead of rows. Remember that the more acidic the soil, the better; for this purpose add compost, oak or pine leaves, pine bark.
What you need to plant blueberries
- A handful of seeds. Just remove them from the fresh pulp and wash them well with water.
- When growing them you will need a seedbed or small container with holes in the base. Later, as the blueberry grows, you will use a pot of approximately 20 liters. At three or four years, when it is a mature plant, you will use a pot of 60 to 75 liters.
- If instead of seeds you have a seedling, you should get a medium pot.
- 1 bag of black and leaf soil. You can add bark compost, pine and oak leaves to make it more acidic, which favors growth.
- 1 bag of clay.
Tips for caring for your blueberry bush
- Although it sounds repetitive, make sure that the pot has a proper drainage system, because although it requires water to grow, the blueberry will not develop properly in soil that is always wet. Therefore, it is not advisable to water daily.
- When planting blueberries, place pine and oak leaves on top of the soil to avoid weeds and add the acidity it needs.
- Once a year it is advisable to fertilize with earthworm humus.
- If you have more than 4 years with a plant, cut back older branches to promote the growth of new ones that will bear better fruit.
- Keep it away from windy places because its structure is quite delicate, this could hinder flowering, pollination and even the berries could fall off.
- If you grow in the middle of winter, place hay at the bottom of the pot to insulate from the cold. Although they are cold tolerant shrubs, the very small roots could collapse.