Looking for a few tips and tricks to get your blueberry bushes ready for the long winter ahead – and for a bigger and better harvest next summer?
Fall is actually a very important time for blueberry bushes. Although they might not be producing by late summer and early fall, they are already beginning to prepare for next year. And because of that, what you do and don’t do to your blueberries can have a big impact on their future health and performance.
As you will see below, one of the biggest things you can do for your blueberry bushes once they go dormant is to prune them. Not only does it set the stage for them to develop fruitful new growth, it can also help them avoid winter damage.
But in addition to pruning, proper mulching and watering is a must as well. As it turns out, if blueberries fail to get what they need late in the season, it can wreak havoc on next year’s buds and flowers. And that, of course, can spell trouble when it comes to getting that all important harvest of big, juicy berries next year!
How To Get Blueberry Bushes Ready For Winter
When & How To Prune – How To Get Blueberry Bushes Ready For Winter
One of the most important things you can do for your blueberry bushes before winter arrives is to prune them. In fact, if your blueberry bush or bushes have been in the ground for more than a year – then fall pruning is a must!
Annual pruning for bushes that are older than a year is important for the bushes overall health and vitality. And even more, to help it not carry excess weight and limbs through winter.
The first rule of thumb when pruning is to wait until the bush is completely dormant in late fall. And that means waiting until all of the leaves have completely fallen off the limbs of the bush. This not only makes it safe to prune, it also makes it easy to see where you need to prune!
What To Prune – How To Get Blueberry Bushes Ready For Winter
Once the foliage has fallen from your bushes, start by removing any damaged or broken limbs. Next, it’s time for thinning the canes of the bush. The canes are the small branches and limbs that hold the fruit.
Although it might seem like a good idea to keep as many as possible, with blueberry bushes, less is actually more.
As blueberry bushes age, the existing canes age. And when allowed to stay for too long, they produce less and less fruit each year. This is exactly why it’s always a great idea to try to remove about 20% of the existing canes each year.
To prune the canes, first remove any canes that are touching each other or crossing. This opens the bush up more to allow light in. Next, remove any branches touching the ground.
Then, finish by cutting back and shaping to remove or cut back about 1/5th of the remaining canes. Look for canes that are darker in color. These will be the older canes and are less likely to bear the most fruit.
Mulching – How To Get Blueberry Bushes Ready For Winter
In addition to pruning, mulching your blueberry bushes before winter it vital. This can be done i early fall. Mulch is important not only for controlling competing weeds, but to help retain moisture in the soil.
But even more important, mulch helps to protect the bush from excessive winter freezing and thawing. Winter can be hard on blueberry bushes. But it’s not the extreme cold that can freeze out or damage bushes. It’s actually when the roots of the bush freeze and thaw too quickly.
By applying a four to six inch layer of mulch around your bushes you keep the soil temperature from dropping or rising quickly. That, in turn, keeps the roots of your blueberry bushes far safer from winter damage.
Watering – How To Get Blueberry Bushes Ready For Winter
Last but not least, it’s important to make sure your blueberry bushes are getting adequate water in the fall – right up until the soil freezes.
Fall can be dry in many areas. And unfortunately, if the roots of a blueberry bush get too dry and brittle before winter, it leaves them more susceptible to winter damage. But even more, without moisture to the roots, blueberry bushes are less able to store up energy for next year’s buds, blooms and berries.
Blueberry bushes should be getting around one inch of water per week in the fall. If you are experiencing dry conditions, now is the time to water. Keeping your bushes hydrated right up until the ground freezes and they go dormant is a big key to getting more berries next year!
Fertilizing – How To Get Blueberry Bushes Ready For Winter
Last but not least, avoid fertilizing your blueberry bushes in the fall. Fertilizing in the fall will actually cause way more harm than good.
By giving the bushes power late in the season, it can cause new and very late growth. Growth that is then very much at risk of not making it through winter. Even more, that late growth spurt delays the bush from going dormant, which also can be risky as well.
Blueberry bushes should only be fertilized in the early spring right before they come out of dormancy – and then a few times more in early spring and summer. But as mid summer arrives – it’s time to stop feeding them. See our article: How To Fertilize Blueberries – Get More Blueberries From Your Bushes This Year!
Here is to getting your blueberry bushes ready for winter this fall. And even more, to having your best blueberry harvest ever next year!
Simple Garden Life
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