Blueberries |
| General |
| Common Name | Blueberries |
| Latin Name | Vaccinium corymbosum, V. angustifolium |
| Category | Fruits |
| Family | Vaccinium |
| Variety | see Cornell Guide to Growing Fruit at Home |
| Visual Traits |
| Flower | white; May |
| Foliage/Fall leaf color | golden |
| Fruit | blue; July |
| Height | 15 in (lowbush) |
| Cultivation |
| Cultivation and Mulching | mulch mid to late summer; do not cultivate within 2' of plant, no more than 2 |
| Field preparation and planting | adjust soil acidity year prior to planting; incorporate compost or peat |
| Field spacing / planting depth | 4' within rows, 10' between rows / plant 1 |
| Hardwood Cuttings | poor survival |
| Pollination | Can self-pollinate, but recommend planting at least two cultivars with overlapping bloom season |
| Propagation method | bare root, container |
| Pruning | prune to half original size at planting; esp to remove flowers; prune established plants in early spring to remove winter injury; or prune late fall to remove older growth; must read further pruning recommendations |
| Retail Source | See www.hort.cornell.edu/nursery |
| Seedling treatment | soak roots in water for several hours prior to planting |
| Softwood cuttings | poor survival |
| Transplant | plant as soon as possible; prune and remove flowers |
| Watering guidelines | keep well-watered, esp first two seasons |
| Critters |
| Insect and invertebrate pests | blueberry maggot, stem galls |
| Pathogens | fusicoccum canker, phomopsis canker, mummyberry |
| Soils |
| Fertility / quality | high organic matter |
| Moisture and drainage | well-drained, aerated; drought intolerant |
| pH | 4.5-5.5 |
| Soils and topography | tolerates heavy soils if well-drained |
| Texture | sandy peat |
| Growth Pattern |
| Fruit bearing age / full crop load | 3y / 8y |
| Growth rate | moderate |
| Longevity | moderate |
| Habitat and Climate |
| Fire tolerance | very tolerant |
| Frost-free days (FFD) | 140 |
| Hardiness Zone | Zones 3-8 |
| Native Range | North America |
| Rainfall / humidity | 32-50 |
| Wind / ice / frost susceptibility | late frosts kill late growing shoots; late spring frosts injure flowers and reduce crop load |
| Light |
| Light recommendation | full sun |
| Shade tolerance | tolerant |
