The Blueberry Playbook: How to Plant, Pair, and Pick the Right Varieties

Sara S.

7 hours ago

4 min read

Hands picking ripe blueberries from a bush, with a vibrant green background. The scene evokes a sense of freshness and nature.

The best time of year to plant trees and shrubs is fall, and this includes your fruit bearing trees and shrubs! As we enter the fall season, the more moderate temperatures, increased chances of rainfall, and less intense sunlight reduce transplanting stress and allows trees and shrubs to focus their energy on root development. The cool air and warm soil stimulate root growth and can help your trees and shrubs become established in the landscape before the ground freezes. Fall planting gives you an extra growing season before the stresses of summer heat.

We love planting perennial edibles—nothing feels better than harvesting food you've grown, and planting edible shrubs and trees is an investment not just for ourselves, but for future generations. Plus, you're not just feeding yourself, you're feeding wildlife (sometimes more than you'd like)! Here at Painters one of our favorite and most reliable perennial edibles are blueberries. These fruiting bushes are native to our region and relatively easy to maintain once planted. Even the smallest yard can find space for a couple blueberry bushes. I’ve seen them intermixed with other shrubs in formal landscapes since they provide ornamental value (fall leaf color and pretty blooms beloved by bees), while also keeping the fruit closer to the house for ease of harvesting.

This week, Wednesday, September 23rd through Sunday September 27th, we are providing customers with 15% off all our blueberries, follow along to learn about their preferred growing conditions and pollination preferences.

Planting Site:

Blueberries have a very shallow, fibrous root system, and knowing this will help set you up for planting success. Since 90% of blueberry’s root system in is the first 6” of soil, you’ll need to provide very loose soil to help the shrub develop an extensive root system. Blueberry bushes cannot tolerate extended periods of standing water. The soil at the planting site needs to be well-draining, with organic matter mixed into the top 6” of the planting site. If your planting site is heavy clay, it may be best to install raised beds. Plant blueberries on mounds or on ridged rows to help with drainage. Apply pine mulch (needles, woodchips, bark) at the time of planting to not only protect the shallow root system and to conserve moisture during high temperatures, but to also contribute to the acidity of the soil. Apply mulch 3-5” deep around the base of the bush, making sure to leave 3” around the trunk clear from mulch to prevent insect, disease and pest problems.

Sunlight:

Blueberries prefer full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight). Partial shade can be tolerated (preferably in the afternoon) but may cause plants to produce fewer blossoms and less fruit. Space the bushes appropriately by taking note of the mature width of the varieties you plant. Leave enough space between the bushes so adequate air flow and sunlight can be attained at full size.

Cross-Pollination:

Most blueberries need a pollinating partner of a different variety within the same species. Take a look at the pollination chart below to help match blueberry partners. Even the ones that are “self-fruitful” would benefit from another blueberry planted nearby—they’ll often bear more fruit with the presence of a neighbor. Note: not all blueberries on the chart are currently in stock; the chart includes varieties sold at our greenhouse over the last couple of years to help customers match pollinating pairs to existing ones they may have in their landscape.

Blueberry variety chart matrix with dots and highlighted stars, labeled season ripening times from Pink Lemonade to Tiny Blue.

There are three types of blueberries: Rabbiteye, Northern Highbush, and a hybrid of the two – Southern Highbush.

Rabbiteye (Vaccinium ashei)

The name comes from the rabbit-eye appearance of the pink, immature berries. These blueberries are native to the southeast US Gulf coast states. Rabbiteyes are well-suited to warm climates and can tolerate heat, humidity, drought, and a wider variety of soils than Northern Highbush. These bushes are vigorous growers, and some can reach up to 15-20’ tall! Rabbiteyes bloom earlier and take longer to ripen. The fruit itself is larger with mild/moderate flavor and described as sweet. Rabbiteyes have slightly tougher skin, but this provides better storage life.

Rabbiteye varieties in stock at Painters during our Fall 2026 season: Pink Lemonade.

Highbush Blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum

Northern Highbush (Vaccinium corymbosum)

Native range includes northeastern US and parts of Canada. The first cultivars were first selected from the wild in NJ; they are well-adapted to colder climates and are the best species for WNC residents in the mountains and at higher elevations (>2500ft). These cultivars often do not grow as well in the piedmont or coastal plains of NC due to the soils and mild winters. Northern Highbush blueberries require a certain number of chill hours during the winter to set fruit properly. These blueberries are the most common and widely cultivated blueberry type in the US. Moderate growers reach 6-10’ tall. Fruits have a sweet-tart flavor.

Northern Highbush varieties in stock at Painters during our Fall 2026 season: Jersey, Elliott, Chandler, Patriot, Sweetheart, Blueray, and Duke.

Southern Highbush (Vaccinium hybrid)

A hybrid of Rabbiteye and North Highbush, this type of blueberry bush combines characteristics of each to allow a more adaptable bush. The hybridization creates a shorter ripening period (from Northern Highbush) and the low chill hours and adaptability to southern environments (from Rabbiteye). Be mindful of the earlier bloom time on this hybrid, if our area has a spring freeze some crop loss may be experienced with Southern Highbush. Southern Highbush tends to be more compact, ranging from 3-6’ in height depending on the variety. Fruit is balanced in sweet and tangy, like that of Northern Highbush.