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Planting and Growing Blueberries

Blueberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow.

Image Credit:
Pixabay
Botanical Name
Vaccinium
USDA Zones
3a
3b
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Toxicity
Non-toxic
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Water Needs
High
Height
6-10 feet
Spread
3-6 feet
Soil pH
Acidic
Bloom Time
Spring
Summer
Flower Color
White
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Erosion Control
Fall Color
Winter Interest
Attracts Pollinators
Attracts Songbirds
Resilience
Cold Hardy
Plant Type
Fruit
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Think you need a green thumb to grow blueberries? Nah—just a little acidic soil, some sunlight, and a love for nature’s sweetest snack! These plump, juicy berries aren’t just delicious—they’re nutritional powerhouses and surprisingly easy to grow right in your own backyard. 

Whether you’re dreaming of blueberry pancakes or just want a berry bush that pulls double duty as a landscape beauty, we’ve got you covered with this ultimate blueberry-growing guide.

Planting

When to Plant Blueberry Bushes

  • Blueberries can be planted in spring—or also in late fall in all but the coldest regions. In Zones 5 and below, it’s best to wait until early to mid-spring to plant.
  • If available, 1- to 3-year-old plants are a good choice. These can be bought in containers or bare-root. In either case, buy from a reputable nursery or website. 

Choosing and Preparing a Planting Site

  • Select a sunny, sheltered spot. While blueberries tolerate shade, better crops are obtained in the sun. At the same time, they should not be exposed to harsh, drying winds.
  • Don’t plant blueberries too close to trees, as the trees will block out sunlight and suck up any moisture in the soil.
  • If planting multiple bushes, it’s best to plant them in a group rather than scattered throughout your garden. This will bolster berry production and quality.
  • Blueberries are a shallow-rooted plant. Therefore, they require soil that holds moisture but also drains well and doesn’t stay wet. Don’t plant blueberries in sites with heavy, clayey soils that stay wet.
  • Blueberries thrive in soil that is acidic. The soil pH should ideally be between 4.0 and 5.0; soil that isn’t acidic enough will stunt growth. Soil can be acidified by mixing a small amount of granulated sulfur into the soil several months before planting. Peat moss and pine bark or pine needles are also good additions that will help acidify your soil.
  • Mix organic matter into the soil before you set your blueberry bushes. (See more about preparing soil for planting.)

Infographic regarding spacing for blueberry planting.

How to Plant Blueberry Bushes

  • Tip: Be careful not to plant them too deep. The root ball should be just below the surface (¼ to ½ inch).
  • Dig holes about 20 inches deep and 18 inches wide (or about twice as wide and twice as deep as the plant’s roots).
  • Space bushes 4–5 feet apart in a row, with at least 8 feet between rows. Prepare a planting mixture of 2 parts loam and 1 part oak leaf mold, peat moss, aged sawdust, or compost, and place a layer of this mixture in the bottom of the hole.
  • Set the bush in the hole with the root ball just below the surface with its roots spread out. Pack the hole tightly with the soil.
  • Apply fertilizer 1 month after planting, not at the time of planting. Apply ½ ounce of a 10-10-10 fertilizer in a band around the plant 6 to 12 inches from the crown.

 

Growing

Watering

Blueberries need 1 to 2 inches of water per week.

Mulching

Mulch is essential for keeping shallow blueberry root systems moist. After planting, apply a 2- to 4-inch layer of wood chips, sawdust, or pine needles around the bush, but leave a gap around the trunk to allow for proper airflow.

Fertilizer

One year after planting, apply 1 ounce of 10-10-10 fertilizer per bush in the spring when they bloom, and increase the rate by 1 ounce each year thereafter to a maximum of 8 ounces for mature bushes.

How to Prune Blueberry Bushes

Do not allow the bush to produce fruit for the first year or two after planting. This will allow the plant to use its energy to become well-established in its new home instead.

Pinch back any blossoms developing on newly set plants to allow the energy to go to growth.

  • For the first 4 years or so after planting, blueberry bushes do not need to be pruned. From then on, pruning is needed to stimulate the growth of the new shoots that will bear fruit the following season.
  • Prune plants in late winter or early spring before new growth begins.
  • Cut out dead, broken, short, weak, and spindly shoots.
  • On highbush varieties, begin with large cuts, removing wood that is more than 6 years old, drooping to the ground, or crowding the center of the bush. Also, remove low-growing branches whose fruit will touch the ground, as well as spindly twigs.
  • Prune lowbush varieties by cutting all stems to ground level. Pruned plants will not bear the season following pruning, so prune a different half of a blueberry patch every 2 years (or a different third of a patch every 3 years).

