Home » Misc » Growing blueberry bushes

Growing blueberry bushes


Growing blueberries in the home garden

  1. Home
  2. Yard and garden
  3. Find plants
  4. Fruit
  5. Growing blueberries in the home garden

Quick facts about growing blueberries

Many blueberry varieties grown in the Upper Midwest were bred for this climate by the University of Minnesota, making them right at home in the Minnesota home garden.

Blueberry leaves turn stunning shades of crimson and orange in autumn.

Blueberry plants grow slowly, and they may not seem to get much bigger from year to year. It takes a blueberry bush about 10 years to reach mature size, but this also means they will live a long, long time.

It will be 2 or 3 years before you start getting large harvests, but it is definitely worth the wait. The bushes are very attractive and will be a beautiful addition to your yard while you wait for fruit.

Care through the seasons

Preparing to plant

Blueberry plants require acidic soil (pH 4.0 to 5.0) that is well-drained, loose and high in organic matter. Most garden soils in Minnesota have higher pH and must be amended.

If pH is too high: 

 | 

Selecting plants

Blueberry plants are widely available at local and online nurseries. Be certain the plants you buy are winter hardy to your USDA zone (zone 3 or 4 in Minnesota).

If buying plants locally, find potted plants that are at least two or three years old.

 | 

Blueberry varieties for Minnesota

Variety Plant size (h x w) Hardiness (zone 4 to 3) Avg yield (lbs/bush) Description
Bluecrop 5 x 5 ft Good to fair 3 to 12 Large, mild-sweet berries. Ripen mid-season
Chippewa (1996) 4.5 x 5 ft Excellent to good 3 to 8 lbs Medium-large, sky-blue berries. Firm texture, sweet flavor. Ripen mid-season.
Northblue (1983)  3 x 4 ft Excellent to good 3 to 9 lbs Large, dark blue, firm berries. Ripen mid-season.
Northcountry (1986) 2.5 x 4 ft Very good to fair 3 to 5 lbs Small-medium, sky-blue berries. Sweet, mild flavor. Ripen early.
Northland 4 x 4 ft Excellent to good 3 to 12 lbs Medium, mild flavored berries. Ripen mid-season.
Northsky (1983) 2 x 3 ft Good to fair 1 to 5 lbs Medium, sky-blue berries. Sweet and mild. Ripen mid-season.
Patriot 4.5 x 4 ft Good to fair 3 to 12 lbs Very large, tart berries. Ripen early.
Pink Popcorn™ (2014) 4 x 4 ft Very good to good 3 to 5 lbs Medium, cream to pink berries. Ripen early to mid-season. Self-pollinating.
Polaris (1996) 4 x 4 ft Very good to good 3 to 8 lbs Medium, firm, crisp berries. Intense flavor. Ripen early.
St. Cloud (1990) 5 x 4 ft Very good to good 2 to 7 lbs Medium, dark blue, firm berries. Sweet flavor, crisp texture. Ripen early.
Superior (2009) 5 x 4 ft Very good to good 3 to 8 lbs Medium, sweet-tart berries. Ripen late.

Print expanded content.

Planting

Blueberries grow best in full sun. Plants will tolerate partial shade, but too much shade causes plants to produce fewer blossoms and less fruit.

 | 

Managing pests and diseases

Insects and wildlife cause minimal damage to blueberries. Because of the acidic soil requirements of blueberries, you are much more likely to have nutritional issues than pest issues. This highlights how important correct diagnosis is in addressing issues.

