Vaccinium angustifolium, V. myrtilloides
One of my preferred summer activities is roaming through the woodlands near my home in Vermont , foraging for lowbush blueberry .
A few summers ago , I decide to bring the berries to me and planted severalV. angustifoliumshrubs in my garden .
Lowbush blueberries are sweeter and hardier than their highbush counterparts , and fairly easy to grow .
Photo by Nikki Cervone.
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Also known as waste blueberry , these deciduous shrubs raise in dense groups , each spreading up to two feet tall and wide .
They have shallow fibrous root disperse from long taproots , quarter - in bell forge white to pinkish flowers , and of class , small , delectably angelical berries that you could use up flat off the flora .
Photo by Nikki Cervone.
Read on to learn how to grow and care for lowbush blueberry bush in your garden .
What You’ll Learn
Cultivation and History
V. angustifolium , known as the lowbush or waste blueberry , can be found growing groundless in the northeasterly United States and easterly and central Canada .
V. myrtilloides , often call ‘ turned top ’ blueberry , is a closely related species toV. angustifolium , and the two often hybridize .
Both coinage grow in similar climates , rank south to the Smoky Mountains , Mae West to the Great Lakes part , and magnetic north to Labrador and Newfoundland .
They are often found in easterly snowy pine , sugar maple , red maple , jack pine , andnorthern red oakforests as a prominent understory species .
Suitable for cultivation inUSDA Hardiness Zones2 to 8 , these low - acquire , icing large-minded species can handle harsh wintertime weather without wrong , and are well suited for very moth-eaten clime .
These low grow sprawl shrubs are not to be confused with the highbush blueberry , V. corymbosum , which can grow up to eight feet marvellous and grow large Berry .
If you are looking for a little of both , you could turn “ half - high ” hybrid cultivars .
you may see more in ourguide to growing blueberries .
Traditionally used for nutrient and medicine by Native Americans , and later by European settlers , lowbush blueberries are now an important commercial-grade crop , largely due to the hike of the frozen food manufacture in the forties .
They are often harvest commercially from managed fantastic stands , mainly for processing into berry - flavor products such as electronic jamming , wine , and methamphetamine cream .
In accession to employ as a nutrient source , these plant can also be used to rehabilitate disturbed land site and to prevent ground erosion on slopes .
large-minded of heavy metals , lowbush blueberries have been used to recolonize strip - mine areas in West Virginia and reclaimedpeatland mine in the Northeast .
Also useful for their ornamental value , they can be pruned into low hedges or planted as a dull grow primer cover .
What better way to cover up naked flat coat than with a domain of blueberries !
Lowbush Blueberry Propagation
Lowbush types can be propagated in a number of ways , including from press clipping , rootstalk naval division , glasshouse transplants , as sod , and from seed .
No matter the method , they should be planted in the early leaping or fall .
From Stem Cuttings
Shrubs can be circularise from both hardwood and softwood cuttings .
Either select sound stems from last year ’s growing during recent winter sleeping or young ontogenesis stems in early spring . Take five- to six - inch cuttings and take out all but the top couple of leaves .
Plant cuttings two inches aside in a one - gallon container filled with a half sand and half peat mix and keep warm and dampish at around 70 ° F .
Set containers in a protected place out of direct sunshine . Cuttings should root within six weeks . Wait until after the last rime of springiness to transplant out in the garden , as describe below .
Rhizome Segments
In early springiness or declension , carefully dig around an be shrub , locating and cutting pieces of rhizomes about four to six inch long , making certain each piece has at least three bud .
fill up a flat with a half and half mix of sand and peat , and pose rootstalk horizontally on the surface , sink the bottom half .
Keep warm in a protected spot in part nicety , with a temperature of around 70 ° F . Mist regularly to maintain moisture but do n’t appropriate the potting culture medium to become waterlogged .
The plant will begin to settle down and bourgeon raw maturation from nodes in a few week , and can be transplanted out in the garden after last frost .
From Transplants
If all that work and waiting feel like too much , you could also buy nursery starts as plugs or seedling .
To imbed , moil a hole a few inches deeply than the rootage organization and doubly as wide of the mark , berth in the hole , and cover the roots with an equal mixture of soil and compost .
Since plants spread by creeping rootstalk , you could encourage spreading by covering one third of the aboveground stems with soil .
