If there are no bees around to help with pollination, you may need to use an electric toothbrush to pollinate by hand. For more information, check out this article from the University of Vermont Extension on growing blueberries. The quality of care that you give your blueberry bushes will help to decide how much fruit you get each year.
Some of the most important factors are temperature, watering, fertilizing, and pruning. Most varieties of blueberries can survive up to Zone 4 or 5, and some can survive as far south as Zones 9 or The reason blueberry bushes may not survive further south is because they require a certain number of chilling hours in the winter.
Blueberry bushes may require between and chilling hours in the winter. A chilling hour is an hour between 32 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit 0 to 7 degrees Celsius. If a blueberry bush does not get enough chilling hours, it will not break dormancy in the spring. This will lead to a complete lack of flowers and fruit that year.
One other hazard to your blueberry harvest is a late spring frost. A cold snap after a blueberry bush breaks dormancy in the spring can kill all of the flowers on the bush. If the bush flowers too early during a mild winter, a late spring frost can kill all of the flowers and destroy any chance of a blueberry harvest that year.
Before purchasing blueberry bushes, make sure that your climate gets enough chilling hours in the winter to produce fruit, while also staying warm enough to keep the tree alive. Avoid letting the soil get too dry for too long, especially if you have young blueberry bushes. Blueberry bushes are shallow rooted, so they need more water than most other fruits. If you have a problem with dry soil, check out my article on preventing dry soil.
On the other hand, over watering can spell death for your blueberry bush, due to root rot or fungal diseases. For more information, check out my article on over watering. Before you plant a blueberry bush, add some compost to your soil. It will provide organic material and nutrients for your bush as it grows. As cold weather approaches, blueberry bushes become dormant for the winter. They shut down their life processes during the cold months, and can survive temperatures as low as minus degrees Fahrenheit.
When weather warms again, the roots revive and begin to provide sugar for later growth. Blueberry bushes can live for up to 30 to 50 years, according to the University of Minnesota Extension website. They may take several years to reach maturity and produce fruit. Adult blueberry plants put out clusters of six to 12 small white flowers in late spring. These flowers open starting at the base of the bud. Does it matter what kind of mulch I use at the base of the plant?
Mulch should be loose enough for water percolation. Pine needles, wood chips or bark mulch work well as mulches for blueberries. Avoid using dyed mulches black or red.
Avoid using synthetic mulches like black plastic or landscape fabric. How thick should I spread the mulch? Spread the mulch inches thick around the plant and out to the drip line.
May I just let grass grow around the base of the plant as mulch? No, grass will compete for nutrients and moisture. Blueberries perform best with a mulch to prevent weeds and competition. How often do I need to mulch around my blueberry bushes?
The mulch should be freshened each year. Spring is a good time to do loosen the mulch with a hand tool and add a new layer of fresh mulch. How often should I water my new blueberry plants?
Provide gallons of water per week for any weeks in which no rain occurs. Any fertilizer sold for azaleas or rhododendrons also works well for blueberries. Where is the best place to plant a blueberry bush? It's best to grow blueberries in an area where water is readily available so you can keep their roots moist throughout the growing season. Raised beds or patio containers are good options for planting blueberries in areas where the soil is not ideal. Soil preparation is crucial to the health of blueberry plants.
How do I encourage my blueberries to grow? Apply one-half cup per bush of an acidic granular fertilizer in a 2-foot diameter around the blueberry bush; azalea fertilizers work well for blueberries.
Alternatively, use blood meal, fish meal or cottonseed meal for organic production. Do blueberries need to be covered in winter? Specific care of blueberries in winter is usually not necessary, as fully dormant blueberry plants are generally very cold hardy and rarely suffer any severe blueberry winter damage. Can you transplant mature blueberry bushes? Blueberry bushes should be transplanted during their dormant season, which spans from early November to mid-March, dependent on climate.
Transplanting during a hard frost is never advisable, so aim for early fall or spring if you live in a harsher climate. Blueberries like soil with pH levels between 4.
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