• Blueberry

Blueberries

• Blueberries belong to the Azalea family and require similar growing conditions. They thrive in acidic soil with a pH of 4.4 to 5.5.
• Highbush is a good choice for the cool climate here in Bathurst.
• Northern Highbush requires 800-1200 chilling hours for proper dormancy. They are mostly self-fertile, but fruit set should improve when planted near another Highbush variety.
• Southern Highbush are low-chill varieties, requiring 250-600 chill hours below 7 degrees Celsius.

The Bushcroft Kitchen Garden Blueberry Garden

The blueberry garden is 950mm wide and 6250mm long with seven bushes (one of each variety below). The original clay was dug out to a depth of about 400mm and replaced with a mix of compost, cow & sheep manure, and a small amount of the original soil.

After a while, the pH was checked, and sulfur was added. Each year in Autumn, the pH is checked, and agricultural sulfur is added if needed.

Planting

A hole was dug for each bush, and approximately two bags of Azalea potting mix were added. The bushes are planted 900mm apart. A thick layer of pine bark mulch was added since blueberries have a shallow fibrous root system and do not tolerate a lot of competition from other plants. They are watered with tank water. The flowers were removed in the first year after planting, and some were also thinned out in the second year.

Pruning

As the bushes have grown larger now, in winter, old canes are pruned out, removing no more than a third of the canes.

Fertilise

At bloom time (late winter) and after harvest (summer) with Kahoona.

Uses

Blueberries can be eaten fresh, used in jams, desserts, cakes, muffins, and can be frozen.