Eating Garden

How to Grow Blueberries

Vaccinium spp.

A long-lived fruit shrub that needs much more acidic soil than most garden crops.

At a glance

  • Difficulty

    For a confident grower

  • Sunlight

    Full sun

  • Water

    Thirsty

  • Plant spacing

    36 to 48 in apart

More about this plant

Test the soil before buying a blueberry. Give it full sun, loose acid soil and steady moisture, and plant at least two suitable varieties for a larger crop.

  • Comes back each year.
  • Can grow in raised beds, the open ground.
  • A good one to grow together with children.

Optional local dates

Planting dates where you live

The growing guide above works anywhere. This section adds local frost dates when we have them.

Optional local dates

Get planting dates for where you live

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Helpful gardening guides

When to plant

Match these relative steps to your local seasons. Where frost applies, use the last freezing night in spring and the first in fall. In frost-free climates, follow trusted local seasonal guidance.

  • Plant out 0 to 4 weeks after the start of your growing seasonPlant young bushes in early spring after the soil can be worked. Adjust for local winter and variety.

What you need

  • How to start itFrom a young plant
  • How far apart36 to 48 in
    Leave 36 to 48 in between plants. View from above; drawing is not to scale.

Step by step

  1. Test the soil firstBlueberries need a pH of about 4.0 to 5.5. Change the whole planting strip months ahead if needed.
  2. Choose local varietiesPick at least two varieties that survive your winter and bloom at the same time.
  3. Plant in early springSpread the roots in a wide hole and cover the upper roots with several inches of soil.
  4. Mulch the shallow rootsUse a few inches of wood mulch, oak leaves or pine needles and keep it off the stems.
  5. Keep soil moistWater deeply without leaving the roots in saturated ground.
  6. Wait for full blue colorPick berries that are fully blue, springy and easy to roll from the cluster.

Common mistakes

  • Skipping the pH testOrdinary garden soil may be too alkaline. High pH causes yellow leaves, weak growth and little fruit.
  • Planting only one varietyOne bush may fruit, but two compatible varieties often make larger crops and berries.
  • Expecting a quick harvestBlueberries grow slowly. Expect little fruit for two or three years and larger crops later.

Water

Thirsty

Water well after planting and keep the root zone moist but not saturated. Check young plants often during dry weather.

  • Too dry
  • About right
  • Too wet
  • If it goes drySuffers quickly when dryLeaves droop or scorch and berries stay small.
  • If it stays wetRots quickly in wet groundWet soil starves roots and can kill a bush even when the soil pH is right.

Looking after it

  • FeedingAn occasional feed helpsUse a soil and leaf test rather than guessing. Blueberries have shallow roots and can be harmed by too much fertilizer.
  • PruningNeeds pruningPrune in early spring before growth begins. Remove dead, weak, diseased and old unproductive wood, while keeping healthy one-year-old shoots that bear fruit.
  • MulchKeep a few inches of wood mulch, oak leaves or pine needles over the root zone to hold moisture and slow weeds.
  • PollinationBumblebees and other insects pollinate the flowers. Two compatible varieties usually give larger crops and berries than one plant alone.

Harvest

You will know it is ready when: Berries are completely blue and feel springy when gently squeezed. Taste a few because color can change before full flavor arrives.

Roll ripe berries gently into your hand without squeezing. Pick only the berries that release easily.

  • Keeping itKeeps 5 to 7 daysRefrigerate berries soon after picking and wait to wash them until use. Eat within about a week or freeze extra fruit.

Is this right for you?

Choose a blueberry type and variety hardy in your local winter. Full sun gives the best fruit, while excessive shade reduces flowers and berries.

  • LightFull sun
  • ShadeCopes with a little shade
  • SeasonA cool season cropUsually grown in spring.
  • FrostSurvives a hard freeze
  • HeatCopes with heat

Soil

  • Soil pH4.0 to 5.5A cheap test kit from a garden centre will tell you yours.
  • Soil it likesSandy, Loam, Peaty
  • DrainageLikes ground that holds moisture
  • RichnessAverage ground is fine

Use loose, well-drained soil with high organic matter. Amend the whole planting strip, not just one small hole.

Test soil well before planting. If sulfur is needed to lower pH, it takes months to work. Coffee grounds are not a reliable soil acid treatment.

The year at a glance

Measured from the start of your growing season, because seasons differ from garden to garden. In frost-free climates, use trusted local seasonal guidance alongside these relative steps.

  1. Plant out

    0 to 4 weeks after the start of your growing season

Questions people ask

Why are my blueberry leaves yellow?

Soil pH above the blueberry range is a common cause. Test the soil before adding fertilizer.

Do I need two blueberry bushes?

Two compatible varieties are recommended for larger crops and berries.

When will a new bush make fruit?

Expect little fruit in the first two or three years. Larger harvests come after the bush has had several years to grow.

When is a blueberry ripe?

It should be fully blue, gently springy and easy to roll from the cluster.

Also filed under: Fruits

Where this came from

Advice varies with your climate and variety. Check the sources behind each section.

Sources & review dates
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