Blueberry Pink Lemonade - 1.2 Litre Potted Bush - MARCH DELIVERY

PLANTING

Blueberries prefer a sheltered sunny spot in the garden. But they can be grown in partial shade. They require an acid soil that has a high organic matter with a pH in the range of 4.0 -5.5. If kept in the container, an ericaceous potting compost should be used. If planted in the open ground, the soil must be acidic. In the garden plant 1.2m (4ft) apart, applying a dressing of bone meal. Once planted, mulch with bark to a depth of 10-15cm (4-6") this will help to retain the moisture. The plants should be ideally fed with a high nitrogen liquid fertilizer at 10 day intervals until they start to flower. From flowering until the fruit start to ripen, feed with a high potash fertilizer of the type used for tomatoes every 10 days.

PRUNING

Blueberries require little pruning which is carried out in winter. Remove any weak, or dead damaged or diseased wood, and in the first few years remove the tips of the branches. Blueberries fruit on branches that are 2-3 years old.

HARVEST

Birds can be a problem and bushes should be covered with netting just as fruit starts to ripen. Pick fruit when they have started to soften, this is 7-10 days after turning blue. The fruit can be frozen or stored in the refrigerator for about two weeks.