Mature Height of Blueberry Bushes

Lowbush

• Wild blueberries grow naturally as a forest understory, characterized by vast networks of underground rhizomes that send up new stems that bear fruit. Most common is the low, sweet blueberry, which grows from 4 to 15 inches high. Adapted to severe winter weather and acidic soils, lowbush blueberries are commercially grown on a two-year cycle. New vegetation is encouraged one year and then berries are harvested in late summer of the following year, when plants are mowed or burned to the ground so the cycle can begin again.

Highbush

• Home gardeners and commercial growers in less severe climates grow highbush blueberries or Vaccinium corymbosum, cultivars developed from the wild highbush blueberry starting in the early 1900s. Highbush berries, generally cold hardy to 10 degrees F, are perennial plants that can live 40 to 50 years. Bushes can grow to 12 feet tall, depending on the variety, but they are usually maintained at 5 to 6 feet for higher productivity and ease of picking. Their berries are larger than lowbush blueberries.

Pruning

• Training highbush blueberries is key to fruit production, and proper pruning maintains that productivity. Young blueberry bushes are trained and shaped during the first two years for maximum fruit production. Depending on cultivar or growth habit, mature berry bushes should have six to 12 canes at their base. Aim for an equal number of one-, two-, three- and four-year-old canes. Try to keep the bush open, for good air circulation and light penetration to improve the next year's fruit bud set.

Maintenance

• When blueberries mature their vegetative canes require annual maintenance. Make selective cuts to maintain a strong structure and good fruiting wood. Remove old canes that are weak, damaged or diseased. Force lower branching and control bush height by pruning back tall, vigorous shoots. For blueberry bushes older than seven years, balance the number of older, less productive canes with young canes just coming into full production.

Rejuvenation

• Improve fruit production and maintain bush shape by rejuvenating older bushes. Remove any broken, diseased or dead branches and branches that touch or cross each other. Then prune out the oldest two or three canes, to help open up the interior to sunlight. Maintain mature bush height and shape by pruning back vigorous shoots, encouraging lower branching.

Hedges

• Blueberry brushes make attractive landscape plants year-round and can be grown to their full height as privacy hedges if fruit production isn't the sole consideration. They are also effective in clusters and as specimen plants. Blossoms give way to summer berries, then foliage turns red and gold for autumn color. Pests and diseases are rarely a problem. Soil preparation---making sure soil pH is between 4.0 and 5.0---is the biggest blueberry growing challenge for most home gardeners.