Blueberries

Blueberries are a functional and productive plant that can also serve as a nice landscaping accent through spring, summer and fall. In the spring the small white or pink flowers make a great accent. In the summer the berries transition from green to pink before settling into either deep red or purple. In the fall the leaves turn blazing red and make an excellent visual companion with maple trees.

Blueberries prefer to grow in acidic soil with a pH around 4.5 to 5. Soil with a pH this low is uncommon in most gardens and orchards. Usually to find a pH this low you have to look to the soil of a pine forest. This means the soil pH will need to be amended the winter before you plant and again at planting time. Test your soil with a basic soil test kit the summer before you want to plant blueberries.

Applying sulfur in winter and spring is a non-organic method of adjusting the soil’s pH. If you want an organic alternative, I would recommend digging a healthy amount of pine straw or mature pine mulch into the soil in the fall. Then dress the plant with pine straw immediately after planting. If you are lucky like me and have a stand of pines on the property you could always dig a significant hole in the orchard and fill it with soil from the forest floor.

While there are a few blueberries that are self-pollinating, most blueberries are not. These plants have unique traits that require another variety to pollinate with. Most quality plant providers will note this already for you in the plant’s description. While it is not a hard and fast rule that you must follow the pollination recommendations, it is still the best route to your most productive yield as the suggestions are based on cooperative traits between the two plants.

There are three different types of blueberries that you can grow, Low bush, high bush and rabbit eye. The growing zone you live in will determine which one grows best.

Growing zone: Low bush (Zones 3 to 6). High bush (Zones 5 to 7). Rabbit eye (Zones 6 to 9).

Time to maturity: 3 to 5 years

Pollination needs: Varies by type

Pruning/Thinning: After 3 years the plant will have established itself and should receive routine pruning each spring to cut back old growth or thin for air space.

Harvest time:Varies by type and variety. While a few ripen in June, most take until mid-July to early August. You can spread out your blueberry season by choosing multiple varieties that ripen at different times, just be mindful of each plant’s pollination needs.

Low Bush blueberries make a sprawling bush that lives low to the ground. They tend to grow better in northern climates. Because they grow so low they are more susceptible to rabbit damage both in winter and in peak season. I personally surround each of mine with a ring of rabbit guard fencing year round. I prune them in late fall right before the first snow. Then I cover them with half barrels or large buckets for added protection against animals who may try to use the snow drift as an escalator to get over the fence.

High bush blueberries are better suited for temperate to warm growing zones. They make a tall bush which often produces smaller berries than low bush varieties. Consistent watering is important if your area is prone to drought as a stressed bush may drop its berries in desperate dryness.

Rabbit eye blueberries are more suited for hot climates and produce very small berries on spindly plants. While they can handle drought a little better than high and low bush varieties, they still need to be tended and watered regularly.

Long term storage options: Blueberries that are flash frozen can be kept for up to six months in an air tight bag. Blueberry jam made with no-sugar added pectin is a great way to preserve the berries whole. They can then be spooned gently from the jar and used in things like pancakes and muffins.

Blueberries make a rather dry wine that requires a large amount of sugar to balance. As a result, blueberries are best companioned with another sweeter wet berry, like strawberry to make a blended fruit wine.