Planting blueberries in pots or sacks made from agrotextile is still in the testing phase in Serbia due to different climate conditions that vary by region. This type of planting enables better control over the plants, easier protection from pests, and effortless transfer if needed. It’s important to know that this type of planting provides better use of the plot area – 4000-5000 seedlings cover 1 hectare.

A drawback of this kind of blueberry growing is that the size of the pot/sack becomes too small in a few years when the plant reaches its maximum. Also, plantations with pots/sacks require specialized irrigation systems that are sensitive to hard water.

Pots’ volume should be at least 45 liters and they need drainage holes. They are filled with specialized blueberry substrates and conifer mulch for keeping the optimal moisture level and prevenging weed growth. The best mulch for this purpose is made from conifer bark and trunks, sized 40 – 70 mm.

During transplantation it’s essential to create good contact between the root and soil, so the seedling taken from the pot needs to be lightly shaken to remove excess substrate from its root, and then planted at a shallow depth, up to the line it was sitting in the pot.

Planting directly in the soil is recommended when the available land is arable and not rich with clay or too sandy. Such plots are usually mildly slanted and have a soil pH around 4.5, with ideal physical and chemical properties.

The drawbacks of this planting technique are difficult weed removal and challenges posed by pests.

The soil needs to be previously tilled and prepared for planting. As in the banks, this system also requires forming little holes and filling them with substrate for blueberry growing. Spacing is 2.5-3 meters between the rows and 0.8-1.5 meters between the plants in the row, depending on the blueberry variety and method of harvesting.

Planted seedlings are covered at their base with 4-7 centimeters of conifer bark and trunk mulch to maintain the optimal moisture level and prevent weeds from growing.
Wind can impact rooting of the newly planted young seedling. Frequent winds coming from the same direction swing the seedlings and suppress root system development, where in the worst case scenario the plant can break in the root neck zone.

Planting blueberries in banks is the most popular system in Serbia so far. It comes with a lot of advantages, one of which is profitability. It’s applied in cases where the soil doesn’t have optimal physical and chemical properties or is prone to water retention. Holes are formed in the banks and then filled with substrate specifically formulated for blueberry cultivation. This type of planting secures good drainage and seedling and root elevation.

An aggravating circumstance is the use of the particular machines for bank forming. Soil needs to be properly prepared, fragmented by subsoiling, plowing, tilling, etc.

Holes should have a volume of around 20 liters. Spacing is the same as in the case of direct soil planting – 0.8 to 1.5 meters between plants and 2.7 to 3 meters between rows.

For good adhesion of the root to the soil, excess substrate is removed from the root by a light shake with one hand before it’s planted at the same depth as it was in the pot.