Video: How to Grow and Prune Blueberry Bushes

Harvesting

Warning: Blueberries are a favorite snack of hungry birds, so it’s recommended that you protect blueberry bushes ahead of time by draping bird netting over your plants.

How to Harvest Blueberries

  • Blueberries are typically ready for picking between June and August.
  • Don’t rush to pick the berries as soon as they turn blue. Wait a couple of days. When they are ready, they should fall off right into your hand.
  • If you plant 2-year-old blueberry bushes, they should start to bear within a year or two. (Pick off any flowers that form the first year or two after planting to allow the bush to become established.) Be aware that full production is only reached after about 6 years (depending on variety).

How to Store Blueberries

  • Blueberries are one of the easiest fruits to freeze. Learn how to freeze blueberries so you can have them all winter long.

Blueberries on shrub.

Pests and Problems

Blueberry Problems

If blueberry plants are not growing well or producing fruit, the issue is often related to soil conditions, watering, or pollination. Blueberries need acidic soil (pH 4.5–5.5), consistent moisture, and full sun to thrive.

If plants are producing few flowers, it may be due to insufficient sunlight, improper soil pH, or lack of nutrients. Blueberries struggle in alkaline soil and may fail to bloom if conditions are not acidic enough.

If flowers form but berries are small or poorly developed, it can be caused by inconsistent watering, poor pollination, or nutrient deficiencies. Blueberries need steady moisture, especially during fruit development, but the soil should not stay soggy.

If leaves turn yellow, this often indicates iron deficiency caused by soil that is not acidic enough. Adjusting soil pH with sulfur or using an acid-loving plant fertilizer can help correct this problem.

If plants show weak growth overall, it may be due to poor soil drainage or lack of organic matter. Blueberries grow best in loose, well-draining soil enriched with peat moss or compost.

Blueberry Pests

Blueberries can be affected by insects and animals, so regular monitoring helps prevent serious damage.

Check plants often for pests on leaves, stems, and fruit. Early detection makes control much easier.

Use a strong spray of water to knock off small pests like aphids or mites. Handpick larger insects when possible.

Insecticidal soap can be used for soft-bodied pests such as aphids, and neem oil can help reduce infestations by disrupting insect feeding and life cycles.

Avoid heavy insecticide use when possible because it can harm beneficial insects.

Birds are one of the biggest pests of blueberries and can quickly eat ripe fruit. To prevent birds from eating your crop:

  • Cover bushes with bird netting before berries ripen.
  • Use reflective tape or scare devices as temporary deterrents.
  • Harvest fruit frequently once ripening begins.

Types

There are four types of blueberries: highbush, lowbush, hybrid half-high, and rabbiteye.

The most commonly planted blueberry is the highbush. Most blueberry breeding has focused on this species, so there are many varieties that range widely with regard to cold hardiness and fruit season, size, and flavor.

blueberries on a blueberry bush.

Blueberries are partially self-fertile, so you will harvest more and larger berries by planting two or more varieties together. Planting more than one variety can also extend the harvest season.

Wit and Wisdom

  • Did you know that the modern blueberry is a 20th-century invention? Before the 1900s, the only way to enjoy these North American natives was to find them in the wild. Then, scientists started to unlock the secrets of cultivating blueberries—and we’re glad they did! 
  • A relative of rhododendron and azalea, blueberry bushes are a great fruiting plant; they’re also an attractive addition to your overall landscape, offering scarlet fall foliage and bell-shaped creamy-white spring flowers.
  • Plus, blueberries are one of nature’s superfoods, crammed with essential nutrients, minerals, and health-boosting polyphenols.
  • In Ireland, baskets of blueberries are still offered to a sweetheart to commemorate the original fertility festival of Lammas Day, celebrated on August 1.
  • Blueberries are one of the few naturally blue foods on earth.
  • For centuries, Native Americans gathered “star berries” (the blossom end of each berry forms the shape of a perfect five-pointed star) from forests and fields and ate them fresh or dried them for later use.
    • Dried blueberries were added to stews, soups, and meats.  
    • Dried berries were also crushed into a powder and rubbed into meat for flavor.
    • Blueberry juice was used to cure coughs.
    • Blueberry juice was also used as a purple dye for cloth and baskets.
    • A tea made from the leaves of the blueberry plant was believed to be good for the blood.

