Blueberry Bush: How to Plant and Grow Blueberries at Home
Plant blueberries in early spring in full sun and acid soil, pH 4.5 to 5.5 per Michigan State and Oregon State, after a soil test and sulfur if needed. Space bushes from about 3 feet apart (Minnesota) to 6 to 8 feet in the row (Illinois), mulch with bark or wood chips, give rabbiteyes and half-highs a second variety, and prune every winter.
Sources: Michigan State University Extension, Oregon State University Extension, University of Minnesota Extension, NC State Extension and 7 more. See the sources we used. How we source our guides
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Plant a blueberry bush in early spring, in sun and well-drained soil at pH 4.5 to 5.5, per Michigan State University Extension and Oregon State, and test first: lowering pH is slow. Space bushes about 3 feet (Minnesota) to 6 to 8 feet (Illinois) apart in the row. Rabbiteyes and half-highs need a second variety; most highbush sets fruit alone.
Below: the four types and their zones, pH targets from seven extension services and sulfur rates from three, frost dates for four stations, spacing, mulch and pruning.
| Sun | Generally full sun, 6 to 8 hours for small fruit (Michigan State); up to 50% shade usually acceptable, with less fruit (NC State) |
|---|---|
| Soil pH | 4.5 to 5.5 (Michigan State, Oregon State); 4.5 to 5.0 (Penn State); 4.8 to 5.2 (Illinois) |
| Planting time | Early spring in the North; February to March for bare-root plants in North Carolina (NC State) |
| Spacing | About 3 feet (Minnesota; Oregon State for northern highbush) to 6 to 8 feet (Illinois) |
| Mulch | 2 to 4 inches at planting (Minnesota); built up to 4 to 6 inches by maturity (Oregon State) |
| Water | About 1 inch a week (Illinois); 1.5 to 3 inches for established bushes (Oregon State) |
| Pollination | Two or more varieties (Minnesota); rabbiteyes and half-highs need a partner (Oregon State) |
| First crop | One or two years after planting (Oregon State); some fruit in year two or three (University of Georgia); 3 to 4 years (Michigan State) |
| Pruning | Every winter while dormant, before buds break (Oregon State) |
Highbush, half-high or rabbiteye: which blueberry fits your zone
Match the type to your winters. Northern highbush is common across the northern United States (Michigan State), half-highs handle the coldest winters, and rabbiteye and southern highbush suit the Southeast. A USDA zone describes winter lows: University of Minnesota Extension says to buy plants hardy to your zone, and the table gives the zones each source names.
| Type | USDA zones | Mature height | Where the sources grow it | Second variety |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern highbush | 4 to 8 (Oregon State); 3a to 8b (NC State's V. corymbosum entry, which includes rabbiteye) | 6 to 7 ft (Oregon State); can be 5 to 8 ft (Penn State) | Pennsylvania (Penn State); central and southern Iowa (Iowa State); North Carolina mountains (NC State) | Sets fruit alone; cross-pollination improves berry size (Oregon State) |
| Half-high | No zone given | 2 to 4 ft (Oregon State); 3 to 5 ft (Penn State) | Northern Iowa (Iowa State); some varieties in northern New Hampshire (UNH Extension) | Needed: little fruit with its own pollen (Oregon State) |
| Rabbiteye | 7 to 9 (Oregon State) | Up to 9 ft (Oregon State) | South Carolina except the higher mountains (Clemson); Georgia home gardens (University of Georgia); most North Carolina soils below 2,500 ft (NC State) | Needed: at least two rabbiteye varieties (Clemson, Oregon State) |
| Southern highbush | No zone given | About 6 ft (Oregon State) | South Georgia up through the Piedmont, not the mountains (University of Georgia); nowhere in Oregon (Oregon State) | Usually sets fruit alone; several varieties give larger, earlier berries (Clemson) |
Cold sets the northern limit: NC State finds that only highbush reliably survives the lows below 10 F that come regularly in its mountains, and Oregon State calls half-highs very cold hardy. Mild winters set the southern limit through chilling, the hours below 45 F a bush needs before it will flower (Clemson); the University of Georgia finds northern highbush generally does poorly in the Georgia Piedmont and south, with too little chill and summers too hot. Southern highbush needs less chill and takes more heat (Clemson), but its early bloom is a risk where spring frost lingers: in Oregon's Willamette Valley it flowers in February and loses most of its flowers (Oregon State).
