How to Grow Vaccinium Myrtillus

Obtain bilberries or bilberry seeds in fall or winter. There is some question as to whether bilberries are best sown soon after ripening or late in the winter, but in either case the same procedures apply.

Fill the pot with the soil. Place the seeds on the surface and cover them lightly with more soil. If the seeds are buried in the ground, they will be unlikely to germinate. Place the pots in a greenhouse in an area with light shade and keep them watered.

Transplant the seedlings into individual pots once they have reached approximately 2 inches in length. Continue to water the plants as needed until the last frost date of the cold season has passed.

Follow the instructions for your soil pH meter to test the soil where you intend to grow the bilberry bushes. Bilberries will not do well if the soil is alkaline. The best pH for these plants is between 4.5 and 6. Test in multiple locations to make sure that the readings you obtain are not anomalous.

Add sphagnum peat moss to the soil if the existing soil is too acidic. Place 1 to 2 inches of peat moss on top of the soil, and incorporate it with a shovel or mechanical tiller to a depth of 12 inches. If you intend to plant bilberry bushes over a large area, use granular sulfur instead, following the instructions on the product.

Transplant the young bilberry plants to the outdoor growing area after the last frost date has passed. The bushes should be located in an area that receives full sun or no more than partial shade.

Water the bushes if they get too dry and begin wilting, but generally little maintenance is required for the common bilberry. Once the plants have grown large and begin to put out berries, cover the bushes with bird nets in order to prevent birds from stealing your crop.