How to Propagate Rabbiteye Blueberries

The rabbiteye blueberry is a wild blueberry native to the southeastern United States. The plant is lower growing and more tolerant of heat and drought conditions than high-bush blueberry varieties. Producing a delicious fruit, rabbiteye blueberries are now cultivated throughout the Southeast and are propagated by rooting cuttings. This technique creates genuine clones of the parent plant that will produce the same type and quality of fruit. New-growth softwood cuttings work well to propagate the plant, according to the Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium. The technique is relatively simple to perform using a hormone-based rooting compound.

Healthy rabbiteye blueberry bush
Sharp knife
Rooting compound
Perlite, sand or potting soil
Seed tray
Large clear plastic bag
1-gallon plant pots
Rubber band

Instructions

- 1
  Cut 4 to 6 inches from several stem tips with leaves from a healthy rabbiteye blueberry bush in the spring or early summer using a sharp knife. Remove the leaves from the bottom half of each cutting.
- 2
  Dust the cut end of each blueberry cutting with a rooting compound to promote root growth.
- 3
  Fill a seed tray with a rooting medium such as perlite, sand or potting soil. Insert the bottom one-third to half of each blueberry cutting into the rooting medium in a cell in the seed tray. Water the cutting so the soil is moist but not wet.
- 4
  Poke several holes in a large, clear plastic bag with a pencil to provide proper air circulation. Place the seed tray in the plastic bag. Seal the bag with the rubber band. Place the blueberry cuttings in a warm area with indirect light. Mist the cuttings daily with a spray bottle of water. Keep the sides of the plastic bag from contacting the cuttings.
- 5
  Transplant the rabbiteye blueberry cuttings after they have rooted well and begun to produce new leaves. Plant the cuttings in 1-gallon grow-out pots filled with potting soil. Grow the plants outdoors to harden them until around 1 to 3 feet tall before planting them in your garden.

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