How to Grow Blueberry
Blueberry At a Glance
Difficulty
Moderate
Category
Berry
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -29°C
Plant Family
Ericaceae
Growing Season
Cool Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Start with young plants from a garden centre, and pick at least two different named varieties that bloom at the same time, so the bees cross them and you get far more berries. Plant in early spring, around your last frost, 120 cm apart, at the same depth they sat in the pot. In cold areas, choose half-high or lowbush types, which survive harsh winters under snow.
Blueberries need acid soil, around pH 4.5 to 5.5, and in ordinary soil the leaves turn yellow and the plants starve. That is why many growers plant them in large pots or raised beds filled with acid potting mix made for blueberries, azaleas and rhododendrons. Bushes give a real crop after 2 to 3 years and then keep going for decades.
When To Start
Blueberry likes cool weather. Sow it in early spring, as soon as the ground can be worked.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
When should you plant Blueberry?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Blueberry Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Blueberry Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Plant blueberries in acid soil or acid potting mix
Around your last frost· every year
Mulch blueberries with pine needles, keep the roots moist
2 weeks after your last frost· every year· optional
Pick blueberries a few days after they turn fully blue
90 days after your last frost· every year· optional
Water your new blueberry plants well while they settle in. Deep and slow is best.
About 1 days after you plant it
Hello to your blueberries! Water often enough to keep the soil moist, since their shallow roots dry out fast.
About 30 days after you plant it
Your blueberries are settling in. A thick layer of pine needles or bark mulch keeps the roots cool and moist.
About 90 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Blueberry's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
120 cm
Plant Spacing
180 cm
Row Spacing
Vertical Growing
No.
Succession Planting
No.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Growing Tips
- 1Plant blueberries in full sun, at least 6 hours a day, for the biggest and sweetest crop.
- 2Use acid potting mix, or mix lots of peat moss or composted pine needles into the soil, since ordinary garden soil is not acid enough.
- 3Water often enough that the shallow roots never dry out, using rainwater when you can, because hard tap water slowly makes the soil less acid.
- 4Spread 5 to 10 cm of pine needles or bark mulch around the base each spring to keep the roots cool and moist and feed the soil.
- 5Pick off the flowers in the first year so the young bush puts its energy into strong roots.
- 6Birds love blueberries as much as we do, so cover the bushes with netting as soon as the berries start turning blue.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
150 cm
Mature Height
120 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
30 days
When to Pick
2 to 3 years to a real harvest; pick when fully blue and berries roll off with a light touch, mid to late summer
How to Harvest
- 1Wait until the berries are fully blue all over, with no red left near the stem.
- 2Leave them on the bush a few more days after they turn blue, since they keep getting sweeter.
- 3Cup a cluster in your hand and gently roll the ripe berries off with your thumb, leaving any that hold on.
- 4Pick every few days over several weeks, since the berries do not all ripen at once.
- 5Do not wash them until you eat them, keep them in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze them spread on a tray and then bag them.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
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