How to Grow Bilberry

Select a growing site for your bilberries. Bilberries grow best in full sun to light shade. Choose a sheltered location to protect these early bloomers from frost.

Prepare the soil to ensure a healthy start for your bilberry plants. Like their relatives the blueberries, bilberries appreciate an acidic soil amended with ample amounts of organic matter. Add peat moss to the soil and mulch with pine straw to bring the pH down to 5.5.

Ensure cross-pollination for abundant berry production. If you collect your plants from the wild, gather from several colonies to ensure that the plants are slightly different. If you propagate bilberries from cuttings, start some from seed to introduce variation.

Fertilize your bilberry plants for lush growth. You can apply well-rotted manure or use a 10-10-10 commercial fertilizer.

Control weeds in your bilberry plants. Bilberries have shallow root systems and don't perform well when they have to compete for nutrients. Pull weeds by hand, control them with mulch and use glycophosphate if needed.

Prune bilberry plants annually. Remove damaged branches on young plants and remove interior stems on mature plants to encourage air circulation.

Provide an even moisture level for your bilberries. Bilberries aren't drought-tolerant, nor are they bog plants.