How to Germinate a Blueberry Bush

It's possible to propagate a blueberry bush by tissue culture, but at home, it's easier to use a cutting from an existing bush. Either start a new plant from softwood, a cutting you'll collect in the spring, or from hardwood by taking a branch from the mother plant in the winter when the bush is dormant. Before beginning the process, examine the donor blueberry bush for any signs of disease. If you see any, find a healthy bush.

Pruning shears
Soil
Pot
Liquid fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Cut a 4- to 5-inch softwood cutting in early spring, or a hardwood piece after the plant has gone dormant, in January or February, using pruning shears. Choose from the youngest shoots of the plant, usually in the top part of the bush.
- 2
  Remove all flower buds. Also, discard the foliage, except for two or three leaves at the end opposite from the cut. Keep the cutting moist. Don't store it to propagate later.
- 3
  Insert your cutting halfway into the ground. Keep the soil moist without saturating it.
- 4
  Apply a complete liquid fertilizer once your new blueberry bush has grown roots.
- 5
  Transplant your cutting into a pot if it's in a propagation bed outside. Your new plant won't be ready to move outdoors for about a year. The winter after propagation, plant your new blueberry bush in its final location.

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