Should I Stake Up My Blueberries?

Blueberries Are Free-Standing Plants

• Blueberry bushes do not require trellising or stakes and can stand on their own. After planting, the soil surrounding them should be kept firm. You should water the blueberry plants at that point, but do not fertilize them. Placing sawdust around the blueberry plants will help to retain moisture and discourage weeds. At its peak, the highbush blueberry plant will be about 4 feet wide and 7 feet tall.

Cultivating on Raised Beds

• To assist with drainage and aeration, blueberry plants should be planted on raised beds. The beds should run north and south to advantageously capture light. Dimensions of the beds should be approximately 8 to 18 inches high and 2 to 4 feet wide. When planted, spacing should be 4 feet by 8 feet. The blueberries can be kept in containers or tubs while growing so as to keep the pH of the soil low, which blueberry plants prefer.

Pruning

• Pruning helps to maintain the blueberry plants and keeps their shape without stakes and invites good growth. At planting time, all branches should be trimmed by 30 percent to stimulate growth. During the first two or three years, you will not need to prune the blueberry plants much; merely remove the decayed or dead matter toward the bottom of the plant to promote upward development. By the third year, annual pruning is necessary; this can be done during the dormant season. Pruning strengthens the plant, removes branches that are too far or high and thus aids in harvesting.

Other Maintenance

• Blueberries need shelter from the wind. They can be protected by shielding them with fences or planting them either behind wind-resistant plants, hedges or between trees. Another kind of protection the blueberry plant needs is during the summer when the fruit attracts birds: a mesh can cover the plant to prevent unwelcome fruit-nabbing.