What you need to know.
Blueberries are the longest game in my garden. You plant them, carefully fix the soil, wait three to four years for a real harvest, and then you have more blueberries than your family can eat for twenty or more years. That is the deal. They are slow to start and then completely unstoppable.
The most important thing to understand: blueberries are not like other plants. They need very acidic soil — pH 4.5 to 5.5 — and most NC piedmont soil runs around 6.0 to 7.0, which is too high. I mixed sulfur and peat moss into my beds before planting, tested the pH a few months later, and adjusted again. Getting the pH right before you plant is the single most critical step. I grow Rabbiteye types (Premier and Climax), which handle NC heat and humidity better than Northern Highbush varieties, plus an O'Neal Southern Highbush for cross-pollination.
"Year one: a small handful of berries. Year two: maybe a cup. Year three: more than I could count. Blueberries reward patience more than any other plant I grow."
Step by step.
Test your soil pH before you plant anything. A basic test kit from any hardware store works fine. If pH is above 5.5, mix granular sulfur into the soil several months before planting — it takes time to take effect. Also mix in large amounts of peat moss, which is naturally acidic and improves drainage.
Plant at least two different varieties for cross-pollination. Blueberries produce far more fruit with a pollination partner nearby. Keep plants 4 to 5 feet apart. Avoid low areas that collect water — blueberries need excellent drainage.
Put up bird netting before berries start turning blue. Birds will strip a bush in a single afternoon once they figure out where it is. I use wire hoops bent over the bushes with netting draped over them, clipped shut at the bottom.
When to plant in Zone 7b.
Plant in early spring — late March or early April in Zone 7b. Remove all flowers in the first year so the plant puts its energy into root development instead of fruit. It is painful to do but results in much better production in year two and beyond.
In our area, Rabbiteye blueberries ripen from late June through August. The trick: do not pick the day berries turn blue. Wait five to seven more days. Blueberries continue sweetening on the bush after they turn color, and a berry left an extra week is noticeably sweeter than one picked at first color.
Problems I ran into.
Mummy berry is a fungal disease that turns developing berries into hard gray mummies that fall to the ground. It spreads through spores from infected berries left on or under the plant. I rake carefully under the bushes in late winter to remove any mummies before they release spores in spring.
Yellowing leaves (chlorosis) usually mean the soil pH has drifted upward again. I test pH every spring and apply sulfur if it is creeping above 5.5. Blueberries growing in soil with too-high pH look consistently pale and sad no matter how much you water or fertilize them — the pH is almost always the real issue.
What I make with it.
Fresh blueberries warm from the bush in late June are one of my favorite things in the garden. They also freeze perfectly — spread flat on a baking sheet, freeze solid, then bag them. Frozen blueberries keep all year and thaw quickly.
I add them to pancakes, smoothies, yogurt, and muffins. We have also made blueberry jam, though that takes a lot of berries. Browse the recipes page for more of what I make with mine.