Propagation of a Blueberry Plant

Taking Softwood Cuttings

• Take softwood cuttings from stems that are less than a year old in late spring or early summer. Softwood stems bend easily without breaking. Early in the morning before the sun has a chance to evaporate moisture from the stems is the best time of day to take cuttings. Select a straight stem that is 4 to 8 inches long and make a clean cut with sharp pruning shears. If you don't plan to root the cuttings immediately, wrap them in a moist paper towel or place them in a jar of water.

Rooting

• Root blueberry cuttings in a 3-inch pot filled with potting soil for acid-loving plants. Add a small amount of sand to the mix to improve the drainage. Remove all but the top three leaves from the cutting and dip it in rooting hormone, then insert the lower half of the cutting in the soil. Water the plant and place a plastic bag over the pot to keep the rooting environment moist. Don't let the cutting touch the sides of the bag. If necessary, insert twigs or soda straws in the soil to hold the bag away from the cutting. It takes three to six weeks to root a cutting. After the cutting roots, remove the bag.

Care

• After you remove the plastic bag, place the cutting in a sunny, preferably south-facing window or provide artificial light. Once in a sunny location, the plant needs more frequent watering. Keep the soil moist, but not wet, and empty the saucer under the pot after watering. When the cutting begins to grow, repot it into a larger pot. A good quality potting soil contains enough plant food to sustain the plant for three months or more. If you need to fertilize the plant, use a complete liquid fertilizer for acid-loving plants according to the package instructions.

Transplanting

• Transplant the blueberry plant outdoors in fall. Prepare the plant by setting it outdoors in a protected location for an hour or two, gradually increasing the exposure and the time spent outdoors. Plant the blueberry bush as deep as it was in the container. You can sprinkle a little fertilizer on the surface of the soil, but don't use fertilizer in the planting hole. Space highbush blueberries 6 feet apart for sun-ripened berries or 3 to 4 feet apart to form a hedge. Space dwarf varieties 3 feet apart. Apply a thick layer of organic mulch around the plants.