Blueberry

Blueberries are ideal fruiting plants for the home garden. With their neat, prune-able size habit, they look good, are small enough to fit into any garden, will grow in pots or garden beds and have attractive flowers. And on top of all this, they produce that delicious fruit!

Full sun, but will grow in partial shade

Acidic soil (pH 4.5-5.5) with good drainage

When blueberries are very dark, try a few to make sure they’re sweet enough for picking

Purchase and plant bare-rooted plants from late autumn to spring.

How to grow blueberries in a garden

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.

How to grow blueberries in a pot

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.

Growing tips

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.