When to Plant Blueberry Seedlings? A Complete Guide to the Latest Planting Times

Blueberry is also known as lanmei, dusi, dushi, dushi and so on. It is a perennial small-fruited shrub fruit tree of the genus Vaccinium in the family Ericaceae. Because its fruit is blue, it is called blueberry. The fruit is rich in nutrients and has functions such as preventing cranial nerve aging, protecting eyesight, strengthening the heart, fighting cancer, softening blood vessels and enhancing human immunity. Now let us take a look at the planting time for blueberry seedlings!

Planting Time for Blueberry Seedlings

The best time to plant blueberries is from autumn to before the buds break in the following spring, because seedlings during this period are easy to transport and manage, and planting is relatively simple. In northern regions, planting is generally done in spring; planting in autumn can easily suffer frost damage if winter management is improper. Spring planting is usually carried out in March to April, and generally 2- to 3-year-old small seedlings are chosen. Small seedlings are cheaper and also highly adaptable, making them very easy to establish.

Growing Environment for Blueberry Seedlings

Blueberries are basically distributed worldwide, mainly in cool climates with abundant sunlight, such as Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Russia, Europe, North America, and the Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia and Jilin Changbai Mountain regions of mainland China. They grow in areas from 900 m to 2,300 m above sea level, and are often seen in coniferous forests, peat bogs, mountain tundra and pastures; they are also an important component of heath shrublands. Blueberries from North America are world-famous for their quality. Half-highbush blueberries are suitable for cultivation in cold temperate regions, northern highbush blueberries and some half-highbush blueberries are suitable for warm temperate regions, and rabbiteye blueberries and southern highbush blueberries are suitable for subtropical regions. In the Changbai Mountain and the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains areas of Northeast China, many wild varieties and resources of blueberry-type plants such as wild bog bilberry and bilberry grow naturally.

Blueberry Seedling Planting Varieties

1. Lowbush blueberry: Lowbush blueberry plants are short, 30-50 cm tall. They are cold-resistant and can be cultivated in areas with low temperatures of -40°C. They have simple cultivation and management requirements and are extremely suitable for large-scale commercial cultivation in the high-cold mountainous areas of Northeast China, with a yield of about 500 kg per mu.

① Meiden: A mid-season variety (ripening in mid-July in the Changbai Mountain area). The fruit is round and light blue, with abundant bloom, aroma and good flavor. The tree is vigorous and high-yielding. In the Changbai Mountain area, 5-year-old plants average 0.83 kg per plant, with a maximum of 1.59 kg. It has extremely strong cold resistance and can overwinter safely in the open field in the Changbai Mountain area, making it the first recommended variety for developing blueberries in high-cold mountainous areas.

② Fendi: Fendi is a Canadian variety, mid-season, with fruit slightly larger than Meiden, light blue, covered with bloom, high-yielding and early-bearing.

2. Half-highbush blueberry: Half-highbush blueberry is obtained by crossing highbush and lowbush blueberries. The fruit is large and of good quality, the plant is relatively short, and the cold resistance is strong, generally tolerant to -35°C low temperatures, suitable for cultivation in cold northern regions, with a tree height of 50-100 cm.

① Northland: An early- to mid-season variety with strong vigor and an upright type, about 1.2 m tall, making it a relatively tall variety among half-highbush blueberry types. The fruit is medium-sized, with abundant bloom, firm flesh, juicy, good fruit flavor, sweetness BX12.0%, and medium acidity. The fruit scar is medium-sized and dry. It is not selective about soil, extremely high-yielding and cold-resistant.

② Northblue: A late-season variety with strong vigor and a tree height of about 60 cm. Its dark green, glossy leaves are one of its major characteristics. The fruit is large, the skin is dark blue, the flavor is good, it stores well, and it is cold-resistant (-30°C). It is high-yielding, with a harvest of 1.3-3.0 kg per plant; the harvest may increase in warmer areas. In poorly drained conditions it is prone to root rot. Aside from promptly cutting out dead branches, there is no need for special pruning.

