Our Garden Planner can produce a personalised calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area. Blueberries are in the botanical family Vaccinium and are closely related to cranberries, huckleberries, lingonberries and others. Just be aware that growing blueberry plants in pots (or anywhere else) requires some patience. They will not grow well if … They make excellent toppings for various desserts such as pancakes and cheesecake. Choose a sunny, sheltered spot. Blueberry plants should be spaced in a row about 4 to 5 feet apart; adjacent rows should be spaced 9 to 10 feet apart, which will provide plenty of room for harvesting. The plants can thrive and bear fruit in containers in any area that receives full sun. READ MORE: Growing Cape gooseberries. Shrubs grow 2 to 6 feet tall and produce more fruit when you plant at … Seeds and Plants South Africa, is an online store, selling a wide range of Vegetable Seeds, Fruit Seeds, Herb Seeds, Medicinal Herb & Plant Seeds, Seedlings, Tree Saplings and Plants. When your blueberry plants are ready for planting, start by raking a few inches into the soil. Snowchaser blueberries grow vigorously, have good berry quality, flavor, and high yields of medium-sized fruit. BerryWorld South Africa supplies the UK, Ireland, Europe, South Africa, Asia and the Far and Middle East. A recent news item, “Blueberry industry faces blues over trading rights row” (Cape Argus, 9 November 2020), shines a spotlight on an area of law that seldom makes the news. Plant in a moist, well-drained, acidic soil. Feeding. Keeping them healthy and pest free is a commitment you … Blueberries prefer light soils rather than heavy clays. Plants are productive, vigorous, and have a spreading growth habit with a medium crown. Ten years from now the area planted will double again,” says Elzette Schutte, Operations Manager SA Berries, SA Figs, Cape Flora SA. We continue to recommend the Snowchaser blueberry for commercial plantings in Low Chill regions for growers that target the earliest hand harvest fresh markets. Growing blueberry plants in your garden can be rewarding. Make sure that it’s deep enough for the roots of the blueberry plant to fit in nicely. Start with one or two trees. Did you know that the modern blueberry is a 20th-century invention? But, with patience, time and years of experience, our farmer has learnt how to create the ideal growing environment for a variety of fresh berries. Growing fruit trees in South Africa is worth the effort. Blackberries are hardy plants that rarely contract disease or attract pests. Miscellaneous Soil. The number of chilling hours required by berry plants is somewhat dependant on species and cultivar; however, raspberries and blackberries usually need 200-800 hours below 45°F and blueberry plants 500-600 hours below 45°F. Blueberries will tolerate partial shade, especially late in the day. The seeds require stratification the first year and will grow the second year. If your garden space is limited, you don’t need to grow an entire orchard. Growing blueberries in containers is so easy and effective that you might want to try it even if you have enough in-ground garden space for this antioxidant-rich fruit. In most areas, it’s ideal to plant blueberries in the fall or spring. tall. Blueberries are very fussy about soil acidity. Notably, South Africa has a free trade agreement with the EU. There are two types of blackberry plants: trailing and erect. Frost tolerant. Highbush Blueberry is native to Northeastern North America and forms the basis of the blueberry growing industry. Plant yield, vigor and growth habits: Frost protection is recommended with Rebel. Position. Southern Africa), red bush tea (esp. Acidic pH of 5 to 5.5 required. The resulting blueberry bush seed plants will bear fruit during year two when the plant is 1-2 feet (30-61 cm.) South Africa’s berry production, led by a rise in blueberries, has tripled over the five year period between 2013 and 2017, from only 450 hectares under production in 2013 to more than 1700 hectares in 2017. The history of P. peruviana cultivation in South America can be traced to the Inca. A huge industry to cover, SouthAfrica.co.za is introducing fruit production in South Africa with a few smaller, lesser-known fruits. Plant in mid autumn or early winter when it's not too cold for a little root growth to help them establish. However, we are not merely an online store, we are keen gardeners too. If you plant in rows, allow 8 to 10 feet between the rows. They also need consistent watering to fruit well. How to Propagate Blueberries From Cuttings. The plant is used to make a herbal tea called rooibos tea, bush tea (esp. In the kitchen. Gardening is not only a hobby for us, it is a passion! Notes Blueberry plants can be planted as close as 60cm apart which will form a thick hedge after a couple of years, but in general most farmers fields are planted using a plant spacing of 0.9m to 1.2m between plants with spacing between rows of 1.8m to 2.8m which would result in a plant density of 3000 to 6200 plants per hectare. See our Blueberry Growing Guide to learn how to how to plant, care for, prune, and harvest your blueberry bushes. “We plan to double our hectares in the next 5 years. South African berry producers have been urged to adhere to all laws and regulations governing plant breeders’ rights, after a shipment of blueberries exported from this country was seized in the Netherlands for infringing such rights. 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