"Sow, Grow, and Sell: Making Blueberries Work for You

Blueberry farming in Kenya started recently but is growing fast due to the huge market demand for this super fruit. The United States is the world’s largest producer of blueberries. They are also grown in Chile, Argentina, Colombia, and British Columbia. Kenya's production is still too little to be ranked, despite the high demand for the fruit even within the country. 

Currently, blueberries are being grown in a few of these regions, mainly in Murang’a by Kakuzi limited. At the moment, Kakuzi and Vegpro grow the fruits in pots under a greenhouses. This are the largest successful blueberry farms in Kenya for now. 

Blueberry Seedlings for Sale 

Nutritional Benefits

The sweet, juicy fruits are rich in antioxidants and great for eating freshly picked or for adding to smoothies and desserts. Blueberries are one of nature’s superfoods, crammed with essential nutrients like vitamins K and C, minerals including manganese and health-boosting polyphenols.  They’ve even been proven to help with the old grey matter. If you want to include this fabulous fruit in your garden, there’s no time like the present to get planting.

Growing Conditions

You’ll get the most from your blueberries if you can provide a sheltered site, free from strong winds, with good or full sun hours to help those beautiful berries mature. The bushes are hardy, but avoid frost-prone areas of the garden, which can hamper the springtime flowers.

Most varieties are self-fertile, so in theory, you can grow only one bush in your garden and still be able to get fruits. In reality, you will get far better pollination and more fruits if plants can cross-pollinate. 

Also Read: Blueberry Farming in Kenya: The New Gold in Agribusiness

Blueberry Varieties 

There are three commercially important species of blueberries namely;

1. High bush
2. Low bush
3. Rabbit-eye

Highbush Blueberries: These are the most common type of blueberry, known for their large size and sweet flavor. They are further divided into two groups:

• Northern Highbush: These varieties are adapted to colder climates and typically produce larger berries.  
• Southern Highbush: These varieties are better suited for warmer climates and have a longer harvest season.

Lowbush Blueberries: Also known as wild blueberries, these are smaller and more tart than highbush blueberries. They are typically found in the wild in native countries and have not yet been introduced in Kenya.

Rabbit-eye Blueberries: These are native to the southeastern United States and are known for their heat and drought tolerance. They produce medium-sized berries with a slightly tart flavor.

Climate for Growing Blueberries

The High-bush blueberries available in Kenya grow in both cool and warm climates with temperatures between 20 and 35 degrees Celsius. However, the crop is intolerant to frost and should be grown under greenhouses in places prone to extremely low temperatures, frost or snowfall.

Water and irrigation requirements for blueberry farming

Sufficient amounts of water for growing blueberries can be described as that which will maintain the soils as consistently moist but not waterlogged. Remember, the bushes are sensitive to excess water and can develop root rot. Therefore, the crop requires regular watering either through irrigation or rainfall. Watering can be through drip irrigation, which applies water directly to the roots, or by overhead sprinklers for the hotter areas to keep the leaves cool and reduce the risk of sunburn.

Best Soil for Growing Blueberries

Blueberries grow best in acidic soil - thank heavens because we have lots of that in Kenya.  Ideally, the pH should be between 4.0 and 5.5. You can find out your soil’s exact pH using a soil pH test kit, but I always recommend a proper soil test so that you also get information about the other soil nutrient composition. 

If your soil is neutral or alkaline, all is not lost. You can amend your soil by adding acidic fertilizers which include animal manure, especially chicken poop.

Spacing in Blueberry Farming in Kenya

For best yields, ensure that you space your blueberry plants about 5 feet (approximately 1.5m) and not less than 3ft (approximately 90cm apart). This is the spacing I recommend that you stick to even when growing your blueberries in pots. 

Proper spacing is important to ensure that the plants get sufficient exposure to sunlight and airflow. This reduces the chance of disease attack. 

Blueberry Care and Maintenance

Keep the soil or potting mix moist, watering whenever it gets dry. Container plants will need regular feeding using a liquid fertilizer specially formulated for acid-loving plants. Plants in the ground simply need mulches topped up occasionally using an acidic organic material such as leaf mold, bark chippings, pine needles or composted sawdust.

Remember to transplant container blueberries into larger pots as soon as the roots fill the container and protect flowers from any late frosts using row cover fabric.

