Fertilizer for blueberries: the best mineral and organic top dressing

In the wild, blueberries grow in wetlands and absorb nutrients from the soil on their own. When growing berries in a garden plot, you will need to use blueberry fertilizers to activate growth, improve taste and yield.

Should blueberries be fertilized?

Tall plants require a large amount of strength and energy, which is almost impossible to obtain without the use of dressings. Without fertilizer, blueberry bushes are able to bear fruit, but the yield will be significantly reduced.

When is the best time to fertilize a crop?

You can fertilize the soil in spring and autumn. Processing plantings in each season has its own advantages. In addition, some complex fertilizers require a phased application that lasts throughout the season.

In autumn, there is often a shortage of phosphorus and potassium elements. In spring, nitrogen-containing substances are required, which contribute to the active growth of green mass. Fertilization in autumn is carried out only after abundant watering.

In addition to basic top dressing, processing of plants is required after each formation. For this purpose, specialized solutions are used, which can be purchased at gardening stores. Treatments on pruned bushes provide protection from pest infestation and disease infestation.

Signs of a micronutrient deficiency

You can notice the lack of nutrients in the soil in appearance. Specifically, blueberries exhibit the following visual cues:

• slow growth, yellowing and drying of foliage;
• deformation of leaves and declination to the ground;
• drying of young undeveloped shoots;
• stopping shoot development;
• general depressed state of plantations.

How and with what to fertilize blueberries?

During different periods of development of blueberry bushes, it is required to feed them with various substances. Conventionally, all types of fertilizers can be divided into mineral and organic. The former contain chemical trace elements, and organics are products of natural origin.

Organic fertilizers

Natural fertilizers benefit blueberry bushes throughout the season, and especially at the time of flowering, which occurs in mid-July - early August. Each of the organic fertilizers has individual characteristics and has a different effect on the growth of blueberries.

A feature characteristic of all organics is the ability to neutralize the acidity of the soil. If acidification has occurred in the soil, then top dressing will make the acidic soil neutral. In the opposite case, when you need to acidify the soil for planting blueberries, organic matter is also beneficial.

Dung

Dung feed is a mixture of bedding from a cattle stall with their droppings. It is correct to use manure for incorporation into the soil only in a rotted state, since when fresh it contains a large amount of live weed seeds, which will begin to actively germinate in the soil. Manure must be diluted with water in a ratio of 10:1.

Compost

Making compost at a summer cottage for subsequent fertilization of blueberries allows you to simultaneously perform 2 tasks: get universal top dressing and get rid of plant waste for the benefit of plants. Saturation of the land with compost improves the fertility rate and physical and chemical properties, which contributes to the creation of favorable conditions for growing berry crops.

Compost is considered a universal top dressing and is suitable for any type of soil. Top dressing under blueberry bushes makes light sandy soils heavier and retains moisture in them, and when grown on heavy clay soils, it improves aeration and permeability.

To fertilize blueberries in spring and summer, compost is spread over the surface of the beds and carefully dug to a depth of 5 cm. Compost can be applied to weeded soil or overgrown with weeds. Using the second option, weeds are chopped with a shovel and mixed with compost.

Chicken manure

Chicken manure contains a large amount of nitrogen, without which blueberries cannot develop and bear fruit normally. The concentration of useful components in chicken droppings is much higher than in livestock manure. In addition to nitrogen, the composition contains phosphorus, potassium, manganese, cob alt, copper, zinc and other elements.

Even a single application of a solution of chicken manure gives a visual effect - bushes with berries look he althier and stronger. Regular use of top dressing increases the yield for several years. This is due to the fact that the nutrients regularly saturate the soil and the roots of the bushes. If manure is used at the stage of seedling germination, it protects the soil from drying out, improves the structure of the earth, and reduces the number of weeds.

Mineral

In addition to organic fertilizing, blueberries can be fertilized with minerals. There are a large number of similar fertilizers that need to be applied according to different instructions. Mineral top dressing not only saturates the soil with useful components, but also prevents common diseases. The greatest effect can be achieved when using complex fertilizers, for example, the substances "Florovit" (Florovit), "Target" or "Thiovit Jet" from Polish and other foreign manufacturers.

Ammonium sulfate

A popular variety of nitrogen fertilizer for blueberries is ammonium sulfate. The substance is especially useful to apply on carbonate soil for acidification. This is necessary because over time the reaction of the soil levels off and it needs to be acidified again.

Sulfate application rate is 10-25 kg/ha. In beds where it is required to oxidize the soil, you can increase the amount of fertilizer. The substance is applied several times during the season, keeping equal proportions.

Colloidal sulfur

The use of colloidal sulfur for blueberries has a complex effect. Specifically:

• saturates the soil with organic components;
• contributes to soil acidification;
• fights fungal diseases;
• inhibits the activity of ticks and other parasites.

The effectiveness of colloidal sulfur is based on the vapor it releases after it penetrates the ground. These vapors do not penetrate the blueberry bushes and stop the spread of diseases. Sulfur performs best when treating plants prone to rust, scab and powdery mildew.

Potassium sulfate

Potassium sulphate is used as a fertilizer when growing blueberries in open or closed ground. It contains more than half of potassium, and there is no chlorine, which improves the favorable effect on the growth of culture.Gardening with potassium sulfate increases the vitamin content of the berries and prevents the development of diseases.

It is also recommended to use potassium sulfate to ensure successful wintering for perennial plantings. By introducing liquid or dry potassium sulfate in the fall, it will be possible to increase protection against severe frosts. Alternatively, potassium monophosphate can be used.

Folk remedies

In addition to organic and mineral fertilizing for the care of blueberries, you can resort to folk remedies. These include:

1. Treatment of land with acidified water. To acidify the soil, you can water the beds with citric acid, adhering to the ratio of 2 teaspoons per 3 liters of water.
2. Acidification with vinegar. Mixing 1 cup of acetic essence with a concentration of 9% with a bucket of water, it is necessary to pour the soil around the shrub. The number of treatments depends on the condition of the plantations.
3. Watering with electrolyte (diluted sulfuric acid). The electrolyte effectively acidifies the soil and activates plant growth.

Fertilizers for planting blueberries on different types of soil

Specific soil requirements must be met even at the blueberry planting stage. The choice of fertilizer for the planting hole depends on the type of soil on the site. When landing, it is recommended to consider the following recommendations:

• for light loam, a mixture of high-moor peat and sand in a ratio of 1: 1 is suitable;
• sandy loam soil is covered with peat and the top layer of soil removed in equal proportions;
• as a filler for peat-marsh soil, river sand and earth are used in proportions of 3: 1;
• calcareous soil is covered with coniferous litter and peat in a ratio of 1:3.

Grow blueberries on heavy clay soil should not be.The roots of a berry crop will not be able to endure high earth pressure and increased moisture without negative consequences. In addition, clay has a detrimental effect on the roots due to insufficient air permeability.

Mistakes in feeding process

Inexperienced gardeners often make mistakes when fertilizing. The most common mistake is improperly prepared soil, which must be acidic for blueberries to grow well. To acidify the soil, appropriate top dressings begin to be applied even at the stage of digging planting holes.

Also a mistake is not enough fertilizer or violation of the schedule for their use. Even with the active development of plants, do not neglect the use of dressings. It is important to combine fertilizers correctly depending on the condition of the plants and the variety grown.

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