How to Grow Lowbush Wild Blueberries
Lowbush wild blueberries are similar to highbush blueberries, yet they are quite different. Most lowbush wild blueberries are grown in large, spread-out fields where they are harvested every two years. Lowbush wild blueberries are rich in antioxidants and natural anti-inflammatory ingredients. These blueberries were tested, and according to the Wild Blueberry Association of North America, the USDA tested 20 other fruits and none had the high levels of antioxidants in one cup that wild blueberries contain. The major differences between lowbush and highbush varieties of wild blueberries are not only the size and species of the blueberries, but that lowbush wild blueberries are not an altered species and they are typically grown where other lowbush wild blueberry plants already exist. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Prepared property (garden rows or vacant field)
- Frozen, whole lowbush wild blueberries (¾ cup), thawed
- Sphagnum moss
- 3-inch flat box
- Water
- Newspaper
- Plastic mini planting pots
- Bag of sand
- Bag of peat
- Bag of topsoil
- Liquid fertilizer
- 10-10-10 fertilizer (1 pound per 100 square feet)
- Straw or sawdust
- Long hand cultivator or power tiller
- Paper towel
Instructions
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1
Place thawed lowbush wild blueberries into the blender cup. Add ¾ cup water, attach the blender lid tightly and blend on high for 10 seconds. Let the blended mix sit for about five minutes to allow the seeds to sink to the bottom of the blender cup.
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2
Pour or scoop out some of the pulp that is floating on top of the mix. Add more clean water and allow the seeds to sink again. Keep repeating this process until you have completely replaced all the wild blueberry pulp and only the seeds remain.
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3
Remove the seeds from the blender cup and spread on a paper towel to dry.
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4
Spread the sphagnum moss along the bottom of the 3-inch box. Sprinkle the seeds along the top of this moss and then cover the seeds with a thin layer of sphagnum moss. Lightly moisten the moss and place the box in a dry area at room temperature (between 60 and 70 degrees). Cover the box with newspaper.
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5
Remove the newspaper when the seeds have germinated, in about a month. Place the box in a sunny location indoors or in a greenhouse. You will need to keep them in this condition until they are 2 to 3 inches tall.
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6
Add peat, sand and topsoil into the pots. Fill each pot with 1/3 of each. Add your seedlings to the pots, one seedling per pot. They should be planted at least 2 inches deep. Keep the seedlings watered and exposed to sunlight for two weeks.
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7
Add liquid fertilizer to the seedlings, at half the strength noted in the directions.
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8
Prepare your planting location with the cultivator or tiller, adding the 10-10-10 fertilizer and mixing into the thoroughly, using a pound of fertilizer per 100 square feet of soil.
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9
Plant your seedlings in the prepared location after all frost dangers have passed.
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10
Add a covering of sawdust or straw to the seedlings for the first winter. When spring arrives and the buds of the lowbush wild blueberry plants have swelled, you can remove the sawdust or straw and fertilize the plants again.
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Tips & Warnings
Whole blueberries should be frozen at least 90 days to ensure that the nest period of the seeds is broken.
Keep your seeds and seedlings moist at all times, but not overly wet or soaked.
Expect your lowbush wild blueberry plants to bloom and fruit around two years after initial growth.
