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With the right soil and a sunny spot, growing blueberries is easier than you think—and the sweet reward is oh-so-worth it!
Types of Blueberries
Blueberries are perennial flowering plants in the genus Vaccinium. Commercial blueberry varieties belong to one of two types – highbush and lowbush and both are native to North America.
Highbush Berries: Species with larger berries growing on taller cultivated bushes are known as “highbush blueberries.” These berries have a sweeter taste and are larger in size. Hybrid species adapted to the southern climates of USA are collectively known as southern highbush blueberries. Numerous cultivars are available, each with its own diverse characteristics. Popular highbush varieties include: bluecrop, blueray, and jersey.
Lowbush Berries (a.k.a. Wild Blueberries): Species with smaller, pea-size berries and intense flavor growing on low-level bushes are known as “lowbush blueberries” and are synonymous with “wild blueberries”. Lowbush blueberries are not planted by farmers. They grow naturally in fields and rocky hills called barrens, reproducing by cross pollination. Canada is the leading producer of lowbush blueberries.
Now that you know the difference between highbush and lowbush blueberries, perhaps you’d like to try growing some at home. Segue!
Getting Started
Luckily blueberries are easy to grow at home with very little effort! That is, as long as you have highly acidic soil pH. Most of the work comes in the first year; after that, these plants are fairly low-maintenance. Did you know that blueberries grow on bushes? Not only will these bushes provide you with plump, juicy fruit, but they are also an attractive addition to your garden – providing creamy-white bell-shaped flowers in spring and scarlet foliage in fall. What’s not to love?
For home gardeners, most commonly highbush blueberries are planted because breeding has focused on this species, which means more varieties to choose from allowing you to meet your specific gardening needs. The best time to plant your blueberry bush is early to mid-spring. To make things easier for yourself, buy 1- to 3-year-old plants, available at your local garden center.
Where Best to Plant
Blueberry bushes work best in full sun, away from trees, and sheltered from wind. Since the bushes have shallow root systems, they need soil that holds moisture, but also well-drained soil so as not to stay wet (avoid clay soils or any place where water stands for 2 days or more). As mentioned previously, blueberries do best in acidic soil (pH level between 4 and 5). If you’re unsure what soil pH you have, try a soil test and if you find out you don’t have acidic soil conditions, you can acidify by adding elemental sulfur, peat moss, sawdust from conifers, coffee grounds, pine bark or needles. Even if your soil type is naturally acidic, prior to planting bushes, it is best to mix organic matter into the soil (e.g., peat moss or compost).
When you plant blueberry bushes, make sure the planting hole is not too deep. A good rule of thumb is to dig holes about twice as wide and deep as the roots of the plant. In the bottom of the hole place a rich compost mixture, for example peat moss. When placing the blueberry plant, set the root-ball just below the surface with its roots spread out and pack the hole tightly with soil. Bushes should be spaced 4 to 5 feet apart and it’s best to plant at least two bushes. Why you ask? Most blueberries are not self-pollinating, which means at least two different varieties are needed to pollinate one another to ensure berry production (otherwise you’ll only get beautiful flowers). This can also have the added benefit of a prolonged growing season and harvest as long as you choose wisely and select cultivars with varying ripening times.
After planting the bushes, make sure to mulch to ensure the shallow roots stay moist. This can be accomplished by applying a 2-to-4-inch layer of pine needles, oak leaves, woodchips, or saw dust around the planted bush but make sure to leave a gap around the trunk for air flow. The bushes need 1 to 2 inches of water per week and deep watering is best for optimal soil moisture.
While the bushes enjoy organic matter, blueberries like infertile soil which means you can skip synthetic fertilizers as long as you have properly prepared their location.
It is best to prevent bushes from fruit production in the first 2 years in order to allow the plant to get well-established. To accomplish this, pinch off any blossoms that may appear in the spring. In addition, after planting, you may want to remove 25% of the branches to promote new growth. Outside of that, there is no need to prune the bushes for the first 4 years or so. After that, prune in late winter or early spring before new shoots appear. Remove the oldest, darkest branches including any low-growing branches and those that are crowding the center of the bush, in addition to any damaged shoots. One other thing to consider – as much as humans love blueberries, so do birds! Therefore, it is a good idea to cover bushes with bird netting.
If you don’t have a lot of outdoors space, you can even grow blueberries in a large container with drainage holes! Just add potting mixture designed for acid-loving plants, plant the bush and water well. Place in a sunny location and keep soil moist. Covering the top with mulch helps to retain moisture. In addition, change the soil every one to two years to help keep the bush healthy.
Pests & Diseases
Blueberry bushes can be affected by a variety of pests and diseases that impact fruit production and plant health. Common pests include blueberry maggots, spotted wing drosophila, aphids, scale insects, leafrollers, and Japanese beetles. Birds are also a significant threat, often feeding on ripening fruit. As for diseases, blueberries are susceptible to several fungal infections such as powdery mildew, botrytis blight (gray mold), anthracnose, mummy berry, phomopsis twig blight, and root rot, which thrive in wet, humid conditions.
Harvest Time
Depending on where you live, blueberries are usually ready to be picked between May and August. Make sure to wait a few days after blueberries turn blue before you pick them. At that time, they should fall right off into your hand. Typically, full production will only be reached after about 6 years. Amazingly, a single blueberry bush can produce as many as 6,000 blueberries per year! And, blueberry bushes can live and produce for 40 to 50 years, making them well worth the investment.
However, if growing blueberries at home seems like too much work or you just don’t have the space or patience for it, look for a local farm that offers pick-your-own berries. This is a great family activity, with the added benefit of providing you with plenty of delicious, plump, juicy berries to bring home with you (and, er eat along the way!). Bring a step ladder to help reach those top berries!
Grow Your Own Garden
If you’re looking for help on how to grow other foods check out these posts!
