What should be the soil for planting blueberries?

The article presents valuable material related to the cultivation of garden blueberries in specially prepared soil. Valuable recommendations are given on the selection of favorable soils for growth, planting technique, substrate formation, drainage, and the required soil acidity.

Garden blueberries are appreciated for their taste and healing properties. It has the ability to improve vision thanks to carotenoids, and also to remove toxic substances and radionuclides from the body. It also gives the area a decorative aesthetic appearance. Thanks to this, the cultivation of this crop is gaining great popularity among gardeners. With good care, up to 7 kg of ripe berries can be harvested from one bush in subsequent years. To get good results, you need to create the right conditions. It is important to properly prepare the soil: to form a composition, to achieve a certain acidity. Before planting, the soil must be loosened and moistened.

The most important condition for growing blueberries is the correct soil composition. For optimal results, the substrate should be as close to natural as possible. In nature, the berry grows on the outskirts of swamps and in humid forests, it prefers moderate moisture. Blueberries love peat, forest, sandy-loamy, loamy soils. In the case of heavy clayey, chernozem soils, full or partial replacement of the land with a more suitable one is required. This is due to the fact that such soils prevent the root system from developing freely, become excessively moistened and compacted. The best option would be loose, oxygenated soil, which includes: moor peat, rotted needles, soil from coniferous forests, sawdust of coniferous wood, chips (remnants of deciduous wood: maple, alder, birch), sand.

Blueberries require an acidic substrate (pH should be around 3.5–5). High acidity is important for this crop due to the characteristics of the root system. The necessary vital functions of the plant are provided by special fungi that enter into symbiosis with the roots. For this process, the high acidity of the soil is of paramount importance. This interaction of the root with mycelium is called mycorrhiza. In this case, we are talking about ericoid mycorrhiza - a variety for this berry culture. Fungi exist in the bark of the root system, create conditions for the assimilation of the necessary microelements, while obtaining organic matter.

The first of these is indicator plants. The most simple method is to identify the plants growing in this area. Sorrel and horsetail are indicators of acidity.

The second method is to measure the pH with a special tester. based on litmus paper, which changes color depending on the environment: pink - slightly acidic, red - acidic, blue or green - alkaline.

The third method is to apply vinegar and baking soda. A moistened soil is placed on the glass, it is mixed first with vinegar, and then with soda. Acidic soil does not react to acetic acid, but it foams and sizzles when it interacts with soda. Alkaline soil, on the contrary, foams with vinegar; when exposed to soda, there is no reaction. Neutral soil is inactive in both cases.

• Using organic fertilizers is the safest and longer lasting method. You can use manure, sphagnum moss, compost, rotted sawdust, pine needles.
• Mineral compounds - colloidal sulfur and ferrous sulfate. They allow you to achieve quick results. First of all, it should be applied on clay soils.
• Acidity can be rapidly increased through the use of acids. Lemon, vinegar, oxalic will do. It is important to observe and not exceed the dose so as not to harm the soil, plants, and health. When preparing them, it is important to remember about personal protective equipment: use rubber gloves, glasses, a mask.
• The use of green manure - special plants. This is one of the slowest, but quite effective ways. It is important to grow the plants needed for this purpose. Rapeseed, oats, rape, white mustard will do.

To form the most favorable soil environment and reduce the negative manifestations of the main soil, garden blueberries are planted in prepared recesses in the form of pits, trenches filled with a peat composition with the addition of the necessary components in the required amount (sawdust of coniferous and deciduous species, sand, needles). Unsuitable ordinary soil at the planting site should be replaced with an optimal one, that is, peat.

There are several types of peat: high-moor, low-lying, transitional. The former is best suited for growing blueberries. It can be found on the surface of swamps, wet forests, meadows, and river floodplains. It is formed in areas with high humidity, represented by humus, plant remains, moss. It can be red, chestnut, brown in color. Low-lying peat is formed by the decomposition of plant residues, moss under the influence of upper groundwater. Black in color. Has a high acidity.

The characteristic features of moss are: loose porous structure, acidic environment, low content of minerals, low level of decomposition of plants, good air permeability.

It is better to prepare the soil for blueberries and start planting them in spring or autumn. At the same time, the seedlings have time to calmly adapt and endure frosts. In the spring, the culture should be planted before the first buds appear. In the spring and summer period, it is advisable to avoid insect pests. You can prepare the land and organize the planting of seedlings with your own hands.

The berries should be planted in specially prepared holes or trenches, as mentioned above. They need to be made wide - from 60 cm to 1 m, but not so deep - 30–40 cm, since the root system is small. The size of the planting pits varies depending on the soil type of the garden plot. On light soils, holes should be made 50 cm wide and 80 cm deep. Heavy loamy soils require holes 80 cm wide and 30 cm deep.On a clay substrate, the depth is only about 20 cm. The holes must be dug two weeks before planting the seedlings. Moreover, their walls should be fenced with planks to maintain soil conditions and microflora of the filled substrate.

To strengthen the root system and protect against waterlogging, root decay, it is important to prepare high-quality drainage. At the bottom, a stony composition is laid (crushed stone, expanded clay, broken brick, tree bark). Acceptable drainage thickness is 15 cm.On top of it, a prepared substrate is poured from a mixture of peat and coniferous earth or sawdust (in a ratio of 1: 1), sand (15–20%), other additives: wood chips, ash, mineral fertilizers (a small amount). Feeding with mineral compounds can be done the next year.

Fertilization can be divided into stages. The first feeding should be done during the swelling of the kidneys - potassium sulfate with phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers. The second is carried out during the period of active flowering, swelling of the leaves - it should be fertilized in a complex manner (for example, with a fertika preparation). The third feeding is carried out during the period of reddening of the leaves in order to prepare for wintering and lay the foundation for flower buds - potassium-phosphorus mixtures (superphosphate and potassium sulfate).

In order to establish a balance of acidity and air exchange, mulching is performed from above. For this purpose, coniferous sawdust, needles, and a little ammonium sulfate are suitable. Garden blueberry loves occasional abundant watering, but you should not overmoisten the soil. It is important to monitor the moisture level in it. If the water table is low, blueberries should be planted at a slight elevation above the surface.

A systematic approach to caring for such a delicate crop as garden blueberry will provide a generous harvest of tasty and healthy berries - a storehouse of trace elements and vitamins. In addition, blueberries will decorate your garden area and give it a picturesque and sophisticated look. It is worth listening to experienced gardeners in order not to make mistakes.