Cranberry used to be collected in its wild form in coniferous forests throughout the world, but the strong demand for this fruit, which offers good returns to farmers who decide to grow it, has expanded its cultivation.

In Spain, more and more plantations are being carried out and the number of hectares destined for cultivation grows every year. In this article we tell you everything you need to know about how to increase the production of blueberries per hectare.

Cranberry Characteristics

The blueberry plant is a type of bush which produces in the branches of two years the fruit called cranberry. This plant adapts very well to high latitudes and, therefore, it is well extended in both the European and American continents. All blueberries belong to the genus Vaccinium L., from the family of the Ericáceas.

Collection must be done by hand, one by one, previously selecting its optimum degree of maturity. In a productive season they can be achieved up to 8 crops per plant.

The bush in which blueberries grow remains in vegetative rest during winter and the cycle begins again the following spring. They can also be grown in tropical climates, where production is continuous, since weather conditions do not vary throughout the year.

Currently, many varieties are grown that have adapted to different factors: the size of the plants, their productivity, the cold requirements in the winter season, the time of flowering and production, the quality of the fruit, etc. So it is difficult to generalize in these aspects, because Each zone has its own blueberry varieties adapted to its conditions.

Characteristics of the blueberry plant for all its varieties

• They are susceptible to strong winds, that can cause fruits and flowers to fall early. Therefore, if you are thinking of undertaking a blueberry production, make sure that the farm is protected from the wind.
• You need acid soils, with a pH between 4 and 5. This means that in most neutral and alkaline soils the pH must be worked to have a successful harvest. In this sense, the pine can be an ally. Pine and the blueberry plant coexist properly, and the waste (leaves, wood, bark ...) can be used as mulching, which helps acidify the medium.
• They are susceptible to waterlogging, so they need well-drained soils, preferably rich in organic matter. To achieve this, a good cultivation technique is the horses. This prevents water from accumulating in the basal area, which would not benefit the crop at all.
• Commercial plantations for blueberry production per hectare usually have a Design of streets between 1,5 and 3 meters and a distance between the plants between 0.75 and 1,5 meters. They also usually cover it with a plastic or organic padding (such as the mentioned leaves and pine bark). Finally, drip lines are incorporated above or below the cover.
• It must also have watch out for the birds They can eat a good part of the production. One solution may be to incorporate protective meshes.

Cranberry production per hectare in Spain

La northern part of the peninsula It is where blueberry cultivation is centered in Spain. The climatic conditions are good in this area, because with temperatures above 25-30 degrees it stops. Because of this, it would not be viable to produce blueberries in the continental or Mediterranean climate. It is not surprising, therefore, that most of the production is concentrated in Asturias, the Basque Country and Galicia.

past 6 and 7 years later from the plantation you get the maximum production. With good handling, these yields can last to 30 years No problem. An adult plant can produce up to 4.5 kilos of fruit; From the second year onwards, up to 1 kilo of blueberries can be harvested per plant.

However, it is recommended that during the first years eliminate flowers to favor vegetative and root development and that the plant is implanted correctly. In Spain, between 10 and 15 tons of blueberry production per hectare are already achieved. Of course, the most expensive crop of blueberries is how expensive it is to harvest, it must be done by hand.

Therefore, after seeing the characteristics of the plant and the crop, your production of blueberries per hectare It will be successful if you attend to the different factors and design the farm well before producing. This way you will save many problems that are much more difficult to solve later.

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