Growing Blueberries
The first step in growing blueberries is to identify the type of blueberry bush that will grow best in your area. You need to make sure that the bush is suited to your hardiness zone. There are four basic varieties of blueberries:
Highbush: The most common commercially grown, can grow over six feet tall. With larger fruit than some other varieties, these are hardy to zone 4, and can be grown in much of the south as well.
Half High Blueberries: Not quite as tall as the highbush, but are hardy as far north as zone 3. Somewhat smaller fruit than highbush as well.
Lowbush Blueberries: These are not as tall as the others, growing up to 18 inches in height, and they spread through runner, acting like a groundcover and not as much as bushes. Hardy to zone 3, but does not do well in the south, these are much more a northern variety.
Rabbiteye blueberries: These are better for the south and are native to parts of the Southeast. Very high growth pattern, the are the tallest of all, and are hardy in zones 7 through 9.
Blueberries are related to azaleas and rhododendrons, and like a very acidic soil like their cousins. The best soil pH would be about 4.5. These requires some soil preparation, with a good first step mixing in a few bushels of peat moss. After that, test the soil again, and add sulfur to get the pH to the targeted range.
Most blueberry plants have fairly shallow roots and since they will be in place for years the preparation of the soil is critical. The best is a loamy mix, consisting of 4-7 % organic matter like compost. If the combination of acidity and drainage is not feasible you may want to consider raised garden beds.
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