Growing Blueberries

Stan Roark and Taylor Hatchett

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is offering a Blueberry Workshop at the Alabama Power building in Clanton, Alabama on July 10^th from 9:00-2:00. The cost of the workshop is $10 which will include lunch, a t-shirt and a cookbook. Space is limited so call the Chilton County Extension Office today at 205.280.6268 to reserve your spot.

Blueberry picking is underway throughout the state and many of you are already enjoying the deliciously sweet plump berries that are available at local roadside and farmer’s markets. Did you know that you can very easily grow blueberries in your own backyard? Rabbiteye blueberries are actually one of the easiest fruits for Alabama gardeners to grow. They provide ornamental flowers, attractive summer and fall foliage and delicious fruit with minimal care. Each bush can produce one to two gallons of fresh fruit that is easy to eat fresh, freeze, dry or preserve in syrup. In addition nutritionists report that blueberries are high in beneficial antioxidants that can help with cancer prevention and memory loss!

Here are some of the basic requirements for growing blueberries.
(1) Use at least two varieties for cross-pollination. Good varieties are Climax, Premier, Brightwell, Beckyblue, Tifblue, Powderblue, and Centurion.

(2) Plant blueberries in late fall and winter. Space plants 5-6 feet apart within a row and use 10-12 feet between rows. Plant in full sun and in acid soils similar to that for azaleas and camellias. Incorporate lots of organic matter (peat moss or compost) in the planting hole.

(3) Make sure the plants have adequate moisture. Blueberry plants have the ability to retract water from the berries. If you want plump juicy berries, it’s essential that moisture is available during fruit development. You can use drip irrigation or soaker hoses or mulch plants with several inches of leaves, pine needles, bark or other organic mulches. Mulching will also help with weed control.

(4) Blueberries only need small amounts of fertilizer. A slow release fertilizer such as sulfur coated urea or an azalea/camellia fertilizer 12-4-1 works well. Apply one ounce of 12-4-1 per year of age per plant (up to 6 ounces) in the spring when new growth begins and one ounce 12-4-1 per year of age per plant (up to 5 ounces) after harvest. An organic fertilizer such as cottonseed meal 6-3-2 may be used. Do not use nitrate forms of fertilizer.

(5) Keeping blueberries pruned is important in maintaining vigorous new growth, large berry size and ease of harvest. Mature plants should be thinned of approximately one-fifth of the oldest growth in late winter. After harvest plants should be pruned to control height by removing up to one-third of the length of the tallest branches.

(6) Blueberries rarely require spraying for pests. This makes them an ideal fruit for organic growers.