Vacciniumspp.
Blueberries are popular with home gardeners because , let ’s face up it , they ’re scrumptious . But while the berries get most of the attending , the bushes are beautiful plants in their own right .
blueberry bush plants bloom during mid- to late spring – typically in May or June , count on the specie and cultivar – with showy white , pink , or empurpled flowers .
As the heyday give way to fruit in the summer , typically July and August , dark unripe leaves with lightheaded bottom allow direct contrast against the ripen light to black bluish berries .
Northern highbush.
In the fall , the foliage turns red , orangish , imperial , yellow , or a mixture of these colors .
We associate to vendors to help you discover relevant product . If you buy from one of our link , we may earn a mission .
There are five vernacular types of blueberry plants out there , begin with the most popular in commercial-grade refinement , thenorthern highbush ( Vaccinium corymbosum ) .
Northern highbush.
Next we have the southerly highbush , which is a cross ofV. corymbosumand a native coinage from Florida known as the evergreen blueberry , V. darrowii .
Then there is thelowbush species ( V. angustifolium ) , which grow humiliated to the primer coat , staying under two foot tall . It ’s aboriginal across the US and Canada and the eccentric that hoi polloi often forage in the natural state .
And there is also the rabbiteye species , V. virgatum . These grow aboriginal across the southerly US and can strive up to 20 base marvelous .
last , there is the half - high , which is a hybrid of lowbush and highbush blueberry .
cultivar of each metal money have been bred to produce fruit that matures at unlike times – early , midseason , or lately .
There ’s a passel of interesting and utilitarian information about growing blueberries to overlay , so let ’s jump right in ! Here ’s what we ’ll go over in the coming sections :
What You’ll Learn
What Sets the Different Common Blueberry Types Apart?
Highbush blueberries ( V. corymbosum ) are deciduous woody shrubs that can touch up to eight feet tall at maturity .
In contrast , as you might await from their name , lowbush berries ( V. angustifolium ) are significantly short deciduous woody shrubs .
Sometimes called wild blueberry , these only achieve heights of about two feet marvellous .
Besides sizing , another way in which the available types take issue pertains to gardening region . Some highbush and rabbit-eye blueberry plants can grow in warmer climates , while lowbush multifariousness can put up cool climates . Half - high-pitched blueberries ride somewhere in the midriff .
Highbush types grow best inUSDA Hardiness Zones4 to 8 , while lowbush types spring up well in Zones 2 to 7 .
Half - gamey bush arise best in Zones 3 to 7 . It is possible , however , to regain specific cultivar that can farm outside of these ranges .
Why the difference ? It is n’t just that highbush industrial plant ca n’t handle lead period of freeze temperatures , but since they ’re so grandiloquent , stem can break and they can be crushed under heavy blow .
Lowbush plants , on the other hand , do n’t mind a duncish blanket of coke .
These species are further broken down into northerly and southern variety , with narrower ranges of suitable mood .
For lesson , northern highbush and lowbush blueberries need about 800 to 1,000 chilling hour , while southerly highbush plant life ask about 150 to 800 hours , look on the cultivar .
Half - high President Bush , as you might expect , need something in the heart , unremarkably around 800 hr .
What ’s that , you ask ?
“ Chill hours ” have-to doe with to the number of hours that temperatures need to be somewhere between 32 and 45 ° F in the winter in order for the works to bring forth flowers and fruit the following spring and summer .
A bit of an outlier , rabbiteye blueberries ( V. virgatum ) stand out because they ripen about a calendar month later than lowbush or highbush types , and the berry are smaller and sweeter , with a tougher peel .
The green berry are creamy white or pink in color with a bright cerise or pink calyx , giving the yield the appearance of an albino rabbit ’s middle .
rabbit-eye blueberry shrub can grow up to 20 foot magniloquent and are a bit more tolerant of dry conditions or drouth than other types . They are n’t capable to tolerate a circle of water , like other kinds of blueberry can .
Rabbiteyes grow good in Zones 7 to 9 and need between 300 to 700 chilling hour , depending on the cultivar .
Cultivation and History
Berries in theVacciniumgenus grow groundless across the worldly concern .
For example , in northern continental Europe , Ireland , the British Isles , Iceland , and northern Asia , you could see the aboriginal European blueberry bush ( V. myrtillus ) , also known as the forest blueberry or bilberry .
In South America , you may discover the mortiño ( V. floribundum ) and the Jamaican whortleberry ( V. meridionale ) .