Rabbiteyes take heat and drought better than highbush and grow in more kinds of soil, so NC State recommends them for most North Carolina soils below 2,500 feet. The University of Georgia ranks them first for home gardens too: southern highbush can take more care, and its early fruit draws birds and deer (its early varieties beat the first rabbiteyes by 2 to 3 weeks, its mid-season ones by 8 to 12 days).
Soil pH for blueberries and how to lower it
Blueberries need acid soil, about pH 4.5 to 5.5 per Michigan State and Oregon State, so test before you plant and lower the pH first if it runs high. Michigan State calls pH the single biggest factor in choosing a blueberry site.
| Source | Target pH | Add sulfur when pH is | Sulfur goes on | Find another site when pH is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 4.5 to 5.5 | Not given | Early; lowering pH can take years | Above 6, or on heavy clay, for a commercial planting; a home gardener with a few bushes can swap in new soil |
| Oregon State | 4.5 to 5.5 | Above 5.7 | After a test, ideally a year before planting | Not given |
| University of Minnesota | 4.0 to 5.5 (also 4.0 to 5.0); plant at 4.5 to 5.5 | Over 5.5 | The fall before planting, or a year ahead | Not given |
| NC State | About 4.8 | Above 5.3 for rabbiteye, 5.0 for highbush | At least 3 to 4 months ahead | Not given |
| Clemson | At or below its 5.5 limit | Between 5.5 and 6.0 | At least three months ahead | Above 6.0 |
| University of Georgia | 4.5 to 5.2 | 5.3 to 6.0 | Six months ahead | Above 6.0, unless much peat or pine bark goes in |
| Illinois | 4.8 to 5.2 | Up to 6.0 | At least one year ahead | Above 6.2: grow in buried containers instead |
How to lower soil pH with sulfur
Michigan State calls sulfur the cheapest way to lower pH, but soil bacteria have to convert it first, and that can take years. Minnesota says to follow the product label for the amount. The printed rates depend on soil texture and how far the pH must drop:
- NC State: 1 pound of wettable sulfur (90% S) per 100 square feet lowers sandy soil by 1 pH unit, for example from 6.0 to 5.0; soils heavy with silt or clay, or over 2% organic matter, take 2 pounds. It warns that lowering pH too far can harm the bushes.
- Oregon State: on sandy soils, about 1 to 3 pounds of sulfur for each 100 square feet, and 2 to 5 pounds on a clay loam starting between pH 5.7 and 6.5. It aims for 5.5 and adds none between 5.5 and 5.7, since fertilizer lowers pH over time.
- Illinois: to go from 6.0 to 5.5, 0.5 pound per 100 square feet on sandy soil, 0.75 on loam and 1.0 on clay.
Test again before planting (NC State), and Minnesota retests about 6 months after planting, then every year or two. To plant at once where the pH is 5.5 to 7.0, Minnesota mixes 4 to 6 inches of sphagnum peat into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil, though it prefers sulfur because of peat mining's environmental cost. What not to add:
- Aluminum sulfate: Illinois and Penn State both call it toxic to blueberries.
- Lime, or potting mix with lime added (University of Georgia).
- Yard or manure compost, which Oregon State puts above pH 7.
Drainage and organic matter
Michigan State ranks pH first when choosing a site; NC State ranks drainage first, and wants a test hole dug 6 to 8 inches deep to empty within 24 hours after a heavy rain. On wet ground, plant on a mound or ridge at least 6 inches high (NC State, Clemson). Below 2% organic matter, NC State tills in 3 to 4 inches of peat moss or pine bark, mixed with the soil.
What to plant with blueberries
Group blueberries with other plants that want acid soil: NC State's plant toolbox suggests hollies, azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias, and Penn State says that where rhododendrons and azaleas thrive, blueberries will too. Michigan State notes that most plants favor neutral soil, pH 6.5 to 7, where blueberries turn yellow and grow poorly, so give them their own bed. For vegetable pairings, see our companion planting chart.
When to plant blueberry bushes
Plant blueberry bushes in early spring in the North and in late winter across the Southeast; in a few mild regions, fall planting works too. By region:
| Source | Where | Planting time |
|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota | Minnesota | Late April or early May |
| UNH Extension | New Hampshire | Spring, while soils are moist and the weather mild |
| Oregon State | Oregon | Spring in every region; also early October in the Willamette Valley |
| NC State | North Carolina | February to March for bare-root plants; November to December on sandy Coastal Plain soil (bare-root) or elsewhere with potted plants |
| Clemson | South Carolina | Late winter or early spring for bare-root plants; fall for potted plants |
| University of Georgia | Georgia | Winter |
Mail-order bushes usually arrive dormant and bare-root: Minnesota keeps them cool and damp, soaks the roots a couple of hours, and plants soon.
