THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE

AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE

SP 284-D

Berries
Blueberries in Home Gardens
Wade J. Sperry, Assistant Professor
Originally written by Alvin D. Rutledge, Professor
Plant and Soil Science

Blueberries are a popular small-fruited plant in seeds arranged much like a tomato. Huckleberry plants
Tennessee. The fruit can be eaten fresh or used in jams, seldom survive winter temperatures.
preserves, pies, with ice cream and in blueberry muffins
and pancakes. Once established, plants are not difficult Types of Blueberries
to maintain. Establishment, however, can be laborious. There are two main types of blueberry plants:
Plants can be easily grown in existing home landscapes rabbiteye and highbush. Rabbiteye are native to the
and provide fruit while adding beauty to the landscape. southern United States. They are commonly grown in
Birds are usually the most troublesome pest after plants states south, west and east of Tennessee. They survive
begin to fruit. After planting, the first good fruit yield better in drier, warmer temperatures than highbush types
will generally occur after three to five years. However, and perform better when good soil moisture levels are
the length of time to fruiting will vary with the age of the maintained. Fruiting plants bloom early enough to be
transplants, rate of growth and health of the plant. susceptible to frosts. Fruit matures later and is usually
slightly smaller and sweeter than highbush types. Plant
True Blueberry Characteristics foliage is covered with a waxy cuticle which reduces
Blueberries are woody perennials that produce fruit water loss. Rabbiteye types can be grown without
on upright growing shoots. Fruit is borne on terminal irrigation, but a mulch for moisture control is necessary.
buds of fruiting wood. Plants may attain a height of 10 to Highbush blueberries are native to the northern
12 feet if left unpruned. The fruit is usually light to dark United States. They do well in the higher elevations of
blue and may be covered with a waxy bloom. The Tennessee, under good rainfall and where excessively
blossom end of the fruit usually has a pentagonal or high temperatures do not occur. It is not recommended
hexagonal blossom scar. Plants are seldom killed by that they be grown in the warmer, lower elevations of the
winter temperatures. state without irrigation. They have a high water loss rate
True blueberries are very different from the "garden and require consistent and frequent irrigation throughout
huckleberry," sometimes mistakenly called a blueberry. the growing season. Highbush types bloom later than
The garden huckleberry is a herbaceous plant that grows the rabbiteye types and are less susceptible to frost.
semi-prostrate to prostrate and seldom attains a height Fruit matures earlier than the rabbiteye and is usually not
greater than 3 feet. Its fruit usually contains many small as sweet.
Site Selection Blueray, Herbert, Coville, Bluecrop, Berkeley and Jersey.
Avoid depressions in the ground which may be frost See factsheet SP284-A, Small Fruit Varieties for Home
pockets. Avoid sites that are water logged in the winter. Gardens, for a more detailed description of these
Blueberries do not grow well in heavy clay soil or in soil varieties.
with poor drainage. Plants will quickly die in areas of
standing water. If possible, plant in the higher areas of the Planting Considerations
garden or yard or build a raised bed of soil and plant Blueberries should be planted while dormant, usually
there. from November through March. Plants should be spaced
5 or 6 feet apart in the row. At full growth, they produce a
Soil Preparation hedge at this spacing. Between-row spacing should be at
If possible, determine the planting site the summer least 10 to 12 feet to prevent complete overlapping at full
before planting. Kill any existing vegetation by tilling the growth. Dig holes larger than the existing root system
soil or by using recommended herbicides. Take a soil and insert the plants. Be sure the roots are not crowded or
sample from the prepared area to determine the soil pH. doubled under the plant. If container-grown plants are
Contact the county Extension office for soil test boxes used, be sure the roots of pot-bound plants are cut once or
and sampling information. The ideal pH for blueberries is twice to allow better root spread and development. Place
in the 4.8 to 5.2 range. If it is necessary to reduce the pH, roots into the hole and firmly pack soil and peat around
apply sulfur in accordance with instructions from the Soil them. Either bare-root or one- to two-gallon container-
Testing Laboratory. Apply sulfur several weeks before grown plants may be planted with satisfactory results.
the intended planting date to allow equilibration. It is important that two or more varieties are planted
At planting, mix about two gallons of wet peat moss for cross-pollination. The varieties may be alternated
with the soil from the planting hole. Peat moss is used to within the row or planted in alternate rows. Once planting
provide better moisture around roots and enable quicker is done, remove any prostrate growth and tip some of the
establishment of new plants. existing wood. This shapes the plant and encourages new
wood development so the plant will thicken and become
established quickly. All flower buds should be removed at
Fertility
the time of planting. This encourages good root
Proper soil fertility is critical for blueberries and all
development.
crops. With soil samples, a soil testing lab can determine
Water the plants to settle soil around the roots and
which fertilizers your soil needs. This information will be
add a 6-inch sawdust mulch on top of the soil surface.
mailed to you with instructions for proper blueberry
Maintain the mulch throughout the growing period.
fertilization. Place fertilizer evenly over the root zone. Do
Sawdust will help maintain the soil pH. For best growth,
not over fertilize! Young plants can be killed by over
plants should be watered frequently until the root system
fertilization. Fertilization should not occur until plants
becomes well established.
have had their first flush of growth. Budbreak is an
appropriate time for fertilization. Smaller amounts of
fertilizer can also be applied six and 12 weeks following
Productivity and Viability
budbreak. Contact your county Extension office for Blueberries are perennials and are comparable to
additional information on fertilization. apples in their productive period. It could be 20 to 30
years before a new planting is needed. Once established,
disease and winter injury do not appear to be major
Varieties
problems. Take soil samples periodically (every two
Some of the better-performing rabbiteye varieties are
years) to monitor pH and keep it in the desired range.
Tifblue, Garden Blue, Climax, Southland, Bluebelle and
Brightblue. The better-performing highbush types are

SP284D-3M-9/97(Rev) E12-2015-00-047-98
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