When to Plant Young Blueberry Plants?

Planting Time

• Blueberries are perennial plants, living 50 years or longer, if well cared for. Buy potted plants or bare root specimens from local nurseries, choosing varieties adapted to your climate. Plant young blueberries in spring, two or three weeks before the last expected frost. Plant them in a sunny location, away from trees that will shade them and compete for nutrients and water. Mulch the soil with 2 to 3 inches of wood chips, peat or sawdust to conserve moisture, reduce weed growth and keep the soil cool.

Preparing the Soil

• The biggest challenge to growing blueberries is providing them with the right soil. Blueberries thrive in acidic soils with a pH between 4.0 and 5.0. If your soil ranges between 5.0 and 7.0, amending it with sulfur and acid peat may be enough to produce favorable results. Gardeners with alkaline soils above 7.0 should consider growing blueberries in containers, using an acidic potting mix instead.

Varieties

• Consult a local county extension office to choose blueberry varieties well-adapted to your area. Northern highbush blueberries are cold tolerant bush types generally grown in areas with cold winters. The University of Minnesota recommends Northblue, Northcountry, Northsky, Polaris and Chippewa for cold regions.

  In warmer, southern climates, try Southern highbush or rabbiteye types. Rabbiteye blueberries are the most productive and pest resistant of the three varieties, while Southern highbush perform well during periods of intense heat and even drought conditions. Clemson University Extension recommends the following rabbiteye varieties: Bluebelle, Briteblue, Chaucer, Powderblue, Baldwin, Centurion, Choice and Delite. Try Cape Fear, Blue Ridge and Georgia Gem Southern highbush varieties.

  Most blueberry varieties require a pollinator to produce fruit. Choose two different varieties that bloom at the same time for maximum yields.

Care

• Water blueberries to keep the soil evenly moist, but not soggy, particularly during fruiting. Apply an acidic fertilizer, such as one labeled for azaleas, in spring when new growth emerges, according to package directions.

  Remove all the blossoms from the blueberry bush for the first two years so the plant's energy is diverted to producing strong vegetative growth. Prune out dead or diseased wood only. Thereafter, prune the bush minimally in the spring to remove weak, spindly wood or dead and diseased growth.