Propagating blueberries: cuttings & Co.

Blueberries from a self-propagated bush taste even better. We show how you can successfully propagate your blueberry bush yourself.

blueberries (or blueberries, as they are also often called) can be found in many gardens, no wonder because they not only taste good, but with the right care they also produce a decent harvest away. If you like even more sweet, blue blueberries (Vaccinium) want to harvest from their own garden, you can easily propagate the berry bush yourself. We'll show you how best to multiply.

The most popular methods for blueberries (or blueberries) is to propagate them using sinkers and cuttings. You will soon have made many blueberry bushes out of one blueberry bush and you can enjoy a rich harvest. We introduce you to how you proceed with the propagation and what else you have to consider.

Propagate blueberries / blueberries by lowering

The propagation via subsidence can take place during the growing season. For this purpose, longer, young shoots are pressed down near the ground and covered with soil. The tip of the shoot should protrude from the ground. So that the shoot does not bend back up, you should also anchor it with a hook or simply weigh it down with a stone. When the blueberry's sinker has developed enough roots after a few months, you can separate it from the mother plant and transplant it.

This is how you proceed with the propagation via subsidence:

1.) Bend young shoots down

2.) Cover the middle part with earth

3.) Weight down with a stone or anchor with a hook

4.) After the roots have formed, separate and transplant

Propagate blueberries by cuttings

Propagation by leafy shoots is a very simple and popular method for blueberries. In August, cut vigorous annual shoots into pieces about 10 cm long and remove the lower leaves, leaving only the top two to three leaves. The cuttings are then placed deep in a pot with a loose, acidic substrate and watered abundantly. It is best to place the pots in a bright, warm place. In the first few weeks after plugging, the pots can be covered with cling film to prevent the substrate from drying out. Now you have to be patient, because it can easily take two to three months for the first roots to show up. As soon as the plucking test (pulling gently on the cutting) shows that there are new roots, you can remove the foil. When the cuttings have formed enough roots, they can be transferred to a larger planter, in which they are usually wintered cold (down to -5 ° C). In the spring, the plants then begin to shoot and can be planted outdoors from June.

This is how you proceed with propagation via cuttings:

1.) Cut off annual shoots

2.) Divide into pieces about 10 cm long

3.) Remove the lower leaves

4.) Put the cutting into the acidic substrate

5.) Water abundantly and cover with foil for a few weeks

6.) After sufficient root formation, transfer to larger vessels

Tip: Blueberries have high demands on their soil. A suitable growing medium should have a low pH value of 4 to 5. More information about the Blueberry Earth can also be found here.

Propagate blueberries by sowing

In principle, it would be possible to propagate blueberries via seeds. However, it is of little importance in gardening practice. Cultivated blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) were bred to develop as few nuclei as possible. In the fruits of wild blueberry bushes (Vaccinium myrtillus) one is more likely to find what they are looking for.

If you want to try growing your own seedlings, you should be patient, because blueberries develop very slowly. In order to be able to reproduce true to the variety and to maintain the fruit properties of the cultivar, however, propagation via cuttings or subsidence is usually preferred.

Tip: Not only do we humans taste the blue berries very good, birds also sometimes go after the sweet fruits. Protect your blueberry bushes from uninvited guests early enough with bird protection nets.

Every hobby gardener is happy about a rich blueberry harvest. Here you will find our best Tips for growing blueberries.