Content
Pruning blueberries is a mandatory procedure for proper care of this garden crop. The event mainly comes down to thinning thickening branches and removing weak and diseased shoots. This is one of the most effective ways to influence the growth and productivity of blueberries.
Should blueberries be pruned in spring or fall?
Blueberry is a sun-loving branched shrub, reaching a height of no more than 1 m in natural conditions. Nowadays, more than 25 varieties of garden blueberries have been selected, among which there are low- and tall-growing (up to 2.2 m) crops that are unpretentious and practically not affected by diseases and pests. The fruiting capacity of the plant increases with age. But high-quality fruits with high taste characteristics are produced only by bushes that have developed strong, healthy shoots from last year.
The necessary characteristics of a plant can only be obtained with special care.An important and obligatory stage is the spring or autumn pruning of blueberries, especially tall ones. During pruning, old, disease-affected branches that thicken the bush are removed. Without performing this procedure, the plant’s productivity drops, it grows wild, overgrown with weak shoots, and the crown becomes clogged with dry shoots, which serve as a source of disease.
Types of pruning
Pruning is a powerful method of influencing the growth processes and productivity of any plant. Therefore, depending on the purpose and desired result, choose the type of pruning of the plant and the timing of the procedure.
Types of pruning blueberry bushes:
- Formative. This type of blueberry pruning is usually carried out in the spring to create or maintain the correct crown shape. Thanks to this procedure, the bush is provided with the necessary illumination and decorativeness, and reduces the risk of disease. In the first years of life, the bush is created with a strong skeleton that can withstand the weight of the crop. Then the size and shape of the crown is adjusted. If the crown of a young bush is larger in volume than the earthen ball, then the roots will not have time to form normally before transplanting into the ground. The plant will not take root well after planting. Therefore, excess shoots are removed, and the development of the root system is activated by reducing the crown.
Advice! It is recommended to start modeling blueberry bushes from an early age, while the seedling is still in the container. The mistake is to start pruning in the 3rd year, especially in the 6th - 7th years. - Sanitary. Sanitary pruning solves the problem of preventing and treating plant diseases and maintaining its health. Broken, dry, infected shoots are removed from blueberries.Important! Cut branches that are affected by diseases or pests must be burned to prevent the spread of infection.
- Rejuvenating. The purpose of anti-aging pruning is to stimulate the growth and fruiting of old specimens more than 10 years old. An indicator that the plant needs this procedure is a decrease in shoot growth, weak flowering, the formation of a large number of ovaries that crumble, as well as low quality fruits.
When industrially growing this crop, up to 10 fruit-bearing shoots and 3-4 annuals are left on the bush for replacement. In garden plots, the crowns of the bushes are denser, with a large number of berries, but small in size.
How to prune blueberries
The principles for pruning blueberries are based on the species characteristics of the plant:
- on an adult shrub there are shoots of different ages;
- fruits are formed on the lateral branches of shoots older than two years of age;
- the yield of 4-5 year old branches is lower than that of young ones;
- Every year the bush renews itself, throwing out replacement shoots;
- on young branches the bark is bright and smooth, without second-order branches, and branches 2-3 years old are woody and with branches;
- on the oldest branches, the lateral fruiting shoots are short, small berries are formed on them;
- on productive branches the fruiting shoots are long and productive;
- berries are usually not set until a height of 30 - 40 cm above the ground.
Recommended timing
Blueberry pruning can be done:
- in the spring - before the start of the active phase of the growing season, until the movement of juices begins (in areas with a warm climate - mid-March, in cold zones - April-early May);
- in the fall - after leaf fall, but no later than a month before frost; In warm regions, blueberries can be pruned in winter.
Preparation of tools and materials
To trim branches of different thickness and strength, use:
- pruning shears - for thin growth, up to 1.5 cm in diameter;
- lopper - for branches from 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter, located deep in the crown;
- garden hacksaw - for powerful old woody shoots.
You also need to prepare disinfectants for pest control and bags or packages for cleaning branches.
How to prune blueberries correctly
In addition to general principles based on types of pruning, the varietal characteristics of blueberries should be taken into account:
- in fast-growing varieties (Bluejay, Patriot), long shoots that bend to the ground are cut off;
- for spreading bushes (Sunrise, Dixie), the base is thoroughly cleaned of small branches and shoots;
- tall plants (Reka, Eliot) are pruned significantly, activating their growth;
- in non-spreading varieties (Collins, Jersey), overly branched shoots are shortened;
- High-yielding varieties (Blugold, Bluecrop) with very dense bushes require thinning of the crown.
