In nature, blueberries grow primarily in the sparse undergrowth of moorland forests. So that these can also thrive in your own garden, special preparation of the soil is usually required.

Acidic soil for delicious fruit

Blueberries are lime-resistant plants and therefore thrive best in soil with a relatively acidic pH between 4.0 and 5.0. In addition, the soil should be fairly loose, as garden blueberries are also very sensitive to waterlogging. So you can decide whether you want to grow blueberries in a pot or replace the soil in the planting hole at the desired location with acidic peat.

Fill the planting hole with acidic soil

The cultivated blueberries for the garden also tend to have shallow roots, like their wild relatives in the local forests. Therefore, it is important to replace the earth at the planned site more wide than deep. To prevent limescale from adjoining beds, a plant tub or a large pot with drainage holes for water can be embedded in the ground. Since peat extraction is ecologically controversial, you can also use the following materials to "acidify" loose and humus-rich soil:

  • bark humus
  • sawdust
  • leaf and bark compost
  • Fir and spruce needle litter

You can also add a certain amount of compost and pine litter to the soil around the shrubs every year for the care of the blueberry bushes. Since these roots are very shallow, they can absorb the substances released during decomposition with the rainwater and irrigation water.

Buy suitable finished soil in stores

If you want to buy ready-made potting soil for planting blueberries, you should use mixtures for rhododendrons and azaleas. These plants make similar demands on the soil as blueberries. However, these substrate types are also usually made with mined peat.

tips and tricks

If you plant a row of blueberry plants in a slightly raised wall of acidic soil substrate, the irrigation water will flow away from the root ball rather than towards it. In this way you avoid a lateral entry of lime from other garden areas in the garden.

Category:

Vegetable garden