How to grow blueberries

There are many blueberry varieties to choose from, fruiting at slightly different times between mid-summer and early autumn, or producing plants that grow to different sizes, from about 50cm (20in) up to 2m (6½ft). Less vigorous, compact varieties, such as ‘Bluetta’ and ‘Sunshine Blue’ are best for containers and small gardens. There are even varieties that produce pink berries, such as 'Pink Lemonade'. Also look for varieties with an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM), which shows they performed well in trials – see our list of AGM fruit and veg (135kB pdf) and our Recommended Varieties below. 

Most blueberries are partially self-fertile, so you only need one plant to produce a crop. However, cross-pollinated plants produce larger harvests, so if you have room, plant two or preferably three different varieties. 

Blueberries must be grown in acid (ericaceous) soil or ericaceous potting compost, ideally with a pH of 4.5–5.5. Test your soil’s pH to make sure it’s suitable. Kits to test soil pH are available online and in garden centres, or you can pay for a soil analysis service through the RHS.

If you have acid soil, no soil preparation is generally needed before planting. However, if your soil is poor, dig a bucketful of low pH organic matter, such as pine needles, leafmould, composted conifer bark or bracken, into the soil you remove from your planting hole and use this to backfill after planting. This minimises soil disturbance and helps your plant get off to a strong start. Avoid using well-rotted farmyard manure or mushroom compost, as these can raise the pH of the soil.  

If you have heavy clay, alkaline or only slightly acidic soil, grow blueberries in large containers or raised beds filled with ericaceous soil or peat-free ericaceous potting compost. See Planting in a container, below.

Pruning is rarely needed in the first two years after planting – just remove any crossing or damaged branches if necessary.

After that, prune at any time from November to March, but ideally in late February or early March when the fruit buds can easily be distinguished from leaf buds. Fat buds produce flowers and fruit, while smaller, flatter buds form shoots and leaves – aim to retain branches with lots of fruit buds.

A mature blueberry bush should comprise about one-third old stems, one-third middle-aged stems and one-third young stems. When pruning, remove: 

• Dead, diseased, damaged, weak or rubbing stems, plus any that are touching the ground 

• Twiggy growth at the ends of the branches that fruited last year, cutting back to a low, strong, upward-facing bud or branch. This encourages side-branching 

• Up to a quarter of the oldest and thickest stems, making your cuts at the base of a mature plant or just above a younger strong shoot low down on the stem. This encourages plants to send up new stems from the base, to keep them productive 

• Any new stems produced in the previous summer that have failed to ripen and have died back to leave hollow wood and dead tips. This may occasionally happen in colder parts of northern England and in Scotland. Cut back affected shoots to healthy wood

Blueberries are generally healthy and trouble-free, as long as they’re grown in suitably acidic soil or peat-free ericaceous potting compost, and kept sufficiently watered throughout the growing season. Plants in containers may need protection in very cold spells in winter, and occasionally it may be necessary to protect flowers from late frosts. Protect fruits from birds with netting or a fruit cage.

Blueberry rust is a fungal disease that affects various members of the Ericaceae (heather) family, including blueberries. The disease is a relatively recent arrival in the UK, and RHS Plant Health scientists need your help to monitor and track its spread across the country. See our page on blueberry rust for more information and help with identification. If you have seen blueberry rust, please report it to us via our blueberry rust survey found here.