Find help identifying common pest problems:

 | 

How to keep your blueberry bushes healthy and productive

 | 

Emily S. Tepe, horticultural science researcher; Emily E. Hoover, Extension horticulturist; James Luby, professor of horticultural science; Annie Klodd and Marissa Schuh, Extension educators

Reviewed in 2020

Share this page:

Page survey

How to Grow Blueberries

Produce your own fresh fruit with tips on planting, pruning, fertilizer and more

By

Marie Iannotti

Marie Iannotti

Marie Iannotti is a life-long gardener and a veteran Master Gardener with nearly three decades of experience. She's also an author of three gardening books, a plant photographer, public speaker, and a former Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticulture Educator. Marie's garden writing has been featured in newspapers and magazines nationwide and she has been interviewed for Martha Stewart Radio, National Public Radio, and numerous articles.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 08/21/22

Reviewed by

Debra LaGattuta

Reviewed by Debra LaGattuta

Debra LaGattuta is a gardening expert with three decades of experience in perennial and flowering plants, container gardening, and raised bed vegetable gardening. She is a Master Gardener and lead gardener in a Plant-A-Row, which is a program that offers thousands of pounds of organically-grown vegetables to local food banks. Debra is a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board

In This Article

Along with producing fruits that can bring a sweet, healthy addition to your diet, blueberry bushes are easy to grow with a slow-to-moderate growth rate. Blueberries can be planted directly in the ground, form landscape shrubs in your yard, or grow in pots to add a pop of color to your patio.

Blueberries include several species of flowering, fruiting shrubs within the Vaccinium genus, all native to North America. Relatives within the Vaccinium genus include the bilberry, cranberry, huckleberry, and lingonberry.

Blueberry bushes have pointed, oblong leaves that are leathery to the touch and turn a brilliant red color in the fall. The flowers appear in clusters of small, white, bell-shaped blooms in the late spring, leading to deliciously edible berries that ripen from green to a deep purple-blue.

Quick Tips for Growing Blueberries

Click Play to Learn How to Grow and Harvest Blueberries

Common Name Blueberry
Botanical Name Vaccinium spp.
Family Ericaceae
Plant Type Fruit, perennial
Size One to eight feet tall, two to ten feet wide (varies by species)
Sun Exposure Full sun
Soil Type Sandy, well-drained
Soil pH Acidic (4.0 to 5.2)
Bloom Time Spring
Hardiness Zones 3–9 (USDA) (varies by species)
Native Area North America

How to Plant Blueberry Bushes

When to Plant

When selecting blueberry bushes, the best choice is bare-root plants that are two to three years old. Older plants suffer more transplant shock and will take a few years to begin producing large harvests. Blueberry bushes are generally planted in the early to mid-spring. In USDA Hardiness Zones 6 and higher, they also can be planted in the late fall.

Selecting a Planting Site

Pick a spot that receives full sun but is sheltered from strong winds. Avoid a planting site that is close to tall trees or shrubs that might block the sunlight or compete for soil moisture and nutrients. Make sure the planting site has good soil drainage. You can mix some peat moss into your planting hole to keep the soil loose, acidic, and well-drained. Blueberries also can be grown in containers if they receive sufficient sunlight and moisture.

Spacing, Depth, and Support

Blueberry bushes should be spaced in a row about four to five feet apart; adjacent rows should be spaced nine to ten feet apart to provide plenty of room for harvesting. For bare-root plants, spread the roots out into a prepared hole, then cover them with soil and ensure the root ball is no more than 1/2 inch below the soil surface. For container-grown blueberries, plant them the same depth that they were in the nursery pot. Blueberry bushes are sturdy plants and generally don't need any support structure.

Blueberry Plant Care

Light

Blueberry plants need full sun to grow and fruit well. This means at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight on most days.

Soil

Blueberries must be grown in very acidic soil with a soil pH in the range of 4.0 to 5.2. They also grow best in soil that's rich in organic matter. If your garden has heavy clay soil, blueberries will fare better in raised beds where you can control the soil composition and pH. Sandy soil is preferable to dense clay.

Add a layer of mulch after planting: Evergreen wood chips, sawdust, and pine needles will help to keep the soil acidic. To get the right soil pH for growing blueberries, it’s best to amend the soil the season before you intend to plant. Garden sulfur or aluminum sulfur can be mixed into the top six inches of soil to lower the pH as needed. Your local garden center or extension office can test your soil to tell you how much sulfur you’ll need. It’s wise to retest your soil before actually planting to make sure you’ve achieved the best results. Continue amending the soil periodically, because soil tends to revert to its original pH.

