How to Grow Blueberries in the Colorado Front Range

In the past, Colorado Front Range gardeners had little success growing blueberries. Acid-loving blueberries need a soil pH between 4.5 and 4.8, although they tolerate a pH level as high as 5.2. Most soils around Denver have a pH between 6.5 and 8.2 -- much too high to sustain blueberries, and amending soils with sulfur and pine needles is a temporary fix, at best. Recently, Colorado State University conducted a trial study growing blueberries in containers. With an acidic potting mix, winter protection and adequate moisture, the blueberries in the trial grew very well. Colorado home growers can expect similar results.

Coir (shredded coconut husks)
Peat
Perlite
24-inch pot
Shovel
Hand pruning shears
Acidic fertilizer
Wood chip mulch
Burlap

Instructions

- 1
  Plant bare-root blueberry plants from a reputable nursery. Choose half-high blueberry varieties that are adapted to cold climates and container culture. Preferred varieties include Chippewa, Polaris, Northland and North Sky. North Blue was the most successful blueberry variety in the Colorado State University Extension project.
- 2
  Mix your own potting soil, using 40 percent coir, 40 percent peat and 20 percent perlite. Colorado State University experimented with several different blends but found this mix to have the ideal pH level of 4.2 to 5.0.
- 3
  Fill a 24-inch pot with the potting mix. Plant the blueberries so they sit at the same depth as they did at the nursery. Look for a soil line at the base of the plants to indicate the proper depth. Trim off any diseased or dead roots and spread them out. Cover the roots with soil, and water until the soil is evenly moist.
- 4
  Sink the pot into the ground. This method has several advantages, according to Colorado State University. Blueberries grown in pots sunk into the ground suffer less winter damage because the soil is insulated by the surrounding ground. They also dry out less quickly and aren't knocked over by high winds.
- 5
  Remove any blossoms the first summer so the plant's energy is focused on root development. Prune the blueberry bush to remove dead, diseased or overlapping branches. As the bush matures, prune it to remove low-lying branches and old, less vigorous canes.
- 6
  Water blueberry bushes in Colorado at least every other day, and possibly every day. Blueberry bushes need 1 to 2 inches of water per week to produce a good crop of fruit. High winds and low humidity in Colorado wick moisture from the soil. If your blueberry bush sits on the patio, as opposed to in the ground, water it even more frequently.
- 7
  Fertilize the blueberries four to six weeks after planting with 1/2 oz. high-acid fertilizer for azaleas or rhododendrons. Thereafter, give blueberry plants 1 oz. of fertilizer for each year of age, up to 8 oz. Divide the fertilizer into three applications -- one in February, one in late May and one in late September.
- 8
  Mulch the blueberry plants with 2 inches of wood chips in late fall. Cover them with a piece of burlap to protect them from winter winds and freezes.

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