Planting blueberries in the fall, leaving. How to shelter for the winter.

Blueberry is a northern berry that is so healthy for its vitamins, but also insanely delicious. Growing a berry in horticultural conditions has its own subtleties, which are due to the culture of its origin. The article highlights the planting of blueberries in the fall, reveals the basic principles of planting, care, especially wintering berries, which is directly related to the further growth and stability of the crop.

Planting blueberries in fall: when to plant

Planting blueberries in autumn

Wild blueberries grow in forests of a temperate cold climate, that is, closer to the northern regions of Russia. But in practice, garden blueberries are also grown, which are usually grown in separate bushes or even plantations, provided that there is enough free land. If the gardener calculated everything correctly and followed all the planting rules, accordingly, blueberries will already delight you for 2-3 years of their existence.

The timing of planting seedlings depends on the characteristics of the plant itself, since the trunk can be extended and reach 1.2 meters in height. It is worth noting that the root system looks fibrous and does not have hairs, and thus it is rather difficult to obtain nutrition from the soil because of this, the process of forming the ground part takes a long time.

The secret for the gardener is to plant the blueberries in the fall or spring so that they can take root in the area. This choice is due to the fact that the seedlings are able to adapt and calmly endure frosts. In the spring, you must plant it before the buds appear. Most prefer the autumn planting period, since there is no need to take unnecessary care during the summer-spring period, when the bushes can be damaged by insects that interfere with their adaptation period.

Planting blueberries in the fall: preparation

Planting garden blueberries in autumn: preparation

Before landing, it is necessary to carry out preparatory measures. This means that you need to calculate the period that will be enough for cooking and getting used to the upcoming frost. In the fall, seedlings are planted that were grown from a mature bush during the winter or are used with seedlings that are in flowerpots.

Planting time for blueberries in autumn

Planting time for blueberries in autumn

For a timely planting date, you should choose a warm autumn day closer to the end of September or the beginning of October. The calculation also depends on the climatic region in which the plantation is located, and before the first cold weather below zero, it should be approximately 30 days. This period is considered the most optimal for normal plant adaptation.

Preparing for landing

Blueberries are not too whimsical to the sun, but it is advisable to plant where it will be in moderation and sufficient for growth. For the correct site selection, follow these guidelines:
• there should be no through winds;
• flat territory;
• no groundwater at the root level;
• do not plant next to trees that will obscure the seedlings.

The soil can be acidic, but within 4 Ph. The soil should be light and loose, which will allow the water to be quickly absorbed and promote the active growth of the entire root system.

Soil preparation depends on the quality and properties of the soil. If there is light loam and groundwater at a depth of 2 meters, then dig holes up to 40 cm deep.If the soil is clayey enough, then you should dig a hole about 10 cm, sprinkle with sand or sawdust, and then plant the plant. Thus, the roots of the plant will be at ground level. If there is sand and peat, then the hole becomes deeper and reaches 50 cm, and up to one meter wide. An acidic mixture of peat, sawdust, pine needles and sand is backfilled, and then a seedling is planted and sprinkled with the rest of the soil.

To increase the acidity of a certain area of ​​land, you can add dry sulfur powder or a solution of citric and oxalic acids.

Planting blueberries in the fall: choosing seedlings

Selection of seedlings

Seedlings for planting can be purchased in specialized stores. The most profitable warrant is to purchase 3 bushes, but you should pay attention to the berry variety, given the climate in your region. For example, for Siberia, it is required to choose varieties that can survive rather low temperatures.

Seedlings that are in containers must be watered during planting, thereby preparing them for further planting in the ground. The roots are hidden there, you need to be careful when pulling out a clod of earth. When planting, they must be straightened and directed downward so that they occupy all the space in the previously prepared hole.

We plant in the autumn
During the autumn planting, special attention should be paid to the plant, since on the eve of winter it must have time to pass the adaptation period. It depends on how correctly the landing was made.

