Blueberry bushes (Vaccinium spp.) Add ornamental characteristics to the home landscape and supply nutritious fruit with minimum care when planted in a suitable location. Increasing in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 to 10, rabbiteye blueberry bushes (V. ashei), southern highbush (V. virgatum) and hardy half-high (V. augustifolia) are low-chill blueberries, demanding just 100 to 600 hours of temperatures below 45 degrees during November through February to put fruit. These blueberry varieties may be planted bareroot while inactive.

Soil Preparation

For best success, planting sites for bareroot blueberry bushes are prepared a year before planting. Blueberry bushes grow in the wild and the margins of moist but well-drained woodland settings where they benefit from decaying leaves and other organic matter whilst obtaining the sunshine required for fruit set. In the home garden, bareroot blueberry bushes grow best when soil is amended with sphagnum peat moss, oak leaf humus or fine pine bark. When drainage is a issue, prepare 9-inch deep raised beds by blending organic matter using equal parts compost or woody ornamental planting mixture which contains pine bark humus. If drainage is not an issue, dig 12- to 18-inch-deep putting holes. Mix one-half the soil using equal parts organic matter and refill holes using the mix.

Soil Alkalinity

Before planting bareroot blueberry bushes, it is important to adjust the soil pH to a range between 5.0 and 5.5. Since bare roots are plunged into the new soil without an adjustment period afforded from the dirt of container-grown or balled-and-burlapped plants, amendments to correct soil pH have to take place well ahead of planting bushes. Finest practice is preparing the planting bed a year before setup of bushes. After organic matter is mixed into the planting site, have a soil test and include elemental sulfur according to recommendations if soil pH is too high. Test soil acidity once again just before planting your bushes and adjust according to analyze indications.

Planting Season

Bareroot Orange trees could be planted in spring, however, the best planting period for bareroot bushes is November and December at USDA plant hardiness zones 8 to 10, when plants are dormant. Fall planting supplies roots time to adjust to the planting site and grow new roots before buds break dormancy and carry on the requirements of the spring and summer growing seasons. Blueberry bush roots grow when temperatures are above 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Plant Preparation

Bareroot Orange trees could be prepared for planting when the planting site has the appropriate pH level and the soil is evenly moist. The origins of the bush are placed in a container of room-temperature water and allowed to soak for one hour to make sure proper hydration before they move into the ground. Any broken or damaged roots are eliminated. Top growth is pruned by eliminating unwanted branches and heading back laterals up to one-half. Roots are spread out evenly when lowered into the planting hole, with the root crown at soil level. A 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch placed around the planting site up to 2 to 3 inches of the plant comes helps conserve moisture and moderate soil temperatures.

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