  • Tired of blueberries? Try growing another berry in your garden, such as strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries!

     

Fruit

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening, so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Chris Coddington</span> Wed, 07/30/2014 - 05:58
What varieties of blueberries have the largest berries? What varieties of blueberries have best taste? What varieties are sweetest? I am in northeastern Arizona where winters get down to 0 and occasionally a little lower. Summer can get up to mid 90's and low humidity. I did go thru your many posts and that was quite an education! Thanks
<span>V. Stephen Ajello</span> Thu, 12/18/2014 - 01:25
Bonus and Chandler are the largest while Darrow is right after them. Best taste is subjective but generally speaking the best tasting plants (among the northern high bushes) are: Legacy, Bonus (very distinctive) Blue gold, Elizabeth, Jersey (smallish), Hannah's choice, Hardy blue and Sparta. Duke, highly rated for productiveness but not for flavor, tastes great to me. Don't worry too much about it, the worst blueberry I ever had was delicious.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 07/30/2014 - 10:07

Hi Chris, Thanks for reading through your comments and your kind words.  In your area of Arizona, growing blueberries can be a challenge.  Soils in the higher elevations of northern Arizona have a pH range of between 6.7 and 7.3. Blueberries require a soil pH of 4.3 to 5.0. Remember that at least 2 varieties need to be planted for cross-pollination and fruiting.

In terms of variety: "Patriot" produces large size fruit (approximately 55 per cup) and has excellent flavor. Taste is very subjective but many people enjoy "Bluecrop" which produces medium to large fruit (approximately 65 per cup) and tends to be good and tart.

Much of this information comes courtesy of the University of Arizona cooperative extension and we would advise getting in touch with their services for more on-the-ground support. 

 <span>Matthew B Streeter</span> Fri, 07/18/2014 - 09:49
I live in South-Central Colorado in a zone 5 climate with lots of sun and fairly temperate winters but low humidity. What would be a good variety of blueberry bush(es) to grow and when should I plant them? Thanks.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 07/21/2014 - 18:30

Blueberries are not the most natural berry for Colorado, due to the alkaline soil. Blueberries need acidic soil to thrive (pH 5.5). If you're up for the challenge, 'Earliblue' Highbush blueberries grow in zone 5. You'll need two varieties for cross-pollination.  Other highbush types that cover zone 5 are 'Blue Crop", 'Blue Gold', and 'Blue Ray.' Some tips: grow in sphagnum peat moss, ensure that the root zone always stays moist, even in winter, and protect the bushes from winter winds. Wrap bushes with burlap or old sheets while they are dormant.

 <span>Himali Chakraborty</span> Mon, 07/14/2014 - 02:19
Im indian,i m having keen interst in planting blueberries,especially emerald ones ,is hybridization is possible here,,with othr berries,and what r the neccesary steps required to do the plantation.
<span>Angiemb</span> Sat, 07/12/2014 - 10:01
I have a blueberry bush that I purchased at a local store. I planted it in a large pot because I live in an apartment. It had several berries on it which ripe ned and I picked. The bush does not seem to be producing anymore. Is that typical? Is there anything that can be done to it to produce again. Also, live in the northeastern US. Will the bush survive the winter?
<span>Julsrn</span> Thu, 07/10/2014 - 00:22
I just received a blueberry bush from my granddaughter which she has failed to water for most likely a good week. Some of the leaves are very dry and will most likely die, but some are okay and there are berrys on the bush. I need to know if it is a waste to try to revive this bush or should I start over. Also it is in a large pot (patio type container), will it continue to grow or will it need to be replanted?.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 07/10/2014 - 09:56

Put the container in the sun and give it some water. Blueberries need 1-2 inches of water a week. If it survives you can plant it in the ground next spring.

 <span>Emilee</span> Sat, 07/05/2014 - 09:10
Are blueberries are loaded with fruit. Have gotten several good crops. Now all of a sudden they are getting hard and not turning blue. What is causing that our lack. We had a lot of rain..above average...until about a week ago and not a drop since.