| There is no better tasting blueberry than ones that | | | | to make it more acidic you can do this by mixing in |
| are grown and picked fresh in your backyard garden. | | | | sulfur the season before you plant your blueberries, |
| Blueberries are high in antioxidants, low in calories and | | | | sulfur is a natural mineral. The amount of sulfur to |
| sodium. They contains no cholesterol and are high in | | | | use is going to depend on your soil's existing pH level |
| fiber, folic acid, carotenoids, vitamins C, A and B. A | | | | and the soil's texture. It can range from as little as |
| major component of the fiber is pectin, which is | | | | one pound per hundred square feet to seven pounds |
| known for its ability to lower blood cholesterol levels. | | | | per hundred square feet. If you indicate on your soil |
| Blueberries have a very sweet flavor and can be | | | | test that you want to plant blueberries in the area of |
| eaten fresh or used to make jams, jellies, preserves, | | | | your soil sample most testing laboratories will tell you |
| and even juice. | | | | the amount of sulfur to use or if any other |
| The first step in having a successful blueberry crop is | | | | amendments are needed. When applying surfer you |
| to plant varieties that are best for your climate. | | | | want to mix it into the top six inches of soil across |
| Blueberries produce a large fruit and will produce a | | | | the area of the plants fully matured root zone. |
| bigger crop if they are planted with different varieties | | | | Planting blueberries is a fairly simple job. The spacing |
| to allow for cross pollination. When planting | | | | of the plants is going to be different depending on |
| blueberries with multiple varieties that have different | | | | what variety you choose. Low bush blueberries need |
| maturity dates you will lengthen the harvesting | | | | to be spaced two feet apart, highbush need to be |
| season. | | | | six feet apart and rabbiteyes need to be spaced |
| There are a few different types of blueberries. | | | | fifteen feet apart. Once you have the hole for the |
| Highbush blueberries are the type that are usually | | | | plants dug, you want to mix composted leaves into |
| found in supermarkets. They are named because | | | | the soil. This will help with maintaining the acidity of |
| there large, dark berries grow on a bush that can | | | | the soil below the plant, soil aeration, retain moisture |
| grow from six to eight feet high. The northern | | | | and add nutrients. |
| highbush blueberries grow best in zones 4-7. There | | | | Once you have finished the planting, mulch around |
| popular northern varieties include 'Blueray,' 'Bluecrop,' | | | | the plants with a three to four inch layer of compost, |
| 'Jersey,' and 'Patriot.' Southern highbush types, which | | | | straw or shredded leaves. When applying mulch keep |
| grow best in zones 7-10,they include 'Cape Fear,' | | | | the mulch away from the stem of the plant. The |
| 'Gulfcoast,' 'O'Neal,' and 'Blue Ridge'. | | | | mulch will help to suppress the weeds, retain |
| Lowbush blueberries are a hardy plant that is good | | | | moisture, add nutrients to the soil and keep the |
| for zones 3-6. This makes them a great choice for | | | | ground cooler. |
| gardeners who live where winter temperatures | | | | Blueberries like between one to two inches of water |
| regularly drop below zero. They are a ground-hugging | | | | per week. Once your plants are planted keep |
| low-bush. There stems grow only six to eighteen | | | | checking to make sure that the soil around them |
| inches high and spread by underground runners. The | | | | doesn't dry out. Keeping the newly planted blueberry |
| berries are small and sweet, with a powdery, sky | | | | plants watered is very important until they are fully |
| blue blossom. There are a few varieties of low bush | | | | settled in. Keeping a rain gauge setup in your garden |
| blueberries and plant size will vary from one seedling | | | | is a good way to know what the rain fall amounts |
| to the next. | | | | were in your garden. If there is a time where there is |
| Half-high blueberries were born when growers cross | | | | a lack of rain you can water the plants with a gallon |
| pollinated the high-bush blueberries that grows best in | | | | container or watering can, figure about one gallon of |
| zones 7-10 to the cold-hardiness of low-bush that | | | | water for every square foot of root zone area. |
| does best in zones 3-6. These plants don't grow as | | | | For the first two years it is best to remove any |
| tall as the high-bush and they don't spread by | | | | buds that form on the plant to let it get fully |
| underground runners. Some of the varieties of a | | | | established. There isn't much care that needs to be |
| half-high blueberry are 'Friendship,' 'Polaris,' 'Northland,' | | | | give to blueberry plants for the first two years. The |
| and 'North-blue.' | | | | third year once the plants are fully established and |
| Rabbiteye blueberries grow best in zones 7 to 9. This | | | | start producing berries you should do a soil test to |
| gives southern gardeners another option besides the | | | | maintain the acidic levels of the soil, blueberries don't |
| southern high-bush. They are typically smaller than | | | | like a rich soil. After the third year you can start a |
| high-bush blueberry and they ripen later in the season. | | | | late winter pruning and remove the old wood that is |
| There are newer varieties like 'Bonita' and 'Climax'. | | | | unproductive to make room for new young growth |
| Rabbiteye bushes can grow to ten or more feet tall | | | | to start. Pruning will aid the plant into producing a |
| and the plants are less fussy about the soil they | | | | larger and sweeter berry. |
| grow in than other types of blueberries are. | | | | Once your plants start to produce berries care needs |
| Blueberries like there soil to be well aerated, moist, | | | | to be taken to protect the berries from birds. Birds |
| very high in humus, and very acidic. These soil | | | | will eat every berry that are on the plant. The only |
| conditions are not difficult to create. First you will | | | | way to protect this from happening is by netting or |
| need to do a soil test. The ph level that blueberries | | | | building a wire cage around the plants. |
| like is between 4 and 5.5. If you need to alter the soil | | | | |