How to Prepare Soil for Blueberry Plants

Check the soil for drainage. If water pools or is very slowly absorbed, bushes will not do well.

Dig holes at least 18 inches deep and 18 inches wide. Break up soil with spade or shovel, especially large pieces of clay.

Add equal amounts of peat moss and rotted leaf compost to soil, mix well and replace in hole. Water the soil to check new absorption rate.

Make certain that soil is acidic enough for plants to flourish. Peat-moss helps, but so does the addition of acidic fertilizer. If rhododendron and azalea do well in your yard, soil is probably generally acid enough; mix in fertilizer according to package directions. If you use lime frequently on neighboring plants or your adjacent lawn, be prepared to fertilize by side-dressing every spring. If, on the other hand, you know your area's soil to be highly acidic, dig 2 cups of ammonium sulfate into each hole, to increase nitrogen and slightly lower acidity. This usually needs to be done only at planting.

Water regularly for several weeks to help plant roots get established. In cases of extreme summer heat, and definitely for winter, mulch blueberry roots with pine needles, oak leaves or commercial mulch. (Avoid cedar-based mulch, which does not do well on blueberries.) In spring, before blooms emerge, side-dress with fertilizer and water regularly until it is absorbed. Avoid heavy cultivation of soil close to blueberry bushes, to avoid root-damage.