How to shelter blueberries for the winter and keep them from freezing

General rules for shelter

Often, gardeners ask themselves whether it is necessary to cover blueberry bushes for the winter at all, because the plant itself is unpretentious and rarely gets sick. The answer to this question depends on the region where the berry is grown.

In the Moscow region, the plant does not cause any particular problems, in this strip there are ideal conditions for growth and development for it. Some gardeners do not even cover the berry for the winter, as tall bushes can easily tolerate cold down to -25 ° C. If winter is expected to be more severe, it is necessary to insulate the plant.

Shelter conditions will be the same as in the Moscow region in most regions of Belarus. However, if winter is expected to be snowless, you need to take care of the safety of the shrub.

In the Volga region, blueberries are rarely found in summer cottages, since in the conditions of this area, caring for them requires a lot of effort, and the harvest is rarely good.

In places where growth conditions are harsh (in the Urals and Siberia), there is no need for insulation, because special frost-resistant hybrids are used. In addition, large snowdrifts will serve as a natural shelter for the berry.

In the fall, before the shelter in all regions without exception, it is recommended to cut off excess shoots from blueberry bushes - dry and diseased branches. If this is not done, all the vitality of the plant will go into these unnecessary branches, and the berries will become sour and small.

Video "Preparing blueberries for winter"

In this video, you will learn how to properly prepare blueberries for the winter season.

Insulation stages

Warming of garden blueberries takes place in several stages: first you need to prepare the berry, and only under certain conditions you need to cover it. Moreover, it is necessary to take into account the variety of the plant, because they all have different frost resistance:

• very low in varieties such as Eliot and Herbert;
• low - at Brigitte;
• medium - Sunrise, Elizabeth, Brigitte Blue;
• high - Canadian nectar, Taiga beauty, Wonderful.

Before frost

After pruning, the bushes are prepared for shelter: the remaining branches are straightened and bent to the ground with the help of twine or arcs. As soon as frost begins, the plant must be insulated.

With first snow

As soon as snow falls, they are sprinkled on top of the shelter to fill in all the gaps and prevent frost from getting to the bushes. As we have already said, for shrubs with high frost resistance, snowdrifts are the best shelter, because the necessary heat is retained under the infusion.

The best materials for shelter

For sheltering plants, it is best to use spruce branches - on the one hand, it keeps heat well, on the other, it allows air to pass through. A good option would be burlap, sprinkled with a layer of snow on top.

But you should not cover blueberries with a film - this will create a greenhouse effect, unnecessary for the shrub, and the branches will begin to ache and ache. In addition, fungus can grow on them.

Preparing blueberries for winter is a simple procedure that will pay off in spring. Timely cutting and warming blueberries for the winter, you will protect the buds of the plant from freezing and preserve the harvest.