Planting

How to Plant Your Blueberry Plants

When you receive your blueberry bushes please note the different varieties. We recommend that you make a planting map of your blueberry patch for future reference. If you ordered from our website, your blueberry bushes have been packaged bare root and will arrive via UPS with moist roots. Remove your blueberry bushes from the packaging taking care not to damage the roots or plant stems. Place the roots in cool water for 1 to 2 hours in a shaded area. If you need to hold the plants for a few days prior to planting, then pack the roots lightly in moistened peat moss. Make sure the root system is completely covered with the damp peat moss and keep it moist until you have them planted. If you purchased potted blueberry bushes at our nursery, water them as soon as you get them home and place them in a partially shaded area until you are ready to plant.

If you have purchased bareroot plants smaller than 12-18”, it is recommended that they be potted in Spagnum Peat Moss and a Pine-based soil conditioner with a 1:1 ratio to gain growth in the root ball before installing them in the ground.  Early Spring and Fall are the only seasons recommended to install a well-rooted plant in the ground.

SITE SELECTION: Blueberries prefer to be planted in a partially shaded area, but can also grow well in full sun. When planting blueberries that will be harvested by hand, the plants should be spaced 6 feet apart in rows, with rows spaced 12 feet apart. A mature highbush blueberry plant\’s size, on average, is 6 feet tall by 6 feet across. Blueberries require a PH of 4.5 to 5.5. You should test your soil prior to planting.  Your local cooperative extension agency can help you get an accurate soil test, specific to blueberries for a reasonable cost. There are also many different PH testing probes and testing kits available for home gardeners.

IF SOIL YOUR PH IS CORRECT: Dig a hole large enough to hold 2 or 3 gallons of wet peat moss/pine mixture. The in-ground hole should not be much deeper than the existing root system. Blueberry plants have a shallow root system that will grow more wide than deep. Mix the wet peat moss/pine half and half with the existing soil. This will give your plant an ideal soil to grow in and will lesson or eliminate transplant shock. When you are ready to plant, inspect the base of the plant right above the root system and notice the change in the stem between it and the root system; this is where you should make your soil line when planting. (It need not be exact, but close.) It is important to not bury the stem to deep. If you are planting a container grown plant, the soil line in the pot should also be level with the top of the soil line in the ground.  You want to cover all the roots with soil, but not bury the stem too deep. After planting your blueberry plant, it is best to mulch around it. Hold the mulch back from the base of the bush an inch or two to allow the base to breathe.

IF YOU ARE NOT SURE IF YOUR SOIL IS CORRECT

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