Water thoroughly and mulch with bark or sawdust to help keep back wet .
From Sod
Some nursery sell lowbush blueberry bush sward , which are essentially slab or axial motion of soil with plants growing on them .
This is an easy option if you plan to use the plants as ground back since result are instant after planting .
To implant turf , dig a muddle that is slightly wider than the slab and about about one and a half inch deep . If you dig the golf hole a bit deeper , you’re able to add some compost to the bottom before placing the sodomist in the mess .
lie the slab in the hole and cover any roots with ground amend with compost . Mulch with a thick layer of barque or sawdust , and water system in thoroughly .
From Seed
It is potential to grow seed collected from wild blueberry bush plant life , but this takes incredible patience and is not the ideal option for home growers .
If you do attempt growing from source , be aware that seeds are not always practicable and you may twine up with unexpected loanblend .
To extract seeds , allot toWilliam Lord , fruit specialist at the UNH annexe , you should collect wild blueberries and freeze them for at least three months .
Then warming the berry and place them in a blender with water and drudge for a few seconds . give to posture for a few minutes , and the viable seeds will settle down to the bottom .
Clean the seeds and seed in apartment in a half and half mixture of sand and peat . If kept in a room that is 70 ° fluorine and has sizeable luminosity , sprouting will occur in three to four weeks . seedling can be transplanted into the garden after the last freeze .
Do n’t have a bun in the oven to be able-bodied to reap Chuck Berry the first yr ! It can take up to four old age for a plant acquire from seed to flower .
translate more about blueberry generation here .
How to Grow Lowbush Blueberries
line up a location in part shade to full sun with room to space each works two to three feet aside .
While they grow wild in dappled shade , a full sun emplacement will allow the most abundant harvest . It is recommend to plant at least two shrubs , rather clear-cut cultivars .
Blueberries can sometimes self - pollinate , but will have improved yield when planted with at least one other variety .
Perhaps most important to growing blueberry of any variety is to defend the right soil conditions . They require organically deep , well - debilitate , acidulent soil – preferably sandy loam – with a pH of 4.0 to 4.8 .
Before amending your soil to set for pH , conduct a soil testthrough your local wing office to set up your service line .
There are severalways to let down the pH of your soilorganically , such as side dressing your flora withused coffee groundsor sprinkling some organic sulfur on the soil surface .
If you do n’t need to interest about adjusting grime pH , one option is to get them in containers . Just establish in a five congius container with a soilless grow medium such as a half and half premix of peat and shredded pine barque , caring for them as you would for shrubs planted in the ground .
you may get word blueberries in containers in our template .
Keep bed gratuitous from grass andmulch plantswith a layer of Natalie Wood chips , pine acerate leaf , or pine barque to aid mold wet .
Lowbush blueberry bush bear a broad chain of temperatures and moisture , from dry , sunny climates with 20 inches of average yearly rain , to cloudy maritime climate with 61 to 70 inch of rain per year .
pee on a regular basis . industrial plant needone to two inches of waterper workweek , especially in the first couple of years while they become established .
Drip irrigationcan work well since it allows piss to riddle the soil and directly get at the root word zone .
These shrub love atomic number 7 . Adding blood meal , fish repast , or an constitutive fertilizer formulated for azalea will be beneficial to maintain healthy plants .
Be sure to avoidusing fertilizersthat contain nitrogen in the mannequin of nitrates as these can be toxic to these shrub . These plants typically only need eating once per twelvemonth in the saltation before they leaf out .
Instead of give a synthetic fertiliser , I lie with planting blueberry with lupines . Lupine is a beautiful blossoming legumewhich will fix nitrogen in the soil .
Additionally , it flowers around the same metre as the berries , helping to attract pollinators .
While it may be tempting to farm all your berries in one spot , it is best to invalidate planting nearraspberriesandblackberrieswhich require less acidulent soil , need social structure to support bramble , and have unlike spacing requirements .
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
to maintain berry production , mature works necessitate to be pruned every other year . After harvesting , remove older , less productive branches and any branch that show signs of disease .
While it may be influence to reap the berries as soon as possible , it is well to hold back at least a year after implant to allow the flora to develop a strong antecedent organization .
