Even at our local U-Pick field, they are $3.00 a pound. That’s considered a great deal!
Then there’s the work of picking in the hot sun. And potentially having to use a porta potty. Yikes.
Blueberries bought at the store for $4.50 a pint will suffice at times. But their mushiness can make them inedible other than in oatmeal.
Time to grow our own!
Perhaps that’s why I’m a great source for blueberry growing~ I’ve never done it before and managed to grow an astounding amount of blueberries from a crop planted in the fall.
But not before doing my research. Hours of fun and thrilling blueberry reading!
Are you ready to grow the plumpest and juiciest blueberries?
Here’s my best tips and tricks to get those blueberries growing and glowing!
Why pH is paramount!
So if you are a pH perfectionist~ aim for a pH between 4-4.5, other than that, under 5 is still considered good!
You can’t ignore the pH problem and hope it goes away. In fact, if you’re not going to test the pH of your soil, I wouldn’t even bother planting blueberries at all.
Why go through the hassle and expense of purchasing plants, watering, fertilizing and fretting for little or no result?
But zero yield is what you’ll get if that pH isn’t spot-on. Soil can always be amended with additives like granulated sulfur, peat moss, pine bark or pine needles to make it more acidic.
Don’t get me wrong. At a pH of 5, I was happy.
Tom was not. So he ended up ordering Espoma Soil Acidifier to lower the pH just a tad more to be in that 4-4.5 zone. Men!
Test your soil by sending it to the local unit of the Cornell Cooperative Extension or a similar service in your area. Currently, they charge roughly $2 per sample.
Also this time of year, the garden/wellness/health section of your local paper posts events/places that will test your soil for free or a very small fee. Worth it!
I bought a soil testing meter and it’s been an invaluable resource to me in nailing the pH for the blueberries.
Not to mention my hydrangeas are happier, too!
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Blueberry plant site selection is critical!
Got clay soil? Me too. Bad for many plants but ideal for blueberries! They don’t mind a bit, in fact, they prefer it!
Why you ask? Because clay soil actually helps hold the moisture in. Just beware that heavy clay soil may not drain well and blueberries can’t sit in standing water.
Blueberries do not like “wet feet.” Avoid selecting a low area in your yard or any area that receives excessive runoff during periods of heavy rain.
Dark or sandy soils are acceptable with sufficient watering.
Choose a location that gets a ton of sun with easy access to water. Lugging around buckets of water and tugging long and heavy hoses won’t be fun in July and August.
Blueberries make perfect landscaping plants!
I grow blueberry bushes around the perimeter of my home to save garden space in the raised beds.
In the fall, the bushes take on an ornamental flare transforming into a fiery red bronze tone.
So blueberries bushes are both attractive and edible.
Space is vital. Some blueberry plants can grow up to 6 feet high and 3 feet wide so give them enough space to expand both above and below ground.
Ask yourself this question. Are you creating a blueberry hedge allowing the bushes to buttress each other other or do you want the space to walk around each bush?
If you’re going the hedge route, you need 3 feet between bushes. But if it’s the latter option, 5 feet is more suitable. This will give you that space to access your plants from all angles.
Other blueberry plants, like my dwarf Top Hat blueberry bushes are only expected to grow about 2 feet high and 2 feet wide. They can even be grown in pots!
This made the Top Hat blueberry bush an easy choice for my new landscape bushes.
Planting perfection!
Native soil is unlikely to be as acidic as the blueberry plants prefer so it needs to be removed altogether.
In fact, even after you’ve dug your hole, you won’t use any of that native soil in the hole or around the plant again for best results.
Dig your hole about 20 inches in diameter and 15 inches deep. (About twice as wide and twice as deep as the roots of the plant).
Be mindful that the blueberry bush is a shallow-rooted plant.
Remove the native soil and discard it to a low spot in your yard.
Space bushes about 5 feet apart in a row, with at least 8 feet between rows.
In lieu of native soil, you’ll be using Canadian sphagnum peat moss.
Canadian sphagnum peat moss has the lowest pH which is highly desirable for acid loving blueberry plants.
Usually it’s bought in bales from garden centers. If you don’t see it out, ask a friendly employee! (or as it usually turns out…not-so-friendly employee!)
Make sure it is the Canadian variety as it’s the very best!
Mix your peat moss with 5-7 gallons of water. Use a wheelbarrow or large bucket to create your concoction.
When it looks like brownie batter…you’re in business!
But unlike brownie batter, you mix it super well. Peat moss really needs to be stirred up to absorb the water! It will feel like thick mud.
Re-fill your hole with the moistened peat moss first and then add your blueberry plant.
Also add leaf mold, aged sawdust and compost to the hole if you have it. If not, don’t fret either.
The top of the blueberry root ball should be level to the native soil line.
