Cultivated blueberries come from crosses with the American species "Vaccinium corymbosum". This species is mainly found in the humid north such as around Minnesota or in the warm and also humid south of Florida.
Exposure to sunlight
The native form of the blueberry is mostly found in dense and shady forests. This is exactly what the cultivated blueberry does not appreciate at all. It loves the direct sun and with constant solar radiation it also produces clearly more aromatic fruits.
The location should have the following characteristics:
- Direct sun as possible - a maximum of a few hours of shade
- sheltered from the wind
- no cold drafts
Tip: Blueberries are also suitable as an edible border of sunny terraces and can be used as a border in the ground or as container plants.
floor
Only with regard to the soil conditions are there hardly any differences between cultivated blueberries and wild forms. The most important prerequisite for good yields are humic soils. This can be a challenge, especially with new plantings, which is why you should not be afraid to use suitable substrates from the market. For example, bog soil is ideal for cultivated blueberries if there are no suitable substrates for berry bushes.
The soil at the site should have the following properties
exhibit:- rich in humus
- relaxed
- permeable
- low in lime
- pH value: 4.0 - 4.5
If the soil is too dense, you can loosen the substrate with sand before planting. Make sure that you do not use calcareous sand, but rather quartz sand, for example.
Water supply
Although cultivated blueberries do not like waterlogging, they appreciate a constant supply of water. They are very sensitive to an interruption in the water supply. The amount of water they receive plays a rather subordinate role, the main thing is that the water supply is constant. In crop cultivation, the perennials are therefore regularly supplied with water either with sprinklers or via drip irrigation.
In the home garden, you should also make sure that the soil around the blueberries is constantly moist, but that no waterlogging forms. Cultivated blueberries even tolerate it if they are watered from above. During the flowering period, however, you should
do not water the leaves and flowers, as this can deter pollinating insects. In addition, watering from above should take place in the morning or in the evening so that the leaves are not damaged by the sun.Tip: Ground cover can help prevent the soil around the blueberries from drying out so quickly. Alternatively, you can use a thick layer of sawdust as a mulch material.
Bucket culture
Cultivated blueberries are also suitable for cultivation in the bucket. The location of the bucket should again be sunny later. The capacity for the substrate must be at least 50 liters. The substrate itself should in turn be humus and you can use a bog bed soil.
The bucket is only a special challenge with regard to the water supply. On the one hand, the substrate must not dry out, on the other hand, waterlogging should not form. Therefore, the bottom layer should be a drainage made of sand and coarse gravel. Both sand and gravel should contain little or no lime.
Note: Avoid hard water when watering and use rainwater, for example.
