Plump, juicy berries are now easy to grow in your backyard on bushes that are resistant to most pests and diseases, and can produce for up to 20 years.
How to plant blueberry bushes.
- Select a sunny, sheltered spot.
- Blueberries thrive in soil that is acidic. The soil pH should ideally be between 4 and 5.
- The blueberry is a shallow-rooted plant, so it requires a soil that holds moisture, but also drains well and doesn’t stay wet. Watering needs fill the surface pockets that are minute in size, and the soil needs to hold the nutrients and water.
- Mix organic matter into the soil before you set your blueberry bushes.
- Bushes should be planted as early in the spring as possible. If available, 1- to 3-year-old plants are a good choice.
- Dig holes about 20 inches deep and 18 inches wide (about twice as wide and twice as deep as the roots of the plant).
- Space bushes about 5 feet apart in a row, with at least 8 feet between rows.
- Set the bush in the hole with its roots spread out. Don’t plant the bush any deeper than it grew in the pot.
- Pack the hole tightly with soil.
- Apply fertilizer one month after planting, not at the time of planting. Apply ½ ounce of a 10-10-10 fertilizer in a band around the plant 6 to 12 inches from the crown.
Do not let them go dry in the middle of summer. They just they will not put up with that.
Humans aren’t the only fans of blueberries. Blueberries are a favorite snack of hungry birds, so it’s recommended that you protect blueberry bushes ahead of time with netting or other methods.