Planting and Care Requirements for Blueberry Bushes

The blueberry shrub is a colorful and tasty addition to any garden.

Blueberries provide green foliage, white flowers for interest, and blueberries for eating or bird-feeding. Blueberry shrubs are not difficult to grow and tend, but they do have particular needs that must be met for abundant, healthy growth. Blueberry shrubs cross-pollinate with other blueberry shrubs. Therefore, plant two or more shrubs for berry production.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Fertilizer for acid-loving plants
• Organic soil amendment
• pH soil testing kit
• Pine bark mulch
• Measuring tape
• Lightweight netting
• Chicken wire
• Garden shears
• Water

Instructions

Prepare the Location

1. Choose the right blueberry variety for your region. Check with your local cooperative extension or nursery grower for the recommended cultivar for your area.

2. Choose a sunny location with good drainage for the blueberry shrubs, with loamy acidic soil rich in organic matter.

3. Test the soil's acidity level with the pH kit. A pH level between 4 and 5 is optimum; pH 7 is too alkaline, and is therefore not recommended as an adequate growing medium for blueberry plants.

4. Till in acidic organic matter such as Douglas-fir bark, compost, peat moss, or iron sulfate to improve soil acidity, as needed.

Plant the Shrubs

1. Dig a hole for each shrub, in late March or early April. Dig the holes approximately 24 inches long and 24 inches wide, and approximately 16 inches deep, depending on the size of the plant's root ball. Each shrub should be placed 4 feet apart (measure from the center of each plant).

2. Set the shrub into the hole. The top of the root ball should be slightly higher than the surrounding soil.

3. Refill the hole with the soil. Pack it down firmly to remove air pockets.

4. Water thoroughly. Mulch around the base of the shrub with 3 to 4 inches of acidic mulch matter, such as pine bark.

Care For the Shrubs

1. Prune off the buds after planting to encourage root growth and the production of lush vegetation.

2. Remove the flowers the first year to prevent berry production, and encourage vigorous green growth. After the third year, prune the shrubs when they go dormant for the winter, usually in late January.

3. Protect your shrubs from birds; cover the shrubs with lightweight netting during the berry production season. Encircle the shrubs with chicken wire fencing to prevent rabbits from eating the young new branch growth.

4. Prune off weak or diseased branches to prevent infection and spread of disease.

5. Water the shrubs well during dry seasons, but do not allow the soil to become waterlogged.

6. Fertilize with a fertilizer suited for acidic plants, such as azalea fertilizer, every year at the onset of the growing season.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not spread fertilizer directly onto the shrubs or too close to root growth; doing so will burn the plant. Keep fertilizer at least 6 inches from the plant.

References

• Oregon State University Extension Service: Growing Blueberries in Your Home Garden
• University of Minnesota Extension: Blueberries for Home Landscapes
• Ohio State University Extension: Growing Blueberries in the Home Garden

Resources

• West Virginia University Extension Service: Fertilizing Small Fruits in the Home Garden