Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) Are an incredibly easy-care fruiting shrub for gardeners in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3b through 10, depending on number. Although they require acidified soil, a process which sometimes requires a lot of first inputsignal, once blueberry plantings are established, they’re tough plants that suffer with few diseases or insect pests. You must prune blueberries as winter approaches to keep them productive, but they require no other major care to help them adapt to the chilly nights to come.
Trim out any branches which are damaged or seem to be bothered by insects after your harvest is complete. Thin canes that emerge close together to avoid cankers caused by branches rubbing. Eliminate all but the two strongest canes in the current year’s growth and any canes which are over eight years old, leaving a maximum of 20 canes on a mature plant.
Check the pH and nutritional content of the blueberry’s dirt in the late autumn. Add sulfur if necessary at a speed of 2 to 4 pounds per 100 square feet of bed area per pH unit reduction required, based on soil type — clay takes more sulfur than sandy soils to decrease the pH. Broadcast the sulfur as evenly as possible across the root zone without getting anywhere on the plant, nor try to work it in the dirt; powdered roots are near the surface and will probably be damaged easily.
Check with the soil test results for fertilizer recommendations, or just side-dress your blueberries with a standard application of ammonium hydrogen peroxide based on the age of the plant. Implement ammonium nitrate at the border of the blueberry’s drip line at a speed of 1 oz per plant for 1- to 2-year-old plants, 1 1/2 oz for 3-year-old plants and 2 ounces for 4-year-old and older plants.
Mulch your fertilized and acidified blueberry plant with enough pine bark or sawdust to bring the mulch layer to 4 to 6 inches in depth immediately after side-dressing. Water the plant thoroughly to encourage the additives to move in the soil.