Growing Blueberries

Your pink lemonade blueberry plant should show white-pink flowers in spring, and the berries should ripen in late July to early August. Often, when blueberries are not flowering, it is due to lack of pollination. Perhaps it has been poor weather and the busy bees have not come out?  Blueberries are very susceptible to late spring frosts, too. Also, while blueberries are self-fertile they do much better when there is a second blueberry plant that blooms about the same time. There could be other issues, such as acidic soil pH (which needs to be below 5.5), good drainage (no wet feet!), and proper pruning, but usually it’s the bees.

Hi, sodagirl: This is difficult to diagnose from afar, but it almost sounds like this bush became infected with parasitic nematodes (microscopic). Another possibility is a virus, although it would be more probable that nematodes would infect only one out of four plants, rather than all. Odors from dead plants usually are generated not by the killers, but by bacteria that are late to the (dead matter) party. We would get rid of this plant by double-construction-grade-bagging it up, soil and all, and taking it to the landfill (consult with attendant) or burying it in a deep hole. In the meantime, to be on the safe side, apply an organic (if possible) nematicide to your remaining plants per directions. But the main thing is to not let this dead bush be sitting around: It needs to be quarantined ASAP. Good luck!

Blueberry plants are self-fertile, so no worries. However, it’s always good to have different varieties to aide pollination to ensure you get fruit.

Wanda, Here’s is advice on fertilizing blueberries from the UF extension:

“Blueberries respond best to frequent, light fertilization. They can be killed or damaged by over-fertilization. It is best to be conservative and gradually increase fertilizer rates as you gain experience with your soil type and the kinds of fertilizer you are using.

Do not put fertilizer in the planting hole. After planting, when the soil is well settled from irrigation or rainfall, give un-mulched plants 1 ounce per plant of 12-4-8 (N-P2O5-K2O) with 2% magnesium (Mg). Use ammoniacal nitrogen or nitrogen from urea or organic sources, rather than from nitrate sources. Chlorine levels should be as low as possible, preferably below 2%. A special formulation called “blueberry special” is available in Florida and meets these requirements. Another possibility is “camellia-azalea” fertilizers. Many of these fertilizers are suitable for blueberries, and they are usually readily available in small quantities for home gardeners. Spread fertilizer evenly over a circle 2 feet in diameter with the plant in the center. Repeat this procedure in April, June, August, and October. If plants are heavily mulched, use 1.5 ounces per plant per application rather than 1 ounce because some of the fertilizer will be unavailable for plant uptake. During the second year, use 2 ounces of 12-4-8 per plant per application and spread it evenly over a 3-foot diameter circle. In the third year and beyond, use 3 ounces of fertilizer per plant per application spread evenly over a 4-foot diameter circle, or broadcast in a continuous band 3–4 feet wide, centered on the plant row. These are general guidelines and should be adjusted based on plant performance. Slightly more fertilizer may be required if plants are heavily mulched. However, more often than not, cultivated blueberries suffer more from over-fertilization than from lack of fertilization.”

Blueberries have both male and female organs on the same flower, but not all are self-pollinating. Pink lemonade is fully self-pollinating and you don’t need a different variety for cross pollination. Some growers suggest that the berries will be bigger and sweeter if you grow a different variety nearby. For best fruiting choose to plant a rabbiteye variety like ‘Climax’ or ’Tifblue’.

Blueberries need as much sun as possible to produce well. They are also picky about the soil. Please see our planting advice at top of this page. Sunshine Blue is a nice variety for warmer climates and will produce lots of berries.

Hi Alex,

Blueberries can be grown hydroponically. Please go to http://luv2garden.com/hydroponic_blueberries.html and http://gardenious.com/tag/hydroponic-blueberries/ to read more about how to succeed.

Hi, jj: Much of this depends on whether they would be getting direct sunlight. Seven hours in the second half of the day is somewhat pushing the envelope for success, but it certainly might be possible. Another possibility might be to plant bushes in containers and move them (such as on a child’s wagon) to get maximum sunlight. If it were up to us, we would definitely try it with a couple of bushes as a test. Good luck!

Yes, transplant when the bushes are dormant, usually after the first frost of the fall/winter. Make sure to dig far enough around the root ball and deep down to get as much of the roots as possible. Have the new holes dug and ready for the bushes.

The acidification process with elemental sulfur is slow and can take up to 6 months. It works faster when the soil is warm. Wait until spring to test the soil again and see what the values are. If you still think you need to use the iron sulfate use about 2 tablespoons per bush.

As long as the varieties you have chosen are hardy to your zone, they should winter over just fine with 6 inches or so of shredded bark, pine needle, straw, or shredded leaves for a mulch; heavy snow cover will do the rest. I don’t know how practical covering them is since I don’t know how many you have or how tall they are but if you want to baby them you can place chicken wire cages over them and fill the cages with leaves or cover them with a heavy weight polypropylene row cover.