Protect Blueberry Bushes
When we create a garden for us, we tend to plant the most decorative colors of plants that we can find. Decorative plants are chosen in a way that they are fruitful to us, yes most of the time, they will be fruits.
Blueberry bushes are some of the most decorative colors of plants, and more importantly they are attractive. Blueberry is counted as a plant that we have to take care of and a fruit that we can enjoy. These bushes come colored; it creates a nice decorative factor to our garden.
During the summer season, it is quite enjoyable for you and your family to enjoy fresh blueberries from your garden. In order to enjoy the plants, you need to always be on alert and safe-guard the plants everyday from avian thievery. Birds often see a blueberry bush as their meals so protecting your blueberries from avian thievery is important and high priority.
What you need:
- Bird netting with ¾-inch mesh
- 6 feet long Garden stakes
- Rubber mallet
- String cut into footlong lengths
- Gallon of water
- Four packets grape Kool-Aid
- Spoon
- Spray bottle
Method:
- You only need to water the blueberry bushes with at least one-inch of water per week. But, be always careful when watering because the tap water can raise the pH level of the surrounding soil and the trace minerals also that could damage blueberry roots.
- In order to maintain soil acidity and conserve moisture, you can use two to three-inch of mulch of wood chips, sawdust, oak leaves, or shredded bark.
- Try to avoid using fertilizers that changes the soil alkaline and also do not use concentrated fertilizers because it also can burn the blueberry bushes roots. Instead, you can use soybean or cottonseed meal, or organic azalea fertilizer.
- Remove all blossoming flowers during its first year blossom to allow the bushes to firmly establish and develop healthier root systems plus become stronger plants overall. By doing this method, it also encourages vegetative growth for developing the canopy needed in supporting heavy harvest in the future.
- Birds are also a biggest threat to blueberries because it likes to eat the entire crops of blueberries if left unprotected. Use bird proof netting by draping the net over each blueberry bushes for some protection. You can add a walk-in blueberry cage which is a light frame built around the blueberry bushes as a support to the bird netting.
- Rabbits and other small rodents also like to eat the young blueberry branches and you can protect them using a simple fence of chicken wire and make sure the fence is tall enough in keeping small animals out when the snow is deep during winter time.
- As for insects and other diseases, you can easily protect the plants by just performing some careful pruning on the blueberry bushes.
By now, you have properly learnt how to protect your Blueberry bushes, and keep them healthy as well.
Additional Reading:
http://www.gardening-guides.com/pdf-library/how-to-grow-blueberries.pdf
http://www.gardening-guides.com/fruits/blueberries-care.php
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/protect-your-blueberry-fruit-from-birds
http://www.ehow.com/how_6517627_protect-blueberry-bushes-birds.html
Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/quacktaculous/2558321055/
