Blueberries from a self-propagated shrub taste even better. We show you how to successfully propagate your own blueberry bush.
Blueberries (or blueberries, as they are also often called) can be found in many gardens. No wonder, because they not only taste good, but also throw off a decent harvest with the right care. If you would like to harvest even more sweet, blue blueberries (Vaccinium) from your own garden, you can easily multiply the berry bush yourself. We'll show you the best way to propagate.
The most popular methods for blueberries (or blueberries) is propagation via sinkers and cuttings. You will soon have made many blueberry bushes from one blueberry bush and can enjoy a rich harvest. We will show you how to proceed with propagation and what else needs to be considered.
Propagating blueberries/blueberries by lowering
The propagation can take place during the vegetation period. For this purpose, longer, young shoots are pressed down near the ground and covered with soil. The tip of the shoot should still protrude from the ground. To prevent the shoot from bending upwards again, you should also anchor it with a hook or simply weigh it down with a stone. After a few months, when the blueberry weeder has developed enough roots, you can separate it from the mother plant and transplant it.
This is how you proceed when propagating using planters:
1.) Bend down young shoots
2.) Cover middle part with soil
3.) Weight down with a rock or anchor with a hook
4.) Cut off after root formation and transplant
Propagating blueberries by cuttings
Propagation by leafy shoots is a very simple and popular method for blueberries. In August, cut strong annual shoots into pieces about 10 cm long and remove the lower leaves, leaving only the top two to three leaves. Then thePut the cutting quite deep into a pot with a loose, acidic substrate and water it generously. It is best to place the pots in a bright, warm place. In the first few weeks after planting, the pots can be covered with cling film to prevent the substrate from drying out. Now you have to be patient, because it can easily take two to three months for the first roots to appear. As soon as the plucking test (slightly pulling on the cutting) shows that new roots are present, you can remove the foil. When the cuttings have formed enough roots, they can be transplanted into a larger planter, where they are usually overwintered in a cold place (down to -5 °C). In the spring, the seedlings begin to sprout and can be planted outdoors from June.
Proceed as follows when propagating via cuttings:
1.) Cut off one-year shoots
2.) Divide into pieces about 10 cm long
3.) Remove Lower Leaves
4.) Put the cutting in acidic substrate
5.) Water generously and cover with foil for a few weeks
6.) Transfer to larger containers after sufficient root formation
Tip: Blueberries have high demands on their soil. Suitable growth substrate should have a low pH of 4 to 5. You can also find more information about Blueberry Earth here.
Propagating blueberries by sowing
In principle, propagating blueberries from seeds would be possible. However, it is of little importance in garden practice. Cultivated blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) were bred to produce as few seeds as possible. You're more likely to find it in the fruits of wild blueberry bushes (Vaccinium myrtillus).
If you want to try growing your own seedlings, you should be patient, because blueberries develop very slowly. In order to be able to propagate true to the variety and to retain the fruit characteristics of the cultivar, propagation via cuttings or layering is usually preferred.
Tip: The blue berries not only taste good to us humans, birds sometimes also have an eye on the sweet fruits. So protect your blueberry bushes early enough from uninvited guests with bird protection nets.
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