How to Grow Blueberries: A Complete Organic Growing Guide

Written by: Luke Marion

Published on February 23, 2026

Updated on February 25, 2026

Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time is grow a blueberry patch. After all, who doesn’t want a supply of delicious, fresh, mouthwatering fruits all summer long!

I can finally scratch that off my bucket list because we planted a blueberry patch on our farm. You can have amazing berries too, even if you only have space for a pot or container garden.

I am excited to show you how to grow blueberries in this complete growing guide that includes how to plant blueberries, soil pH, fertilizing, my secret soil additive, and more, even how to grow a blueberry bush from seed using store-bought berries!

Perennial Planting Guides

Blueberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow. They don’t require substantial support like a grapevine trellis or even a T-trellis like the ones commonly used for growing raspberries or growing blackberries.

If you’ve ever dreamed of homegrown blueberries, MIgardener has got you covered from start to finish. We sell high-quality dormant plants at low prices and provide free growing guides to inspire you to grow bigger and help you master growing perennial plants.

Look for these other great organic growing guides:

Varieties of Blueberries

There are two main varieties of blueberries: highbush blueberries and lowbush blueberries. That shouldn’t cause much confusion, since the names are self-explanatory. Highbush varieties grow tall and lowbush varieties are low to the ground, from 6 to 24 inches, growing more like a groundcover.

Highbush varieties are more common and are likely the type you are familiar with, but you still need to be aware of the difference so you don’t get a bush that isn’t suited to your growing style. Lowbush berries are typically more wild and have a more intense flavor. Highbush blueberries have a milder flavor and are the ones you find in grocery stores.

There are quite a lot of subtypes of highbush blueberries, including Bluecrop blueberries, Duke blueberries, and Jersey blueberries (the three varieties that I am planting in the video). I like to plant multiple varieties of blueberries that bloom at different times during the season, some earlier and some later, to extend the time we have fresh berries!

If you are growing in containers, you’ve got to give Top Hat blueberries a shot! They are the coolest plants, awesome for small spaces. I also love Darrow blueberries, which grow best in 15 to 20-gallon fabric pots or raised garden beds.

When to Plant Blueberries

Potted blueberry plants are commonly planted in the spring after the last frost, but you can also plant them in the fall. Bare root blueberry plants are planted in the spring because they are only available from late winter to early spring, while the plants are still in dormancy.

If you purchase dormant bare root blueberry plants, they need to be planted soon after they arrive. If you must wait, keep them in a cool, dark place where the temperature stays above freezing.

On planting day, remove the plant from its packaging and soak the roots in moderately warm water (about 65°F) for about two hours. This soaking period allows the roots to rehydrate, which is essential for helping the plant emerge from dormancy. Then, plant it within a few hours after soaking!

Amending Soil pH for Blueberry Bushes

Have you ever tried growing blueberries before and the leaves started to turn red or purple during the main season? Or maybe the growth was stunted and spindly, and they had low fruit production?

Those symptoms are all associated with a lack of soil acidity. Blueberries love acidic soil, but don’t throw in the towel if you don’t have naturally acidic soil; amend it.

It is so important that you test your soil pH and amend your soil, or your blueberries are going to suffer! If you just throw them into soil with a pH of 6 or 7, they'll probably do okay at first, but never thrive. They may even eventually die.

This brings me to my secret soil additive for growing blueberries: sphagnum moss! Sphagnum moss has a naturally low pH of around 4.5, which is ideal for growing things like blueberries and azaleas. It also adds organic material, fluffs the soil to prevent compaction, and holds water- all things that blueberries love.

I amend the soil with sphagnum moss at planting, then continue adding more each year to slowly lower the pH. If you don’t want to use sphagnum moss, then pelletized sulfur will work well too.

Pro-Tip: I understand that using peat moss is a contentious issue, but you can find the right brands that are doing the right thing. Sunshine Sphagnum Peat Moss has a very good reputation for harvesting sustainably!

Fertilizing Blueberry Plants

Blueberries are very heavy feeders! If you’ve ever learned how to grow tomatoes or how to grow a pumpkin plant, you know that they need more nutrients than one would think. Treat blueberries similarly.

Blueberries are perennials in USDA growing zones 3-10. Fertilizing perennial plants is a little different than annuals. For blueberries, you should apply fertilizer twice a year, in the spring and in the fall just before the leaves start to change color.

I used ¼ cup of Trifecta+ per plant (added to each planting hole). It contains all the things that blueberry plants need to grow and thrive!

There are a lot of different fertilizers that you need to be careful of! Some advertise that they are for acid-loving plants and contain additives that will change the soil pH.

I prefer Trifecta+ over most fertilizers because it works for all soil types and it doesn’t mess up soil pH. It is a balanced, slow-release and fast-acting fertilizer with over 70 trace minerals, beneficial bacteria and fungi.

How to Grow Blueberries

Follow these steps to plant out your blueberries:

Location - Pick a sunny location. Blueberry plants like at least 6 to 8 hours of full, unfiltered sunlight a day.
Plant Spacing - Blueberries should be planted 4 to 6 feet apart in rows that are 8 to 12 feet apart.
Prepare the Soil - Loosen the soil to a depth of 6 inches.
Amend Soil - Add sphagnum peat moss or granulated sulfur to the loosened soil all along your row.
Dig a Hole - Dig a hole wider than the root system and a little deeper.
Fertilize - Add ¼ cup of Trifecta+ to each planting hole and mix into the loose soil.
Planting Depth - Plant potted blueberries at the same depth they were in their containers. Plant bare root blueberries at the same depth as the original visible soil line on the plant. Pro-Tip: If you are planting a bare root plant, spread the roots out in the hole and backfill with soil.
Water - Water your blueberries thoroughly after planting. They will need consistent moisture, about 1 to 2 inches of water per week after that. Watering with drip irrigation at the base of the plants will help prevent fungal diseases.
Mulch - Mulch around plants with wood chip mulch that is 3 to 4 inches deep. Mulching blueberry plants will hold in moisture, suppress weeds, and give them a good start.

You don’t have to plant blueberries in the ground. They can grow great in containers! For best results, use a pot that is at least 10 gallons. Planting in fabric grow bags is, in my opinion, the best option.

Pests & Diseases

For pest animals in the garden, I use a fence to keep deer out, chicken wire to keep bunnies out if needed, and a fine-mesh garden pest barrier to keep birds from eating my fruits.

Blueberries are susceptible to diseases such as rust, various blights, and other fungal issues, but the host plants are usually the surrounding weeds. I highly recommend using wood mulch to choke out any weeds. Your plants will be healthier for it.

Mummy berry is another fungal disease you may encounter. Using wood mulch and making sure that all berries are picked or removed if they fall to the ground should prevent it.

How to Prune Blueberries

Start pruning blueberry plants after the first year. It may seem early, but you’ll get incredible results!

After the first year, prune off the main growth tip. By doing this, you can potentially triple the amount of growth. It causes the plant to bush out, creating a stockier, more productive plant.

Then, continue pruning blueberry bushes annually during dormancy. Use clean bypass pruners to remove dead, damaged, or diseased wood. Remove the oldest, grey-barked branches at the base.

How to Get Free Blueberry Plants from Store-Bought Blueberries

Do you want 100% free blueberry plants? Store-bought blueberries are a wonderful way to get free plants and tons of them, too! Watch the video above to learn how to sprout blueberries, harvest the seeds, and the secret to getting them to sprout.