- Dig a hole big enough for all the roots or the whole root ball (Minnesota, Oregon State), and loosen roots that wind tightly around a pot (Oregon State, University of Georgia).
- Set the plant at the depth it grew in the nursery; Oregon State warns that planting deeper can smother roots. NC State goes 1 to 2 inches deeper only when no mulch will go on, and Minnesota sets the top roots 3 to 4 inches below the surface.
- Firm the soil, water deeply (Minnesota, NC State), and spread mulch over the whole row, not just around each plant (Oregon State).
- Cut off the flower buds; most sources also cut back the top (see pruning, below).
Watch for frost at bloom: Oregon State finds open blueberry flowers can be damaged at 28 F, while buds at earlier stages take colder nights. The table gives NOAA's median date of the last 28 F and 32 F nights at four weather stations.
| Weather station | Last spring 28 F (median) | Last spring 32 F (median) |
|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | Apr 13 | Apr 23 |
| Chicago O'Hare, IL | Apr 5 | Apr 16 |
| Washington Reagan, VA | Mar 12 | Mar 24 |
| Atlanta Hartsfield, GA | Feb 28 | Mar 15 |
NOAA 1991-2020 medians: in half the years on record, a night that cold came after the date shown. No source sets a blueberry planting date from them; they show when a 28 F night is still as likely as not.
If frost is forecast at bloom, Oregon State covers small plantings with row cover and brings potted bushes indoors.
How far apart to plant blueberries
By our reading of the table below, most sources space highbush and half-high bushes 3 to 5 feet apart and rabbiteyes 5 to 6 feet, in rows 8 to 12 feet apart. Michigan State spaces most small fruit roughly their mature height apart or more, with rows at least that far apart; it lists blueberries at 4 to 6 feet tall.
| Source | Highbush and half-high, in the row | Rabbiteye, in the row | Between rows |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota | About 3 ft, a little more for larger varieties | Not given | Not given |
| Oregon State | 3 ft (northern highbush, half-high); 4 ft (Legacy) | 5 ft | 8 ft or more |
| NC State | 4 to 5 ft | 5 to 6 ft | 8 to 10 ft for highbush; 10 to 12 ft for rabbiteye |
| Clemson | 4 to 5 ft (southern highbush) | 6 ft | 8 to 10 ft for southern highbush; 10 to 12 ft for rabbiteye |
| University of Georgia | 4 ft | 5 to 6 ft | 10 ft for highbush; 11 to 12 ft for rabbiteye |
| Illinois | 6 to 8 ft (no type named) | Not given | 8 to 12 ft |
Amend the whole row, not single holes, since the roots spread outward: Minnesota works a strip 2 to 3 feet wide, and the University of Georgia tills a band 3 to 4 feet wide.
Do you need two blueberry varieties?
For rabbiteyes and half-highs, yes; most northern and southern highbush varieties set fruit alone, but a second variety that blooms at the same time gives larger berries (Minnesota, Penn State, Oregon State). Oregon State says rabbiteyes set no fruit from their own pollen and half-highs set little, and Clemson requires at least two rabbiteye varieties.
Michigan State's pollination research, written for commercial fields, sorts highbush varieties by how much they depend on a partner:
- No partner needed: Bluejay, Draper, Duke, Nelson and Rubel.
- A partner helps: Aurora, Bluecrop, Elliott, Jersey, Legacy and Liberty.
- A partner is needed: Brigitta, Chippewa, Polaris, Spartan and Toro.
Bloom time decides the match. Oregon State says northern highbush varieties flower together even when they ripen weeks apart, so any two will cross-pollinate. Rabbiteye bloom dates vary more: Clemson notes that Alapaha blooms 7 to 10 days later than Climax, and pairs Premier with Austin or Alapaha.
Watering and mulching blueberries
Keep the roots evenly moist with water at the soil, not on the leaves, and keep a few inches of acid mulch over the root zone. Roots generally run no deeper than 1 to 1.5 feet (Oregon State), so drought can injure them.