But when we talk about the blueberries you ’re likely to discover at the memory board , we ’re normally blab out about the plants aboriginal to North America .
in the beginning , all blueberries growing in North America were uncultivated lowbush or rabbiteye blueberry works , along with a few other species likeV. alaskaense , or the Alaskan blueberry bush , andV. ovalifolium , or the oval - leafage blueberry bush ) .
Scientists cerebrate the blueberry was one of the first fruit plant on the continent to be utilized by humans after the last ice long time .
It was thanks to the indigenous populations go in what became known as the United States that European settler instruct about this splendid fruit .
Native Americans ate the berries fresh when they were in season , wangle them into stews and marrow , baked with them , and dried them to be eaten during the wintertime . They also used them medicinally .
People continue to reap , eat , and preserve idle blueberries only , until Elizabeth Coleman White and Frederick V. Coville came along .
White worked on her parents ’ cranberry farm in the late 1800s . At the time , agriculturalist did n’t think the wild blueberry bush could be cultivated , but White believed she could make it pass off .
She reached out to Coville , a botanist with the USDA who was also meditate wild blueberries , and the twosome worked together to create the first tame highbush blueberry .
These days , northerly highbush are the most rough-cut commercially grow blueberry in North America and the Charles Edward Berry that you see at the grocery store in those formative clamshells or berry baskets are normally highbush type .
The southerly highbush has only been cultivated for the past six decades or so . It is a hybrid of northern highbush and Vaccinium ashei or evergreen plant varieties .
But that does n’t intend the lowbush blueberry is n’t around anymore . It ’s an important harvest in the northeasterly United States and Canada , where it is naturalise or harvest from deal barbaric stands .
These berries are usually sell either canned or frozen because they do n’t shop or ship well , though you’re able to find them smart locally during the develop time of year .
Rabbiteyes are acquire commercially in the southeasterly United States , and if you ’re lucky enough to live in the region , you’re able to find the fruits overbold at markets and food market stores during the summertime .
While North American blueberry bush species are cultivated across the earth , from Australia to Siberia , a majority of the commercially grown berry sold worldwide come from the US .
Blueberry Bush Propagation
You have wads of alternative when it come to propagating your plants .
Bare roots , cuttings , and transplants are easy , but if you need a acquire adventure , you may also tame them by begin seeds .
Whichever method acting you choose , be certain to prep your soil well before sticking your raw plant in the ground . If you need to interpolate your grime much , it can be a extended process .
For instance , if you have clay or sandlike soil , working in some composted pine or true fir sawdust repeatedly over several months can help create the right condition for blueberry bush .
From Seed
start out with the most challenging alternative , you may grow blueberries from seed , but it will plainly take longer to produce your first crop than it would if you started with established plant .
Seeds can be purchased or you’re able to distill them from the berries . Keep in mind that seed from intercrossed plants wo n’t grow rightful to the parent .
To distill cum , localize a loving cup of blueberries in a blender with four cups of body of water . Run it on eminent for 15 seconds and then let the mixture ride for 10 instant .
finally , the pulp magazine will originate to the top and the seeds will sink to the bottom .
Pour out the pulp , add together more water to supercede what you poured out , and set it apart for another five minute . Repeat until you get decipherable water with blueberry seminal fluid at the bottom .
A few months before the last frost date in your surface area , sprinkle your seeds over a container filled with moistenedpeat moss .
Place a thin layer of peat on top to cover . Cover the tray with a piece of charge card or a humidity dome to keep the wet in . Keep the seed around 60 to 70 ° F .
Now comes the hold off plot . Every meter I ’ve done this I ’m pretty sure my seeds are duds and I get ready to toss the whole thing out , only to see the little green seedling adhere their heads out of the peat .
That ’s because it can take a month or two – or sometimes three ! – for seeded player to germinate . And I ’m raring .
Once seedlings are about three in tall , dispatch them from the peat and put each one in a six - inch mountain filled with equal parts peat , George Sand , andpotting soil .
Keep the medium moist but not wet , and put the seedling in a spot where they meet about six hours of Lord’s Day a twenty-four hours .
Once the danger of frost has authorize , you may put the flora in the dry land out of doors , but be sure to season them off for a week before transfer them to their permanent rest home .
Harden off seedlings by place them outside in a sheltered spot with collateral light for one 60 minutes , and then add it back indoors . Repeat this , bestow an hour each daylight for a hebdomad , until they can expend the full twenty-four hour period alfresco .
Because the seeds need such carefully operate conditions , direct sowing in the garden is n’t recommend .
By Cuttings
If you have access to an older , healthy blueberry bush , you could take hardwood cutting to start unexampled industrial plant .
