Planting blueberry seedlings can be a good way to have many fresh berries at home. Before you plant these fruit seedlings, you should check the pH, or acidity level, of the soil to make sure it is properly balanced. It is very important to choose an area in full sunlight that will allow the bushes plenty of room to grow. Water the plants thoroughly when you are transplanting seedlings, and then mulch heavily around them in order to enrich the soil and conserve moisture in the roots.
You may begin growing blueberry bushes from seeds, but this can take a very long time to do. For this reason, most people purchase blueberry seedlings from a nursery or greenhouse. These plants may already be one or two years old, which means they might produce berries in as little as two seasons. You will need to wait until the danger of frost has passed before transplanting seedlings, and you can look this information up in an almanac.
When planting these bushes, you need to make sure the roots have ample room to spread. Dig holes that are around 18 to 24 inches (45.72 to 60.96 cm) deep and 2 to 3 feet (.61 to .92 m) wide. Spread the roots out in a fan-shape and place the blueberry seedlings in the holes, making sure the tops of the root balls are level with the ground. Cover the roots with dirt and tamp down firmly around the base of the fruit seedling in order to provide stability for the bush. Check the pH level of the soil; somewhere around 4.5 is ideal for these bushes
If you are unable to plant blueberry seedlings in your backyard, you may want to grow them in containers instead. Most varieties will do well if placed in containers that hold between 2 and 5 gallons (7.58 to 11.37 l) of soil. It can be a good idea to use regular potting soil in the container and moisten the dirt slightly before transplanting seedlings. You should count on having at least two containers with these blueberry bushes to allow pollination to occur. These do not have to be next to each other, but should ideally be no more than 10 to 15 feet (3.05 to 4.58 m) apart.
Caring for seedlings properly usually takes very little time, and can affect the size of the berries. During the first season, you should pull off any fruit that develops, as this will allow bigger blueberries the following season. After the fourth season, you should begin to prune your bushes in spring and fall in order to remove dead branches and spur new growth.