Illinois gives roughly 1 inch of water a week; Oregon State puts established bushes at 1.5 to 3 inches, wetting the soil 0.5 to 1 foot deep, and irrigates newly set plants several times a week, or when needed. NC State waters no more than every other day, since daily timers can lead to shallow roots and root rot. Use drip line or a soaker hose: Michigan State warns that wetting leaves, stems or fruit raises the risk of disease.
How deep to mulch blueberries
Use an acid mulch such as pine bark, wood chips, pine needles or sawdust. NC State puts pine bark, chips and sawdust at pH 3.5 to 4.5, against above 5.0 for hardwood mulch, though hardwood on the surface has done fine. Depth is where the sources part ways:
| Source | After planting | Later years |
|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota | 2 to 4 in of sawdust, peat moss, oak leaves or pine needles | A few inches of wood mulch for the life of the bush |
| Oregon State | No more than 2 to 3 in | Built up to 4 to 6 in by maturity, over five to six years |
| NC State | 3 to 4 in | About 1 in added a year |
| University of Georgia | 3 to 4 in for rabbiteye; 4 to 6 in for highbush | Not given |
| Illinois | 4 to 6 in | 2 to 4 in added as needed |
| Penn State | 4 in of hardwood bark or aged sawdust | Kept at 4 in |
Skip fresh cedar or redwood bark and sawdust, which can injure young plants (Oregon State).
Feeding blueberries
Go light: NC State says too much fertilizer easily damages blueberries, and waits until the first leaves are out to feed a new plant. Use a fertilizer made for azaleas and rhododendrons (Minnesota) or ammonium sulfate, which Illinois uses because it supplies nitrogen and helps keep the soil acid.
Pruning blueberry bushes in winter
Prune blueberries every winter while they are dormant and before the buds break, taking out dead, low and weak wood so new canes can replace the old. Fruit forms on last season's growth, so the aim is a steady supply of strong 1-year-old wood (Oregon State, Minnesota).
Oregon State prunes from December to early March in the Willamette Valley and in late March or early April in colder Central Oregon. Minnesota and Penn State prune in March. Clemson also prunes older rabbiteyes right after harvest.
The first two years
Young bushes should grow, not fruit. At planting, NC State cuts back about two-thirds of the top on bare-root plants and half on potted ones; Oregon State removes roughly 30% to 40% of the bush, and the University of Georgia a third to a half. Minnesota cuts only broken, dead or dying parts at planting. Then strip the flower buds, the fat buds at the shoot tips (Oregon State): Minnesota, Illinois and Clemson strip them in years one and two, and Penn State does the same plus up to half in year three.
Pruning a mature blueberry bush
- Cut out dead, damaged and diseased wood, and low branches that would touch the ground under a load of fruit (Oregon State).
- Take out the oldest, weakest canes at ground level. Minnesota keeps 4 to 6 older stems and 1 or 2 strong new shoots; Illinois, which usually skips pruning until year three if growth is normal, generally keeps 5 to 7 older canes and 1 or 2 new ones once bushes are 5 to 7 years old.
- Cut twiggy sections back to stronger growth. Oregon State keeps side shoots, usually 6 to 12 inches long, which typically bear larger berries than short ones.
- Keep the middle open, like a vase, and top canes that grow too tall to pick (Oregon State).
Rabbiteyes need less: the University of Georgia starts renewal once they reach roughly 4 to 6 feet, removing 1 to 3 of the largest canes each winter.
Blueberry plants and supplies
Blueberries are propagated from cuttings (NC State), so you buy plants: 2- or 3-year-old plants of a variety hardy to your zone (Minnesota). Order early (Minnesota). Then add a pH test kit or a soil lab test (Minnesota), sulfur, an acid fertilizer, bark mulch, drip line, pruners and bird netting.
Birds are a serious pest of blueberries (Illinois). NC State says they can eat a small planting's whole crop and calls netting over the bushes the only practical control; Oregon State drapes it over a wood or PVC frame tall enough to pick under and pins it to the ground. Rabbits and deer chew stems in winter, so Minnesota rings bushes with chicken wire in fall.
What you'll need for blueberries
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Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest Soil Test Kit
A pH test kit or a soil lab test (Minnesota).
Check price on Amazon
Earth Science Sulfur Granules, 5 lb
Sulfur, an acid fertilizer, bark mulch, drip line, pruners and bird netting.
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Espoma Holly-tone 4-3-4 Plant Food, 4 lb
Sulfur, an acid fertilizer, bark mulch, drip line, pruners and bird netting.
