• Shop Fresh Foods Online
  • Shop Home & Garden Online
  • Store Hours
  • Events
Stauffers of Kissel Hill Logo
  • Fresh Foods
    • Foods On Sale
    • Online Groceries FAQ
    • Cake Request Form
    • Shop Our Fresh Foods Departments
    • Signature Rewards & Coupons
    • Local Favorites
    • Entertaining Made Easy
    • Recipes
    • Fresh Foods Blog
    • Watch & Learn
    • Gift Cards
  • Home & Garden
    • On Sale
    • Online Home & Garden
    • Shop Our Home & Garden Departments
    • Home & Garden Services
    • Local Growers
    • Home & Garden Blog
    • Watch & Learn
    • Gift Cards
  • Store Hours
  • Stauffers Signature Rewards
  • Customer Care
    • Recognize A Team Member
    • Request a Donation
    • Fundraising Opportunities
    • Policies
    • Product Recalls
    • Food Safety
    • Sustainability
  • Join Our Team
    • Job Opportunities
    • Recruiting
    • Why Join Our Team
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Fresh Foods
    • Foods On Sale
    • Online Groceries FAQ
    • Cake Request Form
    • Shop Our Fresh Foods Departments
    • Signature Rewards & Coupons
    • Local Favorites
    • Entertaining Made Easy
    • Recipes
    • Fresh Foods Blog
    • Watch & Learn
    • Gift Cards
  • Home & Garden
    • On Sale
    • Online Home & Garden
    • Shop Our Home & Garden Departments
    • Home & Garden Services
    • Local Growers
    • Home & Garden Blog
    • Watch & Learn
    • Gift Cards
  • Store Hours
  • Stauffers Signature Rewards
  • Customer Care
    • Recognize A Team Member
    • Request a Donation
    • Fundraising Opportunities
    • Policies
    • Product Recalls
    • Food Safety
    • Sustainability
  • Join Our Team
    • Job Opportunities
    • Recruiting
    • Why Join Our Team
  • Contact
  • Events

How to Plant & Care for Blueberries

June 7, 2011
Close up of blueberries on a branch

The blueberry shrub is highly ornamental in the landscape with pleasing white flowers in spring, delicious blueberries in summer, and attractive red, orange, or purple foliage in autumn.

Location

Blueberries do best in a consistently moist, well-drained soil in full sun or part shade. They require an acid soil with a soil pH of 4.0 to 5.0 and prefer a soil high in organic matter. It is a good idea to work large quantities of peat moss, compost, or rotted saw dust into the planting area before actually planting the shrubs.

Planting

Dig the hole 2 times larger than the diameter of the pot. Prepare a planting mixture of 1/3 perlite, 1/3 peat moss and 1/3 topsoil. Place the plant into the hole with the top of the root ball 1” above the ground level. Back fill with planting mixture and tamp firm . Make a basin around the edge of the hole to retain water. Mulch with 2-3” of pine bark mulch and water thoroughly.

Spacing & Pollination

The bushes should be planted about 6’ apart in rows, and with 8-10 feet between rows. Plant several cultivars to improve pollination and increase yields. A mature bush can produce up to 10 qts. of fruit yearly. For more about pollination and shrubs check out this video:

Fertilization

Plants should be fertilized twice each year – once at the beginning of bloom and a second time in October. Established plants should receive approximately 1 cup of 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 fertilizer each time. New plants will need only about 1/2 as much. Test the soil pH yearly and make any necessary corrections by adding iron sulfate or aluminum sulfate.

Pruning

Blueberries produce the largest and best fruit on vigorous new branches. Prune during dormancy to remove any dead, diseased or broken branches as well as to thin out the shrub and encourage new fruitful growth.

Blueberry plant

Maintenance

Blueberries like an organic, acid, moist soil. This can be maintained by keeping 3-4” layer of organic mulch such as pine bark or pine needles. They should be watered thoroughly during any period of extended drought. A bird netting may be necessary to protect the ripening berries from eager birds and a wire enclosure for winter makes excellent rabbit protection.

Thin young blueberry bushes (2 to 5 years old) by removing all dead and diseased wood, and about one-fourth of their main branches.

Love to pick out your blueberry shrubs, but don’t have time to plant them? You pick and purchase them & we plant them! See details about our planting services here.

Share this Post:

Share this blog post to Facebook Share this blog post to Twitter Share this blog post to LinkedIn Share this blog bost via email

Sign up for weekly coupons, trending seasonal information, and store updates!

Join Our Email List Today!
  • Fresh Foods
    • Foods On Sale
    • Online Groceries FAQ
    • Cake Request Form
    • Shop Our Fresh Foods Departments
    • Signature Rewards & Coupons
    • Entertaining Made Easy
    • Recipes
    • Local Favorites
    • Fresh Foods Blog
    • Watch & Learn
    • Gift Cards
  • Home & Garden
    • On Sale
    • Shop Home & Garden
    • Our Departments
    • Home & Garden Services
    • Local Growers
    • Ask the Experts
    • Home & Garden Blog
    • Watch & Learn
    • Gift Cards
  • Customer Care
    • Recognize A Team Member
    • Request a Donation
    • Fundraising Opportunities
    • Policies
    • Product Recalls
    • Food Safety
    • Sustainability
  • About Us
    • Our Story
    • Our Culture
    • Our Awards
    • Team Member Portal
Stauffers Logo
Follow Us on Twitter Follow Us on LinkedIn View our YouTube Channel Find Us on Pinterest

Fresh Foods:

Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram

Home & Garden:

Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram

©2022 Stauffers of Kissel Hill. All Rights Reserved.