Plucking juicy blueberries straight from the bush is the sweetest delight of the height of summer. From fresh berries to mouth-watering pies to hearty jams that will last till your next harvest, blueberries are edible superstars in the garden.
If you wander through forests from Mt. Hood to the coast during the summertime, you might even stumble upon our native blueberries – the Mountain, Red, and Evergreen huckleberries. These are pillars of our local ecosystem which grow tasty wild berries for birds and humans alike, but the biggest, juiciest, and most prolific berries are the Northern high-bush blueberries native to eastern North America. These are the berries you’ll find in grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and as nursery plants. They thrive in the wet weather and acidic soil of the Pacific Northwest, allowing you to grow a delicious bounty of blueberries right in your home garden.
Care
The best time to plant your new blueberry is fall or spring. Blueberries are extreme acid-lovers, requiring a low soil pH of 4.5 to 5.5. This means they’re well-suited to the native soils of Northwest Oregon, though it’s worth testing your soil and amending as needed to make sure you’re close to blueberries’ preferred range. Blueberries thrive on high organic matter in the soil. Common plant and manure-based composts are too alkaline (high in pH), so Oregon State’s Extension Service recommends adding an acidic compost like fir bark mulch. Till organic matter into the soil before you plant. You can plant directly in the ground or in a container, which is sometimes easier than amending the soil if your garden is lacking in acidity, organic matter, or certain nutrients.
Choose a spot in your garden where your blueberry plant will receive full sun lighting – at least 6 hours a day of direct light. When you’re ready to plant, you’ll want to dig a hole about the size of the nursery pot and plant so the potting soil is level with the surrounding ground. Surround the plant in a 2-3 inch ring of acidic mulch of fir or pine bark to keep the roots moist and suppress weeds.
Blueberries need a lot of water to ensure a good harvest, so the mulch will help preserve moisture in the soil. Water regularly during the dry season. Installing drip irrigation is a great way to send moisture directly to the root system.
Our Favorite Varieties
Most of the blueberries we carry at Cornell Farm are Northern high-bush varieties, originating from eastern North America and adapting beautifully to our Pacific Northwest climate. Some of our favorite varieties are:
‘Spartan’ — Delicious, tangy-sweet, large berries in early summer.
‘Darrow’ — Huge, dark blue berries in summer
'Legacy’ — Highly productive, very sweet berries in mid-to-late summer
‘Pink Lemonade’ — A ‘rabbiteye’ variety that produces flavorful bright pink berries
Tips and Tricks for a Bountiful Harvest
Once you’ve planted your blueberries, you want to ensure a successful harvest. The first step is to keep up on watering, while a layer of acidic mulch will help retain that moisture to keep your blueberry’s growing root system happy. For the best berry production, yearly applications of ammonium nitrogen fertilizer will feed your berry bushes for the growing season.
Blueberries respond well to heavy pruning, especially in the first year. As heartbreaking as it might be to say goodbye to those bell-shaped springtime blooms, new blueberry plants will see better success in the future if you remove the first year’s flowers – or, better yet, preemptively prune the buds in the fall or early spring. The goal is to slowly train your shrub into open ‘V’ shape. This also allows for air to flow freely through the branches, minimizing fungus, pests, and other diseases.
Most of the blueberries we carry are self-fertile, but your harvest will be even better if you plant another cultivar nearby and let your local bees do the hard work of cross-pollination. You can even plant several in a row to create an edible hedge — the lush foliage will turn brilliant hues of red and gold in the fall, while some varieties even have attractive red twigs that add some much-needed color to the winter landscape. In the early spring, those beautiful bell-shaped flowers will return and begin a new crop of tasty home-grown berries.
For more tips on blueberry care, the OSU Extension Service has created a comprehensive guide on growing blueberries in your home garden. If you have any questions about blueberry care or the best varieties for your unique garden, our experienced Kitchen Garden team is here to help!
