How to Grow Blueberry

Choose a sunny spot with well drained soil. Enrich the soil with Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser. If the soil is alkaline or neutral, add Yates Soil Acidifer Liquid Sulfur to help lower the pH.

Soak bare-rooted plants in a bucket of water for 30 minutes prior to planting.

Remove from bucket, position in hole and backfill, gently firming down. Form a raised ring around the plant, creating a well so that water will go where it’s needed most. Water in well.

Mulch around the base with organic mulch like sugarcane or pea straw, keeping it away from the trunk.

Water deeply, once every 2-3 days, depending on weather conditions.

Feed with Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser every 6-8 weeks. When flowering and fruiting, feed weekly with Yates Thrive Strawberry & Berry Fruit Liquid Plant Food.

Blueberries make wonderful pot plants – if you choose the right type! Look for a dwarf variety, such as Blueberry Burst, which only grows 1m high and 75cm wide. 

Choose a pot at least 400mm wide and deep. Position in full sun and protect from strong winds. Fill pot with an acidic potting mix, like one specially formulated for camellias and azaleas.

Remove the shrub from the container, gently tease the roots and cut away any circled or tangled roots.

Position in pot, backfill, gently firm down and water in well.

Feed with Yates Dynamdynamicic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser every 6-8weeks. When flowering and fruiting, feed weekly with Yates Thrive Strawberry & Berry Fruit Liquid Plant Food.

Feed with Yates Thrive Natural Citrus & Fruit Organic Based Plant Food.

Check the soil pH is between 4 and 5.5 and if it is too high, treat with Yates Soil Acidifier Liquid Sulfur.

Blueberries need excellent drainage and need moderate watering. If planting in the ground, make sure plants are on a gently sloping mound or similar. Water in the morning, and keep soil moderately moist.

Depending on the variety you buy, you may need two plants for pollination and fruit production. If you don’t have the space, consider self-pollinating varieties such as Blueberry Burst or Biloxi. 

Pruning of blueberries is not absolutely necessary, but light trimming can take place at almost any time during the growing season. Heavier pruning should be done in late winter. Flowers develop on the outer tips, so cutting back too often will reduce the crop.

Don’t pick blueberries too early, leave them as long as possible to ensure they’re sweet.

There are a few reasons why a Blueberry is not fruiting including soil pH issue, a lack of nutrients, or it needs cross-pollinating with another Blueberry.

Check the soil pH is between 4 and 5.5, make sure the plant is being well-fed, and if it is a not a self-fertile variety grow another plant nearby to cross-pollinate.

Yellowing leaves could be due to incorrect soil pH, sunburn, overwatering or heavy rain, poor drainage, pests, or diseases.

If the tips of the leaves are going brown, then this is an underwatering issue. If the whole leaf has turned brown, check for pests and diseases, avoid overwatering, and check the drainage.

If you've been watering or there has been heavy rain and the leaves suddenly turn brown and start falling off, this could be Root Rot.