Content
Cultivated varieties of blueberries are becoming more and more popular from year to year for cultivation both on industrial plantations and in small amateur garden plots. The most important role in the process of caring for this shrub is given to the application of fertilizers. Knowing what to feed garden blueberries in spring, summer and autumn, and how to do it correctly, you can create optimal conditions for its development and growth. Then the crop will undoubtedly “repay” for this with a healthy appearance and regular abundant harvests.
Do I need to fertilize blueberries?
Garden blueberries are among those berry bushes whose need for additional nutrition with nutrients is especially high. Most often, the natural composition of the soil on the site does not contain in sufficient quantities all the macro- and microelements required by blueberries - therefore they must certainly be added artificially. At the same time, violation of the rules and proportions when introducing fertilizers results in slower growth and weakening of the plant, a drop in yield, and the appearance of pests and diseases.
What microelements do blueberries need?
For full development, abundant fruiting and providing fruit with vitamins, blueberries require soil rich in a set of certain chemicals and microelements.
Nitrogen is vital for blueberries during the period of growth and formation of ovaries. Substances containing nitrogen are added to the soil immediately before planting the bush, and then the plant is fertilized with them 2-3 times during the spring and early summer.
Starting from the period when the buds begin to bloom, blueberries especially need fertilizing containing potassium and phosphorus. Potassium affects the formation of plant protection against pests and resistance to lack of moisture. Phosphorus increases the viability of the bush and helps increase yield.
In the summer, when the berries ripen, when applying fertilizing, it is advisable to focus on potash fertilizers.You can also use complex formulations containing microelements (primarily magnesium, which promotes the process of photosynthesis in the leaves). This will help achieve sweetness and good quality fruit. In addition, for successful growth and development, blueberries cannot do without calcium, manganese, iron, copper, sulfur, zinc, boron, molybdenum, and sodium.
In autumn, blueberries also need sufficient nutrients and microelements such as magnesium and zinc. At this time of year, she has to recover from fruiting and prepare for winter. In addition, at this stage, vegetative buds are being laid for the next season; accordingly, the autumn application of fertilizing to the soil will affect the yield next year. The presence of sufficient potassium in the soil is especially necessary for the plant to successfully withstand winter frosts.
How does a lack or excess of nutrients affect productivity?
In order for garden blueberries to develop successfully and consistently produce high, high-quality yields, it is crucial to maintain the balance of three elements: nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.
Excess nitrogen in the soil at the end of the season can lead to deterioration in the quality of berries, excessive growth of shoots that are likely to freeze in winter, and suppression of the growth of flower buds, which will negatively affect fruiting next year. The size of the fruits will decrease and their ripening will be delayed.At the same time, a lack of nitrogen will significantly slow down the growth of the bush, and the ripening of the berries will also occur slowly.
Excessive levels of potassium and phosphorus in the soil can cause plant rot. A deficiency of these substances will manifest itself in a decrease in yield and deterioration in the quality of fruits; a critical shortage of them can lead to weakening and death of the bush.
Blueberries require magnesium, calcium and sulfur in relatively large quantities. Without these substances, normal fruiting of this crop is also impossible, but they are added to the soil periodically, only as needed.
You should be especially careful with manganese, copper, boron, and sodium. As a rule, the soil contains enough of them to meet the needs of garden blueberries. Their excessive concentration can be toxic to the plant.
In what cases do blueberries need to be fertilized?
You can determine the lack or excess of a certain substance in the soil under blueberries by carefully examining the plant itself:
Cause | How it appears on blueberry leaves |
Nitrogen deficiency | They turn yellow, starting from the edges, then acquire a reddish tint. Shrub growth slows down. Young shoots become pinkish. |
Excess nitrogen | They acquire a rich dark green color. The bushes are very dense and tall. |
Phosphorus deficiency | They become compacted and find themselves tightly pressed to the stem. Over time, they acquire a purple tint, clearly visible in bright light. |
Potassium deficiency | The upper parts of the plates die off, the edges warp |
Lack of calcium | The plates become deformed and a yellow rim appears along the edge. |
Magnesium deficiency | Older leaves have bright red edges, while the central part remains green. |
Boron deficiency | The upper parts of the plates become bluish. Growth stops abruptly. |
Iron deficiency | Young leaves turn yellow between the veins. |
Manganese deficiency | Yellowing between the veins, later the yellow parts dry out and die. |
Zinc deficiency | They stop growing. They acquire a lemon yellow color. |
Lack of sulfur | Yellowish-white spots over the entire surface of the plate. Subsequently they turn completely white. |
Mineral and complex fertilizers for garden blueberries
To provide garden blueberries with additional nutrition at different times of the season, mineral nitrogen or potassium-phosphorus fertilizers will be needed. To feed the plant in the spring (before flowering), complex formulations containing the three above-mentioned substances are ideal. At the same time, it is not necessary to make the mixtures yourself - you can purchase ready-made “cocktails” for garden blueberries, including those whose composition is enriched with the microelements and vitamins necessary for this crop, and may also contain growth stimulants and soil oxidizers.
