Blueberries, a nutritious addition to any landscape

This is the time of year to enjoy our delicious Georgia grown fruits. Peaches, watermelons, blackberries and blueberries are sweet, juicy and locally available. While my family enjoys eating all of these, blueberries are among our favorites to grow. This is the perfect plant for both new and experienced gardeners to grow.

In the plant world, blueberries are truly a “user-friendly” fruit. While the southern highbush blueberries dominate the commercial industry in South Georgia, it is the rabbiteye blueberries that do best in Middle Georgia gardens. These native plants are well-suited to our acidic Georgia soils. The bushes come alive when bees and other pollinators arrive for their early spring bloom. Once blueberries are well-established, they are relatively low maintenance. They also have very few pest problems and are a breeze to harvest.

Blueberries are a bit tricky because you need at least two different varieties with similar bloom times for cross-pollination. While there are other native blueberry species found growing wild, planting different varieties ensures the best production. These varieties are divided into categories depending on when they ripen. 

Older tried and true varieties that bloom during the early season are Climax, Premier, Austin, Alapaha, Vernon and Titan. Mid-season varieties include Brightwell, Powderblue and Tifblue. While late-season varieties are Baldwin, Centurion and Ochlockonee. Earlier blooming varieties do run the risk of loss from a late freeze. You might consider choosing varieties that ripen at different times to lengthen your harvest. 

I mentioned that blueberry plants do well once they are established. While it is best to plant them in late fall, now is a great time to begin your planning and preparations. Blueberries can grow large and should be planted with room to spread. Find a site with plenty of space. You will need 4-6 feet between bushes in a row and 8-12 feet between rows. The more room you can give the plants to grow, the easier it is to maintain the plants and harvest the sweet berries.

Blueberry plants require acidic soil, with an ideal pH range of 4.0-5.3.  If your pH is higher (up to 6.0), sulfur can be incorporated into the soil six months prior to planting (which would be now). Soils with a pH above 6.0 will require large amounts of peat moss or milled pine bark amendments to lower the pH. Alternatively, it could be easier to simply pick another site for your bushes. It will make you a much happier blueberry grower if pH can be measured and adjusted prior to planting. 

Blueberries are an ideal fruit for gardeners, large scale or small scale. They are nutritious, fun to pick and freeze well for long-term storage. Additionally, these plants offer a good fall foliage color. For more information on selecting, planting, and managing blueberries visit UGA’s website.

If you have questions about blueberries or other gardening topics, call Bibb County Extension at 478-310-5350 or email us at bibb.extension@uga.edu.