Raspberry & Blueberry Planting Instructions

Blueberry Planting Instructions

• Purchase already grown blueberry shrubs to transplant into the ground. Blueberries should be planted in a non-alkaline soil. Dig big enough holes for the plants. The shrubs that you buy can be yearling shrubs, which will be only an inch around, or they can be more mature, and up to 5 or 6 inches around. Look at the stalk of the shrub to determine the size of the hole. The roots will need to spread out, so plant your blueberry shrubs at least 8 inches apart. This will leave enough room for the shrubs to grow, and they will grow together through the seasons. As you plant them, be sure to not bunch up the roots. This will cause the plants to be sickly and not produce as much fruit. If you start to put a shrub into a hole and notice that the roots will have to bunch up, stop and make the hole bigger. When you place the shrubs in the hole, you should be setting them down as deep as they were in the planter that you bought them in. If the planter was a 12-inch deep planter, for instance, the plants should sit down that far. The dirt level on your completely planted blueberry shrubs should be just as high, or a bit higher, than the dirt level in the pot they were in. This goes for very small shrubs, as well.

  Plant two different cross species of blueberries that are adapted to the same growing season, like two varieties of short growing season blueberries or two varieties of long growing season blueberries. This helps with good cross-pollination and helps produce fruit. You shouldn't need any other type of fertilizer, as long as you have planted several varieties.

Raspberry Planting Instructions

• Choose raspberry plants that are already started because raspberries are not generally planted from seeds. You can find plants at your local greenhouse or nursery during the spring months. Choose plants that appear to be healthy and are between 2 and 5 inches tall. Healthy raspberry plants will have lush, full, green leaves. Don't choose plants that have yellowed leaves or appear to be wilted. Raspberry plants should stand up tall and should not have any dead or dying leaves. You can choose taller or older plants as well.

  As you plant them, remove the seedlings from their plastic container and shake any loose dirt out of the roots. Leave any dirt that comes along with the roots, however. Choose a place that has moderate sun and shade, and a soil that is alkaline free. Dig a hole that is the same size as the root bundle, and place the raspberries into the hole. Your hole will be between 3 inches around and 10 inches around, depending on the maturity of the plants and how big they are. Cover the plant with dirt and make sure the roots are covered. You can fertilize with a plant food fertilizer once a year, but you don't have to.