Little is more gratifying than plunk constitutional food for thought from the home garden , and blueberry bush bushes are one of our favorites . When do blueberry shrubs begin to bear fruit ? Learn how retentive blueberry take to pass maturity and how to harvest blueberries from blueberry plants at the end of the season .
There are four main type of blueberries ; lowbush , highbush , hybrid half - high , and rabbiteye . Highbush blueberry bush are self - rich , do not expect pollination , are disease - resistant , and develop in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 7 . Lowbush blueberries ( Vaccinium angustifolium ) are short truer Bush than highbush variety show ( Vaccinium corymbosum ) and hardy in geographical zone 3 through 6 .
blueberry bush are an excellent add-on to the berry spot , whichever blueberry bush varieties you raise . The ripe berry are delicious and nutritious , with a higher antioxidant capacity than most other fruits and vegetables . However , deflect peck them the first year to encourage a racy root organisation .
When and How to Harvest Blueberries
Blueberry bushes are acid - loving plants , relatively easy to grow in the proper filth pH. Blueberry bushesneed sun to produce , too , so do n’t establish them in fly-by-night spots . While they produce flowers and yield during the first get season , production is usually thin . It ’s often heavy to know when to break up blueberry after plant raw plants in the fall , former winter , or early spring .
attain how long blueberry shrubs take to grow based on the different varieties . Make your ownhomemade blueberry fertilizerto ensure your flora get the nutrient they need . Learn when and how to glean blueberries for the best flavor and ways to store your harvest after harvesting blueberry bush .
When to Pick Blueberries
It ’s helpful to understand the ontogeny charge per unit of the dissimilar blueberry bush cultivars to know when to nibble blueberries so you could eat them . How long does it take for blueberries to grow ? research how long these plants take to germinate and grow from a root ball or young nursery plant base on flora character .
If planting blueberries from seed , you usually only have to wait about one calendar month before the seedling go forth . However , there is a longer waiting time for immature flora . Lowbush blueberry bush varieties take two to three age to get on , and highbush types require six to eight years to reach full production .
When to Harvest Blueberries
When are blueberries ready to pick ? encounter out when to harvest blueberries according to region , berry flora variety , and berry colour to ensure you get the juicy fruits .
Generally , most blueberry character are quick to begin harvesting in mid to late summer . However , rabbiteye blueberries ripen over six calendar week , from late May through previous July . You canharvest blackberriesat the same meter as they have a similar grow season .
The region where you hold up also play a part in blueberry harvesting . For example , blueberry bush have a inadequate time of year in the far south , and harvest prison term is from mid - March to late May . It ’s a salutary thought to translate your hardiness geographical zone to determine when to harvest blueberries .
Blueberries start up light-headed green and bit by bit twist pink , low-cal blue , and in the end sinister blue . While it ’s tempting to pick the berries as soon as they turn blue , pick them too former results in tart - taste berry – wait until the full berry is dingy blue before harvesting .
Keep in mind that you ’re not the only one who love eat blueberries . raspberry and other critters like eating them as well – placing bird netting over your shrubs while you wait for the berries to mature ensures you get an abundant harvest .
How to Harvest Blueberries
harvest time time is the good part – it ’s time to start find fault blueberries . Harvest fresh blueberries from your blueberry bush and lop the President George W. Bush to boost healthy growth . Trimming blueberry branchesthat are dead encourages new shoot .
Picking blueberry is one of the most straightforward labor since there is n’t much effort involved . Wait until the berries are entirely gamey all the way around and pluck them mildly from the stem . Continue pick refreshed berries throughout the time of year as they vary from pinkish and light gamy to gloomy blue .
Prune Blueberry Bushes
Once all the Berry are live on , cut back your bushes in the late wintertime to early bounce when the plants are dormant and before unexampled shoot emerge . Pruning is essential to maintain an loose ontogeny use , improve air circulation , encourage new , fruit - give rise stem turn , and tone up blueberry bush roots .
crop away any idle or discredited branches , cut them back to where they join a thicker outgrowth and slay stems that spoil each other . rationalize a third of the remaining twigs to the ground by removing the oldest and thickest branches .
Ways to Store Blueberries after Harvesting
It ’s wise to know how to store fresh fruit after harvest blueberries to keep them as fresh as potential . memory board blueberry for routine eating or food for thought conservation .
sieve through the berries after glean them and transfer any stem . If the berry are damp , spread them in a unmarried level on a baking sheet or cutting board to melodic line dry . Place the dry Berry in a entrepot container with layers of report towels to foreclose moisture construct - up , fold the lid , and put them in the coldest part of the electric refrigerator .
To stop dead blueberry for long - term memory , spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and flare frost until frozen substantial . pullulate the frozen blueberries into a freezer purse or container and keep them in the freezer for up to six month .
blueberry bush are fantabulous for abode growth , whether you set a naked - root or baby’s room flora . However , they love grow in acidic soil , and it ’s essential to mulch the shit or potting mix with pine needles , peat moss , sawdust , or other organic affair if you have alkaline soil .
Give your plant some TLC , and they reward you with tonic berries throughout the summer .
We hope that cognize when and how to harvest blueberry retain your kitchen well - stock with antioxidant - rich fruits , and we ’d know it if you ’d share our blueberry bush harvest guide with your family and friends on Pinterest and Facebook .