③ Northcountry: An early- to mid-season variety, about one week earlier than Northblue or Northsky, with medium vigor, a tree height of 45-60 cm, and a crown spread of about 100 cm. Tree vigor varies according to soil conditions. Cold resistance is very strong, tolerating -37°C low temperatures. The berries are medium-sized, good in flavor, store well, with bright blue skin, soft flesh, sweetness and good flavor. Fruit yield is high, with a harvest of 1.0-2.5 kg per plant. It is cold-resistant and can overwinter in the open field in high-cold mountainous areas.

3. Southern highbush blueberry: Southern highbush blueberry prefers humid and warm climate conditions and is suitable for development in areas south of China's Yellow River, such as Central China and South China.

① Sharpblue: A mid-season variety with medium to strong vigor and an open type. The berries are medium to large, sweetness BX15.0%, acidity pH4.00, aromatic, with abundant juice, suitable for making fresh juice. The fruit scar is small and wet. The chilling requirement is 150-300 hours. It has strong soil adaptability and is high-yielding, but not suitable for transport.

② O'Neal: An early-season variety with strong vigor and an open type. The fruit is large, sweetness BX13.5%, acidity pH4.53, with a strong aroma, the most aromatic among southern highbush blueberry varieties. The flesh is firm, the fruit scar is small and quick-drying, the chilling requirement is 400-500 hours, and it is a heat-tolerant and high-yielding variety.

③ Misty: A mid-season variety with medium vigor and an open type. The berries are medium to large, sweetness BX14.0%, acidity pH4.20, aromatic. The fruit scar is small and dry, the chilling requirement is 200-300 hours, and it is the most high-yielding among southern highbush blueberry varieties, belonging to the warm-zone evergreen type.

4. Northern highbush blueberry: Northern highbush blueberry prefers cool climates and has relatively strong cold resistance. Some varieties can withstand -30°C low temperatures and are suitable for development in humid coastal areas of northern China and cold regions.

① Coville: A representative late-season variety with strong soil adaptability, strong vigor and large plants. Young trees are upright, and after fruiting the branches droop and gradually open up. The fruit is large, sweetness BX10.5%, strongly acidic, with bright blue skin, abundant bloom, and medium fruit scar size and moisture. The fruit keeps well, has little cracking, and has a long ripening period.

② Darrow: A late-season variety. Medium vigor, upright type. The fruit is large to very large, sweetness BX14.0%, acidity pH3.45, with a strong aroma. The acidity of the fruit tends to increase with the altitude of the cultivation site. The skin is bright blue, and the fruit scar size and moisture are both medium. There is little cracking, but storage quality is poor.

③ Bluecrop: A mid-season variety, the main cultivar in Michigan, USA. The plant grows vigorously, the crown is open, the branches are relatively soft when young, and cold resistance is strong; its drought resistance is the strongest among northern highbush blueberries. It is high-yielding and has strong continuous high-yielding ability. The fruit is large and light blue, with thick bloom, firm flesh, a dry fruit scar, and a light fragrant aroma. When not fully ripe it is slightly acidic, and the flavor is good. The sweetness is BX14.0% and the acidity is pH3.29, making it an excellent variety for fresh fruit sales.

5. Rabbiteye blueberry: Rabbiteye blueberry plants are tall, long-lived, resistant to heat and humidity, not demanding about soil conditions, and drought-resistant. However, cold resistance is poor, and low temperatures of -27°C can freeze many varieties. It is suitable for cultivation in hilly areas south of China's Yangtze River basin and in South China.

① Baldwin: A late-season variety with strong vigor and an open type. The berries are medium to large, high in sweetness, and medium in acidity. The skin is dark blue, with little bloom. The fruit is firm and good in flavor. The fruit scar is dry and small. The harvest period is long, suitable for courtyard and agritourism garden cultivation.

② Gardenblue: A mid- to late-season variety with strong vigor and upright growth, 2.60 m tall, with a crown spread of 1.40 m. The fruit is medium-sized, sweet, low in acidity and aromatic. It has little bloom and firm skin. It can grow vigorously even in poor soil conditions, so it is suitable for cultivation in parks, around walls and similar sites.

③ Powderblue: A late-season variety with strong vigor and an upright type. The berries are medium-sized, slightly smaller than those of Tifblue, and the flesh is extremely firm. Sweetness BX15.2%, acidity pH3.40, aromatic. The skin is bright blue, with abundant bloom. The fruit scar is small and dry. There is little cracking, storage quality is good, and yield is high.