Did you know blueberries are great for your memory? They can even help prevent memory loss.
In a 2012 study, it was found that eating fresh blueberries just once a week can slow down cognitive decline. Another study in 2013, using lab mice, showed that berries can protect the brain by clearing out toxic proteins that build up. But wait, there’s more! You can grow your own blueberries. How awesome is that? We’ve got 6 simple steps to help you grow blueberries in your own garden.
- Choose a nice planting spot and prepare your soil
Blueberry bushes enjoy sun and proper drainage. Provide your bushes with well worked and weed-free soil. Give your blueberries enough water, as the plant grows best when exposed to constant moisture. So, you better have enough water on hand.
Improperly or partially drained soil will not give you the results you need. Try raised beds. If you do now own a garden or live in a small apartment, patio containers can be of great help for you.
Give your blueberry bush enough space, preferably two and a half feet in diameter, and a foot deep for every bush. Dig a fitting hole, and take out about half of the soil. Add an equal amount of pre-moistened peat moss. Mix it good.
If you are planting your bushes in raised beds, use equal amounts of peat moss and rind, tripe or planning mix. Avoid cedar and redwood rind.
- Give our blueberry bushes enough space
Separate your bushes by 2-2.5 feet, or provide 6 feet space for one bush. If you are planting the bushes in rows, separate them by 8-10 feet.
- The planting process
Spring and fall are the best planting seasons. However, in some areas in the world, blueberries can be planted in any season.
If you use baby bushes, carefully pull out the bush. Next, rough up the cortical layer of the blueberry root.
Add about half an inch more planting soil than the top topsoil. Harden the soil around the root, and add the rest of your soil. Water your baby plant really good.
- Mulching
When it comes to wreathes, sawdust, rind mulch, grass clippings and acid tripe work best for this purpose. Blueberry bushes have shallow roots, which means wreathes are more than welcomed here.
Add about 2-4 inches of wreathe to preserve the moisture, keep weeds away, and provide organic matter. Repeat the process every year, and remember, you should never use sawdust from cedar and redwood tree.
- Pruning
This will strengthen your bush and give you bigger fruits. Once your bush starts growing, prune it regularly to make sure it is strong enough to bare its fruits.
Clip off any flower that appears. Regular pruning will make your plant strong and healthy.
Tips on proper pruning:
- Remove any growths from the bottom of the blueberry bush
- Clear the dead woods
- Clip off short and discolored branches
- Clear about half of the wood
- Fertilization
Always use organic fertilizers. Blood meal and cottonseed work best. Manures may damage your bushes, so try to avoid these.