Set the bush in the hole with its roots spread out. Don’t plant the bush any deeper than it grew in the nursery pot prior coming to you! Pack the hole tightly with the peat moss.
Remember not to put any native soil in or on top of the hole filled with the moist peat moss.
Stake the plant if needed for that first growing season.
The real deal on watering blueberry plants….
Remember that blueberries do not like “wet feet.” Blueberry bushes can’t sit in standing water. It will rot their roots.
During the growing season, new plants need a minimum of 3-5 gallons of water per plant twice a week when temperatures hit 70 degrees. F. or higher.
In cooler temps, 3 gallons should suffice about twice a week.
Think of it in terms of 2 inches of water per week per plant.
Keep a sharp eye on those blueberry plants. If leaf tips and edges turn brown in a late summer heat wave, try deep watering to a depth of 10 inches for roughly two minutes per plant once a week.
It might surprise you to learn that lack of water in the fall is a major blueberry plant killer!
A good rule of thumb is to water until Thanksgiving or your first major snowfall.
Mulching
The mulch should go to a depth of 3-5 inches.
Since blueberries are acid-loving plants, pine bark/pine needles are the ideal mulch to use.
Eventually, those pine needles/pine bark will break down and become your acidic topsoil.
We have a few pines trees in our backyard. It was a fun activity for the kids to collect all the pine scraps and needles to put into our beds.
Our family even took a special trip where we know there’s a wonderful row of pine trees.
We collected three huge plastic bins of pine needle mulch and the kids had a riot.
Between the pine mulch and Canadian sphagnum peat moss we lowered the pH from a 7 to a 5!
Pollination fast fact!
Fishy fertilizing….
Fertilizer = more flowers = more fruit in the form of those big, luscious blueberries.
Fish has loads of nitrogen which encourages lots of leaf and branch growth making the plant flourish.
But you don’t want too much nitrogen as that could result in large beefy plants with no flowers to form blueberries.
Fish parts strike the perfect nitrogen balance as they also provide lots of minerals and vitamins, too.
The various fish parts like the bones, heads and guts (sorry, this is grossing even me out) contain lots of these beneficial nutrients that decay fast for a quick boost of nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium for your plants.
As the protein of the fish breaks down all these super nutrients are released into the soil directly to your plants supporting root and foliage growth.
Organic fertilizer?
Of course you can fertilize with Miracle-Gro (or some generic knock-off) to energize your plants.
Those products are not organic. Chemicals will infiltrate your soil and you can never get the soil back once it’s been exposed to harsh chemicals.
So I’m saving the best for last here, folks!
I love fish fertilizer for my blueberries as my main all-purpose fertilizer. Safe for me, my kids, my pets.
And many non-organic/chemical fertilizers can easily burn or kill your plants if used incorrectly.
I will still use fish and all their extra parts that don’t get eaten for my tomatoes. If you’re a longtime reader, you know Tom is big into fishing so we have easy access.
But after I buried the initial fish parts, I like knowing that I am still fertilizing with the fish & seaweed blend to promote big, bad berries!
In general terms, apply fishy, fertilized water in a 6 inch ring around the base of each plant once a week. Start in March and finish up around mid-August.
Fish fertilizer in action…
Use 1 oz. of fish & seaweed blend per gallon of water and feed once a week early in the morning.
Spray the foliage and soil until leaves are dripping and the soil is good and wet. A bigger plant will receive more than a smaller plant.
Results achieved using fish & seaweed blend include:
- Higher yields
- Larger berries
- Increased brix (sugar content) = greater value, flavor, and resistance to insect damage and disease
- Increased nutritional value
- Increased overall health of plants
- Increased shelf life of berries
- Repels deer and rabbits
- Gives draught and frost protection
Fertilizing fast fact!
Other Neptune’s Harvest amendments to consider:
1.) Neptune’s Harvest crab & lobster shell
and
2.) Neptune’s Harvest kelp meal
Both of these amendments should be used to topdress your bushes. I like to sprinkle on top and use my hands to work into the soil.
Over time, you’ll see how these two work in unison to create stronger roots in your blueberry plants. A deeper root zone gives you a stronger plant that is able to handle a higher yield!
The crab & lobster blend works excellent when tilled in with the kelp meal. Gives full NPK and Micro Nutrients, with Cal-Mag plus Chitin.
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Pest control
After all, there’s no point in all the time, effort and money you invest in your garden if the animals eat your crops and stomp on your plants.
Time to take action.
Our biggest claim to fame is putting fencing around all the plants the animals eat and destroy.
Netting to keep the birds from pecking at your blueberries and squirrels jumping on your plants may also be a necessity.
It’s called fruit netting and it can be purchased at any garden center. Start netting when the first blueberry turns blue.
Drape the netting over the plants and let it drag on the ground.
Take the netting off when the fruit has been picked.
There’s also a third option.