It’s also common for blueberry leaves to begin to yellow. Although this is usually a sign of iron deficiency, it is probably not caused by a lack of iron in the soil. More likely, this symptom indicates that the soil pH is too high and the blueberry plants cannot access the iron that is available in the soil. If you see yellowing leaves worsening, have the soil pH tested and make adjustments as necessary.

Water

Be sure the plants get a deep watering at least once per week. Blueberries are shallow-rooted and need at least a couple of inches of water each week (more during dry spells). You can also utilize an automatic irrigation system to ensure consistent water for your plants.

Temperature and Humidity

The temperature requirements of blueberry bushes vary according to the species. The traditional highbush types prefer humid air and a cold winter climate, but variants bred for Southern gardens do not tolerate freezing temperatures. Most types prefer protection from drying winds.

Fertilizer

Don’t fertilize your blueberries in their first year. The roots are sensitive to salt until the plants are established. Once your blueberries have been planted for one year, you can begin feeding them based on two main indicators: when the flower buds first open, then again when berries start to form. Remove weeds regularly to ensure soil nutrients are not being consumed by weeds rather than your blueberry bushes.

Ammonium sulfate is usually used as a fertilizer for blueberries, as opposed to the aluminum sulfur used to lower the pH. You can use any fertilizer for acid-loving plants, including blueberry food and azalea food. Gardeners can either do foliar applications (applying directly to the leaves) or by fertilizing the soil, and many choose to use organic fertilizers like fish emulsion, compost, or manure tea.

Pollination


Blueberries can self-pollinate. However, for best results, plant two or more bushes—two is good, but three is better. The diversity will result in a higher fruit yield and larger fruits. Make sure the varieties you choose bloom simultaneously to ensure cross-pollination between the plants takes place.

The Spruce / K. Dave The Spruce / K. Dave The Spruce / K. Dave The Spruce / K. Dave

Types of Blueberries

There are four main types of blueberry plants: highbush, lowbush, half-high, and rabbiteye. They are primarily classified by their size, and plant breeders continue to cultivate new varieties to improve their vigor. The main types include:

Blueberries vs. Huckleberries

Blueberries and huckleberries come from the same genus. The fruits look similar at first glance: they’re both small and round with a blueish color. However, huckleberries tend to be more tart than blueberries, and their seeds are noticeably hard when you bite into them (unlike blueberry seeds).

Harvesting Blueberries

Blueberries will typically be ready to harvest between June and August. Most blueberry plants start to produce fruit by their third year, but they won’t produce fully until about their sixth year. Mature blueberry bushes yield around eight quarts of berries per bush. It’s possible to extend your blueberry harvest by planting two or more bushes, such as early-, mid-, and late-season varieties.

The only reliable way to know whether blueberries are ready to pick is to taste them. Ripe blueberries will readily come off the stem. Blueberries are their sweetest if allowed to stay on the plant for at least a week after turning blue. Hold a container under berry clusters, then gently pick them off with your other hand to drop the fruits into the container. Put them in the refrigerator, unwashed as soon as possible. They typically can keep up to a week when refrigerated (wash them before use). The berries can be eaten fresh or used in baked goods, and they also can be frozen and kept in the freezer for around 6 to 12 months.

Growing Blueberries in Pots

Blueberries are one of the easiest berries to grow in containers. They are popular in home gardens because they can grow in small spaces, including containers. Containers are especially ideal if you don't have adequate soil conditions for blueberries. Use a container at least 18 inches deep with ample drainage holes. An unglazed clay pot is ideal because it will allow excess soil moisture to escape through its walls. 

Use one container per plant and choose a blueberry variety that remains fairly small. Select a potting mix made especially for acid-loving plants, then plant your blueberries at the same depth they were in the nursery pots. Keep the soil lightly moist but never soggy, and make sure the container gets plenty of sunlight. Use a fertilizer made for acid-loving plants in the spring.

Pruning

Blueberries will continue producing at their best with some maintenance pruning. In the first two years, remove any flowers that appear to help your plants grow bigger and more vigorous. You can leave the flowers on for the third year. They won't produce many berries, but no pruning is necessary until the fourth year.