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Rain Bird GARDENKIT drip kit
Sulfur, an acid fertilizer, bark mulch, drip line, pruners and bird netting.
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Felco 2 bypass pruner
Sulfur, an acid fertilizer, bark mulch, drip line, pruners and bird netting.
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RIFNY Bird Netting for Garden Protection, 13 x 40 ft
NC State says they can eat a small planting's whole crop and calls netting over the bushes the only practical control.
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Sources we used
Each number above is traced to one of these pages, each saved in full; where sources disagree, the page names each one.
- "Michigan State University Extension: Soil test before you plant blueberries", "Considerations for growing backyard small fruit" and "Invest in pollination for success with highbush blueberries"
- "Oregon State University Extension: Growing blueberries in your home garden (EC 1304)"
- "University of Minnesota Extension: Growing blueberries in the home garden"
- "NC State Extension: Growing Blueberries in the Home Garden" and "Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Vaccinium corymbosum"
- "Clemson Home and Garden Information Center: Blueberry (HGIC 1401)"
- "University of Georgia Extension: Home Garden Blueberries (C 946)"
- "Illinois Extension: Growing and Caring for Blueberries" and "Pruning Blueberries"
- "Penn State Extension: Blueberries in the Garden and the Kitchen"
- "Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: Which blueberry varieties perform well in Iowa?"
- "UNH Extension: Which blueberry varieties should I plant in my backyard?"
- "NOAA NCEI: U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020": four airports, with medians for the last 28 F and 32 F spring nights
Related guides
- Melons: cantaloupe and honeydew for summer.
- How to grow asparagus, another perennial bed you plant once and keep.
- How to grow tomatoes, staked or caged.
- How to grow peppers from transplants.
- How to grow cucumbers up a trellis.
- Cucurbits, our family hub for melons, cucumbers and squash.
- Companion planting chart, every pairing with its extension source.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to plant blueberry bushes?
Plant blueberry bushes in early spring where winters are cold and in late winter in the Southeast. University of Minnesota Extension plants in late April or early May, and NC State plants bare-root bushes in February or March. Fall planting also works in mild areas: on sandy Coastal Plain soil (NC State) and in Oregon's Willamette Valley (Oregon State).
How far apart should blueberry bushes be?
Oregon State spaces northern highbush 3 feet apart and rabbiteyes 5 feet, and NC State spaces highbush 4 to 5 feet and rabbiteyes 5 to 6 feet, in rows 8 to 12 feet apart. Illinois allows 6 to 8 feet, and Michigan State keeps most small fruit roughly their mature height apart or more.
Do you need two blueberry bushes to get fruit?
Not for every type: rabbiteye and half-high blueberries need a second variety of their own type, per Oregon State Extension, while most highbush varieties set fruit alone. Even so, Clemson and the University of Georgia find that interplanting several highbush varieties gives larger, earlier berries. Choose partners that flower around the same time.
How long does a blueberry bush take to produce fruit?
Oregon State Extension sees first fruit one or two years after planting; other sources wait longer. The University of Georgia expects some fruit in year two or three, Clemson a small crop in year three, and NC State a crop in year four; Michigan State gives 3 to 4 years, and Minnesota little fruit for 2 to 3 years.
Can you use coffee grounds to lower soil pH for blueberries?
No, coffee grounds are not a reliable way to acidify soil, per University of Minnesota Extension: they are not always acidic, and even acidic grounds would take a massive amount to move soil pH. Use elemental sulfur, worked in months before planting; for bushes already in the ground, Minnesota keeps up an oak leaf or pine needle mulch.
When are blueberries ripe?
Blueberries are ripe a few days after they turn fully blue, not the day they color. Oregon State says berries keep getting sweeter and can grow up to 20% larger if left a few more days, and Penn State puts peak flavor three to four days after they turn blue.
Can you grow blueberries in a pot?
Yes, any type grows in a container, per Oregon State Extension. It grows northern highbush in a 15 to 20 gallon pot or half of a wine barrel, and half-highs in 10 gallons or more, in a mix of mostly aged fine bark with peat moss and perlite and no lime. Bring pots indoors on frost nights during bloom.
Why are my blueberry leaves turning yellow?
Yellow leaves with green veins, worst on young growth, usually mean the soil pH is too high, per Oregon State Extension. Illinois explains that high pH leaves iron unavailable to the plant. Minnesota notes that a chelated iron spray greens the leaves only for a while; lasting repair means correcting the pH with sulfur, acid mulch and ammonium sulfate.