Animals like deer and rabbits are herbivores. So their diets consist of plants, not meat. They don’t eat meat. And the smell of the crab & lobster shell is unpleasant to them.
Therefore, sprinkling Neptune’s Harvest crab & lobster shell around your plants will repel these herbivore animals to your great satisfaction!
To pluck or not to pluck….that is the question!
For days, I was loosing sleep over plucking all the flowers off my blueberries bushes. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it!
But of course, the reason you yank the flowers off is to put the energy back into the plant. It’s kind of like investing in their blueberry bush future.
Painful now, but the future yields big dividends!
And of course that’s what is said all over the Internet. You know you can trust Dr. Google….right?!?
Wrong.
Since my plants from True Vine Ranch were over that 3-year mark I get to experience fruit my first season in summer after a fall planting.
This is because blueberry production takes about 3 years to begin after planting. So it makes sense to pay a tad more for older bushes if your goal is to get fruit as quickly as possible.
First year bushes run about $12 at the local “big box” stores per plant. Seasoned bushes run you about $30 a plant but are 4 to 5 times as big. (Approximately 3-4 feet tall).
True Vine Ranch is special is that there are very few places that you can even purchase larger blueberry plants!
And you don’t have to wait 3 years to get results!
Spring or fall planting?
If planting in spring, plant as early as possible. Find plants that are at least 1-3 years old. Select a reputable nursery like True Vine Ranch.
I prefer plants that are 3 years or older because you’ll get berries the very first season.
For plants that are only 1-2 years old, you’ll wait a year or more before fruit appears and none of us are getting any younger here!
For fall planting be aware that it’s common to get wilting plants no matter your plant source. Water the root ball immediately and plant within 48 hours.
Do not fertilize your plants until March/April as this allows them to go dormat without sprouting new growth.
It is also normal for blueberry leaves to gradually show brown spots and red/yellow coloring as fall progresses.
Blueberry leaves should drop off in November and December.
I’ve been wanting to try to grow some blueberries! Thanks for the wonderful tips!
My luck with blueberries has been horrible. Hopefully this will help me to be succesful!
Thanks again for all the great information. Your rock!
Love blueberries…this is just so interesting!!! Bring on the cobbler! Praise the Lord❣️🫐
i will give this a try, thanks much!!!
Yum! Love blueberries…
THanks so much
Thanks for the helpful info on blueberries!
Right on
Maybe I’ll give growing blueberries a try! Thanks for the info.
Thank you. Between this and the 50 facts about blueberries going to try to grow them next year.
iffy in Arizona, they grow in Maine
No wonderful I love blueberries so much! Maybe I’ll try my hand at growing some next year.
Here the birds and critters would get them. Good information, though.
Thank you for sharing.
Oh this looks wonderful thanks for the tips!
Thank you for the tips on pests/birds control.
My mom always has the best blueberry trees, with all this knowledge I bet mine can top hers! Maybe I will share a few secrets 😌😂
I love blueberries, can’t wait to try this
These tips will definitely help save time on the trial and error of what works for bluebberries.
Those blueberries look delicious!
I would so love to grow these thanks for sharing these great tips.
I am hoping to start growing blueberries because we love them in our pancakes and to just snack on.
This is my first year growing blueberries and I’ve had major issues! Probably related to the ph level since I have not tested my soil and I had them in direct sunlight which burnt one to a crisp luckily I was able to return it and buy a healthy one. I will definitely be buying a ph meter and my bushes are in a shadier location now and doing much better
david price says
I just buy my blueberries.
My granddaughter would be so excited if I grew my own blueberries! Thanks for all the great into.
I enjoy eating blueberries in many different ways. I love blueberry muffins, blueberry cobbler, blueberry yogurt and so on. I will be trying your tips to hopefully, grow the best blueberries.
I buy the bags of frozen blueberries to use in my yogurt, cereal, shakes, or wherever. I have not planted any blueberries (yet). It is something I’d like to do. I have arbors to build for my grapes (clearance vine at WalMart) that is growing like crazy and a muscadine vine I have. Weirdest thing is I found a new muscadine vine that popped up in a totally different spot in my yard this year. Now, I need to arbor it somehow.
Thank you for the great info
Hard growing blueberries out here. Have to use distilled water and grow in pots in the desert
I have a few blueberry bushes. Thanks for the tips!
Can we actually grow blueberries in Wisconsin?
Blueberries….Yum!
Love Blueberries! Thank you for all the info!
Thank you for the helpful info on blueberries
I do not have a large yard but somehow it is a little farmers market. I have to keep my husband in check from bringing in one more blueberry variety. It’s the farm we could not afford and I will be doggone he is making it work.
I have never tried to grow blueberries. I tried strawberries once and it was a catastrophe.
win please
Thanks you 🙂
Too hot here. Have tried.
