How to Plant Blueberry Bushes in Northern Illinois

Prepare a raised bed for your blueberry bushes. The bed should get full sun for most of the day and adequate shelter from northwest winds in winter. Turn and till soil with a shovel or tilling machine to a depth of at least 8 inches. Amend the soil with acidifiers like ammonium sulfate to raise pH to 4.8 to 5.2. Amend clay soils with equal parts organic garden soil, peat and sand to improve drainage.

Plan to plant blueberry bushes in the fall in northern Illinois, when the bushes are dormant and will not suffer as much from transplant shock. Purchase highbush blueberry varieties that are hardy for Hardiness Zone 5a. These include Chippewa, Blueray and Bluecrop.

Dig holes for blueberry bushes with a shovel. Make the hole as deep as the bush's container and twice as wide. Fill a bucket with water and pour half of it in the hole to help reduce transplant shock.

Gently pull the blueberry bush from its container, tapping the bottom and sides with your hand to loosen it. Loosen roots by pinching them with your fingers if they have become coiled and pot-bound.

Set the blueberry bush in the hole and backfill with amended dirt, pressing the soil firmly around the roots to eliminate air spaces that can dry them out. Water generously after planting.

Plant blueberry bushes 5 to 7 feet apart. If you are planting several rows, space the rows 7 to 10 feet apart. Continue watering every other day after planting for about three weeks to help the blueberry bushes overcome transplant shock and establish their roots before winter.