How to Clone a Dwarf Tophat Blueberry

Season One

• 1

  Begin in early spring before the buds start to swell. Cut all of the stems of your Tophat blueberry bush to within 1 to 4 inches of the soil surface, leaving short stumps.

• 2

  Mix together one part sand and two parts peat moss in a bucket. Mound the mixture over the stumps to a depth of 2 to 3 inches. Surround the mound with a box, lawn edging or similar material to keep it in place. Keep the plants mounded throughout the growing season.

• 3

  Water the mound regularly to keep it moist but not waterlogged. The surface can be dry, but don't let the mound dry out. New shoots will grow through the mound; allow them to grow the entire season.

• 4

  Check the mound in the fall to see if the shoots they have developed a good root system. If they have, separate them from the mound using a sharp shovel or gardener's knife. Plant them into their permanent place in the garden. If they have not developed many roots, leave them until spring.

Season Two and Beyond

• 5

  The following spring -- while the plants are still dormant -- separate the new shoots from the main part of the plant. Use a sharp shovel or gardener's knife to cut the shoots. Cleanly trim off any torn or ragged cuts, using your pruners.

• 6

  Prune the top of the separated shoots so that only three buds remain. Discard the cut tops.

• 7

  Plant the rooted shoots into 3-inch porous clay pots filled with the same mix as the mounding soil. Bury the pots up to their rim in a shaded area -- a cold frame works best. Allow the new plants to grow through the season. Re-pot the plants if they outgrow the original pot.

• 8

  Allow the pots to overwinter in place. Early the following spring, transplant your new Tophat blueberry plants into the garden.