In the late winter when the plant is still torpid , take a six - inch cutting from one - twelvemonth - old Mrs. Henry Wood . You want a cutting that is about as thick as a pencil .
shorten the end you ’ll be eat up at an angle to serve in sinking it into the dirt and to increase the airfoil area for water and nutrient uptake .
Bury the cutting two inches deep in a container filled with equal parts sand , peat moss , and potting soil .
I like to utilise four- or six - inch containers , preferably a compostable type like CowPots .
CowPots Biodegradable weed
Arbico Organicssells these ready to hand pots in packs of 12 , 180 , or 450 – for those serious gardeners !
Keep the potting intermediate moist but not sloshed . In about three calendar month , your cutting should develop etymon . You ’ll experience this is the character if you give the cutting a easy tug and it resists .
Once the risk of rime has pass , indurate off the rooted cutting as described above , and then institute it in its lasting spot .
Dig a hole twice as spacious and as mystifying as the container the cut was growing in . Put the plant in the hole , circulate out the rootage . Backfill with grime and pine tree or fir sawdust , if using .
Rooted cuttings will take about two or three age more than transplants to produce berries .
By Bare Root
spare beginning plant are generally more affordable than transplants , but they take a mo of extra homework to propagate .
If you ca n’t plant yours decent away after your order get or you lend them home from the greenhouse , put them in a coolheaded , dark place . You do n’t desire to permit the root dry out out , so spray them daily with a water feeding bottle .
When you ’re ready to plant , overcharge the roots in room temperature piss for three to six hours . slay from the water and cut away any erupt roots .
Then , spread the roots out horizontally rather than down and dig a hole that is a few inches wider and the same depth as the roots .
These shrubs favour to have their roots unaired to the surface of the soil rather than down deep , so we ’re trying to animate their natural growing drug abuse when we do this .
position in the maw and backfill with soil that you dug up . pee well to settle the soil .
Read more about blueberry extension here .
Transplanting
If you ’re in a hurry to dig into those sweet berries , you may purchase one , two , or three - class - erstwhile blueberry bush transplant .
Most plants commence producing at about two year old , so you could be digging in right away , though your first harvest may be diminished .
Transplants should be planted in the drop or fountain , depending on where you live . Gardeners in warmer part like the Pacific Northwest or the Southeast should put flora in the footing in October , March , or April .
In cooler regions like New England , spring is best to allow for the plant metre to become established before wintertime roll around .
When you are quick to plant , gently slay it from its container and be sure to good tease up the root clod . Spread the roots out , not down .
When you ’re done , the root organization should be about twice as wide and half as deep as it was while confined to the mountain it come in .
Dig a hole slightly wide than your newly spread - out root ball and about the same profundity .
You may want to work some peat or compost into the surrounding soil if the texture of your earth is different from the land the transplanting was growing in . This helps to better aeration and encourage the roots to flesh out .
For instance , if your potted blueberry bush is in a loamy potting mixture , but your native soil is quite flaxen , you ’ll need to amend your soil to further the roots to go into your native dirt .
you’re able to learn to transplant blueberries in our pathfinder .
How to Grow Blueberries
Blueberries are ericaceous plant life , along with other acerb - lovers likerhododendrons , azalea , andhydrangeas . They all like like acidic filth conditions .
you’re able to also grow them near tree that thrive in acidulent soil , such as some true pine . Just remember , there ’s a common garden myth out there that pine needles make the land acidic .
That ’s not honest . Do n’t bear that you’re able to plant your blueberries neara pine treeand the land will have the right pH.
Blueberry flora need acidic soil with a pH between 4.0 and 6.0 , look on the species . All blueberries require soil that is porous , with fate of organic matter . But they do n’t call for a gross ton of additional nutrients .
prove your soila class before planting so you will have time to makeamendments to align the pH – if you call for to – before putting your new blueberry bush in the undercoat .
Keep in mind , however , that rabbit-eye blueberry blueberry bush do n’t do well in soil that does n’t naturally have a pH at or below 5.5 .
If your land has a higher pH level than this , eitherbuild a raised bedand sate it with acidic ground , or plant somewhere that does have the ideal pH scale , rather than using a soil amendment like sulphur to change the pH.
These plants need an even balance of nitrogen , K , and phosphorus . That intend if your soil is substandard in one of these nutrients , you ’ll need to add it .
For illustration , if your ground is low in nitrogen , you ’ll desire to work in something like blood meal to add N .
I bonk this production from Down to Earth , which you may buy in half , five , 20 , or 50 - pound packagesat Arbico Organics .
Down to Earth Blood Meal
After conducting your soil test , amend with any necessary fertiliser before planting your raw chaparral , and let the granules dissolve for a week or two . Fertilizer granules that touch young ascendant now can glow them .
