There’s nothing finer than strolling through your garden and enjoying fresh-picked crisp and sweet blueberries. I feel blessed to live in California, where I can grow and enjoy Southern highbush blueberries year-round, including during our mild winters. But you don’t need to live in the Golden State to enjoy this wonder fruit. Other types of blueberries, such as highbush (Vaccinium corymbosum) grow in Michigan, North and South Carolina, Oregon, Virginia and Washington, while lowbush blueberries (V. angustifolium) are native to Maine and Alaska – just to name a few.
Blueberries are acid-loving. This presents challenges in my garden, with its alkaline soil and alkaline water. I always like to test my soil and water before I plant so I know what I need to amend. Adding copious amounts of well-rotted compost, earthworm castings, peat moss and oak leaf mold, along with sulfur, brings my soil closer to that ideal acid level blueberries need, as well as increases the water-holding capacity and beneficial microbial populations.
Because blueberries have fine, fibrous roots growing in the top 18 inches of soil, concentrate your amendments in the top 2 feet. (I place 4-6 inches of organic material on top of my soil and incorporate it into those 2 feet as well.)
Good drainage is also critical for growing healthy blueberries. Due to the heavy soil in my garden, I’ve built raised beds to allow for better drainage during wet periods. New plants should be mulched regularly and kept well-watered. My blueberries don’t like to dry out. An evenly moist soil keeps them happy and healthy throughout their lives. (And although full sun is necessary for maximum fruit production, my blueberries also appreciate protection from the wind.)
|