How to Transplant Potted Blueberry

Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) produce an abundance of sweet berries during the summer from bushes compact enough to grow in most home gardens. Blueberries grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8, depending on the variety. Pot-grown nursery plants require minimal preparation before planting, so you can establish your new blueberry bed quickly. Pot-grown blueberries are usually transplanted in spring as soon as frost danger is past.

Shovel
Shears
Mulch

Instructions

- 1
  Dig a planting hole to the same depth as the nursery pot. Make the hole twice as wide as the pot so the roots have loose soil surrounding them, which aids in establishment. Space the holes 4 feet apart in each row.
- 2
  Water the potted blueberry until moisture seeps out of the bottom of the container to help loosen the root ball so it slides out of the pot more easily. Turn the pot on its side and slide the root ball out, squeezing the sides as necessary to help loosen the plant.
- 3
  Examine the outside of the root ball. Cut off any soft or rotten roots with clean shears. Slice through any large roots that are completely encircling the root ball, otherwise they may constrict the roots from spreading out in the soil.
- 4
  Set the blueberry bush into the hole, adjusting it until it is at the same depth as it was in its pot. Fill the hole in with soil and firm the surface lightly with your hands.
- 5
  Water the blueberry immediately after planting, moistening the soil to the depth of the root ball so the soil settles around the roots. Spread a 2-inch layer of mulch over the soil surface to help conserve moisture and prevent weeds. Water the plants two to three times weekly, or when the top 2 inches of soil just begin to dry out.

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