Among the most famous and beloved by gardeners are ready-made complex fertilizers:
- Fertilizer "Good Power" for blueberries and wild berries - a liquid composition that combines the three main macroelements needed by these plants (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), 7 microelements, as well as vitamins B1 and PP.It also contains a growth stimulator – succinic acid. The consumption of the composition is small: 1 bottle is designed for 100 buckets of water. It is applied by watering and also by spraying shrubs in the spring at the stages of buds, ovaries and berry formation. The use of “Good Power” improves the survival rate of a young bush, stimulates shoot growth, and significantly increases the yield.
- «Bona Forte» (fertilizer for blueberries and wild berries with bioavailable silicon) – granular fertilizer with prolonged action. In addition to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, it contains silicon as a growth stimulator and activator of plant immunity, as well as magnesium and a number of trace elements in chelated form. It heals the root system, promotes the growth of shoots, the formation of ovaries, increasing the yield and sugar content of fruits. It is applied to the soil under blueberries 2-3 times a year - distributed over the surface of the soil and loosened.
- «Target Obfite Plony» (Target Generous Harvests) – complex fertilizer for blueberries in the form of granules. Contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and 6 microelements. Helps accelerate the growth rate of bushes, increase green mass, and form large and sweet berries. It is recommended to apply it in the form of a solution (5 g per 5 liters of water) at the root of the plant, once every 2-3 weeks, from April to July.
- AVA – an innovative, complex, long-acting nutritional supplement, similar in mineral composition to volcanic lava. AVA capsules, granules or powder contain phosphorus and potassium, as well as 11 microelements, some of which are present in microdoses. This fertilizer is optimally suited to meet the vital needs of plants of any type, helping them to develop more actively, endure winters easier, and get sick less.It also has a positive effect on the size, taste and preservation of fruits. AVA fertilizer does not contain nitrogen, but it helps create conditions in the soil for the development of bacteria that extract it from the air. The dose recommended for feeding blueberries at any time of the year is 5 g per 1 bush (apply to the surface layer of soil, then lightly loosen it). In summer, you can water the plants by dissolving 4 g of the composition in 1 liter of water, or spray the foliage with it in a lower concentration (2 g per 1 liter).
- Ogrod 2001 for blueberries – granular fertilizer, specially adapted for plants growing in acidic soils. In addition to nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, it contains 7 microelements necessary for these crops. After adding this composition to the soil, the plants actively develop and bear fruit, and their winter hardiness increases. Apply fertilizer in dry form 3 times during the season. The first feeding is carried out in April, each subsequent one - with an interval of 30 days. Granules (35 g per 1 m2) are scattered onto previously loosened soil in tree trunk circles, then watered generously with water.
Methods for applying fertilizer for garden blueberries
To feed blueberries correctly, you should not only choose the fertilizer wisely, but also apply it at the right time in the most optimal way for the plant, accurately calculating the dosage.
There are several ways to provide the plant with additional nutrition during the season:
- add dry fertilizer in the form of granules or powder directly to the soil;
- water the bushes with a nutrient solution dissolved in water;
- spray leaves and shoots with fertilizer solution.
In the first two cases, root feeding is carried out, since substances and microelements are absorbed from the soil by the roots of the plant. This is the main method of fertilizing blueberries.
General recommendations and rules for root feeding are as follows:
- It is advisable to carry out the procedure in the morning or evening - it is also possible during the day, but in cloudy weather;
- the soil under the plants must first be well moistened: if there has been no rain for some time, then the blueberry bushes must be watered a day or two before adding fertilizer;
- within a radius of 15-20 cm from the tree trunk circle, lay a shallow furrow where fertilizing should be applied - pour in a liquid solution or scatter dry granules over the soil surface;
- apply the fertilizer by loosening the soil;
- Pour plenty of clean water over the blueberries.
Foliar feeding involves the supply of nutrients through the leaves. Their source is a liquid solution sprayed over the surface of the plates. This simple method is most often used in the summer, during the fruiting period of blueberries. It is most effective when it is necessary to replenish the deficiency of useful elements as quickly as possible - for example, if a large amount of them was washed out of the soil as a result of prolonged rains, or signs indicating a lack of something vital became noticeable on the plant.