They are my favorite berry but the squirrels seem to get mine before I do
We love blueberries and have been thinking about planting a few bushes. Thanks for all the info.
Blueberries are my fave! Once we get our back yard cleaned up and hardscaped this year I plan on filling in all the garden areas with blueberries!
Love Blueberries but never tried to grow them .
I’ve saved this page as I’m planning on getting blueberry plants in my next home (within the next 8 mos I hope!).
Nostalgia rushes thru me. My grandfather taking me and my little sister to the wood to look for these berries. Such a sweet time of life long ago and missing him today.
never tried to grow blueberries..thanks
I haven’t tried to grow blueberries yet
Ooops I think I posted my blueberry reply on the wrong post, sorry. To sum it up, I asked what to do with an overabundance of frozen ones. We picked too many, so I froze them but there were sooooooooooo many and I am tired of muffins and smoothies for them, do you have any ideas?
I love blueberry smoothies.
Thank you
I love picking wild blueberries up on the Blue Ridge Parkway
We do grow blueberries. They are a bit of work and worry, but so delicious! Thank you!
Thank you for all the great information on how to grow blueberries!
We have a blueberry farm next door
Wow .. so much to learn here!
Your tips and tricks are wonderful! I appreciate your well written articles. Thank you.
My blueberries are sad in yield. I need to buy me a ph tester. Thanks for the tips I really needed a boost to get on top of the ph level. I wonder does it matter when you add the additive?
I would love to grow some blueberries. We eat so any of them.
Thanks for the info and tips!
thanks so much for the great tips – I am going to try to grow in containers so I can get them out of the extreme cold we have for 6 months of the year. The article was full of good information on the soil to use in the container!
Tried blueberries once without much success, ready to try again.
I really wanted to plant berries this year, but I don’t think I will get around to it this year.
I may try to grow blueberries one day.
I love blueberries 🫐 They add exceptional flavor to cookies, muffins, cakes, pancakes and just eat them plain. I have to admit that I would grow green peppers 🫑 before I grew blueberries 🫐
Blueberries aren’t as easy to maintain as peppers. I know I wouldn’t buy a gadget to test the ph in the soil. I also like instant gratification when growing some things. I might try growing them in the house, but without the smell of fish heads. Do you keep the fish heads on ice/freezer or buy them fresh all the time? We definitely would need a shed to keep all the planting items. Your article was pin worthy. Thank you for sharing!
I haven’t had blueberries in the longest time. Now I’m craving them, lol. Thanks for posting!
very good tips
Love blueberries. I had to leave mine behind when I moved. Hopefully have them again someday!
I love blueberries! I have five plants and I will have to try these tips and tricks.
Never tried growing blueberries but I just may try.
I love blueberries and making desserts too with them. These are some very pretty blueberries!
Wild blue berries grow abundantly in Michigan.
I love fresh blueberries, but I’m sure all the 4 legged critters do too 🤣 wonderful info though
No, we’ve never grown blueberries. We either pick them or buy them in the store.
Taste is important too
I don’t grow them but I definitely should! They are my son and dog’s FAVORITE fruit! Plus I love putting them in my yogurt parfaits!
There is nothing like fresh home grown blueberries!
I love love blueberries. From muffins to cobbler. Appreciate the tips for growing.
I grew up eating the blueberries from my parents bushes. They gave me the gift of their green thumbs. Lol.
We also would pick for hours at my aunt & uncle’s blueberry patch.
We all love them
We love blueberries! Thanks for this article and the great information!
We just have too many birds around here. They get them before we ever do.
I love blueberries. Wish I had a place to grow them.
I love blueberries. Lots of great tips here!
Great article! Blueberries are delicious and so good for us. I love them in whole grain muffins or pancakes!
Love to win
I have the lemonade blue berry bush. They are delicious.
love blueberries, great information
I love blueberrires! Great info!
After reading your column, I think I have a pretty good idea why blueberries are expensive!
Well I certainly have enough pine needles in my yard, but I’m not sure about chopping up fish, lol.
Love the article. I really love blueberries!
We love blueberries. Never considered growing our own…thanks for the informative post!
Great tips!
Thanks for the tips…this is my next project!
I used to blueberry pick every year. These look fab delish!
Thanks so much for the helpful tips and information. I have tried planting strawberries but did not do very well. Never tackled blueberries so now I will know how!
I’m fairly new to planting, but blueberries are on my bucket list to plant. This was very enlightening-thanks for the great tips! I bookmarked this page to refer to when I’m ready!
I never knew blueberry bushes could grow 6 feet tall. Now I will need to research the new plants I just purchased earlier this year to see how tall they will get.
Thanks for the info. My husband has wanted to grow blueberries for a while.
Always great info!
Thank you for all the blueberry growing tips!
Loving this blog!!! Amazing information
I want to grow blueberries! I wasn’t sure I could grow them here, but my sister-in-law did this year!