About Planting Blueberries

Types

• There are three main types of blueberries: highbush, lowbush and rabbiteye. The kinds most frequently used in the food industry are the lowbush and the highbush. The lowbush grows wild, usually between 6 to 18 inches tall. Farmers typically plant the highbush blueberry, which supplies most of the blueberries found in grocery stores. The highbush grows between 3 to 6 feet tall. The rabbiteye blueberry can reach up to 15 feet tall.

Geography

• Lowbush blueberry shrubs can be found in Main, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Highbush blueberry bushes typically come from Arkansas, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. The taller rabbiteye variety can be found in the southern states of the United States. Another type of blueberry shrub is the southern highbush, grown in Florida. This blueberry is a hybrid, the result of crossing the highbush with a native Southern berry.

Time Frame

• In the south, the fresh blueberry season is from May through June. In the north, the fresh blueberry season is from June through September. Blueberries need a cold, inactive winter; yet, they cannot withstand excessive colds, below -20 degrees. A healthy blueberry bush can live more than fifty years. A blueberry shrub can produce up to 20 pints of blueberries each year.

Features

• A ripe blueberry's color ranges from light blue to black. The outer skin of a blueberry has a powdery-gray, waxy coating. The blueberry shrub grows clusters of flowers, from which the blueberry fruit grows. Blueberries grow best in acidic soil. They grow wild in many parts of the world.

Identification

• Blueberry bushes grow best in soil with a high organic matter, in acidic soil at a pH below 5.5, preferably where the pH is between 4.5 and 5.0. They require good drainage; their roots cannot tolerate standing in water for an extended time period. Watering should be constant and moderate during the growing season and can be done by drip irrigation or overhead sprinklers. Under-watering can inhibit yields. Plant in the fall or early spring, spacing the shrubs in a row, about 4 to 6 feet apart, depending on the soil. Rows should be spaced about 11 feet apart.