Do Blueberries Spread?

Seeds

• A perennial, the blueberry shrub returns year after year. Wild blueberry shrubs, highbush, low bush and rabbiteye blueberry bushes spread through root production and seeds. Blueberry cultivars often have infertile seeds and only spread through hardwood cuttings, softwood cuttings or root sprouts. Blueberry seeds take approximately one month to germinate. A blueberry bush grown from seed will take approximately two years to reach maturity and produce fertile berries.

Spread

• Wild blueberry bushes may spread up to 1/2 mile but usually only average 75 to 250 square feet, according to the University of Maine. The blueberry plant produces rhizomes, which are underground stems. The rhizomes form a shallow root system and sprouts. Each sprout is a clone of the parent plant. Clones usually arise 20 feet from each other. The University of Maine further states that 109 blueberry clones can arise on one acre of land.

Suckers

• Applying mulch over the blueberry plant's root system will help promote it to spread via its rhizome roots. Suckers, also called root sprouts, can be easily dug up and transplanted to a new location. Usually suckers have considerable top growth and a shallow root system. Prune the suckers top growth back to promote it to create a stronger root system. Suckers should be at least six months old before removing them from the parent plant. Once a root sprout establishes itself in a new location and reaches adulthood it will begin to spread by forming its own root sprouts.

Growth

• Blueberry shrubs flourish and spread in an ideal planting location. They prefer rich, organic soil with a acidic pH of 4.0 to 5.5. Choose a planting area away from trees. The blueberry plant does not compete well with tree roots. Space blueberry plants four to five feet apart. Rows should maintain a distance of eight to 10 feet between them. The blueberry bush depends on bees for pollination. Without pollination, the blueberry bush will not produce berries. In an ideal planting site, the blueberry bush will spread through its root system and seed production.