How to Grow Blueberry Hedges

Plant your blueberry hedge in late winter, after the ground thaws and dries enough to work. Blueberries are hardy and enjoy a cool-weather start. Test soil for readiness by balling it up in your hand; soil that falls apart on its own is ready for planting.

Choose the right site for your hedge. Blueberries need full sunshine, quick drainage and good air movement and may fail in wet soil or shade. Give each blueberry bush 2 to 3 feet of space; the close planting allows the bushes to grow together for a tighter hedge, but may make fruit harvesting more difficult.

Amend the soil in the given planting sites. Mix 1 part coarse sand and 1 part peat moss as your amendment and dig 3 to 4 inches of this amendment into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil in an 18- to 24-inch-wide section. This gives the blueberry plants the loose, crumbly and acidic foundation they need for growing.

Plant blueberries in holes that are just deep and wide enough for their root balls in the amended soil. Make sure that the top of the root ball sits just under the soil surface after planting, as these plants prefer shallow plantings for better warmth and air circulation.

Water each plant with 1/2 to 1 gallon of water to settle the soil around the roots and lay 3 inches of organic mulch around the plantings. Use sawdust, pine bark or wood chips as mulch for blueberries, as these materials add more acidic nutrition to the soil when they break down.