Detailed Explanation of Blueberry Cultivation Techniques and Management Methods

Soil improvement: Soil organic matter content and pH value are important factors for the survival of blueberry cultivation. Generally, soil with an organic matter content of 5% and a pH value of 4.0-5.5 is required; otherwise, improvement is needed. When the organic matter content is below 5%, mix river sand or sawdust, peat, rotted bark, etc. into the soil before planting. When the soil pH value (>5.5) or calcium content is too high, the pH value needs to be lowered. Numerous studies have shown that applying sulfur is an effective measure for lowering soil pH. At present, sulfur powder is mostly used at home and abroad to lower the pH value. The specific amount of sulfur to apply should be determined according to different soil conditions and pH values. If the soil pH value is too low (<4.0)，常用石灰来调高pH值。

Planting blueberries: Planting can be done in spring or autumn. The plant and row spacing for rabbiteye blueberry is 2.0 m×2.0 m, for highbush blueberry 1.2 m×2.0 m, and for lowbush blueberry 1.0 m×1.0 m. Rabbiteye blueberry is self-unfruitful, so it is best to plant highbush blueberry as a pollinizer. Highbush and lowbush blueberries have a relatively high self-fruitfulness rate, but the effect is even better when pollinizers are planted. The ratio of main cultivars to pollinizer cultivars is 1:1 or 1:2. After planting, seedlings bear fruit in the 2nd year and can reach full production in the 5th year.

Soil, fertilizer and water management: Blueberry has a fibrous root system with shallow root distribution, so fertilizer and water management should be strengthened. The watering principle is to irrigate during drought and drain during waterlogging. Soil fertilization should be determined based on soil and leaf analysis. Blueberry is an oligotrophic plant, so fertilizer must never be applied excessively, to avoid fertilizer damage. Blueberry is sensitive to chlorine, so chlorine-containing fertilizers such as ammonium chloride and potassium chloride should not be selected; when applying nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen fertilizer is preferable. When planting blueberry, NPK compound fertilizer is mainly applied as a topdressing, and farmyard manure is rarely applied. Li Yadong's research concluded that: when cultivating blueberries on dark brown forest soil, applying NPK compound fertilizer at a ratio of 1:1:1 with an application rate of 500-1000 kg/hm2 gives good results. Highbush blueberry and rabbiteye blueberry adopt the furrow application method, while lowbush blueberry is mainly broadcast applied, with a depth of 10-15 cm being suitable. Fertilization is carried out in early spring before budding, and can also be applied once more during the fruit ripening period.