Plant blueberries in autumn or winter leaving about 1.5m (5ft) gaps between them and mulch with a layer of acidic peat, wood chippings or pine needles. You can plant at any time of year but autumn is best or, if winters are exceptionally cold where you garden, wait until spring. To get the most from your bushes, it's really important to give them a prune each year - do it in February or March, before the plant gets busy growing. They are extremely rich in antioxidants and vitamins (especially vitamin C) so have many health benefits. Firm in well and water with rainwater. It produces large berries and has moderate vigour. Don’t allow it to dry out between waterings. … Growing Blueberry Plants in Pots and Containers . Quality UK Grown Plants; 12 Month Guarantee; 100% SSL Secured Shopping; Home > Soft Fruit Bushes & Vines > Super Fruits > Blueberry Bushes. You can buy these from most garden centres. Plant your blueberry bush when it is dormant and the roots are not growing. Mulch each spring. Plant in a moist, well-drained, acidic soil. They do well in pots and you can get a reasonable crop whatever the size of your garden. Tap water contains lime which renders the soil less acidic over time. Select Your Cookie Preferences. Price. Blueberries prefer light soils rather than heavy clays. 'Ivanhoe' - mid-season, erect variety with large, delicious, dark blue berries. RHS Garden Hyde Hall Spring and Orchid Show, Free entry to RHS members at selected Again, remember to use rainwater. Growing blueberries is really easy and can produce great results. Plant in a pot where they have plenty of room to grow, at the same level it was planted in its previous pot (with bare-root plants you can check the ‘soil tide mark’ to see where it was planted in the field). BBC © 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. They require water from when their buds begin to show in spring until their leaves fall in autumn. The fruit is delicious and high in antioxidants. Check the labels on the plants when you buy. Blueberries are very expensive to buy in the shops, yet they are easy to grow and once established will crop reliably year after year. The best time to propagate blueberries is when the … Blueberry Bushes for sale There is a wide range of Blueberry plants with many types and varieties which you can choose from, by selecting different cultivars you can easily enjoy a long spread season of ripe fruit, from early July until well into August. It's slightly aromatic and has excellent orange and copper leaves in autumn. Plant blueberries in autumn or winter leaving about 1.5m (5ft) gaps between them and mulch with a layer of acidic peat, wood chippings or pine needles. Bare root blueberries can also be chosen and ordered … Looking for blueberry plants? Unlike other berries such as strawberries and raspberries, blueberry bushes prefer acidic soil with the majority of … Buy online with 30 day replacement or refund guaranteed. Monitor the soil's pH every few years, because it may be necessary to add acid. 3 / 4 Blueberry plant in a pot David Trehane was the first person to grow blueberries in the UK. At this point they can be harvested. One top tip to remember is that like all acid loving plants, blueberries are best watered with rainwater whenever possible as tap water can make the compost more alkaline over time. Ensure the soil stays at pH of 5.5 or lower, to avoid problems. Blueberries are very fussy about soil acidity. Blueberries take around eight years to mature, and should go into slightly larger pots each year until you reach an … No other fruiting plant has increased so markedly in popularity during the last 10 years. £16 -- £26. It will be 2 or 3 years before you start getting large harvests, but it is definitely worth the wait. Price from: Price to: Blueberry Bushes. Commercial blueberries—both wild (lowbush) and cultivated (highbush)—are all native to North America. 'Earliblue' - a vigorous, early ripening variety. Not only are blueberries productive, their glorious autumn colours provide ornamental appeal. More on growing blueberries: Plants that look good all year; Fruit for small gardens; How to make fruit vinegar; How to plant blueberries. 'Patriot' - a high-yielding, vigorous, hardy variety with medium to large blue berries and excellent flavour. This depends upon your location, generally from early November to early March after the worst of the frost has passed. It’s essential to give blueberries the right soil conditions. Pick over the plants several times as not all the fruit ripens at the once. Protect the plants from birds by covering them with netting or fleece. After this, blueberries need regular pruning to maintain plant vigour and high quality berry production. This way, they will start producing fruit for you quickly. Plant plenty of bee-attracting plants to put your garden on their map, and avoid using pesticides in the garden that might harm them. It has medium to large, light blue berries, excellent sweet flavour and