Blueberry Bush

Packed with benefits, Blueberries are one of the most nutritious foods. And did you know that frozen blueberries retain all the nutrition and health benefits of fresh blueberries? Grow your own blueberry plants and enjoy blueberries all year!

blueberry bush

With the proper light, soil, and water blueberry bushes are easy to grow. Plant in full sun and moist, acidic soil for optimal growth. We carry several varieties so you are sure to find a blueberry plant or three that suits your needs! Blueberries, like apples, grow best when they are able to cross-pollinate with another variety, but we do carry self pollinating Blueberry varieties for those of us with small spaces.

Give Blueberry Bushes plenty of space to grow. To determine how far apart you should plant your Blueberries, find the mature width of the Blueberry varieties you have chosen. Use the mature size plus at least 1 foot to measure out your planting area. For example if your bush grows to 5-6 feet wide, plant the bushes at least 7 feet apart from center to center of each plant. If you want to create a hedge for landscape purposes, plant closer, but no less than 5 feet.

The Brightwell blueberry, is a heavy producer and fast growing blueberry plant. This blueberry bush is self-fertile, but will produce heavier yields per plant if you pair with a different variety like the Tifblue. The Brightwell is the most cold hardy of the Rabbiteye blueberries.

Northern Highbush Blueberries are the most commonly cultivated blueberries. These popular berries tend to be sweet, large, and plump. Northern Highbush blueberry plants are cold hardy and self-fertile so you don't need a pollinator for grow these delicious blueberries. Although cross pollination will increase the yield of individual plants.

Bluecrop Blueberry plants have huge, juicy berries. These Blueberry Bushes offer a mid-season blueberry harvest with high yield. This variety is disease resistant and is the most popular Northern Highbush blueberry.

These Blueberries are a huge, all-purpose fruit with dessert quality flavor. The sweet berries are versatile; eat them fresh, freeze them, bake them, or cook them! Whatever your heart desires, these berries will suit your needs. Blueray Blueberries offer a mid-season blueberry harvest with high yield.

Jersey Blueberries have plump, delicious fruit. Your kids will eat these yummy berries endlessly! This blueberry is a late season berry with a high yield. The Jersey blueberry plant makes a lovely landscape shrub or hedge. It has very pretty, fiery fall foliage.

This dwarf fruit bush is hardy, versatile, adaptable, low maintenance, and self pollinating. The Pink Icing Blueberry Bush produces large, sweet berries. With pink foliage that transitions to blue and purple with hints of turquoise in fall, this semi-evergreen blueberry bush makes a lovely landscape shrub.

The Pink Lemonade is a dwarf blueberry bush with pink blueberries and is as yummy as it sounds! This self-fertile variety is extremely cold-hardy and great for containers. The colorful Pink Lemonade Blueberry looks stunning in the landscape. Red fall foliage, pink fruit, and unique pinkish-beige bark make this shrub stand out in a mixed bed or hedge.

Pollination: Blueberries are self-pollinating. However, cross-pollination produces a better crop, creating larger berries and larger yields. It is best to plant 2-3 types of blueberry with the same bloom time. (Note: Rubel and Bluecrop both bloom mid-season).

For best results, plant your blueberry bushes in early spring. Once your plants arrive, plant them immediately. If you cannot plant immediately, keep new arrivals cool and roots moist. To keep cool, it is recommended that you store in refrigerator or cool place.

Water blueberry plants during the day. Keep the soil moist but not soggy. Give them at least 1" per week during growing season and up to 4" per week during fruit ripening. Keep the soil moist to a depth of 1". Water evenly on all sides of the plant. Insufficient water when the buds start to grow in late summer and when fruit is developing the following summer can lead to smaller berries. Too much water can lead to large, bland fruit.

Weed control is essential. Eliminate weed competition prior to planting if possible. Blueberry plants are shallow rooted, so do not hoe or cultivate around the bushes deeper than 2". Pull the weeds out.

Do not prune for the first 2-3 years except to remove damaged or rubbing canes. Remove the fat fruit buds the first year to force vegetative growth and help the root system get established. Upright blueberry shrubs tend to become dense in the center causing shading.

When the bushes are mature after several years, remove older central canes and prune inward pointing laterals back to the main cane. Prune when dormant in late winter or early spring. Fall pruning is not recommended, because the new shoots could be killed by a cold winter. If necessary, thin out the dormant fruit buds to get fewer but larger berries.

When to pick your blueberries: Blueberries taste sweeter if left hanging on the bush to fully ripen. Pick 3-7 days after the berries turn completely blue all the way around for maximum sweetness. The stem should be blue not green or red, berry skin dull looking, and the berry detaches easily.

• When given their preferred environment, blueberries are easy to grow and do well in containers. These plants require full sun and acidic soil to thrive and produce fruit."}},"@type": "Question","name": "How long does it take to grow blueberries?","acceptedAnswer": "@type": "Answer","text": "Blueberry bushes grow slowly and can take six years to reach their full fruit production. Pruning is vital to producing fruit: After the first three years, begin pruning your plant to encourage new growth.","@type": "Question","name": "Do you need two blueberry bushes to produce fruit?","acceptedAnswer": "@type": "Answer","text": "Blueberries can self-pollinate, so you can harvest fruit with only one type of blueberry bush. However, planting multiple varieties for cross-pollination results in a higher yield and larger fruit. However, you must ensure that all varieties flower at the same time.","@type": "Question","name": "What not to plant near blueberries?","acceptedAnswer": "@type": "Answer","text": "Avoid planting plants near blueberries with high nutritional requirements or incompatible soils, including nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant), brassicas (kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower), and melons."]}]}] .icon-garden-review-1fill:#b1dede.icon-garden-review-2fill:none;stroke:#01727a;stroke-linecap:round;stroke-linejoin:round > buttonbuttonThe Spruce The Spruce's Instagram The Spruce's TikTok The Spruce's Pinterest The Spruce's Facebook NewslettersClose search formOpen search formSearch DecorRoom Design

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Learn tips for creating your most beautiful home and garden ever.Subscribe The Spruce's Instagram The Spruce's TikTok The Spruce's Pinterest The Spruce's Facebook About UsNewsletterPress and MediaContact UsEditorial GuidelinesGardeningPlants & FlowersFruitHow to Grow and Harvest BlueberriesProduce fruits with tips on planting, pruning, fertilizing, and more

Blueberry bushes grow slowly and can take six years to reach their full fruit production. Pruning is vital to producing fruit: After the first three years, begin pruning your plant to encourage new growth.

Blueberries can self-pollinate, so you can harvest fruit with only one type of blueberry bush. However, planting multiple varieties for cross-pollination results in a higher yield and larger fruit. However, you must ensure that all varieties flower at the same time.

The University of Minnesota fruit breeding program has developed blueberry varieties that are perfectly suited to our climate. The varieties listed have been grown at U of M research farms in USDA zones 3 and 4. Recommendations are based on trial results.

In the late fall and winter, rabbits and deer enjoy nibbling on the stems of blueberry bushes. This may drastically stunt the plant. Protect plants by surrounding them with chicken wire or similar fencing in the fall and winter.

Blueberry bushes belong in every home garden! Not only do they produce deliciously sweet and healthful fruits, but the four to six-foot shrubs make beautiful landscape plants. Have a smaller space? No problem. Choose a blueberry bush of the dwarf variety and plant it in a container. Gurney's Seed & Nursery Co. carries a wide selection of blueberry plants for sale to suit your space. 041b061a72