Blueberries are a recent addition to Australian fruit bowls and are rarely grown in home gardens. However, as the succulent fruit becomes increasingly popular, fruits like blueberries are finding their way into more and more gardens. If you are wondering how to grow blueberries, start by asking yourself if azaleas grow well in your district. If they do, then blueberries will succeed too.
Like the azalea, blueberries are members of the Ericaceae family. Most productive cultivars originate from North American stock, where they grow naturally from Canada to southern USA. With their attractive spring flowers and bright autumn foliage, blueberries don’t need to be relegated to the vegetable patch, they can also be used as decorative garden plants.
If you are planning to introduce blueberries into your garden remember that some species are evergreen and some are deciduous. All blueberries grow to around 2m or less, making them ideal for small gardens.
Growing blueberries at a glance
- When to plant: Blueberries are best planted between late autumn and spring.
- Climate: Blueberries grow best in cooler climates.
- Lighting: Full sun with protection from wind.
- Water: Every day if potted, every two to three if not.
- Soil type: Free draining soil of between 5.0 and 6.0 pH, enriched with organic matter.
- Harvest: Blueberries begin cropping after two years. Don’t pick them too early, as they don’t get any sweeter after picking.
It’s said that deep-frozen blueberries won’t lose their vitamin content for two years. It’s rarely tested though — few can resist eating them for that long.
How to grow blueberries
1. Start by weeding
As blueberries are sensitive to herbicides it’s important to clear the area of perennial weeds before planting. Hand weed for at least the first year after planting, as hoeing or digging around the bases of plants damages their surface-feeding roots.
2. Prepare the soil
Three weeks before planting, work iron chelate (available from garden centres) into the soil at the recommended rate. To maintain soil acidity, add powdered sulfur. This helps to liberate minerals such as zinc and iron, which are beneficial to blueberries. Sprinkle one handful of powdered sulfur per square metre and lightly rake it into the surface.
3. Plant the blueberries
Spacing varies between cultivars, with the larger-growing varieties reaching up to 2m high and growing to about 1.5m wide. Therefore, it’s best to space them at least 1.5 metres apart. Once they are in the ground, mulch around the base.
When to plant blueberries?
The best time for planting is between late autumn and spring when plants are sold bare-rooted and less likely to suffer from transplant shock than at other times of the year. However, containerised blueberry plants can be purchased year-round.
- Soak the bare-rooted bushes in water for half an hour before planting.
- Plant containerised stock as soon as they’re removed from pots — the roots dry quickly and recover slowly.
- Create a planting hole about 15cm wider and deeper than the root system.
- Water well after planting and connect a dripper to the base of each plant to ensure thorough watering, resulting in plentiful blueberry fruit.
What type of climate do blueberries need to survive?
Blueberries grow best in cooler climates, favouring Victoria, Tasmania, southern NSW, southern SA and southern WA within Australia. There are also some regions in cool spots in southern Queensland where blueberries can be grown successfully.
How much sun do blueberries need?
Blueberries grow best in full sun (minimum eight hours a day) all year round but can grow in partial shade. That said, it’s still important to be wary of heat damage in high summer.
How often should blueberry plants be watered?
If your blueberry plant is potted, it may need water every day in the warmer months, but garden plants are less demanding, only requiring water every two to three days. Rainwater is ideal for irrigation because it contains few dissolved salts, something blueberries are sensitive to. Bore, grey or recycled water is therefore unsuitable.
What type of soil should I use?
Blueberries need a freely draining, acidic and preferably sandy soil where the topsoil is enriched with organic matter, such as cocopeat. Blueberries are shallow-rooted shrubs with fine, fibrous, surface-feeding roots. Blueberries love the consistent moisture that drip irrigation provides, but perfect drainage is equally important.
Plant blueberry seeds between late autumn and spring for the best results.
When should it be harvested?
Blueberries begin cropping at two years. Once the bush is four to eight years old it will produce 2–7kg of fruit. Individual fruit will likely ripen at different stages from December to mid-January, although some varieties can crop as late as March. Fruit starts hard and green, softening as it ripens, attaining its distinctive blue-black colour with a coating of white bloom.
Once fruits are fully darkened, taste a few before harvesting. Blueberries do not get any sweeter after picking so it would be a shame to pick them too early. Full sweetness takes a week or so beyond full colour to develop and timing varies between cultivars.
Can you grow blueberries in pots?
While blueberries don’t do as well indoors given their sunlight requirements, they can be grown in pots. Choose a pot between 40 and 50cm and opt for a dwarf variety, which only grow to about 1 metre high and 75cm wide. Water the plant in well and fertilise it every six to eight weeks.
Common mistakes to avoid when growing blueberries
- Don’t pick your blueberries too early, as they don’t continue to ripen and will stay sour.
- Plant more than one variety – blueberries are not self-pollinating and need cross-pollination.
- Test the soil first and aim for between 5.0 and 6.0 pH.
- Don’t plant your blueberry bushes in the shade.
- Not applying mulch, as it helps to stop roots from drying out.
Do you need to prune blueberry plants?
Pruning helps productivity and, while the aim is to create a vase-shaped bush with an open centre, blueberries also make great hedges. Remove any weak, dead or crossed branches at any time of the year. Tip-prune shoots back by one-third during early spring, and remove unproductive shoots close to the base that are two or more years old. This encourages suckering and the formation of more shoots.