Beginning in the fourth year, prune your blueberry bushes in late winter or early spring while they are still dormant. A good rule of thumb is to prune about 1/3 of the plant to encourage new growth. Using clean, sharp garden shears or a small wood saw, remove any dead, broken, crossed, or weak branches where they meet the main stem. The goal is to open up the bush so light can reach the middle, so it's also important to trim any branches that cross each other.

Maintenance pruning in subsequent years should aim at thinning out the older branches. Cut back the oldest, thickest branches to near ground level, then prune back branches that have grown too long or too thin. Older branches will look gray in color; newer branches will have more of a reddish tinge.

Propagating Blueberries

Like many woody shrubs, blueberries can be propagated by rooting cuttings taken from softwood or hardwood. Not only is this a cost-effective way to get a new plant, but it also helps to thin out mature plants. The best time to take softwood cuttings is in the early spring, while hardwood cuttings are best taken in late winter before new growth begins. Here's how:

  1. Choose a healthy branch. Use pruners to cut off the last five inches of growth from the tip of the branch, then remove all but the top two or three leaves.
  2. Apply a rooting hormone to the cut end.
  3. Plant the cutting in a moistened soilless potting mix in a small container. Place the container in a warm room that isn't exposed to drafts or temperature fluctuations.
  4. Keep the container in bright, indirect light, and make sure the growing medium stays moist but not soggy. It can take a few months for the cutting to root.
  5. Once new leaves have developed and you feel resistance when gently tugging on the cutting (indicating that it has grown roots), it is ready to be planted in the garden. For hardwood cuttings, wait until spring to transplant outdoors.

How to Grow Blueberries From Seed

Before blueberry seeds can be planted, they must first be put in the freezer for 90 days to mimic the winter cooling period. You can grow blueberries from fruit by freezing the blueberries, then mashing them or putting them in a blender or food grinder. Once macerated, the seeds sink to the bottom. Collect the seeds by separating them from the juice and pulp.

Fall is the best time to plant seeds in warm climates, while spring is best in cool climates. Fill a flat tray with moistened sphagnum moss, sprinkle the seeds on top, then lightly cover them with more moss. Cover the tray with newspaper and place it in a room that stays between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the moss consistently moist. 

Seedlings should emerge in about a month, at which point you can remove the newspaper and keep the tray in bright, indirect light. Once the seedlings are two to three inches tall, they can be planted in an equal mix of peat moss, sand, and soil. Continue to keep them moist. They should be large enough to plant in the garden during the spring of their second year after the threat of frost has passed.

Potting and Repotting Blueberries

You should start growing blueberries in as large of a container as possible. If you see roots emerging from drainage holes or the top of your container, it’s time to repot into something larger. Choose a container that comfortably fits the root ball.

Fill your container with fresh potting mix or a soilless medium of equal parts shredded pine bark and sphagnum peat moss. After removing the plant from its current container, gently shake off any excess soil. Replant the shrub at the same depth it was in its previous container.  Keep the soil moist, but not soggy.

Overwintering

Blueberry bushes go dormant over the winter, and they’re generally hardy to the coldest conditions of their hardiness zones. However, they can be susceptible to fluctuating winter temperatures that trigger new growth. If your blueberries are growing in pots, it's helpful to cover them in frost blankets to minimize freezing air and wind chills. To protect the bushes in the ground and maintain consistent soil temperatures, add a layer of mulch around them before the weather gets cold.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

By far the biggest problem growing blueberries is keeping birds at bay. Placing bird netting over your blueberries or using a scarecrow can be successful if you have only a few bushes, but if you have a large blueberry patch, consider trying a bird deterrent that sends out a bird-in-distress call to repel birds.

Insects to be on the lookout for include: scale, blueberry tip borer, cherry fruit worm, cranberry fruit worm, and plum curculio. If these are common pests in your area, check with your local extension for the prescribed deterrents and treatments.