If your soil is n’t naturally loamy , work in some of age fir tree or pine sawdust , or finely chopped barque , to improve aeration .
you’re able to get down the pH by adding pelletized or granular elemental sulfur or peat moss to the soil , following the manufacturer ’s good word . sulphur takes about a year to alter soil pH.
Alternately , you could also use aluminium sulfate , or iron sulphate . These work faster , but you need to be heedful not to add too much . It ’s well-to-do to overdo it with sulfates .
While you ’re quiz and improving your territory before you plant , you should also remove any weeds from the domain . Blueberry plant do n’t like to compete for nutrients , sun , or moisture .
That ’s because they have shallow root organisation , without big strike root word to dig deeply into the soil for water and nutrient .
you may alsoplant a cover cropto service amend the territory and beat back grass . Rye , buckwheat , or sudangrass ( Sorghumxdrummondii ) all work well for this purpose .
view usingraised bedsif you need to improve your soil to suit blueberry . Whether the filth miss nutrients or need pH adjustment , or if you have arduous , squeeze or clay territory , you might need to construct a few invoke beds to plant in .
This give you the power to spay the stain without impact the surround area .
you could build a wooden box , or just hill up some improved stain if you prefer . If you have heavy soil , you’re able to also sour in some sand to improve drainage .
You should aggroup blueberries together , rather than spreading them out around your garden . That hold it easier to keep the soil pH at the right level , which is key to an abundant harvest home . It also helps the flora cross-pollinate each other .
Not all blueberries ask a companion for pollination , but many do . This intend you need to plant cultivars together that efflorescence at the same sentence .
Southern highbushes take to be imbed with a cultivar that blossom at the same time , and this will typically be take note in the plant verbal description or on the growing tag from the nursery .
Rabbiteye blueberries also need a fellow traveler for pollination . Again , be trusted to peck cultivars that bloom at a similar time .
‘ Alapaha , ’ ‘ culminate , ’ ‘ Premier , ’ ‘ Prince , ’ ‘ Savory , ’ and ‘ Vernon ’ are all former boner .
‘ Austin , ’ ‘ Brightwell , ’ ‘ Columbus , ’ ‘ Montgomery , ’ ‘ Powderblue , ’ and ‘ Tifblue ’ all flower mid - season .
‘ DeSoto , ’ ‘ Ochlockonee , ’ and ‘ Onslow ’ are late bloomers .
Most highbush cultivar are ego - prolific , but grouchy - pollenation will typically give you a large crop and crowing Berry .
While harvest dates can change dramatically among different cultivar , most northern highbush plant rosiness within a week or so of each other . For that reason , all cultivars can be used for mark - pollination .
Native bee , bumblebee , and Apis mellifera are the only pollinators of blueberry . The prime ca n’t be pollinated by bird or butterflies because they require “ buzz pollination . ” This happens when a bee vibrates or shake the pollen loose from a flower .
Large highbush species should be space around four to six foot aside , and nanus cultivar about two to four feet asunder .
Rabbiteye George Herbert Walker Bush necessitate more space , with at least six substructure between plants , but preferably more . Lowbush blueberry can be planted one to two fundament aside .
Most blueberry like a mess of moisture , and those that are growing in the wild can often be find near water system , or in swampy or boggy areas .
However , Vaccinium ashei blueberries are more drouth tolerant and will suffer if give too much water .
To complicate thing , blueberry have very shallow solution . That means they dry out well , so they postulate logical tearing .
Plants require one to two inches of weewee a week , bet on the metal money . You canuse a rainwater gaugeto aid determine how much precipitation you receive .
If you do n’t get that much naturally , you ’ll need to provide supplemental irrigation .
Mulches like aged pine needle , woodwind chips , and bark are idealistic for helping to retain wet . Do n’t use colored or synthetic mulches because they may have a damaging wallop on the environment .
While it may be tantalising , do n’t usehomemade compostaround blueberries unless you ’ve checked its pH first – it ’s commonly too alkaline for their liking . Manure - based compost are almost always too alkaline , so it is best to invalidate them .
When it comes to fertilizing , wait until the works have been in the solid ground for about six month before you apply any food .
Then , practice a tablespoonful fertilizer formulated for acid - loving plants every six weeks , extending the fertilizer out 12 inches in a rophy around the plant .
Arbico Organicscarries Down To Earth ’s Acid Mix , which is utter for blueberry . It comes in one or five - pound boxes – or pallets of 25 or 50 pounds , if you ’re planning on hold up vainglorious !
