BLUEBERRIES

Blueberry, which is from the heather family, is a woody plant with a height of 25-50 cm. The color of the fruits is red, usually purple. Both the fruit and the leaves can be consumed. It is mostly seen in the mountainous parts of the Black Sea region in our country.

Blueberries like organic matter rich and acidic soils. Natural habitats or places close to these should be preferred for aquaculture.

Blueberry is a plant with a very large surface root structure. Depending on the soil type, its roots can go 1 meter deep. The roots, which serve as the main task, are located in the upper 25-30 cm of the soil layer.

At least 6 months before planting the blueberry seedlings, the garden soil should be analyzed and sulfur should be applied 6 months in advance to adjust the pH, if necessary. If the soil pH is above 5.5, the soil acidity can be changed by applying sulfur. It is not possible to make calcareous soils suitable for blueberry cultivation with sulfur application. If the pH value of the soil to be planted is below 3.7, then liming may be recommended. The optimum pH value for blueberries in the form of tall bushes is between 4.0-5.2 and the optimum pH value is 4.5. In cases where the pH value of the soil in the blueberry orchard is high, iron and zinc deficiency occur and this event affects the newly developing organs and causes the plant to lose its vigor.