Can You Buy Mature Blueberry Bushes?

Variety Selection

• Select a blueberry variety adapted to your region. Some varieties, such as rabbiteye and southern highbush types are adapted to heat and drought. If you live in a warm, mild climate, try Bluechip, Premier, Climax, Murphy, Bounty or Jersey. In the north, choose highbush varieties adapted for cold winters, such as Northblue, North Country, Polaris, Blue Crop and Patriot.

Soil Preparation

• Blueberries need well-drained, acidic soil with a pH between 4 and 5. Conduct a soil test the fall before you plant blueberries. If the test indicates your soil's pH range is between 5.5 and 7 and the soil is sandy loam, adding acid peat may be enough to lower the pH sufficiently. Otherwise, add lime or sulfur to alter the soil if you wish to grow blueberries. Soils with a pH level above 7 will never provide an optimal environment for blueberries, even after amending them with sulfur. Consider growing blueberries in pots if you have very alkaline soil.

Planting

• Plant blueberries in late spring in a sunny location protected from drying winds. Space the plants 3 to 4 feet apart. Dig the holes twice as wide and slightly deeper than the plant's roots, so you can bury the roots with 3 to 4 inches of soil. Mulch the soil with 2 to 3 inches of wood chip mulch to conserve moisture and reduce weed growth. Water frequently to keep the soil evenly moist, but not soggy. Mature plants may take slightly longer to become established due to transplant shock, but will quickly rebound.

Care

• Remove blossoms the first year after planting to help the mature blueberry plant become established in its new location. The second year after planting, allow the plant to bear fruit, but remove a few of the weak young branches that are heavily laden with flowers. Prune the blueberry plant annually before new growth emerges. Remove dead and diseased wood, as well as branches that rub against each other or grow vertically. Cut out old, weak wood at ground level.