There are some fungal diseases that can affect blueberries, including powdery mildew and rust (which can be treated with neem oil) along with leaf spot diseases. Your best defense is to plant genetically resistant varieties. It also helps to give your plants plenty of space for good air circulation, plant them in full sun, clean up any fallen debris, and replace the mulch annually so that fungal spores cannot overwinter in the area. If you experience these problems, you might need to use a fungicide labeled for use on edible plants.

Some other common blueberry diseases to be aware of include:

Article Sources

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Keys to Establishing a Successful Blueberry Planting. PennState Extension

Garden blueberry: planting and cultivation features

Garden blueberry is a wonderful berry crop for your garden. Its large, juicy, sweet berries taste like blueberries, but contain more vitamins and nutrients and are therefore considered healthier.

Growing and caring for blueberries is not very difficult and will not cause you much trouble if you are familiar with some of the features of this crop.

Otherwise, you will not only not get a large harvest of tasty and healthy berries, but in general you can lose this wonderful fruit plant already 2-3 years after planting. nine0003

Therefore, today we will talk about the features of growing garden blueberries, where and how to plant them correctly and how to care for them.

BLUEBERRY: GROWING IN THE GARDEN

Garden blueberry (tall): biological portrait . Blueberry garden is a deciduous cross-pollinated shrub with erect stems from the Heather family. North America is considered the birthplace of tall blueberries.

The height of the bushes can reach 2 m. Productivity - up to 13 kg per bush. nine0003

The leaves are dense, glossy, elliptical, up to 5.5 cm long. In summer they are bright green, and in autumn they turn into a fiery scarlet color, which makes the plant unusually decorative.

No wonder many well-known designers often use tall blueberries when creating all-season compositions.

Flowers are small, pale pink, goblet-shaped. Flowering begins in mid-May.

Fruit - large dark blue or purple (depending on the variety) berries - juicy, sweet with a pleasant blueberry aroma. Harvest ripens in late July - early August. nine0003

Garden blueberry is practically not affected by pests. Its dense, glossy leaves are too tough for them. It also very rarely gets sick if planted in the sun and not overgrown with weeds.

How and where blueberries grow . Since blueberries are cross-pollinated, at least two plants should be planted side by side, preferably different varieties, to get a good berry harvest.

Neighbors are of great importance for blueberries. To maximize the harvest, we recommend that you plant honey plants next to the blueberry bushes. nine0003

You can use honey green manures - white mustard and clover. In addition to attracting pollinating insects, they will also improve the composition of the soil in the root layer.

We do not recommend planting garden blueberries next to black currants, the leaves and flowers of which emit a large amount of essential oil substances that will depress it.

USEFUL PROPERTIES OF BLUEBERRY

Tall blueberry is useful for vitamins and antioxidants contained in it in large quantities. Almost all vitamins are present in its berries: A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, C, D, E, K, PP.

They also contain trace elements: potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, iodine, selenium, silver and others.

They are high in antioxidants, and primarily anthocyanins and polyphenols, which prevent the occurrence of cancerous tumors in the body.

Regular use of garden blueberries improves vision, prevents the development of glaucoma and cataracts.

Antioxidants help cleanse the entire vascular system, and especially the thin vessels of the brain. They purify the blood, remove toxins, prevent the occurrence of heart attacks and strokes. nine0003

In addition, blueberries improve the functioning of the entire digestive system.

What else is useful for blueberries? Regular consumption of its berries prevents cell aging, rejuvenates the body and pushes back old age!

PLANTING OF GARDEN BLUEBERRY

This is the most important stage in the cultivation of tall blueberries. The health and future harvest of this unique fruit shrub depends on where, how and on what soils you plant it.

Blueberry planting date . When properly planted, garden blueberries take root well in spring and autumn. We recommend that you plant it in the spring in late April - mid-May. In autumn - from the end of August to the end of September.

Site selection . Blueberries are very fond of the sun. If you plant it in the shade, you will never get high yields. There she will get sick and may not bloom at all.

Therefore, choose the sunniest place for this crop so that the tall bushes literally bathe in the sun during the whole daylight hours. nine0003

Soil preparation . This is the most important point in blueberry farming!

