Blueberry Plants in Zone 4

Soil Requirements

• Pick a site for blueberries that gets full sun for at least six hours each day, and shelter from the cold northwest winds of zone 4 winters. Avoid the bottoms of slopes, where cold air and moisture runoff collect. Soils should be moist, well-drained and rich. Amend clay soils with equal parts peat, compost and sand, cultivating to a depth of at least 15 inches. Test the soil pH, which should be between 4.5 and 5.2. If pH is too high, amend it with aluminum sulfate at the rate recommended on the packaging.

Planting and Growing

• Select the hardiest blueberry cultivars for early spring planting in zone 4. Patriot, Jersey, Bluecrop and St. Cloud are all good candidates. Plant bushes 3 to 5 feet apart, in rows 8 to 10 feet apart. Plant the bushes so their root crowns are even with the soil line. Water them well after planting, but don't fertilize. Spread a 4-inch layer of mulch in a 2-foot circle at the base of each plant to suppress weeds. Continue watering throughout the growing season whenever the soil is dry to a depth of 2 inches.

Pruning

• Prune to ensure a good crop from blueberry bushes, year after year. Prune in late winter or early spring, when the plant is still dormant and less prone to disease and insects. Cut away dead, weak or damaged stems, along with the stems that are more than 6 years old. The idea is to thin the bush to the most vigorous, young wood. Blueberries grown in the right soil, light, moisture and temperature conditions are not prone to disease, so very little maintenance is required after planting other than watering and pruning.

Protection and Harvesting

• Protect your blueberry bushes from your biggest competitor: birds. When the berries start to turn blue, drive stakes in a square around each bush. Cover the frame with netting, tie it to the stakes and weigh the netting down at the bottom. After harvest, remove the netting and stakes and store them for the following year.