Down To Earth Acid Mix
In the 2nd year , start fertilizing right as new growth issue and again every six weeks . give two tablespoons of fertilizer per plant , extend 18 inches out from the center .
From the third year on , apply a cup of fertilizer per industrial plant spread three feet around the border .
Avoid using commercial-grade fertilizers or using too much fertilizer at once on rabbiteye plant . They ’re particularly tender .
We have more information on fertilizing blueberry bush bush here .
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
If you ’re going to grow blueberries , you ’ll demand to become good friends with your pruning tools .
Regular pruningis efficient for managing insects , it avail to prevent disease , and it encourages more abundant harvests and larger fruit . Plus , it makes it easy to glean the fruits when they ’re ready to foot .
Older canes produce smaller fruit and less of it . They also compete with the younger , more fertile canes for nutrition and light . In other tidings , they finally ask to go .
The near fruit shape on one - class - old cane and new shoots .
For the first two year of a plant ’s life , you do n’t need to do much work . Just bump off the efflorescence buds by clip or rubbing them off .
You want the plants to focus on mature and develop rather than bring on berry , tempting though it may be to see your first harvesting as before long as possible .
In the spring of the third twelvemonth when the plant is still dormant , remove any canes that traverse , any that are twisted , or any that are grow low along the ground .
plant should fully come forth from dormancy by the close of March in most areas , and you want to complete your pruning prior to this .
Remove any older canes that were n’t productive in the old season . To do so , just cut the canes down cleanly at the base of the plant using a fresh duad of clippers orpruners .
Then , remove all but two or three of the largest , tallest , most racy new canes that were bring on in the previous year . Modern cane are small , pliable , and often red or darker in color than one-time cane . You ’ll repeat this every year .
Once the flora pass on its ripe size , usually around eight year of eld , it will typically have about 10 to 20 cane of various ages if you ’ve kept up with your pruning .
Going forward , remove any pathological or damaged canes each spring . Then , take away any former canes that are larger than one column inch in diameter .
They ’ll likely be grey rather than brown or red , and the barque may be flake . Do n’t polish off more than 20 percent of the honest-to-goodness canes at a time .
If the plant looks crowded in the middle , thin out some canes to ameliorate airflow . As you did in the first twelvemonth , remove canes that are cross and rubbing against each other each follow year .
You should also remove any canes that do n’t have healthy fruit budsandvegetative buds at the end at the same time .
Blueberry canes can have both yield buds , pip where the efflorescence and fruits will emerge , and vegetative bud , dapple where the foliage will emerge . Any cane that has nothing but vegetative bud or no buds at all should be removed .
How can you identify these ? yield bud appear at the end of cane shoot . They face like teardrop - shaped , swollen bud that will organize into bunch of flower and fruit .
Lower down the cane from those are smaller , pointed bud . These grow new vegetal shoot in the following class .
Wear protective clothingwhile you are pruning . Gloves , glasses , and a long - sleeved jacket are all good ideas , because blueberry bushes can be rough .
If you have multiple lowbush blueberry , you may plainly mow a few down to the solid ground each year with a lawn lawn mower or weed wacker .
The plants that you cut down down wo n’t produce the next year , so you require to make trusted to leave two productive plants alone and substitute mowing . Otherwise , you may trim them as you would taller blueberry .
You may also need to cut back the edges of the bush to limit how far out they spread .
Feel free to give Vaccinium ashei chaparral a haircut in order of magnitude to keep their top low enough that you could reach all those berries . Just do n’t take more than a third of the height off at a time .
Otherwise , leave the plant marvellous and consider the higher Chuck Berry a sacrifice to our avian friend . They ’re nice to have around because they keep dirt ball under control in the garden – we ’ll get into a more elaborate discussion of pests in a minute .
Blueberries of all specie do good witha mickle of mulchbecause it cools the soil and help retain moisture .
Each year , you ’ll take to add mulch so that your President Bush always have three or four inches at a minimum around the fundament ( six inches is even better ) , and prolong it out for two pes around them .
You ’ll want to remove some or most of the existing mulch before you add some smart stuff .
The mulch should be flat around the canes , not heaping up higher around the base of the plant . But it ’s all right if the mulch is touch on the cane – in fact , it should be if you ’re doing it mighty .
Blueberry Cultivars to Select
If you ’re count for an theme of which blueberries to produce in your Charles Edward Berry patch , we have a guide just for you , with 10 top varieties .
Below are a few additional options that we also think stand out .
Alapaha
Many rabbiteye cultivars out there are a little antiquated , intend they were developed decades ago and have not evolve since , but there have been some great improvements in late years .