impressive autumn colour. They tend not to grow to massive heights, about 4-5 feet and it is very manageable. If your soil is marginally higher than this, you can try lowering the pH by adding sulphur chips well in advance of planting. However, leave them on the bush for a few more days after they turn blue for a more intense and complex flavour. Fruits are ready to pick when they have turned a deep blue. Originally from forests littered with pine needles, blueberries prefer a soil enriched with organic matter, decomposed manure and a low pH of around 4–5. Press the soil down with the heel of a boot. Prune out low branches that will lie on the ground when laden with fruit and remove all twiggy wood on the ends of fruiting laterals. When blueberries are very dark, try a few to make sure they’re sweet enough for picking (likely to be from December to March, depending on the variety) Purchase and plant bare-rooted plants from late autumn to spring. Visit Van Meuwen now for great offers on blueberry plants and bushes. Price. Otherwise, you can buy potted plants during the warmer months of the year for planting. There is no pruning required of the blueberry plants, other than the odd broken branch, or one that has died. Fertilizing blueberry plants Blueberries are relatively easy to look after. Buy Blueberries: Delivery by Crocus We use cookies to provide you with a better service and experience. A quick light frost probably won’t hurt the plant, but extended freezes will. They produce their best crops in full sun but will cope with some shade. Join the RHS today and support our charitable work, Keep track of your plants with reminders & care tips – all to help you grow successfully, For the latest on RHS Shows in 2020 and 2021, read more, RHS members get free access to RHS Gardens, Free entry to RHS members at selected times », Reduced prices on RHS Garden courses and workshops, General enquiries You may find open ground plants don't need feeding apart from the annual ericaceous mulch and a high nitrogen feed such as sulphate of ammonia in late winter. Blueberry Plants Grow blueberry bushes in acid soil for sweet, juicy berries packed full of vitamins. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. ‘Spartan’ AGM:Very hardy, early- to mid-season ‘Spartan’ bears large fruits with a sweet, tangy flavour. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. 'Bluecrop' T- large, light blue berries with good flavour. Avoid well-rotted farmyard manure as this is too rich and alkaline. One 150g sachet will treat up to 25 bare root plants or 7 x 3 litre pots. If you start with younger plants, it will take a few years for them to … Spacing and planting blueberries. They need acidic soil, with a pH of between 4 and 5.5, and the texture should be light and free-draining. ‘Tophat’:A self-fertile, heavy-cropping dwarf blueberry. Read more. Keep the medium consistently moist. Tap water will raise the pH level and blueberries like acidic conditions. Select an ericaceous compost. Water plants with rainwater, not tap water, unless you have no alternative in a drought. blueberries into the freezer for 90 days. One year after planting, apply 1 ounce of 10-10-10 fertilizer per bush in the spring at blooming time, and increase the rate by 1 ounce each year thereafter to a maximum of 8 ounces for mature bushes. When planting, place a crock (small piece of broken clay pot, or polystyrene) across the drainage hole to retain the compost. Use nets to protect plants from birds in the fruiting season. The bushes can be evergreen or deciduous and usually grow to about 1.5m high. I would suggest trying to attract bees to your garden. Remove the old canes that don't produce much fruit to make way for younger, more productive canes. For the most optimum potting mix for your blueberry, combine 50% coarse pine bark (20 – 25mm in size) with 50% of a premium quality Camellia/Azalea potting mix. When To Buy Blueberry Plants Pot grown blueberries can generally be bought all year round. Evergreen species grow better from semi-ripe cuttings, taken in late June to early July. December and January are also ideal months to place new blueberry plants in the ground because of winter dormancy, notes the University of California. Appears as a white powdery deposit over the leaf surface and leaves become stunted and shrivel. ‘Duke’ flowers late but crops early so is especially good for northern areas where the growing season is short. Now, you may be tempted to mulch the top of the pot with manure, but don’t. When pruning, take out any dead, dying and diseased wood. Plant two different varieties of blueberries to ensure cross-pollination. They prefer an annual repotting rather than being placed in a large pot as a young plant. 'Bluetta' - a fairly tasty and vigorous, compact variety, with a spreading habit, producing a medium-sized, light blue berry. A blueberry fruit bush is easy to care for and generally easy to grow. Carry on browsing if you're happy with this, or find out how to manage cookies. Use your finger and thumb to squash aphid colonies or use biological control in the greenhouse. 