Blueberry Growing Guide

Blueberries are delicious, easy-to-grow fruits that require minimal care and attention to grow in your home garden. Whether eaten raw, baked in muffins, or as a main ingredient in desserts or jams, blueberries are always delicious. They are an abundant source of vitamin C, minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants, which is why they are known as a "superfood." They are an excellent combination of tempting fruit and gorgeous ornamental beauty in the garden. With little effort and planting in the right soil conditions, you can grow abundant blueberries that will thrive for many decades and provide plenty of fruit each year. In this Blueberry growing guide, you will learn how to plant, grow, care for, and harvest delicious blueberries.

Types of Blueberries

Multiple blueberry types are available, including producing plants of different sizes and fruiting at different times in summer. Plant two or three varieties together to harvest larger berries. Planting multiple varieties will also extend the harvesting season. Here are the four main types of blueberries:

Highbush: It is the most commonly planted blueberry type. Highbush blueberries can grow 6-12 feet wide and tall, while some patio varieties are 2 feet wide. They are hardy from USDA zone 4 to 7. It is also called blue huckleberry, swamp blueberry, tall huckleberry, or swamp huckleberry. Highbush berries are further classified into Southern Highbush types (for warm climates) and Northern Highbush types (for cold climates).

For cold winters: Plant Blueray, Jersey, Meader, or Bluecrop varieties.

For the best flavor: Plant Blueray, Plant Herbert, Stanley, Ivanhoe, or Pioneer varieties.

For big fruits: Plant Blueray, Darrow, Herbert, Berkeley, or Bluecrop varieties.

Lowbush: These varieties are best for the coldest climates as they are hardy from zone 3 to 7. Lowbush blueberry is a spreading shrub that reaches only 2-24 inches high. They are spread by underground stems or roots. The fruits of lowbush varieties are sweet and have a dense, waxy covering that makes them appear gray or sky blue. Lowbush berries make a beautiful ornamental ground cover.

Blueberry Soil Needs

Blueberries thrive in acidic soil or ericaceous compost with a pH between 4 and 5. Test soil pH to ensure it is suitable for planting blueberries. If your soil is not acidic enough, add a small amount of sulfur chips to lower its pH, ideally several months before planting. Planting in only slightly acidic soil will stunt growth.

If you have alkaline soil, plant blueberries in raised beds or large containers filled with ericaceous compost or soil. Improve your soil before planting by adding a large amount of bulky acidic organic matter, such as peat moss, pine needles, or composted conifer bark.

Blueberry Plant Spacing

Space blueberry bushes 4-5 feet in a row with 6-8 feet spacing between rows. If planting highbush blueberries, space 4-6 feet apart between bushes. For lowbush varieties, space 2-4 feet between bushes. If planting bushes in a hedgerow, space them 5-6 feet with rows 10-12 feet apart. It is recommended to check your variety for specific spacing recommendations.

Blueberry Growing Zones and When to Plant Blueberries

Blueberries can be grown in most USDA hardiness zones, from zone 2 in the north to zone 10 in the south. However, it's essential to check the variety and its specific growing zones because finding blueberry varieties in some zones can be challenging.

Choose a sunny and sheltered area for planting. Although blueberries can tolerate some shade, sunlight yields better fruit. You can plant blueberries in early spring after the last frost or in fall. It is recommended that blueberries in zones five and below be planted until mid-spring. Fall planting allows roots to develop before winter, and spring planting will enable you to make the most of the growing season. One to three old plants are a good choice for planting. These can be purchased bare-root or in containers.

How to Plant Blueberry Bushes

• Dig holes that are around 10 inches deep and 18 inches wide. Moreover, you can make holes twice as wide and deep as the plant's roots.
• Space blueberry bushes 4-5 feet apart in a row with a minimum of 6 feet spacing between rows.
• Set the plant in the hole with the roots spread out. Mound the topsoil firmly around the root ball and pack the hole tightly.
• Following planting, add a mulch layer around the plant's base.