Flowers should be removed entirely for at least one year after plant to encourage vigorous plant life ontogeny . The 2d year , hit about a third of the flowers .
you’re able to reap the integral crop each year beginning the third year after planting .
Lowbush Blueberry Cultivars to Select
V. angustifoliumis the wild lowbush blueberry botanic species . These low produce shrubs produce sweet , edible berries , which are diminished than most crop variety show .
V. myrtilloides , which goes by name such as the sourtop or Canadian blueberry , and the velvetleaf huckleberry is a close relative ofV. angustifolium , sometimes hybridizing in the wild .
LikeV. angustifolium , it is also a grim growing deciduous bush with white blossom surveil by small edible Charles Edward Berry . It can be secernate by midget hair’s-breadth covering the surface of the leaves .
botanic species plants can sometimes be found in your local nursery or garden meat . Look for plants describe as lowbush , wild , or Maine blueberry .
you may also sometimes bump wild blueberry sod for sale , generally at specialty nurseries . Sod provides obtuse cover with high output of berries .
There are a few cultivars to look out for :
Blomidon
V. angustifolium‘Blomidon ’ was the first distinguish lowbush cultivar cover for commercial-grade maturation . It was cultivate in the 1970s at the Agriculture Canada Research Station in Nova Scotia .
This miscellanea is a vigorous grower with high take of gravid consistent yield that ripen in summer solstice . It mature eight to 12 inches in height with spreading bow , dark green foliage , and white flowers in spring .
Brunswik
V. angustifolium‘Brunswick ’ features glossy low - green foliage that deepen to showy scarlet - redness in the fall .
‘ Brunswick ’
It is a vigorous grower , grow an abundant harvest of small , sweet , firm berry in mid summer .
you’re able to chance plants from 18 month to four long time oldavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .
Burgundy
V. angustifolium‘Burgundy ’ has beautiful burgundy new growth which ripens to a gray - green gloss , turning brilliant orangeness and ruby-red in autumn .
This variety make an attractive dry land cover charge or low-spirited hedge .
‘ Burgundy ’
The diminished tasty berries ripen in summer following whitened blooms . Very broad of cold , ‘ Burgundy ’ is hardy in Zones 2 to 8 .
you could find two- to four - class - older year one-time ‘ Burgundy ’ plantsavailable from Nature Hills Nursery .
Managing Pests and Disease
Lowbush types be given to be susceptible to similar problem as other species of blueberry .
While there are a number of issues that can crop up , there are also some simple ways to extenuate them .
Herbivores
In the wild , blueberries are enjoyed by all sorts of animals such as bootleg bears , moose , dame , and white - trail cervid .
If you do n’t want to share your craw with the wildlife , you may study surrounding the George W. Bush with cages or netting to protect them from hiss and mammals .
Learn to protect blueberry bush from hoot in our guide .
Insects
Unfortunately , mammals and bird are n’t the only ones who like blueberries . There are a number of insect to watch out for that can cause great damage to your crop if left unchecked .
Fortunately , taking prophylactic measures like mulching and weeding can do a lot to help plants stay sound and keep pests under ascendancy .
These little white-hot maggots ( Rhagoletis mendax ) can overrun fruits , spreading quickly through your harvest time .
Try integrate plants to pull in epenthetic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant , a natural piranha of these maggots . Anethum graveolens , yarrow , andmarigoldsare all corking choices .
you’re able to also spray bushes with a homemade spray of jalapeno pepper , garlic , and swimming dish soap .
Simply blend one garlic light bulb in a quart of water with one teaspoon of small-grained cayenne and a few drop cloth of biodegradable soap and spray every few days until the plague subsides .
Both the larvae and adult beetles ( from the Chrysomelidae house ) feed on leaf and in extreme cases can completely defoliate section of the crop .
Burning as a method of pruning may aid control flea beetle .
integrate a experience mulch like clover will also help by step in with the power of the beetle to put down eggs in the grime .
Learn more about how to manage flea beetles here .
This small fly front ( Drosophila suzukii ) lays egg in healthy fruit , potentially causing major damage to yield production , specially late in the harvest season .
To pick up more about dealing with this pest , jibe out our in - depth guide to organic direction .
Disease
There are several fungal disease that have problems for foliage and can finally lead to decreased fruit production .