Features of applying foliar fertilizing:
- the finer the composition is sprayed, the higher its concentration will be on the surface of the leaves;
- when determining the proportion of dilution of the drug for feeding, it is imperative to adhere to the instructions and observe the expiration dates;
- Since blueberries have very dense leaves, often also covered with a waxy coating, it is advisable to add a substance to the solution that promotes the adhesion of its particles to the surface of the plates (liquid soap).
Terms and rules for fertilizing blueberries from spring to autumn
You should know that annual blueberry bushes do not require additional feeding. Artificial addition of nutrients begins in the second year of their life. Mature shrubs (6 years and older) need more fertilizer than young plants.
Fertilizing blueberries in spring, summer and autumn has its own characteristics and rules. They are reflected clearly and systematically in the material.
How to fertilize garden blueberries in spring
In spring, blueberries need to be fertilized to stimulate their growth and development.
Feeding during this period is usually divided into two stages:
- early spring (late March and mid-April) - before sap flow begins and the buds swell;
- plant flowering time (May-June).
How to feed blueberries for growth
At this stage, blueberries require mineral fertilizers with a high content of three key elements of its nutrition - nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
You can use complexes that combine all three of the listed substances (Nitroammofoska, Fertika-Universal).
Ammonium sulfate is considered the optimal simple mineral fertilizer for saturating the soil with nitrogen. Ammonium nitrate and urea (urea) are also suitable for these purposes. The norm of nitrogen fertilizers per year for 1 adult blueberry bush is 50-70 g.Before the buds swell, half the dose recommended for the entire season is introduced into the soil. The fertilizer is dissolved in water and applied at the root, avoiding contact with the leaves.
An adult blueberry bush also requires 30-50 g of phosphorus and 30-40 g of potassium per year. Superphosphate or double phosphate will help to feed the plant first in the required amount. You can satisfy the need for the second with the help of potassium sulfate or potassium salt. In April, 1/3 of the annual norm of both substances is added to the soil under blueberries.
How to feed blueberries during flowering
During this period, blueberries spend a lot of energy on the formation of buds and ovaries. It needs the same minerals as in the previous stage, but in a different ratio.
The second portion of nitrogen fertilizers, 30%, should be fed to blueberries in the first ten days of May. The last 20% should be applied to the soil in early June.
Also, in early June, the plant should receive another 1/3 of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers.
At the budding stage, you can also carry out foliar feeding with nutrients. For it, it is most convenient to prepare a solution based on a ready-made complex composition (“Good Power”), and then spray the bushes generously.
How to feed garden blueberries in summer
Fertilizing blueberries in the summer, at the end of June or at the beginning of July, aims to ensure the filling of berries and abundant ripening of the crop.At this stage, the plant will need potassium and phosphorus - the remaining 1/3 of the fertilizer containing these substances is added to the soil.
Also in June and July, you can feed blueberries with a nutrient mixture from a set of microelements that they lack. However, this should be done only if there really is such a need (this can be determined by the appearance of the plant or using leaf analysis).
How to feed blueberries in the fall
The last time during the season you need to feed blueberries is in August and early September, after the harvest has been harvested. The goal is to strengthen the plant and increase its frost resistance.
If in previous periods all fertilizing was applied in the required quantities, then at this time it will be enough to additionally feed the plant with magnesium sulfate (15 g) and zinc sulfate (2 g).
When feeding blueberries at the end of summer and especially in autumn, nitrogen fertilizers are not used. They stimulate the growth of the plant and its growth of green mass, which is completely unnecessary before the onset of cold weather. The shrub must have time to prepare for winter, otherwise it is in danger of freezing.
What not to feed blueberries
The following should absolutely not be used as a fertilizer for blueberries:
- organic fertilizers;
- products containing chlorine or nitrates.
You should also not feed this crop with compounds based on folk recipes suitable for other berry plants (wood ash, eggshells, lime, dolomite flour, various herbal infusions). The listed fertilizers are not suitable for blueberries, as they cause severe alkalization of the soil.
The same applies to yeast-based nutrition mentioned in some sources.The benefit of it is very doubtful, since yeast in large quantities absorbs the oxygen necessary for the plant, and also competes with other beneficial soil flora.
Conclusion
In order to properly feed garden blueberries in spring, summer and autumn, you should know what substances the plant needs during these periods, when, how and in what quantity they should be added. Depending on the situation, additional nutrition should be added under the roots or through the leaves, by properly preparing the mixture or calculating the proportion of the “cocktail” of minerals and trace elements. You should always remember that violation of the recommendations prescribed in the instructions for fertilizers, incorrect dosages or errors when choosing fertilizers can significantly harm the plant. At the same time, compliance with all the rules of agricultural technology when fertilizing blueberries, along with measures for proper care of them, will certainly be the key to good yields and sweet, large berries.