If the seedlings are of an average size, then we prepare a hole of 50 by 50 cm. For lands that are prone to acidification, you need to choose a special planting method using a plastic barrel with a volume of 200 liters. We place it at the bottom of the prepared hole, then pour drainage (10-20 cm), and the next layer is the nutrient mixture. The next step is to plant the seedling in the hole, then season it with nutritious soil and tamp it. A distance of 1.5 m - 2 m should be left between the bushes, since the roots do not grow down, but in width.

We advise you to mulch the soil after watering, and for this you need to choose an acid filling: pine needles bark, peat, rotted needles sawdust. This mixture will protect the soil from freezing, moisture loss and weeds.

Proper care in the autumn

If we talk about leaving, then for the autumn planting it is required several times less than in the spring-summer period. But it is worth paying maximum attention to feeding and watering.

Always check the soil moisture during the adaptation period - it should be moderately moist. The frequency of watering depends on the weather outside the window. If it is constantly raining and cloudy, do not water it again, so as not to flood the roots with water.
If the weather is dry, then watering should be daily and about 10 liters of water for each bush.

In the fall, with a lack of minerals, it is customary to add potassium nitrate and potassium sulfate. The granules are poured into the soil and dug up. It is worth abandoning nitrogen-containing mixtures in the fall and waiting until spring, when they are needed.

In the fall, when leaving, the planted bushes should be trimmed: we cut them out completely, if there are weak and damaged branches, and good branches are cut in half.

We cover for the winter

Shelter for the winter

If you decide to grow blueberries, then you should think about how to protect them in the winter. First of all, it must be covered, regardless of the variety.

Preparation for winter begins in the autumn after planting and consists of several stages:
• First, it is necessary to provide abundant watering - in this way, we create the necessary amount of moisture for the winter period, which will nourish our plants.

• Next, you need to add mulch to the soil. Thanks to this, we keep the warmth and moisture of the soil, and the roots from freezing.

• The next step is to acidify the soil, but this should be done in a warm autumn. If the weather still does not work out, then this procedure is postponed to the spring.

• Bushes are pruned every fall. In the spring, the bushes grow more actively, and in the winter they are not susceptible to freezing if the pruning is done correctly.

The material for the shelter must be dense and breathable, otherwise root rot will begin. For this, agrofibre or burlap is best suited.

Each plant should be tied with material, while using nylon threads and secured with additional oppression.

Adult shrubs must be bent to the ground in advance so that they can be lowered and not spoiled during strapping. If the branches lie on the ground without help, then they are covered with material, they are strapped and boards are placed on top for the best fixation.

When the snow has fallen and the temperature is below freezing, you can additionally make snow decks on top of the covered blueberry bushes. This will keep the berries from freezing in winter. Thus, the preparation for winter is over!

When spring comes, the snow must be removed in advance before the thaw period begins. Then all additional floorings are removed when the temperature stabilizes above 0 degrees.

The main mistakes when organizing the wintering of blueberries

So, what are the most common mistakes among amateurs and experienced gardeners now we will analyze in more detail. Many people are of the opinion that when planting blueberries in the fall, there is no need to take care of them, and in this they are greatly mistaken.
A list of common blueberry cultivation misconceptions:
• Too much water. Overflow should not be allowed before the winter period. If the water is not absorbed into the soil, then it will freeze and the bush will die.
• Large amounts of acid. If you overdo it during the autumn acidification period, then the acidity of the earth will increase significantly, thus, the winter period will pass under stress in the blueberry bushes and negatively affect growth.
• Loosening too deep. In the autumn period, loosening within 3 cm is permissible, if you loosen deeper, that is, there is a possibility of damage to the root system.

In conclusion, I would like to note, despite the fact that the care is quite simple, but it is very laborious, since it is a system of agrotechnical methods. How you planted in the fall and prepared for the cold depends on the further life of the plant and its preparation for the spring budding.