A Blueberry Farm

How to Establish Your Blueberry Farm: Step-by-Step 

• Choose the right variety: Different varieties of blueberries have different soil and climate requirements, so it's important to choose the highbush variety, which is the most suitable for the Kenyan climate. You can get the seedlings from Richfarm Kenya by calling +254724698357
• Soil preparation: Blueberries prefer loam or sandy loam soils. The red volcanic soils of central Kenya are ideal since they are also slightly acidic, giving the required pH of 4.5 to 5.5. If your soil is not naturally acidic, you can amend it with animal manure, rabbit Urine or peat moss to lower the PH. Additionally; add compost manure matter to the soil to improve its fertility and structure.
• Spacing: For high-bush blueberries, a common spacing is 3-5 ft between plants and 6-8ft between rows. This allows for proper air circulation and sunlight penetration, which can help to prevent disease and promote fruit production. For low-bush and rabbit-eye blueberries, which are smaller in size, a spacing of 2-3 ft between plants and 4-5 ft between rows is recommended.
• For containers, the container should be at least 18 inches in diameter and deep enough to accommodate the plant's root system.
• Plant at the right location: Blueberries should be planted on a location that gets full sun for at least 8 hours a day. Hence do not plant them under big trees that cast shadows on them.
• Provide proper irrigation: Blueberries require regular watering during the growing season to keep the soil consistently moist. This typically means providing 1-1.5 inches of water per week through irrigation or rainfall.
• Prune and maintain the bushes: Blueberries require regular pruning to remove dead or diseased wood, and to promote bush growth. Prune the bushes just before the rains. Additionally, it's important to keep an eye out for pests or diseases that could damage the bushes.
• Fertilizer application: Blueberries benefit from regular fertilization, especially with an acidic fertilizer that has a high percentage of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K).

Common Pests and Diseases

Pests

These include; Blueberry bud mite, flea beetle, Japanese beetle, sharp-nosed leafhopper, thrips.

Management

• Control of mites can be difficult as they are protected from pesticides by bud scales; miticides are most effective when applied just after harvest when the buds have not yet formed as they are more exposed to the chemical.
• If beetles were a problem in the previous year, use floating row covers to protect plants or spray kaolin clay; adult beetles can be hand picked from plants and destroyed by placing in soapy water; parasitic nematodes can be applied to soil to reduce the number of overwintering grubs; insecticidal soaps or neem oil can help reduce beetle populations
• Plantations of blueberry can be monitored for sharp-nose leafhoppers through the use of yellow sticky traps; insecticides registered for use on blueberry are generally quite effective at reducing leafhopper populations and should be applied to coincide with leafhopper dispersal to limit the spread of blueberry stunt.
• Infested areas can be removed by pruning; in commercial plantations the insecticides registered can be very toxic to bees and should be applied at dusk when bees are not actively flying. 

Diseases

These include; Gray Mold, Powdery Mildew, stem canker, Phytophthora root rot.

Management

Plant disease-free, dormant plants; remove or bury mummified fruit, if burying fruit cover with at least an inch of soil; application of appropriate foliar fungicides are very effective at controlling diseases in commercial plantations. Also use of good cultural practices: plant blueberries in well-draining soils or in raised beds; sanitize all tools and equipment regularly and avoid transferring soil between sites.

Also Read: Beetroot Farming in Kenya: Common Asked Questions on Beetroot Farming

Harvesting

Blueberries are picked by hand for fresh market for small scale farmers. For large scale growers, they are picked by hand and later harvest by machine for either the fresh market or processed market depending on fruit condition and current market prices.

Mechanical harvesters (this is for large scale growers like in the United States) straddle the row shaking the bushes with mechanical fingers to remove ripe berries. The ripe berries fall into a catch frame and are conveyed into plastic field lugs that carry about 9-10kg of fruit. Fields that are machine harvested are usually harvested multiple times to retrieve all mature fruit.

Lemon Farming in Kenya: Guidelines For Planting and Market Opportunities

Post- Harvest Handling

Within hours of picking, blueberries are transported by to a packinghouse. They are then cleaned to remove leaves, sticks, and underweight berries. All blueberries are then graded and sorted. Fruit destined for the fresh market are packed in clear plastic packing containers.

A Blueberry Plant with Fruits

Market Outlook

The market for blueberries in Kenya is growing quite fast, with increasing demand from both local and international buyers. These fruits are currently available only in select supermarkets. The price of blueberries in Kenya is currently between Ksh1,200-1,500 per kilogram, depending on the quality of fruit.

Blueberry farming in Kenya is highly profitable because of the low supply against a high and growing demand. An acre of land can accommodate approximately 2,000 bushes. The bushes start bearing fruits after 2 years and the yield keeps increasing to peak at 4 years when the plants fully mature.

At maturity, a single blueberry bush can produce 5kgs of fruits per year. That means you can get 10 tons of fruit from one acre. 

Seedlings

There are not as many blueberry seedlings for sale in Kenya however; you can get high quality seedlings from Richfarm Kenya from time to time. You can call or WhatsApp on O724698357 or 0723213602 to place an order for your seedlings.

Blueberry seedlings for sale at Richfarm Kenya

Note: You might need to wait in line for your seedlings to be produced.

• Cost per seedling ksh.500
• Seedlings per acre: 1000 seedlings
• Spacing: 4-5 ft between plants, 8-10 ft between rows, but varies depending on variety
• Fruit price: Ksh. 1,200- 1,500 depending on quality
• Yield: 5kg per plant annually
• Common pests: Blueberry bud mite, flea beetle, Japanese beetle, sharp-nosed leafhopper, thrips.
• Common diseases: Gray Mold, Powdery Mildew, stem canker, Phytophthora root rot.
• Lifespan- Perennial

Frequently Asked Questions

• Where is blueberry grown in Kenya?
• How fast do blueberries take to grow?
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• Which berries grow in Kenya?
• Where do I get blueberry seedlings in Kenya?
• What is the establishment cost in blueberry farming?
• Who are the largest growers of blueberries in Kenya?
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