Test your soil pH first. Blueberries need acidic soil, about 4.5 to 5.5. Most yards are higher, closer to 6 or 7.
Home Prep · Home Prep: grow and make course
Grow blueberries
Blueberry bushes bear fruit for many years, but they are picky about one thing: the soil must be acidic. Get the soil right before you plant and everything else is easy.
Why this matters
Blueberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow at home once the soil is right, and one bush can give years of berries.
They are also a beautiful bush with white flowers in spring and red leavesdebris Dry leaves, pine needles, grass and ferns. Piled deep they trap still air, which is what keeps you warm. in fall.
What you need
- A soil pHsoil pH A number that says how sour (acidic) or chalky (alkaline) soil is. 7 is neutral; lower is more acidic. test, elemental sulfurelemental sulfur A yellow garden powder that slowly makes soil more acidic. It takes months to work. if needed, two or more blueberry varieties, and acidic mulchmulch A layer of wood chips, pine needles, leaves or straw spread on top of the soil. It holds in water and blocks weeds. like pine needles or wood chips.
- Netting for birds.
An afternoon to plant; a few minutes a week to water.
Step by step
Blueberries need sour, acidic soil Lower the pH with elemental sulfur mixed into the soil, ideally the fall before you plant, because it takes months to work. Test again before planting.
Plant in full sun with good air flow, away from big trees. Space bushes about 3 to 4 feet apart.
Plant at least two different varieties. They pollinatepollinate To carry pollen from flower to flower so fruit can form. Bees do most of this work. each other, which gives more and bigger berries.
Mulch with 2 to 4 inches of pine needles, wood chips, sawdust or oak leaves, and keep it up every year. Blueberry roots are shallow and dry out fast.
Water often and deeply, about 1 to 2 inches a week, so the soil stays moist but not soggy, especially in late summer when next year's flower buds form.
Pick off the flowers for the first two springs so the plant puts its energy into roots. Expect a small crop in year 3 and full crops after about 5 to 8 years.
Birds love blueberries too. Cover bushes with netting as the berries start to turn blue, and fence out rabbits and deer in winter.
Tips from survival instructors
- Pine needle mulch helps keep the soil acidic and holds in water.
- Birds find ripe berries fast. Put the netting on before the berries turn blue, not after.
Common mistakes
- Skipping the soil test. The fix: test pH before buying plants.
- Planting only one variety. The fix: at least two.
- Letting the soil dry out. The fix: mulch and water deeply.
- Letting young plants fruit too soon. The fix: pick off flowers for two springs.
Practice it safely
Buy an inexpensive soil pH test and test two or three spots in your yard. If it is over 5.5, plan to add sulfur this fall and plant next spring.
Quick check
Why pick off the flowers the first two years?
- So the plant grows strong roots first
- They are poisonous
- To stop bees
Show the answer
So the plant grows strong roots first
Take the quiz and earn the badge
The app checks your answers, keeps your place in the Home Prep: grow and make, and works with no signal once saved.
Before you rely on thisA learning tool, not a replacement for training. In an emergency, call 911.
Sources
Photo credits
Photo: martinrstone, CC BY 2.0, source