How to Go About Pruning Blueberries
Blueberry plants would require regular pruning once they acquire full growth. It is important for three reasons.
- It helps the plant be more productive
- Makes the plant look attractive
- Keeps the plant healthy
If you have a large garden with several blueberry shrubs, it makes sense to hire a qualified help. In any case a neglected blueberry plant would be more trouble later, so make sure you care for it well.
Some general tips on how to prune blueberry bushes
- Use clean tools while pruning, make sure you don't infect the plants by using a soiled or rusted tool
- Keep the tools sharp, you don't want to end up mashing or crushing stems and branches
- Use the appropriate tool. Use hand clipper for cutting tender canes and branches on the shrubs
When do I prune the blueberry bushes
The when is as important as how. The thumb rule to follow with blueberries is to prune when the bush is dormant.
When the flowering is at a minimum and there are no buds, its is off season. This is the time to prune the bushes.
Another exercise would be to prune the canes of the blueberry shrubs once they have become old. Each cane would vegetate first, then it will grow fruits. Once a cane stops producing fruits it time to shear it off.
When you plant a new blueberry shrub in your garden, make sure you prune off most of the buds. This way energy would used to develop the root and branch system instead of flowering. Once the root and stems system is strong, you will have higher yields
Thin out the old braches after a couple of years. These branches would have lost their fruit producing capacity anyway. Pruning will make way for new shoots. Pruning blueberries is especially important to prevent a tangle, it becomes very difficult to manage a tangled shrub.
Warning:Some blueberry plants would produce fruits on canes which are one year old while the other would produce fruits on canes which are two year old. So be careful about which cane you prune off.
It is a good habit to mark the canes which have generated the fruits by tying a small piece of cloth around it
Blueberry plant care
A few general tips on blueberry plant care through pruning are as below
When planting a blueberry shrub prune away 1/2 of the top growth, leaving just a few upright shoots. Clip off all the buds. This would help is strong root growth.
It is important to ensure that fruits are not in touch with soil water. Blueberries have a tendency to rot under moisture conditions. Pruning would allow you to keep the fruits air conditioned.
Allow for a good gap between the various fruit bunches. Shear off any dead braches or leaves immediately; they have a tendency to infect fruits and the plant as a whole.
Spray water on the leaves of the blueberry plants to remove pests. Spraying also prevents spider mite webs to take hold.
Practice good sanitation by allowing elbow space between shrubs. Pruning can be employed to keep the plants within growing area. Never allow two shrubs to get entangled.
Propagation of blueberries
You can create new blueberry shrubs from the original one. The process requires you to a exercise patience and care. Find below the steps for the propagation of blueberries.
- Cut off a 2-3 inch portion starting from the tip of a healthy stem
- Shear off all the leaves on this bit of stem leaving just a couple on top
- Prepare soil (having less pH) and some compost. Place it in a container
- Plant the shoot in this container. Place around 1 inch of the stem inside the soil
- Water regularly but in small qualities. Never allow any water logging
- Avoid using fertilizers
Within a few weeks the cutting would take roots. When the first leaves start to emerge from the cutting, it is time to transplant it in the soil. Be careful while performing this operation. Make sure you don't damage the tender roots.