|
Blueberries have become very popular in the past few years when the multiple benefits of eating the fruit became common knowledge. With that popularity came the desire to know how to plant blueberries in gardens across the nation. The size and ease of growing blueberry bushes has made that desire possible for small gardening areas as well as commercial orchards worldwide.
Eating large quantities of blueberries has been proven to be a factor in lowering cholesterol and lessening the chance of developing many types of cancer. Mental activity, learning capacity, cardioprotective action and protection against vision loss have all been scientifically proven to be bi-products of consuming this natural antioxidant. Oprah Winfrey and other mainstream talk show hosts have furthered the popularity of the heretofore somewhat obscure fruit by promoting the antioxidant qualities of the sweet blue fruit. Health professionals tout the benefits of using this berry as a nutritious snack over 60 other fruits.
Home gardeners have been delighted to find that learning how to plant blueberries is easy and maintenance is equally simple. The first step is to find out from local authorities which blueberry varieties are recommended for your area. Test your soil to confirm that the pH is between five and six in the sunny spot you want to put your blueberry bushes in. Planting at least four bushes approximately four feet apart will assure a good crop of berries. Plant in the ground one inch deeper than they were in the nursery pot during the fall or early spring, water them thoroughly and frequently during the first year to establish a good root system. Fertilize about 30 days before the growing season begins in your area and mulch the base of the bush in early summer and your maintenance is done for the year. When berries begin to develop throwing a fruit net over the bushes is recommended as birds delight in eating the juice blue buttons. Lightly prune the bush in the winter after its third year to encourage new growth on the woody stalks. That is about all there is to know about how to plant blueberries.
The blueberry bush is native to North America and comes in many sizes, colors and tastes. The low bush blueberries have intensely blue berries that have a somewhat tarter taste then the taller, plumper northern highbush blueberry strains. Breeding programs began in the early 20th century and today many hybrid cultivars are available for the home gardener to choose from. Establishing how to plant blueberries in the many different zones and improving the wild strains has enabled people from all over the world to incorporate blueberry bushes into their gardens and enjoy the benefits of the fruit.
Learning how to plant blueberries is almost as simple as maintaining the bushes once they are established. Millions of people now know the benefits of eating the round blue fruit and are adding the bush to their garden landscapes so they can enjoy the fruit without a trip to the store or fruit stand.
|
Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about Plant Propagation and gardening articles at GreenThumbArticles.com!
Didn't really find what you were looking for?
|
|
|
| |
|
|
![[Valid RSS feed]](images/rss.gif "Subscribe to our XML Feed for RSS")
(Read 500+ times)