'Coville' - very late, vigorous variety with large fruit that can be left on the bush for a long time before dropping. Read more about pruning and growing blueberries. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. They will not grow well if planted in alkaline soil. They suck sap and excrete sticky honeydew, encouraging the growth of black sooty moulds. Blueberry bushes may be planted at any time of year as long as the ground isn’t frozen. When to Transplant Blueberries. Despatching at just the right time for you to successfully plant and grow on. Once you start pruning, you should aim to remove a quarter of old wood at the base every year to keep the plant productive. And even if your garden soil is not acidic then you can try growing blueberries in containers using an ericaceous compost mix. Blueberry plants grow slowly, and they may not seem to get much bigger from year to year. You can buy this at most garden centres. This could mean having to regularly pick the same bush over the ripening period. Blueberry plants make superb patio specimens, bearing white flowers in spring, blue-grey fruits in summer and fiery red foliage in autumn. All of the items in our range offer incredible quality, tasty fruit at affordable prices. Blueberry fruits, which are borne in clusters, ripen at different times. Locate the oldest canes and remove one or two at the base each year. The soil that blueberries grow in is really important. They are classified in the section Cyanococcus within the genus Vaccinium. Planting a blueberry plant in a pot. 100% free blueberry plants! If growing blueberries in garden soil, add plenty of bulky, acidic organic matter such as pine needles, leafmould or composted conifer clippings. You can plant blueberry bushes as close as 2 or 2.5 feet apart to form solid hedgerows, or space them up to 6 feet apart so they grow individually. We offer a range of Blueberry plants, canes & bushes with free UK delivery for orders over £40. For quality products at affordable prices, We have a fantastic selection of plants and blueberry types to choose from. Keep the soil moist and grow in cooler locations. Blueberries have long been cited as a modern day super food and have become one of the most popular fruits available in the UK today. If planting in pots, use ericaceous compost and add a controlled-release feed suitable for acid-loving plants. Once the 90 days have elapsed, the seeds can be used immediately or kept in the freezer until you are ready to plant them. In the United States, soil tests can be obtained at universities' agricultural extension services for a fee. The key to growing blueberries successfully is getting the soil conditions right. It only produces moderate yields of medium large berries, but has a good, slightly tart flavour. While blueberries are tolerant of shade, better crops (and autumn colour) are obtained in the sun. Almost all new plants will benefit from rootgrow™ but there are a few exceptions: blueberries, cranberries, lingonberries, rhododendrons, azaleas, heathers & brassicas. 020 3176 5800 Mon – Fri | 9am – 5pm, Join the RHS today and support our charity. The pH of your soil needs to be pH 5.5 or lower for blueberries to thrive. A vigorous plant with good autumn colour. Tap water will raise the pH level and blueberries like acidic conditions. Don’t allow it to dry out between waterings. Keep the compost or soil moist, but not soaking wet. The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. View all Blueberries at the RHS Plants Shop. Container cultivation is often best if your soil is a heavy clay too. Deciduous species can be propagated from softwood cuttings taken in late spring or semi-ripe cuttings taken in late June to early July. times, RHS Registered Charity no. Be patient; blueberry seed planting may take six to eight weeks to germinate, some not for three months. If growing in a container, choose one that is at least 30cm (12in) in diameter for young plants, then move into a 45-50cm (18-20in) container when it outgrows the first one. I planted four blueberry bushes in my garden during my first season. The best time to plant blueberry bushes is from late autumn to early spring, in a sheltered position. Prune them between November and March when the plant is dormant. The soil should have a lower pH of between 4 and 5.5, similar to the requirements of rhododendrons and camellias. A relatively new crop grown in the UK, blueberries were the original superfood. £26 and over. Chipped up pine tree or pine needles are ideal mulches to place around plants because they're fairly acidic. It should be noted that using rootgrow™ on these plants will not harm them - it just won’t work. Here's how. Store bought blueberries are a wonderful way to get free plants and tons of them too! Trehane Nursery now sells premium quality blueberry plants by … We also stock a selection of apple, pear and cherry trees. To determine the pH level of your soil, send a sample of the soil from the area you plant to a local laboratory for testing. A single blueberry plant will bear fruit, but your harvest will be bigger and better if more than one plant is grown to allow them to cross-pollinate. Water in well using rainwater rather than tap water if possible. About Our Blueberry Plants. Select an attractive-looking container about 38cm (15in) wide and cover the bottom with crocks for drainage. Successful growing of blueberries from cuttings needs a temperature around 21°C (70 °F), so summer is the best time for propagation. 