How to Grow Blueberries in Missouri

Planting

• 1

  Select a site. As with most fruiting plants, the blueberry does best in full sunlight and with well-drained soil. Unlike its cousins, however, it needs highly acidic soil to thrive, with a pH ranging between 4.7 and 5.2. To find out what your soil's pH is, take a sample and send it to the Missouri Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory. This step is essential, and if you skip it, there's a good chance that your bush will not produce as well as it should.

• 2

  Modify your soil to get it to the ideal pH. Typically, this will mean reducing the pH level. Although there are a number of acidic compounds that can do this, the most commonly used is granular sulfur. The amount will vary depending on the pre-existing pH level of the soil, though it ranges between 1/2 to 2 lbs. per 100 square feet, with sandy soils needing the least and clay soils needing the most. You should amend the soil at least six months prior to planting the blueberries to give it enough time to adjust.

• 3

  Dig a hole deep enough to contain the blueberry's rootball. Ideally, the stem will be at the same level relative to the surrounding soil as it was in the nursery. In turn, ensure that the hole is wider than the rootball by several inches so that you have enough room to fit your fingers around it.

• 4

  Place the roots in the soil. As necessary, fill the hole to get the bush to the right level. Fill in the rest of the hole and water thoroughly. For best results, mix the soil with peat moss or compost before filling, though if you're using compost, first ensure that it has thoroughly decomposed.

Tending

• 5

  Cover the soil surrounding the bush with 4 to 5 inches of mulch, such as wood chips or pine needles. This serves a dual purpose -- it stabilizes moisture levels and temperature and prevents weeds from growing around the bush and competing with it.

• 6

  Water the bush as necessary. During rainy seasons, excessive water can damage the roots, while during the dry seasons of June through August, the plant will need additional water. Test the soil to see if it's necessary. With sandy soils, you should be able to ball the soil without it falling apart. Meanwhile, loamy soil will adhere to tools such as spades and trowels when it has enough water.

• 7

  Test the soil every year by sending a sample to the Missouri Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory. Although there are over a dozen elements that the blueberry bush needs to thrive, the most important are nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. If the test reports these nutrients as being low, apply fertilizers with an appropriate ratio of them. The three numbers of the fertilizer label report the ratio of each. For instance, in 10-15-20, the 10 refers to nitrogen, the 15 to phosphorous and the 20 to potassium.