How to Root Blueberry Plants From Cuttings
When you grow your own blueberry plants, not only are you saving money, you have the satisfaction of being self-reliant. No longer do you have to run to the store to have fresh, tasty berries. Using the cuttings from a blueberry plant will help increase your blueberry yield without having to buy more plants.
Things you'll need:
- Blueberry bush
- Garden scissors or cutter
- Rooting hormone powder
- Hand shovel
- Acidic soil (pH of 4.5 to 5.5)
- Sunlight
- Water
- Fertilizer
- Gather your blueberry cuttings in late summer. Use your garden scissors and cut off a 6-inch section of a new shoot.
- Apply rooting hormone powder to the cuttings and put in a sealed bag. Store in a refrigerator over the winter months.
- Prepare your soil around April or May, depending on your growing zone. Test your soil with a pH kit and make sure it’s at the recommended acidity level for blueberry plants (pH 4.5 to 5.0). To lower the pH, add fertilizer as needed. A good fertilizer for young blueberry bushes have an 16-8-8 ratio. This corresponds to the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, respectively.
- Use a small shovel and dig about a 4-inch deep hole. Plant your cuttings, cut end first, in the acidic soil. Plant them about 3 inches apart. Make sure they have the proper sunlight and water; most blueberry plants require full sun and 1 to 2 inches of water per week.
- Expect the blueberries to appear in one to two years. It will take the plants a while to get established.