Blueberries/Blueberries: 10 tips for planting

Blueberries are not only delicious, but also easy to grow. We give you ten tips for growing blueberries in your own garden.

Besinge, blueberry or cranberry – the blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is known and loved by many names. No wonder, after all, the blue berries are not only incredibly tasty, but also very healthy. For example, the berries are said to have an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect. But of course their sweet taste is also responsible for the fact that the blueberry is now one of the most popular berries in Germany. But even if you don't feel like spending hours searching in the forest for the small berries or for cultivated blueberries from the If you want to go to the supermarket, you don't have to do without the delicious berries - because blueberries are easy to grow in the garden too plant. We'll tell you how you too will soon be able to snack on blueberries from your own cultivation.

The small, blue berries are very popular. Because they not only convince with their sweet taste, but are also very healthy. We have ten tips for you that will definitely help you to grow blueberries or blueberries.

1. The right blueberry/blueberry variety

Anyone who picked blueberries in the forest as a child quickly realizes that there is a difference between wild and cultivated blueberries. In fact, the cultivated blueberries do not come from our native wild blueberries, but from the American blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) away. The plants offered in specialist shops are often cultivated blueberries. These have the advantage that they grow faster and produce larger yields. The wild blueberry, on the other hand, is easier to care for, but often only has a few berries. In order to be able to harvest a significant amount of berries later, it is therefore advisable to choose cultivated blueberry varieties. But here, too, there is a huge selection of plants with over 100 different cultivars, which differ, for example, in the time of harvest and in terms of their robustness. The 'Vaccinium Bluecrop' variety is considered to be particularly robust and resistant, but the 'Pilot', 'Elizabeth' and 'Duke' varieties have also proven themselves in hobby gardens.

2. Special soil for blueberries/blueberries

Most fruits and vegetables love a neutral soil, which is found in most gardens. The blueberry, on the other hand, needs a very special soil - as a moor and forest plant, it is adapted to acidic soil and only feels comfortable here. Perfect conditions for blueberries are pH values ​​between 4.0 and 5.0. But these are not achieved in most gardens, which is why you have to do some tricks when growing blueberries. Instead of putting the plant in normal garden soil, a slightly larger hole should be dug. In this can then special blueberry earth or rhododendron soil filled and the plant buried in it - so the blueberry feels comfortable in your garden even without forest soil.

3. Location and Neighbors for Blueberries/Blueberries

When choosing a location for blueberries, you should not only look at the right soil: the right neighborhood is also crucial for the plant. There should be a distance of at least 70 cm between the individual blueberry plants - otherwise the sensitive roots of the plants will quickly get in each other's way. Although blueberries are self-fertile, it is best to grow different varieties at the same time. On the one hand, you can extend the harvest time by using varieties that ripen at different speeds. On the other hand, the yield of the individual plants is higher due to cross-pollination. However, blueberries also get along with other plants: the cranberry, which is related to the blueberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) and the large-fruited cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), also as cranberry known, are well suited, for example, as a neighboring plant for the blueberry. But also that rhododendron (rhododendron), the currant (Ribes) and the gooseberry (Ribes uva crispa) are not only a visually appealing addition to the blueberry. With all planting partners, however, a sufficient distance between the individual plants must be maintained.

4. Proper planting of bilberries/blueberries

Once the right conditions have been created for the blueberry, it can finally be planted. As the ideal season for Planting blueberries or blueberries apply to autumn and spring. However, autumn is preferred by most gardeners as it gives the plant more time to adapt to the new ones to get used to the location and the risk of the plant turning during fruiting in summer decreases takes over. Dig a hole about 60 cm deep and one meter wide and attach a sheet to the sides to prevent calcareous discharge from reaching the plant. Insert the blueberry and fill in the hole with your special soil. After that, the plant should be watered properly so that it can grow well.

5. Mulching blueberries/blueberries

Mulching is the insider tip if you want to have a good blueberry harvest. A layer of bark mulch, leaves or tree needles simulates the raw humus layer that would occur in the natural habitat of the blueberry. This has three advantages: Firstly, the mulch layer helps to keep the soil acidic in the long term, which is very beneficial for the lime-sensitive plant. Furthermore, the mulch layer acts like natural fertilization and gradually releases nutrients so that the blueberries remain supplied in the long term. Finally, the mulch layer also acts as a protection against evaporation. The blueberry has a high water consumption, especially in summer, and loses its fruit quickly when it is dry - a good layer of mulch can work wonders here.

6. Proper watering of bilberries/blueberries

The water consumption of the blueberry is enormous, especially in summer, which is why it is particularly important to water the plant regularly. However, the right amount requires a sure instinct: the soil should always be moist, but there should be no waterlogging. If the soil around the blueberry dries out, it will produce only small fruits or no fruits at all. Repeated waterlogging, on the other hand, leads to root rot and the plant begins to become ailing. Furthermore, not all water can be used to irrigate the blueberry: Since the plant is very sensitive to lime, tap or well water is often not suitable. On the other hand, rainwater that is collected in a container is more suitable.

7. Use organic fertilizers for blueberries/blueberries

The mulch layer provides the blueberry with nutrients in the long term, but further application of fertilizer does not harm the plant. Organic fertilizers are particularly suitable here. Compost is suitable for the Fertilization of the blueberry not, because it often contains too much lime. Most commercially available mineral fertilizers are also unsuitable for blueberries because of their lime content - it's best to use them a primarily organic universal fertilizer, as this slowly releases the nutrients and thus the risk of over-fertilization minimized. Our Plantura organic universal fertilizer with a long-term effect is ideal for blueberries or blueberries, for example.

8. Cutting blueberries/blueberries

The blueberry does not need pruning in the classic sense - even without regular pruning, the plant can produce good yields for a long time. However, if the yields drop, this can change Cutting the blueberry still worthwhile. Old or diseased branches in particular should be carefully removed, and sprawling shoots can also be shortened. However, it is important that only individual branches are removed - the plant cannot withstand a radical pruning. The perfect time to prune is fall or winter, when the plant has already lost its leaves. However, it should never freeze when cutting: In the worst case, the plant could otherwise die after the cut.

9. Pests and diseases of blueberries/blueberries

Fortunately, when it comes to pests and diseases, the blueberry is a very hardy plant that rarely lacks anything. The plant only reacts particularly sensitively to lime, because this prevents it from absorbing nutrients. Leaf chlorosis, i.e. the yellow discoloration of the leaves, is a clear indication that the lime content in the soil is too high. Another enemy of the blueberry are the birds: the feathered animals also love the taste of the sweet berry and like to steal the delicious fruit from the tree. So that the blueberries are not completely harvested by thieving birds, you should put a net over them put the plants - so the animals stay away and you can pick the blueberries yourself in peace to harvest.

10. Harvesting and storing bilberries/blueberries

Of course, you would love to taste the sweet fruits when they are just that ripe. But the wait is worth it, especially with blueberries: only when the red tinge around the base of the stalk has disappeared does the full flavor unfold. The delicate berries are best harvested by hand. The so-called blueberry comb can also be used to help with the harvest - but it takes a bit of practice necessary to harvest quickly and efficiently without picking numerous unripe berries as well will. After harvesting, the blueberries can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, but they lose their flavor quite quickly. It is best to enjoy the berries fresh or process them into delicious jam as quickly as possible. But blueberries are also excellent cook, freeze or dry.

Tip: The berries taste particularly good with quark, ice cream or pancakes.

Want more berries to choose from in your garden? Then give it a try currants! The tasty red fruits are a great addition to any garden.