Are Blueberry bushes hard to grow?

I know. You actually have seasons! That is the perfect size for setting out a blueberry bush, especially with a rootball. As I am writing this, it is Earth Day, April 22. Again, perfect time for planting and transplanting. If the weather won’t allow, then plant as soon as you can. You want the roots to be strong for the summer so you can have big, juicy blueberries this year!

Hi Beth! Northern MN here, my folks owned a few acres of blueberries when I was a kid. I remember them needing highly acidic soil but they were really hardy! The only thing they were susceptible to was die off from the winter if they didn't have enough snow cover. So I always tell everyone to just cover them up with its starts getting cold outside. Even if they do die off though they will come back from the root!

Here's some more info:

https://www.almanac.com/plant/blueberries

Hi Beth! I am too from MN, but the southeast corner. Years ago the couple who owned this house had rows of blueberries that were great from what the back yard neighbor said. I myself grow raspberries along my back fence and use it for support of the plants as they get bigger. The former owners many plants came back year after year without a problem until they moved west and the people who rented the place didn't take care of anything in the yard.

Hi, Central NJ here. I raised the plant for several years without plant problems!

But when the berries come you'll have a lot of trouble with the birds. you'll have to cover the plant area with netting.

Blueberries enjoy sun and a ph range of 5.0-5.5. You might consider covering the plant with netting when the berries start to turn,or the birds will beat you to them!

Hi Beth,

We are in the Baltimore area and have been trying to grow blueberries for years, both in a container and the ground and with no luck.

Last year was the final try, 3 varieties, so far. They made it through the winter and are about 1' high. So, hopes are up.

Best to you.

If the roots dry out, they die. The roots spread out instead of going deep so mulching is best. Wood chips or saw dust(no paint)shredded paper or anything similar. Mulch holds moisture and tempers the temperature extremes. I use sheer curtains(yard sales) and put a string through the hems to make like a big bag. Cover the bushes AFTER bloom but before berry set...in east Tennessee.

If you have cats, you don't need to worry about the birds! :)

It can take three to four years before they will produce fruit. Blueberries also produce better if they are cross pollinated. This means that growing blueberry bushes of different varieties will help with their production. Before growing blueberry plants, you need to choose a type of blueberry to grow.

A fail-safe way to grow blueberries in almost any soilis to incorporate peat moss into the planting medium. For planting directly in theground, work up a planting area approximately 2½ feet in diameter and 1 foot deep for each plant. Remove 1/3 to 1/2 of the soil.

For organic fertilizers for blueberries, you can use blood meal or fish meal to provide nitrogen. Sphagnum peat or coffee grounds will help to provide acidity. Bone meal and powdered seaweed to fertilize blueberries can provide the potassium and phosphorus.

Here is info from the University of MN

https://extension.umn.edu/fruit/growing-blueberries-home-garden

Virginia here , no trouble to grow then here Have had mine 3 yrs ,in a pot in full sun. They have rewarded me with very large berries and plenty of them. How ever you must know there are several types, so read up on them