How to Plant Blueberry Bushes in the Catskills

Choose a site that receives full sun. Blueberries prefer acidic soil with a pH of 4.5 to 5.0. The soil should be moist but well drained.

Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and as deep as the container. Mix some organic material (peat moss, leaf mold, manure or compost) into the soil that has been removed. The ration should be 50-50 organic matter to soil.

Remove the plant from its container. If the roots are a dense mass score the root ball deeply in three places with the pruning shears. Prune any visible damaged roots. Place the shrub in the planting hole.

Fill in around roots with the organic mix. When you have filled in the hole half way, fill the planting hole with water. As it drains it will settle the planting mix around the roots. Continue filling in the hole and water again.

Check the moisture level of the soil for the next few weeks. Blueberries have shallow root systems and are sensitive to water fluctuations. The soil should be moist but not wet. Blueberries need one to two inches of water per week during the summer.