Garden blueberries will grow well and bear abundant fruit only in very acidic soils (pH 3 - 3.5)!

With less acidity, blueberries will produce very few small berries. Or maybe not fruit at all. And it won't grow at all.

Therefore, before planting, the soil in the area allotted for planting blueberries must be acidified. Use only citric acid for this (4 tablespoons per 10 liters of water per 1 sq. m of soil).

Do not acidify the soil under blueberries with vinegar, battery fluid or other chemicals !

Remember that plants are living beings and you can easily burn their roots with harsh chemicals.

With a solution of citric acid, water well all over the soil 2 to 3 hours before digging the planting holes.

Peculiarities of garden blueberry planting. As mentioned above, 2-3 blueberry seedlings should be planted side by side to ensure good cross-pollination. It is better to plant three bushes in case one suddenly dies. nine0003

Dig planting holes 45 cm deep and 1.5 m in diameter. Set aside fertile soil. At the bottom of each planting hole, lay a drain of broken brick or small gravel with a layer of 6 - 7 cm.

Fill each hole with an artificially prepared soil mixture composed of the top fertile layer, peat, compost and sand in a ratio of 1:2:2:1.

If spruces and pines grow near your site, collect coniferous litter, and add half a bucket to each planting hole. nine0003

In addition to potting mix, add 2 tbsp. tablespoons of superphosphate and 1.5 tablespoons of potassium sulfate.

Before planting, pour a solution of citric acid (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water) into each hole, and then pour clean water (2 watering cans into each hole). After 2 hours, you can start landing.

After planting, water all plants well with plain water and mulch tree trunks with sawdust or litter. You can put spruce or pine cones in the trunk circle, and on top of them there is already a mulching layer. nine0003

CARE OF GARDEN BLUEBERRY

Proper planting is half the battle. It is very important for this plant and proper care.

Watering blueberries . Garden (tall) blueberries are very fond of water. Remember that her relative - forest blueberries in nature grows in a swamp.

Without abundant watering, you will not see good harvests and large berries!

In cool summers, water blueberries twice a week (20 liters per bush). In hot weather, water at least every other day (30 liters per bush). nine0003

After each watering, loosen the soil under the bushes and add a layer of mulch.

Watering should be carried out either early in the morning or in the evening after sunset. In hot weather, in the evening, organize finely dispersed sprinkling over the leaves of garden blueberry bushes.

Make sure the soil under tall blueberries is always well moistened.

Blueberry dressing . The first dressing of garden blueberries should be carried out in early spring immediately after the snow melts. To do this, use a solution of urea (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water under one bush). nine0003

In summer (end of June and end of July) fertilize blueberry bushes with a solution of slurry at a concentration of 1:10 (one watering can for each bush). Before such top dressing, water the bushes well with clean water so as not to burn the roots with fertilizer.

In autumn - at the end of September, add some ready-made mineral complex for autumn feeding of fruit crops, containing phosphorus, potassium and all the microelements necessary for plants, under tall blueberry bushes.

When feeding this way, strictly adhere to the dosages indicated on the package. nine0003

Do not scatter the fertilizer under the bushes, but embed it into the ground by loosening. Fertilizer scattered on the surface of the earth will not bring any benefit to the plants.

Soil acidification . In order for garden blueberries to grow well and bear fruit abundantly, the soil in the root layer must always be acidic.

In the spring, after the snow melts, the melt waters wash away the acid from the upper soil horizons. Therefore, at the end of April, it is necessary to increase the concentration of acid under tall blueberries. nine0003

To do this, pour the bushes with a solution of citric acid (2 tablespoons per bucket of water under each bush).

During the summer, as a result of irrigation and after rains, the acid concentration also decreases. Therefore, pour the soil under the blueberry bushes a second time with a garden solution of citric acid (in the same concentration as in summer) in late September - early October.

Blueberry shaping . On garden blueberry bushes, carry out only sanitary pruning in the spring, removing all dried, broken, old branches growing inside the bush. nine0003

Garden blueberries do not need shaping pruning. The plant itself will form its aerial part. It is also not necessary to shorten the branches, otherwise you risk being left without a crop.

