Southern Horticulture
One of the most knowledgeable, friendly garden centers around with staff who truly care about plants, gardening and the environment. A local favorite in St. Augustine.
Growing Blueberry Bushes
Make sure to have a couple of the same varieties of blueberry plants in your garden to help with cross-pollination.
What delights we concoct from fresh picked blueberries - pies, muffins, jams and more. Blueberries are a wonderful fruit, high in antioxidants and delicious in so many recipes. And the good news for gardeners in Northeast Florida is that growing blueberries is indeed feasible; as long as variables like soil, weather conditions and variety are taken into consideration.
Rabbiteye and Southern Highbush are favorite blueberry varieties for our region. The ideal planting season is mid-December to mid-February, when the weather is a little cooler. Blueberries enjoy a PH of 4.0-5.5, so make sure the soil is acidic and supplemented with quality compost. Most blueberry cultivars require cross-pollination from another cultivar of the same type, so make sure to have a couple of the same varieties of plants in your garden. To ensure optimal fruit production, pollinators (usually bees) should be present while the plants are in bloom. It may take a couple of years, but with pollination, blueberry bushes average two to five pounds per plant.
Feed your blueberry beds with fish meal to provide nitrogen, coffee grounds for acidity and seaweed emulsion for potassium. Raised beds are ideal for blueberries as elevation allows for ample drainage conditions. It is best to feed the plants often but lightly so as to not shock the plant. Water when the soil is dry to a level of slightly damp, as over-watering can cause rot in the blueberry bushes’ root systems. Pruning is essential but don’t overdo it. The best times to prune are right after the bush is first planted and then again in the winter months. Always remove any weak canes on the plant and leave the strongest untouched.
Harvest time in Northeast Florida is generally April-June. Pick the berries when they are just ripe yet not over ripe, as they will spoil quickly. Blueberries freeze beautifully. If you have extra, rinse them off, lay them out on a cookie sheet and place them in the freezer. When they are frozen solid, place into freezer bags and store for up to a year.
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Where to Find Blueberry Bushes