When to plant Blueberries
Calendar windows
Dates shift with your latitude — they are calculated from your local last-spring-frost date, not from a fixed calendar.
At a glance
Overwinters outdoors in a temperate garden.
Practical notes
The pH is the whole game: below 5.5 or the leaves yellow and the plant sulks. Grow it in ericaceous compost in a pot, water with rainwater only, and plant two varieties for a much heavier crop.
Knowing when to pick
Blue is not ripe — wait a further three to seven days after colouring, until the berries drop into your palm when you roll them with a thumb.
Storing the crop
Up to two weeks in the fridge unwashed — the natural bloom is what preserves them. They freeze without any preparation at all.
Crop rotation
Acid-loving and permanent — grow in dedicated ericaceous soil, not in the rotation.
Grows well with
Keep apart from
Watch for
Full guide: blueberries diseases and pests (4) → with spread routes, compost verdicts and the prevention this list justifies.