How to grow Blueberry?
- Latin Family: Ericaceae
- Latin Genus: Vaccinium
- Ease of Growing: Moderate
- Growing Type: Perennial
The cultivated blueberry is delicious, nutritious and very productive (which is good because you can never have too many blueberries!). It is the second most commonly eaten berry in the United Sates (after strawberry).
Videos
Blueberry History
The Blueberry is a true American plant (one of the few native fruit crops) and was gathered from the wild (first by native Americans and later by European settlers) for centuries before it was cultivated. It only became a significant cultivated crop in the early 1900s, when Elizabeth White and Frederick Coville in Whitesbog, New Jersey began identifying superior wild plants and developing improved cultivars.
Soil Preference
- PH (min/max): 4.5 - 5.5
- PH Ideal (min/max): 4.8 - 5.2
One of the most important things to remember when growing blueberries is that they are members of the acid soil loving Ericaceae family. They won't grow very well in the rich, moist neutral soil that most other fruits prefer. They need an acid soil and if the pH isn't low enough the plants may suffer from various nutrient deficiencies and will never really thrive (they may even die). They don't even need a highly fertile soil and can be productive on poor sandy soil where few other fruits would do well (they can do this because they form an association with mycorrhizal fungi, which help to supply the plant with nutrients).
Blueberries prefer moist soil, though it must be fairly well drained.
How to care for Blueberry?
Blueberries are fairly easy to grow if you choose a variety that is suitable for your climate, give it a suitably acid soil and keep the soil moist. They are fairly pest and disease free.
Water
Blueberries require constant moisture for maximum productivity. They are actually quite drought tolerant, though in dry situations they will produce less and grow more slowly.
Fertilizer
Blueberries are adapted to grow on acidic soils that are fairly poor and they don't need a lot of NPK nutrients. However, they will often be more productive if fed occasionally.
Seeds
Seed Viability:
Blueberries are rarely grown from seed because it is very slow. They can be propagated from softwood or hardwood cuttings but this is somewhat tricky. You can also simply divide the plants, or remove and transplant rooted suckers. The easiest and most fail safe method is layering, where you bend a branch to the ground and cover it with soil. The covered part will eventually grow roots and can then be separated form the plant.
Light
Sun: min. 6 hours daily
Blueberries prefer full sun, but will tolerate light shade (they may be less productive in shade but will still produce some fruit).
Conditions:Cold, Cool, Warm
Season:Short Season, Long Season
Part shade
In very hot climates they may benefit from light shade.
Conditions:Warm, Hot
Season:Short Season, Long Season
Storage
The fruits can be kept for a few days in the fridge.
Storage Req: Refrigerator
Storage Temp: 35-40°F
Storage Length: 1-14 days
Blueberries freeze very easily and even retain their antioxidant content. After washing berries, be sure to thoroughly dry them, or your blueberries will become clumps of berries. Store in a plastic bag in the freezer.
Storage Req: Freezer
Storage Temp: 32°F
Storage Length: 1-180 days
Blueberries dry well in the sun or in a dehydrator, although the process is somewhat complicated.
After washing and draining blueberries, remove the stems. Then drop blueberries in boiling water until skins crack (1-2 minutes), drain and immediately immerse in ice water to stop cooking process. Drain again and place on cookie sheets in freezer. Once frozen, remove and place on dehydrate blueberries at 100˚ F for about 10 hours.
Store dried blueberries in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location (light may cause discoloration).
Storage Req: Drying
Storage Temp: °F
Storage Length: 1-60 days
Problems
Pests and diseases
Birds love ripe blueberries and in most places they will eat the whole crop if you don’t take steps to deter them. The most effective way to do this is to net the plants, or even grow them in a permanent fruit cage. You might also try scaring the birds, using bright flashing objects like shiny aluminum pie tins, mylar tape, old cd’s, or with dummy predators (these tend to only work until the birds get used to them).
Iron Deficiency: Yellow Leaves
A blueberry with iron deficiency has yellowing leaves with dark green veins with the new growth affected first. Blueberries are unable to use the iron in soil when the soil pH is too high. Blueberries like their soil pH to be between 5.2 and 4.0 with the optimum being 4.5 to 4.8. Another problem that can cause iron chlorosis is too much water, this can happen with wet springs or irrigation that is set to water amounts that appropriate for the summer heat but not a cool spring. For more info click here:
Blueberry Types
- Lowbush
- Southern Highbush
- Highbush
These low growing varieties are descended from V. angustifolium and are often simply superior cultivars of wild plants. The berries tend to be small but full of flavor. They need a long winter chill period and acidic soil to do well.
Southern Highbush blueberries are hybrids of the Northern Highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum) with various southern species (V. ashei , V. darrowi). They are more tolerant of heat and mild winters than the above and do well in warmer and drier areas. They are also less fussy about soil conditions. They are a fairly recent development but have had a big impact because they greatly increase the area where blueberries can be grown.
Highbush Blueberry is native to Northeastern North America and forms the basis of the blueberry growing industry. It was first grown as a commercial crop of the early 1900s when Elizabeth White and Frederick Coville of Whitesbog, New Jersey began identifying superior wild plants and developing improved cultivars. To grow well these species require an acidic soil and a fairly long chill period. These are primarily self pollinating, but benefit from better pollination and larger fruit when planted with a second selections.
Pests
- Birds
- Japanese Beetle
- Gophers
- Deer
Diseases
- Bacterial Blight
