Key is to regularly water newly-planted plants, at least bimonthly for two months. It is also important to ensure adequate spacing (1-1.8m) between bushes, depending on whether your variety is a dwarfing half-high, or another more vigorous type of blueberry.
Dig a hole twice the radius of the rootball. Before planting, drench the rootball. Place the pot in the hole, ensuring it sits no lower than an inch below ground.
Fill the hole with a mix of ericaceous compost and garden soil, and add fertiliser and mycorrhizal fungi. Do not compress the soil. Give your plant a good watering. Add mulch on top whether bark and wood chippings, compost, manure, leaf-mould and stones. Make sure mulch doesn't touch the stem.
Blueberry plants are extremely easy to grow. Below we address some common queries:
- Hardiness: blueberry plants originate from North America, which have far colder winters than than UK.
- Position: in the UK, the greatest barrier to successful fruiting is a lack of sunlight, so planting in full sun is recommended, although blueberries will tolerate light shade. Planting your bush in a sheltered spot will help prevent uprooting and allow it to put more resources into fruiting.
- Soil Types: blueberry plants are suited to acidic soils below 5.5pH. pHs above this will reduce the amount of nutrients a plant can absorb. You can increase the acidity of your soil by watering with rainwater and using pine needles and ericaceous compost as mulch. With chalky soils, you are better off planting in pots, filling it with ericaceous compost. It is important to avoid waterlogged soils, which starve a plant of oxygen, which plays a key role in photosynthesis, cause its roots to rot and create the perfect environment for many diseases.