Care of Bluecrop Blueberries

Plant Bluecrop blueberries in spring around the last frost of the season. These bushes do best in U.S. Department of Agriculture Hardiness Zones 3 to 7, which give them the cold winter temperatures they need for blooming and fruit set.

Put each Bluecrop blueberry bush in a site with full sunshine, quick drainage and 4 to 6 feet of space. Blueberries won't bloom in shade, puddles or crowded plantings. Plant at least two to three Bluecrop cultivars to encourage better pollination and fruit harvest.

Amend blueberry soil before planting. Mark out a band of 18 to 24 inches for each bush and dig into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil. Mix the soil to loosen it and add 3 to 4 inches of organic compost and peat moss. Blueberries require deep, moist and nutritious foundations, with a pH of 5.0 to 5.3.

Plant Bluecrop blueberries in holes as deep and wide as their root balls, and water each bush with 1/2 gallon of water after planting to settle the soil and establish the planting.

Put the bushes on a schedule of 2 inches of water every week. Blueberries do best with consistent, even moisture. Bluecrop blueberries are somewhat drought resistant, but produce best harvests with good watering schedules.

Give each Bluecrop blueberry bush 1 tbsp. of granular 10-10-10 fertilizer one month after planting to encourage first-season growth. Give each bush another helping of fertilizer six weeks later, and continue these feedings every six weeks until mid-summer.

Mulch the soil in a 2-foot circle around each blueberry bush with acidic organic mulches like sawdust, pine needs, wood chips and bark. This mulch keeps soil moist and warm, and adds acidic nutrition to the soil as it breaks down. Replenish this mulch layer as necessary.