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.)

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

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.

Fruit

About The Author

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.

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Comments

Add a Comment

Barb Cheshire Tue, 09/10/2013 - 08:16

Wish I come to this site before oh well I have two blueberry plants..one is 4 years old the other I planted last spring. The 4 yr old is about 3 ft high and the last two years has bore alot of delicious berries, however there is a shoot (not as tall as rest of the plant) that to look at is healthy but never has had one berry on it. Do I need to cut this shoot off at it's base in late winter?

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 09/10/2013 - 12:14

Yes, throughout its life, prune out dead or weak, low-growing
shoots. Also, as your plant is four-years-old, you can head back young new shoots about 4 to 6 inches below the top of the bush so encourage branching and compact shape. When your plant is about 6-years-old, start removing 20% of the canes each year, starting with the oldest canes, so that over a five-year period, the entire crown of the plant will have been renewed.

M. Wong Sat, 09/07/2013 - 15:16

Can I plant my bushes right now in the ground? They are still in a pot but want to get them in the ground. I live in Washington state. Thanks

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Sun, 09/08/2013 - 02:59

Blueberry bushes are best planted in the early spring. However, you could also plant in the fall. Normally, we recommend that you prepare the soil in the fall. Soils not within the range of pH acceptability for blueberry plant growth must be prepared BEFORE planting.

Sal Gee Wed, 09/04/2013 - 17:56

I would like to buy Blueberry bushes for my girlfriend's birthday, which is in November. We live in the Hudson River valley area midway between NYC and Albany. Is this a viable time to plant them?

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Sat, 09/07/2013 - 15:15

You plant blueberry bushes in the ground in early spring.We recommend buying bare-rooted plants of two year, or higher grade. Highbush blueberries are most common in your area. ‘Earliblue’, ‘Duke’, ‘Blueray’, ‘Bluecrop’, ‘Sierra’, ‘Toro’, and 'Elliot’ are varieties grown in your part of New York. Two different varieties should be grown to get the best -sized fruit.

Marlart Sat, 04/26/2014 - 01:02

I have a new blueberry Bush and the flowers are turning brown.. I'm not sure if it's the soil??

Chris Bryant Sun, 08/25/2013 - 20:55

I live in Washington State I bought a small blueberry plant and planted in my gardenI have to tomato plants and two tomatillo plants and they all have about 2 feet in between each other but my tomato plants are growing over my blueberry bush will it hert it and my bb bush is turning brown what should I do?

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 08/26/2013 - 10:19

To do well, your blueberry bush will need at least 6 hours of sun per day, so it should not be shaded by other plants. You might try putting your tomato in a wire cage, which might help it to keep in its own space.

Also, the blueberry is more fussy about soil pH than the tomato and tomatillo. It will require a more acidic soil (between 4 and 5), than tomatoes. Tomatoes are OK in acidic soils, but do their best around 6.0 to 6.8. Tomatillos are similar. So, test your soil pH (you can get a kit at a garden center or have it tested by your county's Cooperative Extension) and adjust the soil pH to the blueberry's requirements. The tomatoes/tomatillos may not be as robust with the adjustment, but they should do OK. Then next year, if you have space, plant tomatoes and tomatillos in another area of the garden (which is good to deter diseases, too), so that the blueberry bush can have enough sun and space. For highbush blueberries, it's better to allow at least 3 to 6 feet between plants, for air circulation, which helps deter disease. For lowbush types, 1 to 3 feet is fine.

The browning may just be because it needs more light or does not have the proper soil pH (which affects how much nutrients it can absorb). Also check that the plant has good drainage and is not being attacked by diseases or pests.

Monte Tirey Sat, 08/03/2013 - 22:36

I set some bb plants 3 yrs ago,although they did produce some fruit this year, I havn't seen much growth at all,and the foliage never has greened up, they are more yellowish then green,,southern Indiana..thanks

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Planting and Growing Blueberries