Blueberry Fertilization Needs and Type of Fertilizers

Blueberries are sensitive to over-fertilization and certain types of fertilizer. Instead of one high-dosage application, apply fertilizer in moderate amounts 2-3 times a year. Use organic and slow-release fertilizers that are particularly formulated for blueberries. Avoid using fertilizers containing nitrate forms of nitrogen as it can slow growth. Use fertilizers that include nitrogen in the urea or ammonium form. If your soil pH is below 5, use urea; if it is above 5, you can use ammonium sulfate.

Apply one ounce of fertilizer per bush in spring one year after planting. Increase the amount by one ounce every year, up to eight ounces for mature bushes. Spread fertilizer evenly over the plant's root zone and irrigate it properly with an efficient irrigation system, such as drip irrigation.

Blueberry Watering Needs

Blueberries require consistent watering to thrive. They must be kept moist throughout the season to ensure they don't dry out. For best growth, provide one inch of water a week throughout the growing season and increase it to about five inches when the fruit ripens. This watering schedule will maintain the ideal soil moisture for healthy development and yields. Container plants require regular watering, sometimes daily in hot weather. In hard water areas, use rainwater instead of tap water because tap water is extra alkaline.

The first year is crucial for your blueberry plant. It is not yet established enough and is not strong enough to be a mature tree. Water the tree once a week on clay soil and twice on light soil. When watering blueberry bushes, make sure to thoroughly soak the root system. A drip irrigation system should be used to provide slow, consistent, and deep watering to blueberry plants.

Pruning Blueberry

Pruning blueberry plants is rarely needed in the first two to three years. It is good to allow plants to establish first before letting them produce fruit. If required, only prune crossing or unwanted branches. From then on, prune at any time from November through March. The ideal pruning time is late February or early March when the fruit buds and leaf buds can be easily distinguished. Tiny buds form shoots and leaves, while fat buds provide flowers and fruit.

When pruning, remove dead, broken, weak, spindly, and short shoots with sharp pruners. Cut out twiggy growth at branches' ends. A mature blueberry plant should contain one-third young, middle-aged, and one-third old stems. In future years, blueberries should be heavily pruned every year to prevent over-fruiting, which produces small fruit or slow growth.

Harvesting and Usage

Blueberries are ready for picking from mid-summer onwards between June and August. Their color changes from green to dusky blue when ready to harvest. However, don't rush to harvest them as soon as they turn blue. Unripe blueberries have a firm texture and tangy flavor. When ready, they should effortlessly fall right into your hand with minimal effort. Early morning is the ideal time to pick berries when they're cool. All berries won't ripen at once, so check plants repeatedly for several weeks. A fully mature blueberry plant can produce around 2.25-5 kg of blueberries. If you plant two-year-old bushes, they will start producing fruit within a year or two. Depending on the planted variety, full plant production reaches after around six years.

Blueberries can be stored in the refrigerator for a week. If you will not use them immediately, put them on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze until firm. Then, put the frozen berries in freezer bags to enjoy all winter.

You can add dried berries to soups, stews, and meats. Additionally, dried blueberries can be crushed into powder and added to meat for flavor. Berry juice is also used to cure coughs. Blueberries are the naturally blue-colored food on earth, so their juice is used as a dye for clothing. Tea made from blueberry leaves is also considered beneficial for blood.

Common Diseases and Care

Blueberries are usually trouble-free and resilient plants if they are grown in acidic soil and irrigated well during the entire growing season. They are not susceptible to pests and diseases. Some diseases that cause blueberry problems include anthracnose, mummy berry, scorch mosaic, gray mold, botrytis, and blueberry rust.

Proper pruning, regular inspection, sanitation, and good air circulation will prevent disease infection. Remove and dispose of any dead, dying, or diseased part of the plant. Berries need protection in cold winter spells, mainly if they are grown in containers and from frosts in spring. Moreover, protect the fruits from birds using a fruit cage or netting.

Read More: 10 Common Plant Diseases and How to Treat Them

Conclusion

Blueberries are an excellent fruiting plant; growing them in your garden will be a long-term investment. Their scarlet fall foliage and bell-shaped white spring flowers will look gorgeous in your landscape. Moreover, blueberries are a superfood packed with minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants. This superfood can be used in numerous ways, such as smoothies, yogurt, cereal, and jam. So, grab your gardening tools, buy bushes from a reputable nursery or website, and plant this decorative and productive fruit in your garden.