How to Grow Blueberries

One of the biggest nutritional powerhouses you can eat comes in a very small package: blueberries. These fruits are packed with more cancer-fighting, anti-aging, and eyesight-saving antioxidants than foods like spinach and salmon. They may be known for their delicious use in pies, cereals, and muffins, but blueberries are also becoming a popular choice for landscaping.

Blueberry bushes not only provide delicious fruit but also serve as beautiful shrubs or screens. You can even plant them in containers to decorate your patio with edible ornamentals.

Traditionally, blueberries grow best in humid, northern climates with winter chills, mild summers, and low-pH or acidic soils. However, numerous new varieties can thrive in lower chill areas, very warm regions, and coastal environments, significantly expanding their growing range.

If you're looking for edible plants to add to your garden, consider blueberries. Once you adjust your soil's pH to be more acidic, you'll find they're among the easiest fruits to cultivate.

Planting Blueberries

Cross-pollination is crucial for blueberries, so you'll need at least two plants. Be sure to choose varieties within the same family.

If space is limited, opt for dwarf varieties that are perfect for containers and small areas. Some modern types don’t even require a second plant for pollination.

Select a planting spot that gets six to eight hours of sunlight daily and has acidic soil, ideally around pH 5.5. You can add sulfur to make the soil more acidic. To determine your soil's pH, take a sample to your local extension service for testing, and they can recommend amendments based on the results. Prepare the soil by mixing in compost to make it rich and loose.

Plant blueberry bushes six feet apart, or closer if you want a hedge. Dig a hole 2-1/2 feet wide and a foot deep, add some soil back in the bottom, place the bush at ground level, and surround it with peat moss, garden soil, and compost to provide rich nutrients.

Planting Blueberries in Containers

Choose a weatherproof container that won’t crack in winter. In climates where temperatures stay below freezing for much of the winter, you may need to move your blueberry containers to a protected area. Fill the container halfway with soil, place the plant on top, and ensure the roots are loosened before planting. Add peat moss and compost, keeping the soil level the same as in the original pot. Sprinkle a little acidifier to maintain low pH. Tamp down the soil mixture and add a layer of mulch to retain moisture.

Containers dry out quickly, making regular watering essential. Blueberries have shallow roots, so avoid overwatering. A shallow watering is preferable to a deep soak. Blueberries enjoy the sun, but may need afternoon shade during the hottest part of summer to avoid scorching.

Blueberry Bush Care

A healthy blueberry plant will produce fruit for 15 to 20 years before its productivity slows down.

Blueberry bushes thrive in acidic soil, with little competition from weeds and full sun, making them prolific berry producers. However, canes older than seven years become less productive and should be pruned annually.

• If your bushes have never been pruned, start cautiously: remove no more than two or three of the oldest canes.
• Remove any diseased or broken wood, as well as crossing branches to allow sunlight and air in.
• The best time to prune blueberry bushes is late winter while they are dormant.

It takes about two years for young branches to produce fruit, so be patient. Remove leaf litter and debris from the base of the plants. Harvest all berries to prevent them from falling and attracting pests.

Fertilize in the spring, using fertilizers sparingly and avoiding high-nitrogen types that promote vegetative growth over fruit production. Consider planting cover crops like clover to add nitrogen naturally and prevent weeds.

Test the soil's pH annually and amend it as needed. Compost and fertilizers suitable for acid-loving plants like camellias and azaleas also work well for blueberries. Birds love blueberries, so cover the bushes with bird netting as soon as the berries start to ripen. Ensure there are no gaps in the netting and secure it with weights like bricks or stones.

Shiny objects like pinwheels or aluminum pie plates can also deter birds. Move these objects daily and remove them after the fruiting season.

Blueberries can suffer from fungal diseases such as Botrytis, mummy berry, Anthracnose, and powdery mildew. Other issues include stem and foliage diseases like Phomopsis twig blight and Botryosphaeria stem blight. To avoid root rot, plant in well-draining areas or raised beds.

Maintain good ventilation around the plants to control disease and insect problems. Prune crossing and rubbing branches to promote air circulation.

Harvesting Blueberries

Depending on the variety, blueberries are harvested from midsummer to late summer. They change from green to pink to red, and finally to blue, indicating they are ripe. Pick them only when they are uniformly blue with no green, white, or pink hues. Wait until you’re ready to eat them before washing. Blueberries can be refrigerated for short periods or frozen for longer preservation.

Ripe blueberries can stay on the bushes for days or weeks without losing quality, but most people harvest them as soon as they’re ready to avoid losing them to birds.

Blueberry Varieties

There are five main types of blueberries grown in the US:

Lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium and Vaccinium myrtilloides) grow up to 2 feet and are the state fruit of Maine. They spread by underground stems. Varieties include 'Top Hat' and 'Burgundy,' the latter having dark red leaves in the fall.

Highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) grow 5 to 9 feet tall and are native to the eastern and northeastern US. Popular cultivars include 'Earliblue,' 'Collins,' 'Blueray,' 'Bluecrop,' 'Berkeley,' 'Jersey,' and 'Patriot.'

Rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium virgatum) grow from 6 to 10 feet tall and are native to the southeastern US. Cultivars include 'Tifblue,' 'Climax,' 'Woodard,' 'Briteblue,' 'Southland,' and 'Delite.'

Southern highbush is a hybrid developed for areas with mild winters like the coastal Southeast, Florida, and California. Cultivars include 'Star,' 'Windsor,' 'Santa Fe,' 'Bladen,' 'Pamlico,' and 'O'Neal.'

Half-high blueberries are a cross between highbush and lowbush blueberries, growing 3 to 4 feet tall. Cultivars include 'Southblue,' 'Jubilee,' and 'Sunshine Blue.'