10 tips for growing blueberries in the backyard
WANT TO SUCCEED with blueberries? Ask the guy with a Ph.D. in the subject, author of all the best books on home-garden fruit growing: Lee Reich, a repeat guest on my public-radio show, and an old friend. That’s Lee’s blueberry netted “gazebo” up top, meant to keep the crop safe from birds and other hungry types. All the delicious details on how to grow blueberries:
10 tips for growing blueberries
ALL OF LEE REICH’S instructions except for pruning refer to care of all blueberry plants, whether lowbush or high; pruning details below are for highbush types. (That’s him with ripening paw paws, above.)
- Choose a sunny spot. Though blueberries grow in semi-shade in nature, heavier fruiting happens with more sunshine.
- Test for pH, and adjust to a very acidic 4-to-5 range using pelleted sulfur (a natural element, and easier and safer to use than dusty powders).
- Though blueberries like infertile soil (yes!), it must be high in organic matter.
- Add peat moss to the hole when planting. Lee doesn’t usually use much peat moss, which is a non-renewable resource, except for this one-time application.
- Water well, and provide regular water for maximum fruiting (especially critical the first two years in the ground). Lee’s plants are on a drip system.
- Mulch to a depth of about 3 inches with wood shavings and chips, pine needles, shredded autumn leaves or sawdust.
- Net the plants during fruiting season to outsmart the birds. (Lee grows his 16 highbush shrubs in a netted “gazebo,” seen in the top photo, and they yield an astounding 190 quarts of fruit.)
- Replenish the mulch each fall, after leaf drop—and also feed the plants just a little Nitrogen at that time by spreading soybean meal (from the feed store) at the rate of 1 pound per 100 square feet.
- Recheck the pH and readjust every couple of years with more pelleted sulfur.
- Don’t prune till highbush plants are four or five years in the ground. Stems aged six years or older–about inch-thick stems–don’t produce optimally. In late winter, the oldest stems are cut out to the base (photo below shows how the base of a mature plant looks after pruning, with a good mix of older, younger, and middle-aged stems remaining).
- Need more detail? Lee’s complete blueberry how-to is in our podcast (play it at the bottom of the page), and in this story from my archives, along with other tips and resources. Or visit Lee’s website.
prefer the podcast version of the show?
MY WEEKLY public-radio show, rated a “top-5 garden podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper in the UK, began its 10th year in March 2019. In 2016, the show won three silver medals for excellence from the Garden Writers Association. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station in the nation. Listen locally in the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Eastern, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the March 25, 2013 show using the player near the top of this transcript. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify
or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).
how to win ‘grow fruit naturally’
TO ENTER TO WIN one of two copies of Lee Reich’s latest book “Grow Fruit Naturally”, which Lee was generous enough to share with me to offer to you, comment below by answering the question. UPDATE: The giveaway is now closed, but comments are always welcome.
What fruit, if any, have you had success with in the garden? Which one(s) have outsmarted you thus far?
Don’t worry, you can simply say, “Count me in” and your entry will be official, in case you’re feeling shy–but I love hearing your answers. Two winners will be drawn at random after entries close at midnight Sunday, March 31, 2013. Good luck to all!
(Garden photos and portrait courtesy of Lee Reich. Disclosure: Books purchased from my Amazon affiliate link yield a small commission.)
Count me in! We’ve planted apples and blueberries but haven’t had much for fruit yet, they are still young. Would love to read this book, thanks for the opportunity!
We have a nectarine tree that has beautiful fruit. This year I bought a blueberry bush and two raspberry bushes – crossing my fingers they will like my backyard!
Can’t say as I’ve been too lucky growing any fruit. Low bush blueberries have been a challenge. Not sure if it’s the plants or that the chipmunks are getting to them first.
Count me in. Maybe I’ll be lucky this time:0)
In my last garden, I had great luck with Tristar everbearing strawberries. This variety is hard to find now, so I assume there must be better varieties, but we all loved the taste. Berries were small, very juicy, and delicious. Best of all, we were eating them from June to September. Yum.
Count me in! ; )
I’m actually having success with growing blueberries, but want to learn more. I currently have 28 “high bush” plants in Northern Michigan.
Definitely count me in! This spring will be my first time trying fruit and veggie gardening. I’m feeling a little overwhelmed and just a little nervous. I can use all the help I can get!
Count me in! We have six new blueberry plants and some constantly walking raspberries. I can’t decide where I should plant my hardy kiwi (I understand they are aggressive vines) I just wintered them over in the pot. :(
easy success with strawberries… would love to learn blueberries and apples!
I have 5 high bush varieties of blueberries and 2 low bush. I have them around the yard used for both fruit and landscaping. I love the vibrant leaves in the fall! Last season I had a fantastic crop, I didn’t bother to net them and I had plenty for me and the birds. I think the bushes are anywhere from 3-7 years old at this point. I hope to win this book because I need pruning advise depending on the variety. Thanks for the opportunity to enter!
Count me in! I have blueberries but the birds always get them first. As do the squirrels who eat the strawberries and the poor peach tree. We had so many baby peaches then came home to find them all on the ground with one bite out of each one.
I haven’t started down the fruit path yet (soon hopefully!), but growing up we had peach and plum trees. Both types of trees always succumbed to insect pests, especially the peach. Any tips on keeping insect pests from decimating the crops of an organic orchard would be much appreciated!
We have an eighteen bush blueberry patch, 4 different varieties, produced at least 30 gals last year, also two twenty year old Red haven peach trees which bear wonderful and plentiful fruit
We freeze the blueberries and give away most of the peaches.
Just put in six apple trees and an Asian pear.
please count me in!
Strawberries ! Needing help with blueberries.
The ‘Reliance’ peach tree we planted 10 years ago has done great, even in our zone 5. The. Black raspberries have been so easy to grow and produce very well.
Just getting started with them.
Just Count Me In. *** I have always had success with strawberries.
Count me in. Growing berries is on my to-do list for this summer.
Last year we added a blackberry patch in the backyard. We also planted two apple trees, a lemon, and a lime. This year we have already added Raspberries and a grapefruit tree. Hopefully, our Blackberries will start to produce this spring!
My sour cherry tree died. My concord grapes are going strong. Please count me in.
I have had success with raspberries in the past, that is until my destructive Labrador Retriever Murphy decided to pull the whole bush up out of the ground, killing it. I am not sure what variety it was. The berries were huge and I know the plant came from Canada. I wish I could find this variety again. Today I ordered a blueberry bush. I now have my kitchen garden fenced in completely and Murphy has learned some garden etiquette!
I have not had any success in growing fruit, but I did attend master gardeners to learn how. So far, the mountain top I live on has chert — any dirt, I am shipping in. Takes a long time to get started. My main goal is to grow dirt….slow process.
thanks.
We had great luck with raspberries … which didn’t like moving to our new location. Blueberries have been ok in the past, but were attacked by a red-and-black bug colony that chewed the leaves and newly-set fruit to shreds.
count me in!
Lost a fig several years ago. Success: loquat tree. New this year (fingers crossed): blueberries, persimmon, Asian pear & pomegranate.