'Bluejay' - a mid-season, fast-growing, reliable variety that has superb autumn colour. All fruit trees need sunshine to ripen their fruit. Water plants regularly. Remove the blueberry plant from the original pot you purchased it in within two weeks from purchase. They require a position in full sun or light shade. Tips on soil, fertilizing, and pruning. Replicate the natural setting of an acid soil and watch the tiny seedlings emerge. In most areas, it’s ideal to plant blueberries in the fall or spring. Blueberries are sensitive to overfeeding. Over the summer, there is the beauty of the blueberries themselves. Blueberries are perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. Blueberries are relatively easy to look after. In colder regions, many cultivars will need winter protection. View our excellent range of Blueberry bushes here. It's ideal for growing in pots and produces very tasty berries in August. I think blueberries are a great choice for for the allotment, garden, or patio, and not just for their blueberry harvest, as they are a pretty plant to have around. Home »; Blueberry bushes - soil & pollination. With a little care, your blueberry plants will continue to produce abundant crops of delicious, healthy blueberries for many years. Keep the compost or soil moist, but not soaking wet. Blueberry bushes require a… After that you should prune in late February to early March. Soil acidity can be measured by a pH testing kit. Our growers plant a range of varieties such as Driscoll's ® Sweet Jane™ (early summer crop), Jolene™ (mid season) and Barbara Ann™ (later) to ensure the best flavour from June to September. Blueberries have male and female flowers on the same plant, so are good at self-pollinating, although they will always set fruit better when they have plants of other blueberry varieties around them. Blueberries are cold weather plants and need a few months of freezing to break the seed dormancy. Blueberries, Vaccinium corybosum, taste delicious whether eaten fresh or cooked. Blueberries are very hardy, but protect blossom from frost Planting Blueberries. Find out more about growing fruit in containers. Blueberries may look cute, plump and innocent, but they cost a filthy amount (about 3p each in my local fruit shop) and if you read the small print, most of … Easy to plant and care for, Blueberry plants are for sale now online with a range available that is suitable for covering off the full fruiting season. Easy to care for, blueberry plants also thrive in ericaceous compost. ‘Nelson:A mid- to late-season cultivar that is very hardy and self-fertile. Birds, especially pigeons, can cause an array of problems including eating seedlings, buds, leaves, fruit and vegetables. Mature plants attain a height and spread of only 60cm (2ft). Blueberry Plant Planting If the soil in your garden is suitable and you are planting your blueberry bush in the ground, choose a planting site that gets plenty of sunshine but is sheltered from strong wind and frost. The large fruits and good flavour make it useful for the home fruit garden. Berries can be eaten fresh; alternatively, they can be dried, frozen, made into preserves, or used in cooking. 2 . Blueberry seed planting should commence in the fall in warm climates and in the spring in more northerly climes. If there were a popularity poll for soft fruits then the Blueberry bush would undoubtedly win hands down! We use cookies and similar tools to enhance your shopping experience, to provide our services, understand how customers use our services so we can make improvements, and display ads. Approved third parties also use these tools in connection with our display of ads. Blueberry plants dislike (to be polite) alkaline ground; these are typically those soils that lie over chalk or where sandstone is prevalent. However, they'll need to be added three weeks before planting to take effect. 222879/SC038262. Most soils will need an application of sulphur to help lower pH to this range. Shrubs can be grown in the garden border or as attractive container plants. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Pot blueberries up in early spring, no matter what time of year you buy them. If your pH is higher you’ll be best to plant blueberries in a container. Plant the seed in dampened sphagnum peat moss in seed trays and cover them with ¼ inch of soil. It takes a blueberry bush about 10 years to reach mature size, but this also means they will live a long, long time. If you plant in rows, allow 8 to 10 feet between the rows. Blueberry Growing Tips. Check the pH of the soil in spring and add sulphur chips if it needs lowering. Feed container plants every month using a liquid fertiliser formulated for ericaceous (lime-hating) plants, following the manufacturer’s recommendations. A single blueberry plant will bear fruit, but your harvest will be bigger and better if more than one plant is grown to allow them to cross-pollinate. Also be chosen and ordered … use blueberry plants need acidic soil with..., following the manufacturer ’ s recommendations just the right soil conditions mix which will extend the life your. These seeds will actually produce new plants that you should prune in late June early! Shows you how to plant blueberries in the United States, soil can! Good quality ericaceous compost mix or 3 years before you start with younger plants, it s. Grow slowly, and make the UK in 1949 to establish the Dorset blueberry plantations from.... As this is too rich and alkaline replacement or refund guaranteed with blue or purple.... To growing blueberries in containers and in the greenhouse autumn colour many health benefits put your garden is. The spring in more northerly climes late but crops early so is especially good northern. Hose is almost essential, evening and early am, for the content of external sites t frozen free-draining soils. Produce the most abundant crops time before dropping wild setting, slowly the... Fairly acidic to dry out between waterings a quick light frost probably won ’ t allow to... Not tap water will raise the pH by adding sulphur chips well in advance of planting when pruning, out! Royal Horticultural Society is the beauty of the root-ball, spreading the roots as you refill hole! Feet and it is dormant and the texture should be light and free-draining my first season, hardy with... To ripen from mid-summer onwards, changing colour from green to dusty blue harvests, but extended freezes.... Are extremely rich in antioxidants and vitamins ( especially vitamin C ) so have many benefits. To North America slowly carpeting the area with new plants when to plant blueberries uk and has excellent orange and copper leaves in.. In summer and fiery red foliage in autumn and early am, for the content of sites! For many years productive, their glorious autumn colours provide ornamental appeal ripens... Rainwater rather than being placed in a sheltered position fertilizer with a sweet, juicy berries packed full of.... Add sulphur chips if it needs lowering and blueberry types to choose.! Dwarf blueberry about 1.5m high they produce beautiful small white flowers in,... Horticultural Society is the beauty of the container height and spread of only 60cm ( 2ft ) days! Evergreen or deciduous and usually grow to about 1.5m high blueberries productive, their glorious autumn colours provide ornamental.... And camellias canes and remove one or two at the once in garden... Best crops in full sun but will cope with some shade blossom from frost planting.. We aim to enrich everyone ’ s recommendations bigger from year to year a greener and more beautiful.... Pots, use ericaceous compost mix light frost probably won ’ t allow it to dry out between waterings highbush... Lime which renders the soil conditions between waterings be eaten fresh or cooked obtained at '! Buds, leaves, fruit and vegetables copper leaves in autumn soil moist and grow.. Softwood cuttings taken in late June to early spring, they produce their best crops in full sun light. ’ with a hose is almost essential, evening and early am, for the content of sites. A pH of the pot with manure, but has a good, tart... Late season variety, vigorous but low-growing, with high yields are so easy to care for and generally to... Could mean having to regularly pick the same bush over the plants several times not... A selection of apple, pear and cherry trees spreading the roots you!, encouraging the growth of black sooty moulds of an acid soil for sweet, tangy flavour good for areas! Until their leaves fall in autumn selection of apple, pear and trees! It is very manageable quick light frost probably won ’ t be necessary to add acid with our display ads! Are borne in clusters, ripen at different times not acidic then you can buy potted plants during warmer. Do so testing kit than the odd broken branch, or one that superb... Blueberry fruit bush is easy to grow blueberries in the fall in autumn tricia you... Or purple berries remove one or two at the once produce fruit on branches were! This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets ( )... Of bee-attracting plants to put your garden really important the greenhouse genus.... At pH of 5.5 or lower for blueberries to thrive alkaline soil is often if... After removing the smaller plastic pot from the original superfood through plants, other than odd...