When Should One Prune Blueberry Bushes?

Types of Blueberry Shrubs

• Both deciduous and evergreen species of blueberries exist, and each presents a better optimal time for pruning tasks. The highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), also called the northern blueberry, is deciduous in winter and is a commonly grown fruit plant across southern Canada and the northern United States. By contrast, the rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) is better adapted to the hot summer climates of the southern United States. Rabbiteye blueberry plants often retain their leaves across winter, especially in mild climates.

Ideal Pruning Time Frame

• For deciduous and partially deciduous blueberries, the best time to prune shrubs is in late winter to very early spring when the plant is dormant and before new leaf growth begins. For shrubs that are evergreen, prune after the flowering display ends in mid- to late spring, according to the American Horticultural Society's "A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants." Pruning after flowering on evergreen shrubs allows you to control plant size and shape but also retain old flowers on various branches that later become fruits. For quickest regrowth, pruning dead branches on evergreen types in early spring is most timely, even though dead branches may be removed any time of year.

Geographical Considerations

• The term "late winter to early spring" is variably applied to different latitudes and elevations. In the southern United States, rabbiteye blueberries may be best pruned in February or early March. By contrast, the harsher winters farther north may warrant holding off pruning tasks until late March. In regions with very cold winters, it's best not to prune too early, such as in February, as the pruning wounds are dried out by cold and winds and may cause further dieback leading into spring's warmth.

Benefits of Pruning Blueberries

• It may seem shocking to prune blueberries as you inevitable remove branches that flower and yield fruits. According to Megan Bame in an article for Learn2Grow, established blueberries are pruned for proper management and health, leading to better flowering and larger-sized fruits. Suckering shoots are pruned away to keep plants a manageable size, as are rubbing branches that create bark wounds. Three or four main branch trunks comprises a healthy shrub. This allows the shrub to bask in more even sunlight across all branches and leaves and increase air flow to deter fungal diseases.