How to Grow and Plant Blueberries
If you have a sunny position you can grow Blueberry plants in the garden or in a container. You can buy smaller plants online, just select the right variety for your climate.
Blueberry plants are easy to grow given a slightly acidic humus rich well drained soil and plenty of sun. They do well when roots are mulched to provide a cool moist root run.
The trick is to choose the right type. Different varieties of blueberry plants are suited to different climates.
Where to Plant Blueberry Plants
A sunny position in a humus rich well drained but moist soil is the best place to plant them. Consider being able to place bird netting over them so that you get the berries and not the birds.
The ideal soil will be:
- Slightly on the acidic side a pH of 4.5-6 is ideal.
- Free Draining.
- Friable and perhaps a little sandy
Blueberries are a fairly shallow rooted plant so they do require mulching, to prevent disease and allow good air circulation plant at around 1 – 1.5m apart.
Pruning will be required after plants are established (2 – 3 years), prune back 1/3 of the oldest stems to a good new bud each year.
Types and Varieties
Blueberries are amongst the most popular of berries, blueberries are prized as a super fruits nutrient rich and high in antioxidants. Different varieties include, Highbush, Rabbiteye and Lowbush. Coming in both evergreen and deciduous varieties, blueberries are suitable for growing in the home garden.
- Denise Blue is a small early season variety, excellent for growing in containers
- Brigitta is a mid season variety reaching around 2m in height
- Blue Crop is another mid season variety with large fruit and a reasonably prolific producer
- Northland is another smaller growing bush suited to containers, berries are small but tasty
How To Grow Blueberry Plants – Basic Care
Blueberries can be grown in the vegetable garden, however the plants are attractive and they can fit in well to general garden border.
Being a long lived plant once established, and being much in demand as fresh fruit, for freezing as well as for juice commercial production is increasing in Australia.
Plants perform well in a range of climates with different varieties suited to cooler or warmer conditions.
Soil is an important factor with Blueberry production, a deep humus rich soil is best and a pH of around 4.5 -6 is regarded as ideal.
- Blueberry plants prefer a free draining soil with lots of well rotted compost or manure dug in.
- Mulch well to retain soil moisture and control weeds.
- Netting of blueberries will keep the crop for you rather than the birds.
Fertiliser For Blueberries
We use a Camellia and Azalea fertiliser in slow release form.
We also add a little blood and bone and some fish and seaweed fertiliser in liquid form once fruit has commenced setting.
Pollination
All Blueberry plants, including the ‘Self Fertile’ varieties produce better crops if different varieties are planted together. Insects are the main pollinators and bees are the best in most areas.
Harvesting
- The perfect blueberry are the ones that ripen on the bush, they are sweeter and have more antioxidants.
- The white bloom on the berries helps protect then from rotting.
- Any soft berries should be discarded as they will cause the other berries they are stored with to deteriorate very quickly.
- 1 plant can produce between 5 – 15 kilos once mature
How and When to prune Blueberries
Pruning blueberries is a mater of constant renewal.
After the plants are established (2-3 years) it time to start pruning.
- The time to prune is in late winter to to early spring.
- Remove any damaged or dead wood at any time.
- Remove any branches that are touching the ground. (This helps prevent disease)
- Prune some branches that are crowding the center of the plant.
- After 5 – 6 years the renewal process commences.
- Remove the oldest branches to encourage new growth.
- Remove spindly wood.
- Keep removing any branches that will touch the ground.
- Every year or two remove some older canes so the renewal process is continuous.
Older canes become unproductive, so regular pruning will encoruage new growth and more fruit.
Choosing The Right Blueberry Plant
The best Blueberry plants for your garden will depend on your climate. Some require a colder winter than others to fruit.
- For Perth
In Perth Blueberry plants are best grown in part shade.
Look for the Southern Highbush types such as Brightwell, Premier, Powder Blue varieties as these require less chill hours, and in cooler areas also try Rabbiteye, types such as Tifblue, O’Neal, Sharpeblue and Misty. - For Melbourne
In Melbourne Blueberries can be grown in full sun.
Self pollinating varieties include, Denise, Darrow, Elliot, Jenny, Northland, Sunshine Blue and Blue Rose.
Those that require cross pollination include Brigitta, it is late cropping and well worth planting. - In Sydney look for the Rabbiteye and Southern Highbush varieties.
- In Queensland try varieties such as Gulf Coast, Misty and Sharp Blue
- Tasmania, the Northern Highbush varieties are the best for the cooler climates of Tasmania.
Blueberry Varieties
Commercial varieties include.
Northern Highbush
These are a high chill variety, long cropping and needing 800 to 1000 chill hours.
Southern Highbush
These are a low chill variety needing around 250 – 500 chill hours, depending on variety.
Rabbiteys
Generally low chill, however with larger seeds and are evergreen.
Within each group are numerous cultivars with different characteristics.
In Australia it is the Southern Highbush (Low Chill) and the Rabbiteye that are the most popular.
Low chill varieties include Legacy (evergreen), Biloxi and Magnolia. Legacy being a mid season variety and very high yielding. Magnolia being an early season type. Biloxi is early season and suited to warmer climates.
High chill varieties include Bluejoy and Michelle. Both are early season.
Although plants are similar they are produced for different purposes.
- Machine Harvesting
- Hand Harvest
- Home garden varieties.
Where to Buy Blueberry Plants
470 Monbulk-Silvan Road Monbulk VIC 3793
"Guaranteed mail order flowering bulbs, perennials, roses, trees, landscaping plants, garden accessories and community fundraising Austra lia-wide."
www.gardenexpress.com.au
55 McDougal Rd Neerim South Victoria 3831 PH: (03) 56281507
Advanced ornamental trees and garden designs and concept plans. Direct to your property combined with specialist knowledge and outstanding service.
www.blericktreefarm.com.au