Anti-aging pruning of garden blueberries
At the age of 5 - 6 years, the yield of a blueberry bush decreases. Branches of this age begin to resemble a Christmas tree: their tops are overgrown with a large number of small and short side shoots, on which berries weakly develop. They are cut according to certain rules:
- If strong vertical shoots extend from the middle part of the old branch, then it is transferred to one of them, shortened by cutting above the shoot.
- If there are no strong growths, cut off the branch completely at the very base and leave a replacement young shoot to replace it.
- If the gardener’s goal is to get large berries, all shoots that are older than 5 years are cut from the bush. If you want to increase the number of fruits, leave branches for up to 6 - 7 years.
- 5 - 6 annual, most powerful shoots are kept on the bush.
- Anti-aging pruning is required for blueberries that are 15 years old or more.
You can see in detail how to properly prune garden blueberries for rejuvenation from the video:
With proper care and timely anti-aging pruning, growth processes and high fruiting of blueberries can be activated for 30 years or more.
Thinning pruning of blueberry bushes
A healthy well-groomed bush consists of 10 - 15 main branches, and neglected blueberries can have more than 20. Such specimens, as well as mature and fruit-bearing plants of 3 - 4 years of age, are cultivated:
- remove horizontal shoots to the point where the first powerful vertical branch grows;
- cut off second-order shoots that grow down or inside the crown;
- remove branches damaged by frost, pests, and diseases;
- get rid of bushy low shoots and second-order branches on fruit-bearing trunks below knee level.
The diagram illustrates this stage of pruning blueberries.
Sanitary pruning of blueberries
If sick, damaged, frostbitten branches appear on a garden blueberry bush, they are removed without waiting for spring or autumn. Sanitary pruning is carried out throughout the season.
When cutting off the damaged part of the shoot, you should capture at least 2 cm of a healthy area, because a disease or fungus could penetrate into the wood tissue. After pruning, the plant must be treated with a fungicide (for fungi) or an insecticide (for insects). The cut shoots are burned.
Schemes for pruning garden blueberries depending on the season
Spring is a good time to prune blueberries in order to rejuvenate the bush and shape its crown. After winter you need:
- Inspect the bush.
- Remove all dead shoots. You may not even need pruning shears for this. Dry ends of branches break off easily.
- Thin the plant to ensure air circulation and create the light necessary for berry ripening. To do this, you need to cut off those branches in the middle of the bush that have no new shoots or their growth is up to 5 cm. They are cut to the base, stimulating the growth of zero shoots.
- Pay attention to branches without fruit buds. There is no point in saving them.They will not give a good harvest, because each fruit bud produces about a handful of berries.
- Trim off long bare shoots. Fruit buds are formed only at their tips, and such a branch will draw plant juices onto itself, competing with fruiting shoots.
The main features of pruning blueberries in spring are demonstrated in the video:
The purpose of pruning blueberries in the fall is to prepare the plant for winter. Those parts of the shoots that have been damaged over the summer, affected by diseases or insects, or injured by rain or hail, must be trimmed. Otherwise, in winter they will be the first to freeze, which can lead to the death of the entire branch. Thus, for beginning gardeners, pruning blueberries in the fall is easier to do according to the rules of the sanitary procedure.
Blueberries actively bear fruit on the branches of the second year. Therefore, after their function is completed, the branches are removed to stimulate the regrowth of young shoots. This problem is also best solved in the fall.
The nuances of autumn pruning of garden blueberries are discussed in the video:
Blueberry care after pruning
Pruning garden blueberries will give the desired result in the form of a high and high-quality harvest, if the crop is provided with the care necessary for its restoration:
- Large sections with a diameter of more than 2 cm are treated with garden varnish or a special preparation, for example, “RanNet”.
- To prevent diseases in spring and autumn, the bush and the ground around it are sprayed with urea.
- They add growth stimulants, which not only promote the growth of new shoots, but also increase resistance to diseases.
- Monitor the condition of the mulch, making sure that it does not compact and rot. If necessary, it is changed completely or partially.
- All unusable materials, cut infected branches, and rotten mulch are burned to prevent the spread of infections.
Conclusion
Pruning blueberries lays the foundation for high productivity and healthy bushes. It is carried out in autumn or spring during the plant's dormant period. An important requirement: the crop must be pruned regularly, annually, without allowing it to thicken.
