The Blueberry Growers Reference
A working library of best practices for growing blueberries — from soil chemistry to harvest, for commercial farms and backyard growers alike. Every guide is pulled from university extension programs, the USDA, and the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, checked against the research and refreshed each season.
Reviewed against extension research · updated each seasonEvery entry traces back to sources like these — not blog hearsay.
Blueberry soil pH: how to hit and hold 4.5–5.5
The single most important number in blueberry growing — what the target is, how to lower pH with sulfur, and how to keep it from creeping back up. Read the full guide.
Read the guide →Mulching blueberries: depth, materials & the nitrogen trap
How deep to go, which material wins, and why slow-decomposing pine straw skips the fertilizer-correction dance that sawdust demands.
Four cornerstone guides are live — more in production. Full library map below.
Choosing varieties & chill hours
Northern highbush, southern highbush, or rabbiteye — matching the cultivar, chill hours, and pollination to your climate.
How to plant blueberries
A home grower's start-to-finish guide — timing, site, soil prep, spacing, planting depth, and the first-year rules.
Choosing your site & soil
Drainage, raised beds, sun, and what to fix before a single plant goes in.
Soil pH: hitting and holding 4.5–5.5
The make-or-break number — testing, lowering pH with sulfur, and ongoing maintenance.
Irrigation & water management
Why drip beats sprinklers on water and disease, and how much your plants actually need.
Fertility & nutrition
Ammonium vs. nitrate, reading a tissue test, and feeding without burning the roots.
Mulching for blueberries
Depth, materials, the nitrogen trap, and how pine straw maintains acidity while solving moisture and weeds.
Pruning by type & age
Fruit comes from one-year wood — how to prune for vigor without sacrificing the crop.
Spotted wing drosophila & mummy berry
Trapping, thresholds, and the sanitation that cuts pressure for the insect and the fungus that matter most.
Growing blueberries in the West
Alkaline water, dry summers, and why imported pine straw earns its freight out here.
Growing blueberries in the Southeast
Rabbiteye country, heat, humidity, and competing on quality where pine straw is local.
New guides, in season.
We add to this library every season — and send seasonal blueberry recipes, harvest tips, and reviewed grower submissions. Get a note when a new guide goes live.
No spam between seasons.