Blueberry Plants

How to choose blueberry plants

Blueberries fall into groups by how much winter cold they need to set fruit. Southern highbush varieties need little chill, crop early and suit warm temperate and subtropical gardens. Blueberry Sunshine Blue is the compact one, about 1m tall, self fertile and well suited to pots. Blueberry Misty is a taller, upright bush with blue green leaves and early fruit.

Rabbiteye varieties are bigger and hardier, reaching 2m or more, and cope with heat and less than perfect soil. They fruit later, which extends the season, and they need a second rabbiteye variety nearby for pollination. Brightwell Blueberry and Powder Blue Blueberry make a good pair. For foliage colour as well as fruit, Pink Icing Blueberry has pink new growth on a small bush.

Where blueberries grow

Blueberries crop in full sun in cool and temperate areas, and with morning sun and afternoon shade where summers are hot. Low chill varieties fruit from the subtropics south; in the tropics crops are unreliable. The soil must be acid, with a pH of about 4.5 to 5.5, moist and well drained. In alkaline or heavy clay soil, grow them in pots or raised beds filled with an azalea and camellia mix. A row of bushes also makes a productive low hedge. For more fruiting plants see our fruit trees and edible plants, and for container ideas the plants for pots.

Planting and spacing

Space southern highbush varieties about 1m apart and rabbiteyes 1.5m apart. Blueberries have fine, shallow roots, so plant no deeper than the plant sat in its pot, in soil improved with composted pine bark or peat rather than lime, mushroom compost or fresh manure. Water in and mulch 5cm to 10cm deep with pine bark or pine needles. For pots, start with a container at least 40cm wide and move up as the bush grows.

Care basics

Keep the soil evenly moist, especially from flowering to harvest; the shallow roots dry out fast and a dry spell shrinks the fruit. Rainwater is better than hard tap water. Feed in early spring and again after harvest with a fertiliser for acid loving plants. Remove the flowers in the first year so the bush builds a frame. From the third winter, cut out a few of the oldest canes at the base each year to keep new wood coming. Net the bushes as the fruit colours, or birds will take the crop. Pale leaves with green veins mean the soil is not acid enough. Our blueberry care guide covers soil preparation and pruning in more detail.

Common questions

Do I need two blueberry plants?

Rabbiteye varieties need a second rabbiteye variety to set fruit. Most southern highbush varieties fruit alone, but crop more heavily with a different variety close by.

Can blueberries grow in pots?

Yes, and in many gardens pots are the easier way, because the acid mix is simple to control. Use an azalea and camellia mix and water often in summer.

How long until a blueberry bush fruits?

Expect a light crop in the second year and full crops from about the fourth, increasing as the bush matures.

Why are my blueberry leaves turning yellow?

Usually the soil or water is too alkaline, which locks up iron. Lower the pH with sulphur or repot into an acid mix.