How to Plant Blueberries in Tennessee

Buy at least two varieties of blueberry bushes to guarantee cross-pollination and fruit production. For highbush, try Bluetta, Duke and Patriot. For rabbiteye, try Woodard, Tifblue and Gardenblue.

Choose high ground that gets full sun to locate your blueberry bed. Blueberry bushes will die quickly if they sit in waterlogged soil in low-lying areas. Cultivate a bed for your blueberry bushes with a shovel or tilling machine to a depth of 8 inches.

Plant blueberry bushes when they are dormant to avoid transplant shock and allow roots to establish before foliage growth gets underway. In Tennessee, that means planting between November and March.

Dig a hole with a shovel that is 6 inches wider than the blueberry bush's container and just as deep. To plant multiple bushes, dig holes 5 to 6 feet apart. Space rows of bushes 10 to 12 feet apart.

Pull the blueberry bushes from their containers. Examine the roots. If they are coiled or have been container-bound, loosen them with your fingers until they spread out freely.

Pour half a bucket of water in the bottom of each planting hole. Set each blueberry bush in its hole, and backfill with the original dirt. Add a few handfuls of peat to improve drainage and add nutrients as you go. Press soil down firmly to eliminate air spaces around the roots. Finish by pouring the rest of each bucket of water at the base of the plant.