How to Grow Blueberry Bushes in Colorado

Prepare a rich, acidic compost. Add coffee grounds, peat moss, and other acidic biodegradable items to your compost pile.

Set your blueberry plants where you want to plant them, preferably not in well-drained soil, as they need more moisture than regular soil in Colorado will give. Do not plant them in a swampy area, but in an area of your yard where the rain water is the last to dry.

Space your blueberry bushes about 5 or 6 feet apart to give them plenty of room to grow where they will receive late afternoon and evening sun.

Dig a hole that is as deep and wide as the root base, if you have a fairly mature blueberry bush.

Cover the roots of the plant with compost so the acid-rich soil is touching the roots. Cover the area surrounding the blueberry bush with pine mulch to help keep the soil moist longer. Use a pine-based mulch, as the acid in pine needles will also aid in growing your blueberry bushes.

Water the newly planted blueberry bushes for about 30 minutes to allow the water to get down into the soil and give the plants a good drink. Water at least once a week, for 30 minutes each time, until there is a good cover of snow on the ground.

Add vinegar to your water once a month to help keep the soil acidic. Add 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water, which aids in raising the pH of the alkaline water of Colorado.

Remove the mulch, and cover the ground with another layer of acid-rich compost each spring, as the plant and the surrounding soil will absorb the nutrients, but not replace the acid content. Replace the mulch, and continue with your watering.