Shelter for the winter. Garden blueberry is a frost-resistant crop. It can withstand temperatures as low as -38 degrees. However, in the first three years after planting, its trunk circles need to be insulated.

We recommend that you use dry leaves, covered under bushes, with a layer of 40 cm and spruce spruce branches “needles up” laid on top in one layer so that voles and mice do not get to the bark and tasty roots in winter. nine0003

Mature garden blueberry bushes cover only in the northern regions of the country, where there are severe frosts in winter, as well as in areas with snowless winters.

THE BEST BLUEBERRY VARIETIES

We talked in detail about the cultivation of garden blueberries. In conclusion, we present you the best varieties of this wonderful crop from our unique collection of fruit trees and shrubs.

It is these varieties that have won the largest number of awards at international competitions in the last two years. nine0003

Read more about these varieties on our website and in the SPRING 2022 catalog.

And you can buy them from us or order them for spring planting today!

See also our published articles:

How to Grow Blueberries;

How to care for blueberries in summer.

planting and growing on the plot

Garden blueberry: planting and growing on the plot nine0002 Strawberry seedlings >

Blueberries have not always been cultivated. Wild blueberries naturally grow in many areas and in most countries. Through the efforts of breeders, gardeners have the opportunity to grow blueberries on the site. Garden blueberries are a very unpretentious plant, planting and caring for blueberry bushes is available to anyone who knows the basics of agricultural technology and knows how to perform garden care procedures.

Planting blueberries

Blueberry planting begins long before the seedling is transferred to the ground. The success of growing blueberries depends on the proper preparation of the site and the seedling itself for the planting procedure.

Site selection for blueberries

Like most crops, the location of the beds, lighting, temperature and humidity levels around are important for garden blueberries. We will study in more detail the process of preparing the beds for planting blueberries.

  • Lighting for blueberries. Blueberry is a photophilous culture. The lack of sufficient lighting will affect not only the health of the garden shrub, but also the size and even the taste of blueberries. But when choosing an open and lit place for blueberries, remember that the shrub does not tolerate drafts. Therefore, the best place would be a plot near the house or fence on the south side, away from the canopy and tree crowns. nine0211
  • Blueberry soil. Another important aspect of site selection, and another reason to plant blueberries away from the orchard. Large trees compete with blueberries in water intake. The soil for blueberries should have high drainage properties, since waterlogging of the surface layers leads to diseases of the blueberry root system. It is noteworthy that the proximity of groundwater and the moistening of the lower soil layers of blueberries are not terrible, since the root system of the shrub is superficial and does not reach deep into the soil. nine0211

    Separately, it is necessary to mention the timing of planting blueberries. If we are talking about blueberry seedlings with a closed root system, then there are no specific dates, they can be planted during the entire growing season. For blueberry seedlings with an open root system, the optimal planting time will be autumn, so that the plant has time to take root before the start of the growing season. Planting blueberries in the spring is possible, but in this case, you should not expect flowering and fruiting in the year of planting. nine0003


    Site preparation for planting blueberries

    Start preparing the beds for planting shrubs in advance, using the proposed step-by-step instructions.

    • The size of the blueberry pit is a square with a side of 0.8 m, the depth of the pit is not less than 0.5 m.
    • To achieve the desired drainage effect, mix fertile soil with softwood sawdust, softwood bark, small broken twigs, and add moss. nine0211
    • At this stage, it is necessary to feed the soil by introducing mineral fertilizers with a high content of nitrogen and sulfur into the pit.
    • In addition to fertilizers, it is necessary to take into account the acidity of the soil, since blueberries love acidic soils, the acidity level of which does not exceed 4.5. For acidification, use store-bought mixtures or regular vinegar and lemon juice. If the dosage is overdone and the soils become too acidic, blueberry leaves will begin to turn red.

Blueberry planting

When the place is chosen and prepared, we proceed directly to planting blueberry seedlings.