‘ Alapaha ’ is one of those newer cultivars that is deserving cover down .
‘ Alapaha ’
The Arbor Day Foundation carries itif you require to place an order online .
It has astral average - sized fruits that ripen in the late spring . But despite its early ripening time , it flowers later than most early - bloom rabbiteyes , so it is less likely to be bear on by a late frost .
It only farm about six feet grandiloquent , so it stick a manageable size of it , and expect 450 - 500 quiver hour . look at planting with ‘ Ochlockonee ’ or ‘ Titan . ’
Cabernet Splash
If you ’re looking for a blueberry bush that can do double responsibility , northern highbush ‘ Cabernet Splash ’ is a good pick .
The four - foot - tall industrial plant has dark violent foliage in the spring that gradually turns green as the days heat up . In the fall , it turns a vibrant red .
‘ Cabernet Splash ’
And , oh yeah , do n’t leave the fruit . It bring forth sweet , juicy berries , with a gravid return on each plant . This cultivar needs about 800 iciness hours and grows best in geographical zone 4 to 7 .
Nature Hills Nurserycarries 18- to 30 - month - old plant if you ’re search to buy one of your own .
Chippewa
‘ Chippewa ’ is a half - high blueberry that ’s hardy in zona 3 to 7 .
It was breed at the University of Minnesota with the goal in mind to create a four - foot - grandiloquent plant that has beautiful , large farewell and a massive yield of up to six pounds of sweet , medium to large berries per plant .
‘ Chippewa ’
This type is self - prolific and only call for about 800 chill hours , compared to up to 1,200 that are call for for other half - high cultivar .
Nature Hills Nurserysells 18- to 30 - month - honest-to-god scrub that are quick to add to your garden .
Rubel
‘ Rubel ’ is another northern highbush . This one grow unspoilt in zone 3 to 7 and produces up to 15 pounds of small , tart berries per seven - metrical foot - tall bush .
‘ Rubel ’
It need about 800 gelidity hours per season . The Arbor Day Foundation carries itin the spring as a bare - root planting and ships at 12 to 18 inches tall .
Tophat
‘ Tophat ’ is a lowbush cultivar that retains that wild blueberry bush sapidity . It ’s self - fertile and dwarf in size of it , so it does n’t grow taller than about 19 inch – perfectif you want a container blueberry .
‘ Tophat ’
Despite its diminutive size of it , you ’ll get up to five British pound sterling of flyspeck Berry from this plant . It ’s beseem to Zones 3 to 7 and postulate about 1,000 quiver hours .
‘ Tophat ’ can bepurchased from Fast grow Treesin two - gallon container .
Managing Pests and Disease
blueberry are n’t exclusively free from pests and disease , alas . Some issues are easily addressed , while others can be nearly impossible to eliminate . lease ’s take a looking at what you may face .
Birds
Birds bang blueberries as much as people do , and who can blame them ?
Since I could n’t mayhap deplete all the berries that my bushes raise , I let the skirt have at them . But hungry birds can go through quite a numeral of berries , so if you need to protect your crop , use razz veiling .
drawstring clear over plants as soon as the first berry begin to change by reversal from unripe to wild blue yonder .
Bird B Gone Garden Bird Netting via Amazon
While this is n’t the most tried - and - true pick , you’re able to also expend grape vine Kool - Aid or saccharide to control razz . Sounds weird , right?But they can assist .
Grape season Kool - Aid has methyl radical anthranilate in it , and birds do n’t like it one flake . Mix four packs of the unsweetened stuff and nonsense with one congius of H2O and spray plants when berries start to sour blue . You ’ll need to reapply every few calendar week .
you could also spray plant life with five hammering of sugar dissolved into two quart of water . Spray every few hebdomad as berries set out to mature . You should also spray after rain .
Most yield - feeding birds ca n’t stick out the disaccharides in table sugar easily , so they wo n’t go after the plants .
If you find that this sprayattracts ants , sprinkle athin stratum of diatomaceous earth ( DE)about a foot around the foundation of your George Bush .
Keep in mind that these spray are n’t as effective as veiling , so you may desire to stick with netting if you have a serious problem .
say more about protect your blueberry bush from boo .
Deer
Deer also lie with to munch on blueberry – both the yield and the plants . Fencing and commercial-grade repellent are your best choice .
take more about how to install DIY cervid fencing here .
Insects
blueberry are bother by a handful of insect pests , and a few of the ace that do trouble them can be devastating , so keep an eye out .
This pest is the larva of the blueberry fruit fly sheet , Rhagoletis mendax . The flies lay their eggs as berries start to turn naughty .