In all sheath , when you notice discolored leaves , it is a good idea to plunk off and fling of these . Be sure to remove fallen debris often and keep the planting surface area clear .
you’re able to also spray foliage with a homemade fungicide made with one snow leopard of horticultural crude and four teaspoons of baking sal soda mixed into a Imperial gallon of water .
you may thin out the peril of infection by watering in the morning and using drip irrigation to forefend wet the foliage , lop to increase gentle wind circulation , and mulching .
Here are a few of the conditions you may come across . you could use the preventive and handling criterion above to address each of these fungous diseases :
because of the fungusPucciniastrum vaccinii , leave-taking develop yellow point which move around brownish and red over time .
The disease can spread cursorily as the season progresses , with leaves finally dropping from the plant life , leading to a step-down in yields .
The fungusSeptoria lycopersicicausesspores to develop in plastered weather condition , and register up as blister on the underside of leaves .
You may notice small dark-brown lesion on the stem and foliage with tan or grey shopping center . This contagion is often more austere in young plant and can bear upon overall productiveness .
This fungous infection ( Valdensinia heterodoxa)causes intact staunch to lose their leaves , resulting in loss of bloom and yield .
Spots are 1/8 to 1/2 in , round , and brown , often with the appearing of a “ bull’s - eye . ” This disease can go around speedily to adjacent plants , especially in wet weather .
The fungus can overwinter in infected leaves .
receive more info on managing blueberry bush gadfly and disease here .
Harvesting Lowbush Blueberries
After a yr or two of polish off the flowers , harvesting by beak the small berries off of the shrub in mid to belated summer , when they are good .
hold back until the berry turn a deep aristocratic and come along chubby and full . They should be easy to find fault , no yanking required .
you may learn to harvest blueberries in our guide .
Preserving
If you are somehow able-bodied to avert eating them all as you pick them , or over the form of the next week , you’re able to preserve the berries in so many ways .
you may dry out them , can them , or make blueberry jam . you may even impregnate them in acetum for a pleasant-tasting medical dressing or marinade .
blueberry can bedried in a dehydratorset on low for more or less 18 hours or baked in a preheated oven go down to the lowest temperature for about three hours , until they are amply dry .
provide to cool down and store in an airtight container .
To make blueberry vinegar , space one part blueberries to two parts vinegar in a glass jar . smash up the berry with a crotch , seal with a plastic eyelid , and give the jar a good milk shake .
jell in a cool fix for a few days , didder the shock daily . Strain the berries and boil the infuse vinegar for about a arcminute , skimming off any junk that surface . Strain one more time and store in a cool dark location .
Personally , I typically care to freeze fresh blueberries and utilise them through the wintertime in smoothies and baking .
To freeze down , wash and let the berry dry out thoroughly . This is especially of import if they may have been spray with any pesticide .
Next , spread them out in a single layer on a bake shroud and freeze for several hours .
When they are completely frozen , you’re able to reassign them to a freezer pocketbook for long terminus storage . The berry should keep for one to two age .
Of course there is something pretty special about homemade blueberry jam . For a detailed usher to jam making , chink outthis article on our sister website , Foodal .
Recipes and Cooking Ideas
There are so many creative ways to incorporate blueberries into cookery , both sweet and savory .
Pancakes , syrup , gap , salad dressings , salsas , compotes , smoothies , cakes … the lean goes on and on .
If you are looking for a fun summery afters , you will bang this mouthwatering recipe for blueberry piefrom our sister situation , Foodal .
Or get the day go with a tonic blueberry bush breakfast popsicle . This formula , also from Foodal , blends quick-frozen yogurt with oats and blueberry jam for a odorous treat that the whole family will enjoy .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Worth the Wait
I have had so much fun watching the wild blueberry bush in my yard turn and prosper over the last few years .
After just a couple of seasons of patience , you too will be reward for your efforts with fat , luscious fruits for 20 days or more .
And for more information aboutgrowing blueberriesin your garden , have a look at these guides next :
Photo by Nikki Cervone © involve the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Originally published April 24th , 2021 . Last updated April 7th , 2023 . mathematical product photos via Nature Hills Nursery . Uncredited exposure : Shutterstock . With extra writing and redaction by Clare Groom and Allison Sidhu .
About
Heather Buckner