  1. Properly plant your plants to maximize your blueberry harvest. Plant blueberry bushes in rows. Between each bush, keep the same interval: when growing tall blueberry varieties, leave at least 1.5 m between the pits, if planting low-growing blueberry varieties, 1 m is enough.
  2. Proper row spacing is also important, as overcrowding will reduce the amount of sun available to each shoot, negatively impacting fruit flavor, size, immunity, and blueberry disease. Leave at least 2 m between rows, regardless of variety.
  3. In a hole prepared for planting, pour soil into a hill, place a seedling on this hill, carefully spreading the roots around. Fill the hole with soil, lightly tamp, water abundantly and mulch the bed with a mixture of needles, sawdust and bark. nine0211

Blueberry care

Watering blueberries

The plant loves frequent watering, but do not confuse it with abundant soil moisture. Stagnation of moisture for blueberries is dangerous. However, the rains in the spring-summer season will not be enough to fully moisten the beds. After planting, water blueberries every 2-3 days, if the summer turned out to be hot, then you need to increase watering up to 3 times a week. For adult shrubs, 2 times a week is enough. If possible, install drip irrigation for blueberries. And do not forget about regular acidification if the soil of your site has a neutral pH. nine0003


Blueberry nutrition

Blueberry nutrition consists of several stages. Before starting feeding, study the features of the procedure for blueberries.

  • You can make the necessary mineral fertilizer with your own hands, however, complex preparations are available in garden stores that contain not only the minerals necessary for the plant, but also those containing the very soil acidifiers that are so necessary for the shrub. nine0211
  • Blueberry fertilization is carried out in three stages. The first feeding should take place in the spring, in mid-April. The second one is a month later. And a month later, complete the procedure with the third application of nutrition. If for some reason the schedule has shifted, remember that the application of nitrogen fertilizers to the soil must be completed before July, otherwise the plant will not have time to prepare for the dormant period in winter.
  • Be sure to mulch the soil in autumn, this process will not only protect the shrub from moisture loss, but also maintain the acidity at the desired level. nine0211

Blueberry pruning

There are several types of shrub pruning, all of which are applicable to garden blueberries.

  • Blueberry shaping pruning. It is carried out in the spring, not earlier than in the fourth year of planting life. The main task is to form the correct crown so that the sunlight hits all the branches of the blueberry.
  • Regulating blueberry pruning. It is held at the end of August, annually, starting from the fourth year of life. Old branches are removed, young shoots are shortened. nine0211
  • Anti-aging blueberry pruning. Every 8-10 years, cut the shrub almost entirely near the ground, leaving only 5-6 young and strong shoots. Such pruning gives a new life to the shrub, it is carried out when a deterioration in the quality and quantity of the blueberry crop becomes noticeable.

Wintering blueberries

Blueberries are able to endure frosts down to -25 degrees. And even if the shoots are frozen, there is a chance for the shrub to revive with the onset of heat. However, such loads will negatively affect the health and further fruiting of blueberries, so it is better to prepare for the winter in a quality manner. nine0003

  1. before the onset of frost, water the blueberries with moisture;
  2. tie up the blueberry branches and gently bend them to the ground;
  3. mulch the bed with coniferous residues, bark and needles;
  4. cover blueberries with spruce branches or other available material.

In the spring, boldly open blueberries among the first crops, even return frosts down to -7 degrees will not harm the shrub.


Berry harvest

Compliance with all the rules for growing blueberries on the site is a guarantee of the appearance of the first crop on the shrub three years after planting. Get to know the information you need to know when starting to harvest blueberries.
  1. Do not rush to pick blueberries, they do not crumble and will hang on a branch for a long time.
  2. Harvest soft and sugary berries, and save firm and hard berries for next time. Harvest once a week. nine0211
  3. Blueberries have a high keeping quality: fresh harvested blueberries are stored in the refrigerator for up to a month after picking, at room temperature - 1-1.5 weeks.
  4. Berries are transportable, transport blueberries in wooden boxes, they will not choke and retain their taste.

Blueberries are not only delicious, but also extremely healthy.

Learn more