Blueberry seeds grow best in an acidic soil. They are very small and should be sown at the end of the winter or in the early spring. It usually will take 2 weeks to 1 month or even more for blueberry seeds to start germinate.
There are three varieties of blueberry seeds you can plant. One particular type is called dryland. It is good for areas experiencing drought during summer and can survive in hot climate. Another one is the Southern high bush which possibly be started from seeds or cuttings. This type is more disease resistant than other blueberry varieties. It is also self-fertile, however a cross pollination with other cultivars ensures the production of larger berries.
You can gather your own seeds from an existing blueberry bush or buy viable seeds from garden stores. If you wish to gather your own blueberry seeds, they must be scarified. Place them in some damp paper towels and put them in the freezer for 90 days. Cold stratification will break the seeds’ rest period so they are ready for planting.
Here are the steps in planting blueberry seeds:
- Select a sunny location that is free of weeds. It is also best to place your blueberries in an area where irrigation is readily available as it will need constant moisture throughout its growing season.
- Dig shallowly on the acidic well-draining soil. If you’re going to place it in a greenhouse, it doesn’t need to be covered with too much soil in order for the seeds to absorb moisture in the air. Where the soil is not ideal or marginally-drained, raised beds are an excellent option.
- Take your blueberry seeds and put a small amount on the soil. Mist with water after covering.Make sure to maintain the soil moist at all times.
- Mark the your planting area with plastic markers such as disposable spoons and knives. Use a different one in each planting.
- The resulting seedling from the growing blueberry seeds will look like grass with a few tiny leaves atop. It takes about 1 month on average before seedlings sprout from your blueberry seeds.
- If you plan to transfer them, blueberries can be planted as close as 2 – 2½ feet apart to form solid hedgerows or spaced up to 6 feet apart and grown individually.
- The growing blueberry seed plant can be nourished with a liquid fertilizer after 2 to 3 weeks in the pots.
- Mulch with 2-4 inches layer over the roots to conserve moisture, prevent weeds and add organic matter, Bark mulch, acid compost, sawdust and grass clippings all work well. Repeat every other year.
- Allow blueberries to get established before allowing them to bear fruit. If you start with smaller plants, simply remove most of the flower blooms as they appear. Once matured, blueberry plants should be heavily pruned each year to avoid over fruiting which results in small fruit or poor growth.
- Do not allow your germinating seeds to be exposed in temperatures lower than 60 degrees or the plant will die. The resulting blueberry bush plant will bear fruit during its second year when the plant is 1 to 2 feet tall.