Blueberry Growing Guide
Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) are perennial shrubs that are native to North America and will be in the location you choose for a long time.
Blueberries are an important part of a healthy diet and are high in fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants.
Blueberries can be put into 3-major groups; Highbush, Lowbush and Rabbiteye.
The highbush and lowbush blueberry varieties are better suited for the colder northern states due to their requirement for a higher chilling requirement, which is the number of hours below 45-degrees F needed to trigger springtime flowering and fruiting.
The highbush blueberry varieties will reach a height of 5 to 7-feet tall, and lowbush varieties will reach a height of 18 to 24-inches. There are hybrids of the 2-species that reach about 3 to 4-feet.
Rabbiteye blueberry varieties are grown in the warmer southern states due to their shorter chilling requirement. These will reach a height of 8 to 10-feet high.
There are many varieties available which will grow in a wide band between the northern states and the southern states. Your local garden center may only carry a few varieties, but some of the nurseries on the internet carry more than 30-varieties.
You may want to set aside a nice sunny area of your garden for some perennials such as blueberries, asparagus, rhubarb and horseradish, because they prefer a slightly acid soil and will make good companion plants.
Edible landscaping is becoming more popular. A few blueberry shrubs make an interesting choice as a foundation planting in a sunny location. Purple basil and Swiss chard planted among your flowers will also be a colorful addition.
Blueberries do best if you plant two or more varieties near each other. Some blueberry varieties are not self-pollinating and need another variety nearby to set fruit. You could plant an early variety such as “Earli Blue” and a later variety such as “Blue Crop” to insure good pollination and at the same time spread out your harvest so that you do not have a large bumper crop of blueberries and then nothing.
To ensure a good set of fruit you should plant your blueberries near each other, but not more than 50-feet apart. Now, depending on the blueberry varieties you are planting, figure on each blueberry plant occupying a space about 3-feet wide and 3 to 5-feet high.
There are many varieties of blueberries to choose from. The local garden centers do not offer a wide selection and usually do not offer organically grown plants. The internet nurseries often have a large number of varieties to choose from. In addition to low bush and high bush there are early varieties and late varieties, blueberries that are small and some that are quite large, as well as blueberries that are pink.
Soil Preparation
Blueberries should be planted in full sun. Soil preparation for perennials is important, since they will be in that location a long time.
As soon as the soil is frost-free and can be worked, till the soil by digging down 8 to 12-inches turning the soil over with a garden fork working in some good organic garden soil. Remove any large rocks, the small pebbles remaining will do no harm and actually benefit the soil by adding some micronutrients to the soil.
Most vegetables do best with a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.8, but the recommended soil pH for blueberries is a more acid soil with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5, but experience shows that blueberries should grow well around a pH of 6.0.
There are soil test kits and meters that you can use to monitor the pH of your soil.
Planting
Most blueberry plants show up in the garden centers in the early spring while they are still dormant.
Follow the growers recommended spacing between plants and do not plant deeper than the depth you received it from the nursery. Placing mulch around your plants will help keep weeds from growing and helps keep the soil cooler and conserve moisture.
If you do not have enough space in your garden you could plant 2 or 3-half-high or dwarf blueberry varieties in containers or in the ground.
Plant Care
In the early spring prune out some of the oldest canes and cut back the growing tips. This will help keep them lower and denser. It is also easier to cover with netting to keep birds out.
Thin out old or damaged branches. This will encourage new growth and allow the sun and air to penetrate inside the blueberry plant.
Fertilizing
Blueberries do not require a lot of care. Do a soil test and if your soil is not acidic enough, consider adding an organic soil acidifier such as Espoma Holly-tone or similar fertilizer.
The best time to apply is in the late fall and early spring, simply by lightly scratching into the soil around each plant. This will be released into the soil over the winter and will be available for the spring growth.
Watering
Blueberries are perennial shrubs that put down deeper roots than annuals. If you are experiencing a prolonged drought then you might want to give your blueberries some supplemental water especially if they were recently planted.
Harvesting
Depending on the hardiness zone you are in, there are blueberry varieties that ripen from early May through August. Going out into your garden and picking a handful of organic blueberries that you grew for your breakfast cereal or pancakes is a real treat.
Most blueberries do not ripen evenly within a fruiting cluster and they do not ripen after harvest, so selectively pick only the ripe berries.
Diseases and Pests
They have no serious disease or pest problems. Many problems are caused by plants that are too close together. Prune or move plants to increase air circulation.
Occasionally cankers, galls, root rot, botrytis, powdery mildew, mites, aphids and spittlebugs may cause problems. Contact your local county extension service for approved controls in your area.
Bonide and Safer Brand make some natural products for use in organic gardens.
Popular Blueberry Varieties
Some northern varieties are: Blue Crop, Earli Blue, Darrow, Northsky, Jersey, Jubilee, Patriot, Pink Lemonade, Pink Popcorn, Sunshine and Top Hat.
Some southern varieties are: Austin, Baldwin, Brightwell, Centurian, Climax, Powderblue, Premier, Prince, Tifblue, Vernon and Woodard.
Sources: Nature Hills, Fast Growing Trees, Gurneys.
Tips and Warnings
Birds love blueberries as much as we do. Drape some bird or deer netting over your blueberries to keep the birds away. Make sure you pin the netting to the ground to keep the birds from getting under the netting.
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