How to Grow Blueberries for Business

Determine whether the lot on which you intend to grow the blueberries for business is properly zoned for such an enterprise. If you are outside of city limits, this is seldom a concern, but within many city boundaries, you may not be able to grow a food product for a business purpose. It is also necessary to purchase a business license at this point. Business licenses are purchased from your local zoning commission.

Determine the necessary number of plants that you need for the business. In general, 100 plants should be sufficient for a beginning operation. As you expand, you may fill as much as an acre of land with the plants. This will depend on the popularity of the operation over the course of its first three years or so.

Devise a business plan that outlines how you expect your business to succeed. In it, you should outline how the business works, how you expect to collect money from customers, and a potential profit forecast. The U.S. Small Business Administration provides guidelines for creating business plans on their website, www.SBA.gov.

Obtain business insurance for the property on which you will be growing blueberries. This is not a trivial concern. Any time someone comes on your property, you are liable for any accidents that occur to them while they are there. In some cases, this can even extend to an unruly child injured while climbing on farming equipment. You must protect yourself to prevent financial disasters such as these.

Plow the soil and prepare it for planting the blueberries. Have your soil tested by your local university's cooperative extension office or the nursery where you will be purchasing your blueberry bushes. Blueberries prefer very acidic soil, with a pH between 4.0 and 5.0, with very sandy loam and high levels of organic matter. Having the correct soil for the blueberries is necessary to ensure that the blueberry bushes thrive and remain productive for several years after planting. If you do not do this, you will have problems with keeping the bushes productive through their life cycle.

Plant the blueberry bushes in rows spaced at least 8 feet apart. Space each blueberry plant no less than 4 feet from its neighbor. This will provide the bush with plenty of room to grow, as well as providing plenty of room for the people picking the blueberries to reach between the plants.

Compact the soil between the rows to provide a surface on which to walk. Because the blueberry plants aren't planted every year, you won't have to plow the entire field every year. You can also plant sod or grass seed between the rows to help reduce runoff and loss of soil.