How to manage blueberries in winter?

Blueberry is grown over a wide area, and the survival temperature in winter should be kept above minus 10-15 degrees Celsius to avoid frost damage. In cold areas, the temperature can be raised by building a greenhouse or covering with insulating materials. So how do you manage blueberries in winter? Let’s take a look with the editor below.

1. Soil Cover

In fall and winter, cover the entire blueberry plant with moist soil to keep the branches hydrated. For taller plants, you can press them down and then cover them. You can also pile an arc-shaped mound about 0.4 meters high 0.3 meters northwest of the plant to create a microclimate environment that is sheltered from the wind and facing the sun for the young tree.

2. Pruning management

Winter is a good time to prune blueberries. Through pruning, you can remove weak branches, diseased branches and dead branches, reduce nutrient waste and promote healthy growth. The thin and weak branches at the bottom should be cut off decisively. If there are flower buds on the branches, they should not be pruned. For newly planted seedlings, if there are no flower buds at the top, you can cut them off by half to promote branching and increase fruiting.

3. Reasonable fertilization

In winter, you should use fermented sheep manure, slow-release fertilizer and other organic fertilizers . These fertilizers can provide long-lasting nutrition without damaging the roots. Apply fertilizer in moderation and avoid concentrated and raw fertilizers. The fertilizer can be evenly spread on the soil surface, and then watered to allow the fertilizer to fully dissolve and penetrate into the soil.

4. Control watering

Blueberries grow more slowly in winter and require less water. Therefore, watering should be reduced, but the soil should be kept slightly moist. When watering, you should follow the principle of "water when the soil is dry and water thoroughly when watering". Standing water can cause blueberry roots to rot, so be careful about how much and how often you water. If water accumulates in the soil, drain it immediately.

5. Pest and disease control

Check the growth of blueberry plants regularly, paying special attention to any abnormalities on the leaves, fruits, and branches, such as pest excrement, signs of gnawing, or insect eggs. Once pest and disease problems are discovered, timely measures should be taken to prevent and control them. Biological control methods can be used, such as releasing natural enemies; chemical pesticides can also be used for control, but attention should be paid to the selection and use of pesticides to avoid causing pesticide damage to blueberries.

The above is an introduction to how to manage blueberries in winter. Growers must ensure that blueberry trees can receive sufficient sunlight in winter, which helps to increase the temperature of the trees and promote photosynthesis. While keeping warm, you should also be careful to avoid excessive airtightness that can lead to poor air circulation and cause blueberry tree diseases and pests.