Blueberry Bushes - Pruning and Growing Tips

I love having blueberry bushes!  Each summer since we have fenced them in to prevent rabbit damage we have consistently gotten a good crop of berries. 

Blueberry bush prior to pruning.

 Unlike strawberries or raspberries that need to be picked immediately upon ripening, blueberries will stay ripe on the bush for a number of days without becoming over ripe.  This trait is helpful if you have a busy schedule and cannot find time every day to pick the berries. They are also super easy to clean - just a quick rinse and they are ready to eat or freeze for later use. 

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Blueberry bush maintenance is pretty easy, just mulch with pine needles each spring (to naturally create an acidic soil) and keep weeded and they will reward you with wonderful sweet berries that you can pick and eat while they are still warm from the sun.

This was the first year I ever pruned my blueberry bushes which are more than 15 years old.  I just never really thought it was necessary, but last summer I noticed all the silver colored old wood and did a bit of research.  I learned that early spring was the time to prune in Zone 4.  I needed to find that window between the snow covering the ground and the first leaves emerging as you want the plant to use its energy to grow the leaves and berries on the remaining branches - rather than the ones you cut off.  That window of opportunity presented itself last weekend.


When you look at an old blueberry bush that has not been pruned it is easy to see the difference between the old and new wood.  The old is silver in color and sometimes even covered with moss while the new wood is a reddish tone.


Having sharp pruning tools will make the job so much easier.  I used two different sizes, the larger pruner can lop off a 1 1/2 inch branch while the smaller hand pruner words well for the small branches.

Sharp pruning tools make the job easier.

If you prune more frequently than I do you should be able to take off most if not all the old wood because you will have so much new growth that the old branches will not be missed.  If you haven't pruned for a number of years, then you will need to remove fewer branches so you can still get a crop in the current year.

Note old growth and dead silver colored branches.

Blueberry bushes form leaf and flower buds in the fall, so when you remove a branch you will reduce the number of blueberries you can harvest that season.  Hopefully the remaining flower buds will result in bigger berries.  

The first few years we did not get berries on a yearly basis, then we noticed that rabbits had spent the winter dining on the tips of the branches.  As they ate the branches they removed the flower buds which would have grown into berries.  Since we have fenced in the blueberry patch we get a harvest each year.

See how red the new growth looks.

Removing the dead and old growth should also result in much more new growth than would have grown if you had not pruned at all.  

Blueberry bush after pruning.

When planning a new blueberry patch be sure to buy several varieties of bushes as most need a different variety to pollinate.  

Fence in your patch to limit rabbit damage during the winter.  If choose a fence with very small openings, like hardware cloth, you will have an easier time keeping the birds out of your ripe berries.

If you have pine trees on your property you have all you need to create the acidic soil blueberry thrive in.  Just rake up the needles each spring and spread them out around your berry bushes.  They will help prevent weed seeds from germinating and as they decompose will add acidity to the soil.  

Blueberry bushes should always be heavily mulched as their root systems grow close to the surface.  You should not roto-till or dig around the bushes as you may damage the root system.  The heavy mulch will limit weed growth, keep the soil moisture even and provide a nice cushion when you sit on the ground to pick the berries.  I prefer the needles of white pine trees as they are softer and less sharp than other pine varieties.

Plant your berry bushes in full sun and welcome bumble bees as they are the primary pollinator of blueberry bushes.

When it is time to harvest you may need to cover your bushes with bird netting or the birds will feast on your berries before you get a chance to pick them.  This is when having a fence with small openings will come in handy.  We used fencing with larger openings and have to put bird netting along the length of the fence and over the top to keep out the birds.

Did you know that blueberries are a great source of anti-oxidants, vitamins, and minerals?  To get the highest level of nutrition from blueberries, grow them organically and eat (or freeze) shortly after picking. 

Equipped with good information, a workable plan, and a willingness to do some work you can be well on your way to harvesting tasty, nutrition filled blueberries every summer.