Common in the easterly half of the US , the adult can be distinguish by the zigzagging grim band on their white bodies .
Red sticky testicle gob can be an effective path to catch the adult before they lay their ballock . If you quick harvest your ripe berry , this can also help to control universe .
Apple Maggot Trap Kit
Arbico Organicscarries a outfit with enough balls to protect a dwelling blueberry garden .
Japanese beetles , Popillia japonica , like to nibble on the leave of blueberry bush bushes .
While the plant can handle up to a fourth of their foliage being damaged , if you have a forged infestation , you ’ll take to take natural process .
you’re able to pass beak the beetles and drown them in soapy piddle .
Learn to command Nipponese mallet in our guide .
If you spot hairy little caterpillars with black and chicken streak , these are likely yellow - neck caterpillars , Datana ministra .
These pests show up as summer start to go down . In with child enough number , they can totally unclothe a bush of all of its foliage .
Monterey Btk Liquid via Arbico Organics
Spray infest areas withBacillus thuringiensis(Bt ) .
Diseases
Keep an centre out for the following diseases .
There are no cultivar that are tolerant to everything , and not all disease occur in all areas , so you might want to check with your local extension agency to find out what to grow in your field to avoid problem .
This is a common disease that impacts all species of blueberry . It ’s triggered by the fungiColletotrichum acutatumandC. gloeosporioides .
The fungi attack plants particularly during warm , hot weather condition . spartan infections can lead to serious craw loss .
You wo n’t see symptom ab initio , but as the yield mature , they will finally begin to shrivel and diminished bulla will break off out on the skin of the berries . Eventually , these will strike off the bush .
But it is also potential for this disease to go undetected until after the berries have been harvested , when they start to molder in depot .
Since you might not know your plants have this disease until it ’s too later , prevention is essential . Provide appropriate spacing when planting , water at the soil level , and keep plants well - rationalise . harvest time fruit as before long as it is good .
The fungusBotrytis cinereahits during nerveless , squiffy weather condition when plants are blooming . It make greenish increment to pop off back , but the existent trouble is that fruits will rot after they ’re harvested .
maintain plants well cut back to improve strain circulation is key . You also require to make trusted you are n’t giving industrial plant too much atomic number 7 .
you’re able to hold a copper - based fungicide according to the manufacturer ’s directions when blossoms are present .
Bonide Copper Fungicide
I keep a provision Bonide ’s copper fungicide handy for utilization with various shrub and fruit tree . Ipurchase mine through Arbico Organicswhere it is usable in various size and concentrates .
Stem pestilence , also known as cane canker sore , due to the fungusBotryosphaeria corticis , is specially common in warmer domain like the southerly United States .
It causes canes to thicken and form deep cracks . Rather than damage the total cane , you ’ll see short segment impacted . finally , the canes will give out .
The best option is prevention . Always rationalise away any canes or stems that show house of infection as well as any dead cane , whether they are taint or not .
If you know this disease is a common problem in your orbit , mark off the info tatter on the plant when you buy , and pick repellent cultivars .
Rabbiteyes are generally touch less and will keep on to bring on even if they show signs of cane or stem canker . Highbush plants are more susceptible , but there are many resistant cultivars available .
All specie of blueberries are susceptible to greensickness , which causes the leaves of the bush to turn sensationalistic or red .
Not technically a disease but a physiological disorder cause by improper growing conditions , this issue is avoidable – but you often wo n’t agnise it ’s a problem until you see symptoms .
A high soil pH will have chlorosis in any species of blueberry , but rabbiteyes are particularly susceptible .
Rabbiteyes may also come down with chlorosis when they ’re overfertilized .
In highbush and lowbush types , want of iron is a more rough-cut reason of yellowing than soil pH. Rabbiteyes can become atomic number 26 deficient as well . Usually , the yellowing will commence in the spring or former summer .
Fertilome ChelatedLiquid Iron
Spray plants with chelated smoothing iron from your local garden supplying fund orthis choice from Amazon . This is a short - term fixing while you class out fix the grunge . tenacious full term , sum up sulfur or atomic number 26 sulphate to the earth , as call for .
greensickness can also be due to stress , which reduces the ingestion of iron . If you live in a place where temperature go above 85 ° degree Fahrenheit , be absolutely sure that your flora has enough mulch to protect the roots from heat stress .
Mummy berry , induce by the fungusMonilinia vaccinii - corymbosi , can be withering . It overwinter in fallen yield on the land .
With the arrival of leap , the fungus come forth and infects the leaves and bloom .
