My Blueberries Are Not Bearing Fruit

Plant another blueberry bush near the one that's not producing for cross-pollination. Select a plant of a variety different from the one you already have. Since you're starting from scratch with this one, test the soil pH and acidify it if the number is above 5.5.

Mind your pruning so you don't cut all your fruit buds, as the berries appear on the tips of the wood that grew the previous year. Remove year-old stems that are shorter than 5 inches and retain the longer ones. Cut canes growing inward to keep the bush open to light, which is necessary for fruit setting. Trim off all cane sections that suffered winter damage or are diseased. Cut two of the oldest canes at the base to rejuvenate the shrub. Clip twigs that are thinner than a pencil. Prune your shrub in early spring while it's still dormant, making 45-degree-angle cuts ¼ inch above healthy buds.

Take a shot at trying to acidify the soil for your blueberry shrub, even though it's already planted. First, collect some soil from near the plant's base, taking care not to damage the shallow roots. Submit it for pH analysis at your local cooperative extension service or use a pH test kit available at garden supply shops. If the result shows the pH is higher than 5.5, apply 5 pounds of elemental sulfur evenly over the surface around the plant and water it in. Repeat this step annually, as it takes several years of amending the soil with elemental sulfur for the pH to go down.

Give your blueberries 1 inch of water a week, as without the consistent moisture the bush can't produce fruit. Use a soaker hose to deliver the water directly into the soil, keeping the plant dry and preventing disease.

Give your established shrub 1 to 2½ ounces of nitrogen divided into three applications in April, May and June. Start out with the lower amount. At the end of the season, measure the new growth. If it reached at least 10 inches, give the bush 1 ounce of nitrogen the next year, too. If the wood developed less than 10 inches, add another ¼ ounce to ½ ounce to the total amount of nitrogen.