How to Plant Blueberries in Minnesota

Prepare a sunny patch of soil for blueberry planting as soon as the ground is workable during late April or the early part of May. Break the soil to a 12-inch depth using a garden fork or garden spade.

Test the soil pH before planting. Blueberries like to grow in acidic soils with a pH between 4.0 and 5.0, which is not the norm throughout Minnesota. In fact, most Minnesota soil has a pH above 7.0, so you will need to amend.

Amend the soil after testing. If the soil in your chosen patch is above 5.0 -- most likely it is -- amend with peat moss. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the peat moss packaging, which will tell you how much peat moss to add for your given soil pH and how to add it.

Dig holes in the broken soil twice as wide as the blueberry bushes' nursery containers. Dig the holes to the same depth as the height of the containers. Space each hole at minimum of 3 feet.

Turn the blueberry bushes on their side and slide them out of the nursery containers. Stick one blueberry bush in the middle of each of the dug holes.

Pack the holes with soil around the blueberry bushes. Pat the soil to remove any trapped air that may be present. Water the soil generously, immediately after planting. Keep the soil moist at all times during the growing season.

Supply your newly planted Minnesota blueberry bushes with at least an inch of water every week. The annual yearly rainfall for Minnesota is slightly higher than 26 inches, which is not quite enough to sustain blueberry bushes that have yet to establish themselves in the soil. Therefore, supplemental waterings with a soaker hose are a requirement for the first two growing seasons.

Protect the roots of your blueberry bushes from the hot sun and cold winters by spreading a 3-inch layer of bark chips or sawdust around the plants. Mulching in this manner will also help improve drainage in the planting location.

Use your fingers to pinch-off any blooms that the blueberry bushes produce during the spring. This practice will increase vigor. Harvest ripe berries as they appear in the late summer and early fall. You will know that the blueberries are ripe when the outer skin and the stem turn blue.