It cause flower to twist browned , wither , and pall . Leaves and shoots develop black centers and will finally wilt and die .
septic berries wrick reddened or tan alternatively of green , and they often settle off the plant too soon . Once they ’ve to the full dry up , the berries turn gray , and become shrivel up and hard .
Harvest and destroy any mummified fruit before it falls . You demand to be persevering and keep at it for years sometimes , but eventually , the plant life can recover .
you could also keep an eye out for resistant varieties if this disease is common in your area .
For more information , pleasecheck out our full blueberry bush plague and disease templet .
Harvesting Blueberries
Blueberries part producing fruits at about two to three years old , but they wo n’t pass superlative production or light upon their full fledged size until they ’re seven to eight yr one-time .
Depending on the species , you may expect to glean anywhere from under a pound of berries on some lowbush cultivars to 30 pounds or more on some rabbiteye cultivar .
rent the Charles Edward Berry ripen fully on the plant before reap them . Some species of blueberries , such as rabbiteye , are non - climacteric , which means the yield postulate to stay on the plant life so as to mature .
Put simply , non - climacteric yield has a reduction in respiratory activity and quit producing ethylene after it is picked .
Rather than preserve to turn amylum into sugar , non - climacteric fruits start waste once they leave the plant .
For highbush and lowbush plants , look for berries with a blue base that are dull or matte . These should come off easily . Fruit with green or red stems or shiny berries are n’t quick to pick .
Rabbiteye blueberries turn their mature color well before they are actually ripe . Wait a few week after they ’ve turned blue and then pull a sample distribution berry off the George H.W. Bush .
It should come away easily and will be sweet and juicy , with a waxy blush on the skin .
All berry in a clump may not be advanced at the same time , so test to avoid picking the unripe ace . cull the fruits by hand , and place them in a basketball hoop or bucket .
cool off the Charles Edward Berry directly after peck to preserve their ledge life . Do n’t lap them until you ’re ready to eat them , but take out any junk like leaves or shoot that may have come off the plants while you were harvesting .
For more top , read ourcomprehensive guide to harvest home blueberries .
Preserving
Blueberries arefull of antioxidantsand control more smoothing iron than almost any other fruits that grow in temperate climates .
They ’ll last in the fridge for up to 10 days , but they ’re best enjoyed three to five days after amount off the plant for the best texture and spirit .
Anything you ca n’t eat on in metre can be suspend . It does n’t take much preparation , just wash them , lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet , and freeze for a few hours .
Then channelize them to sealed bags . They can keep in the deep-freeze for up to six months .
you could also fume blueberry . With a lilliputian acid , some oil , and a smoker , you ’re good to go . unite two quart of blueberries with the zest and juice of one lemon .
Add two tablespoonful of olive oil color . Mary Jane for four 60 minutes with cherry wood chips .
Of course , you may always turn them into jam as well , or Proto-Indo European filling , if canning is your matter .
at long last , consider dry them . This can be done in a dehydrator , or in the oven . inflame the oven to 225 ° degree Fahrenheit and rate the fruit in a single layer on a cookie sheet of paper .
Do n’t pack them too tight , and be indisputable to leave a little infinite between the berries .
Bake for about two hours until they ’re shrivelled but not grueling . They should be supple but firm . appropriate them to chill and then put the berry in sealed container and store in a coolheaded , dour position .
They can last for up to 18 months when processed and stash away this direction .
Recipes and Cooking Ideas
Of course , you’re able to apply blueberries anywhere you would expend berries .
Who has n’t cast aside a handful on their yogurt or waffles in the morning?Our sister internet site , Foodalhas a tasty formula for maple roasted blueberry bush on einkorn porridge .
Or how about a healthybreakfast quinoa with blueberries ?
They ’re also luscious in desserts . discipline out Foodal ’s recipefor Blueberry Peach Crisp .
Do n’t forget lunch and dinner , too ! The mashed berry are delicious baked on fish or livid meat .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Blueberries Are a Bountiful Bush for Your Berry Patch
Blueberries are the kind of plant that I care to have around even if I do n’t plan on eat the fruits .
They tot up so much beauty to the garden , and if you are n’t interested in the harvest home , the wildlife will give thanks you for the tasty snack .
Still , most of us humans are after those juicy , scented berries , and for good reason . They ’re nutritious on top of being delicious .
If you want to acquire berries and vine yield , control out these article next :
Photos by Kelli McGrane and Meghan Yager © take the Experts , LLC . ALL right hand RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Originally published March 19th , 2021 . Last update April 18th , 2023 . Product photos via Arbico Organics , CowPots , Down to Earth , Arbor Day Foundation , Nature Hills Nursery , and Fast Growing Trees . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
About
Kristine Lofgren
