Growing Blueberries in Your Backyard!

Blueberries are a treat for any berry lover and can easily be grown in your backyard garden! The dense bushes produce small, blue berries that are rich in antioxidants and many vitamins! Blueberries are not a native plant to many regions of the United States, so you will have to adapt your soil for these special berry bushes. Blueberries require very well drained, acidic soils. Few gardens have these conditions naturally, so you will need to tailor the conditions a bit.

The first thing you will need to do for a blueberry garden is to modify your soil. Test the soil with an over the counter soil testing kit for the pH level. Blueberries like an acidic level of 4.5. They will grow in soil with a pH level of 4.0-5.5, but 4.5 is the ideal. To bring the pH level down to that level you may need to apply sulfur. You can purchase elemental sulfur, aluminum sulfate, or ferrous sulfate. An employee at a garden center should be able to help you with this purchase, and show you the application table.

After you have the pH level adjusted, you will want to be sure that they soil is very loamy and has ample drainage. This can be done by adding peat moss, sand or compost to the soil. Sphagnum peat moss will help to keep the pH level down and aid in drainage.

To start a blueberry patch, you will want to purchase 2-3 plants from a local garden center, or catalog nursery center. Be sure to inspect the plants for any diseases or insects. Make sure the plants are not potted in cramped pots and that the roots system is healthy. The stems and leaves should also be well formed and bush like. You will not want to purchase any blueberry plant that looks long and lanky. Long and lanky stems are a sign that the plant is stressed from it's potting conditions.

Once you have purchased the blueberry plants, it is time to place them in the garden. Select the site which you have amended and follow the planting directions that accompanied the plant. When planting you will want to mix about half peat moss with half soil to continue the drainage. Blueberry roots are only about 8 inches deep, and they like to be kept cool. To prevent the heat from burning or drying out the roots, place a 3 inch deep layer of mulch around the blueberry bed. This will also help the soil to retain moisture.

One of the biggest obstacle to overcome when growing blueberries is the birds. Birds love the sweet berries and will consume an entire bush of berries! You can easily deter the birds by placing netting over your blueberry bushes. Insects are generally not a problem since blueberry bushes are not very plentiful. Blueberries are susceptible to phytophthora or root rot. To prevent this be sure to have very well drained soil and prevent puddling around the bushes.

Once a blueberry bush is established, they require very little work. You will need to continue monitoring the pH level of the soil, and apply an fertilizer that is formulated for acid loving plants. Pruning is not that important, after about 6-7 years you may want to cut out the old canes to allow for the new growth to come up and free up the bush a bit. Average blueberry bushes grow up to about 3-4 feet in height and should be spaced 4-5 feet apart.

Harvesting blueberries is an exciting time and the berries are so delicious straight from the bush! Serve over waffles, or in fruit salads for a healthy addition to your day! Blueberries also freeze well, so keep your freezer stocked with the produce from your own backyard!