There was just the one blueberry bush in the back yard. And now: all that anticipation of delicious berry time? Well, forget about it. It didn’t even bloom heavily so there was hardly any fruit at all. Probably not something you did wrong: your water regimen, or even your soil. More likely, though, that plant was lonely.
Blueberries needs each other; most don’t produce much fruit when grown alone. They depend on one another for cross-pollination to realy set them off. It is not simply about having a plant, but about building a small network for pollination. Above: How the bushes work. It’s an infographic of which ones go with what, breaking it all down.
Why You Need More Than One Blueberry Bush
But the biggest thing to remember? They must bloom at the same time or the bees coming to pollinate won’t have anything to take from one to the other. It’s all about timing. Make sure you have your plants up and showing off their white bell-shaped blooms at the same time, so pollen can flow freely between them.
Many of these varieties are only part-self fertile, which is why in the temperate zone people tends to grow mostly highbush varieties, which realy excel when teamed up with other bushes. To get maximum production, the chart indicates matching Bluecrop with Blueray, for instance, or Duke with Patriot. It is not just because it sounds good to you. It’s because there is overlap in their bloom periods (and they’re both in the same species group). Mixing them around haphazardly hardly ever succeeds.
Planting a rabbiteye bush alongside a northern highbush, for example, means probably having two confused creatures who don’t talk to each other genetically. This is even more true for rabbiteye types, which are the ones that does well down South and in the warmer parts of our region. Basically they’re sterile. The data shows that the main reason you’ll get a decent yield from a rabbiteye type like Tifblue or Premier is if it has a compatible partner nearby. Otherwise, you’ve got nothing but a pretty shrub. So again, with these kinds, picking your second type is not optional.
In addition to choosing a good pair genetically, growing blueberries also depends on providing a suitable habitat in which pollinators can do their job. Blueberries are buzz-pollinated plants (bumblebees vibrate their bodies rapidly to dislodge pollen from the flower’s anthers), so it’s important not to use pesticides when they’re blooming, since honeybees also visit the blooms but don’t do as well with that technique. Native bees is better at it. So again, you should of encourage native bees and avoid using pesticides when they are blooming. Buzz pollination equals fruit set.
The soil chemistry also supports this on a huge scale: You have to give blueberries what they want, which is an acidic soil (think “sweet” in reverse) at a pH of about 4.5 to 5.5. In alkaline soils, plants can absorbs not enough iron, which causes yellow leaves and weak flowers. Weak flowers result in less chance of successful bloom-to-bloom cross-pollination. Amend the soil with peat moss or sulfur prior to planting to avoid years of fighting. Better to get it right early rather than try to fix it later.
On the other hand, being healthy enough to flower comes from keeping the plants well-watered and mulched. Blueberries are shallow-rooted plants, with most of their roots closer to the surface. This means they dries out fast. Consistent moisture… Maybe with help from a good layer of pine bark mulch on top, is key to keeping the root zone cool and moist. This keeps the plant in balance so it can stay alive instead of using all its energy just trying to survive.
Be patient: The first year’s crop is for rooting only… Not for fruit. If they try to force fruit on young plants, removing the flower buds helps them get their footing, not bear too soon. By year three or four (typically) they are loaded up and bearing full crops. But when they do settle in, you will be richly rewarded with big berries and a very long picking season. In fact, if you’ve mixed some early, mid, and late varieties, the season can last weeks different than days.
You will also get plenty of good-size fruits from a well-pollinated blueberry planting once it has settled in. One or two friendly bushes are better than one. Starting with this duo makes your garden more than just decorative and multiplies your potential food supply. Some thought, matching up species type and bloom time, is needed; but each handful of picked fruit rewards that investment well. Blueberries may not wish to live alone, but oh, how they’ll repay you if you can find good company for them!