Blueberries are a beloved berry packed with flavor and nutrients. But like any other plant, you need to take good care of your blueberry bushes to get the most out of them. One of the most important things you can do to make sure they stay healthy and produce fruit is to give them the right amount of water. If you know how often to water your blueberry plants, they will do well in any weather.
Blueberry Water Needs
Blueberries have moderate water requirements compared to other fruit crops. They get water from the top layers of soil through their shallow roots. If you plant blueberries in the ground, they need about 1 to 2 inches of water every week. Plants grown in pots need to be watered every day or every other day.
Several factors impact blueberry water needs
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Climate – Hotter and drier climates require more frequent watering. Cool and humid climates need less.
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Soil type – Sandy soils drain quickly and require more water than moisture-retaining loamy soils.
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Plant age – Younger plants need consistent water as roots establish. Mature plants are more drought tolerant.
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Stage of growth: fruit set and harvest are the times when plants need the most water. Early and late in the season, they need less.
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Container vs. in-ground: Depending on their size, plants in containers often need to be watered every day. In-ground plants get more leeway between waterings.
Getting familiar with your specific growing conditions will allow you to hone in on ideal watering frequency. But generally, aim for consistent moisture in the top 4-6 inches of soil. Let’s look at recommended watering schedules for blueberries by situation.
Watering Frequency Guidelines
In-Ground Blueberries
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Newly planted – Water thoroughly every other day for the first 2 weeks after planting.
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Established, during growth – Water 1-2 times per week. Amount will vary by climate and rainfall.
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During harvest – Increase frequency to 2-3 times per week. Prevent dry spells that can ruin fruit quality.
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After harvest – Gradually reduce watering frequency as plant goes dormant.
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Winter months – Water deeply once per month if rainfall is lacking.
Potted Blueberries
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Planting season – Water daily or every other day. Monitor soil moisture and water when the top inch is dry.
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During growth – Water daily, providing about 1-2 inches per week. Blueberries in pots dry out fast.
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Fruiting stage – Water twice daily to keep soil consistently moist as fruit develops.
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After harvest – Allow soil to partially dry between waterings.
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Winter months – Reduce frequency based on plant needs. Don’t let pots freeze solid.
Tips for Watering Blueberries
Here are some best practices for watering your blueberry bushes:
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Water early in the day to reduce evaporation and disease risk.
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Use soaker hoses or drip irrigation to target the root zone. Avoid wetting foliage.
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Water deeply and slowly. Shallow watering encourages shallow roots.
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Mulch around plants to moderate soil temperature and retain moisture.
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Improve drainage in heavy soils to prevent waterlogging.
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For potted plants, choose containers with drainage holes and use well-draining soil mix.
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In very hot or windy areas, provide shade to reduce evaporative stress.
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Fertilize appropriately to support the water needs of a vigorously growing and fruiting plant.
Adjusting Your Watering Schedule
As you gain experience growing blueberries, continue fine tuning your watering schedule based on monitoring your plants and environmental conditions.
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Increase frequency during heat waves or dry spells.
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Reduce watering if soils remain overly wet from heavy rain.
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Water more often if plants show signs of underwatering stress.
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Cut back on watering if you observe overwatering issues.
With attentive care and ideally timed watering, you’ll be rewarded with thriving, productive blueberry bushes. The sweet flavor of homegrown blueberries is well worth the effort. Just be sure to save some berries for yourself after providing your plants with the water they need!
Signs of Under and Overwatering
Pay attention for visible cues that indicate when blueberry plants need more or less water:
Underwatering Signs
- Wilting or drooping leaves
- Stunted growth
- Reddish or scorched leaves
- Smaller berries
Overwatering Signs
- Mushy or discolored roots
- Yellowing leaves
- Plant collapse
- Fruit drop
- Increased disease risk
Water immediately if plants show underwatering stress. Allow soil to dry before watering if you observe overwatering signs.
How Much Water Do Blueberries Need?
Here’s a quick guide to blueberry water requirements:
- New plants need 1-2 inches per week.
- Established plants need 1-2 inches per week during growth and fruiting.
- During harvest, increase water to 2-3 inches per week.
- Container plants need daily watering.
- Check soil moisture before watering – water when top few inches are partly dry.
- Hot, dry, or windy weather increases water needs.
- Avoid overwatering that leads to soggy soil.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I water my blueberry bushes?
- New plants: Every few days
- Established plants: 1-2 times per week during growth, up to 2-3 times in harvest season
- Container plants: Daily or every other day
- Adjust based on climate, plant signs, and soil moisture
What’s the best way to water blueberries?
- Water slowly and deeply, aiming for the root zone
- Allow water to soak in instead of run off
- Use soaker hoses or drip irrigation
- Avoid frequent shallow watering
How much water do blueberries need each week?
- New plants: 1-2 inches
- Established plants: 1-2 inches during growth, up to 3-4 inches during fruiting
- Container plants may need daily watering
- Hot/dry weather increases needs
How can I tell if I’m overwatering my blueberries?
- Signs include yellow leaves, wilting, stunted growth
- Check for mushy roots or standing water
- If soil stays soggy between waterings, cut back on frequency
Should I water blueberries everyday?
- Only container plants need daily watering
- In ground plants only need multiple times per week at peak fruiting
- It’s easy to overwater blueberries; check soil moisture instead of watering daily
With the proper watering schedule suited to your conditions, your blueberry bushes will thrive. Pay close attention to signs of underwatering or overwatering, and adjust your frequency and volume accordingly. With attentive care, you’ll be harvesting bountiful, sweet, homegrown blueberries.
Northern highbush and southern highbush hybrid
- Legacy (middle to late season; long fruiting season; big size; great taste)
- Polaris’ (up to 4 feet tall; small to medium-sized; sweet)
- ‘Northland’ (up to 4 feet tall; medium size; sweet)
- ‘Northcountry’ (up to 3 feet tall; medium size; sweet)
- ‘Northsky’ (up to 3 feet tall; small size; sweet)
- ‘Chippewa’ (up to 4 feet tall; medium size; sweet)
- ‘Northblue’ (up to 3 feet tall; medium size; sweet)
- Pink Lemonade’ (pink fruit; medium size; good flavor)
- ‘Powderblue’ (medium size; good flavor)
- ‘Tifblue’ (small size; fair flavor)
Blueberry plantings may produce for more than 50 years, depending on type, soil, pest pressure and pruning practices. Carefully select a site. Ideal environmental conditions for blueberries are full sun exposure and fertile, well-drained sandy loam or clay loam soils with moderate water-holding capacity. While plants can tolerate partial shade, yield and fruit quality may be lower. Blackberry plants don’t like it when the soil is too wet or too heavy, and some types can get root rot (see “Drainage” for more information). Raised beds or mounded rows, if constructed correctly, can create enough height for adequate drainage (Figure 10).
Blueberries in the wild
The cultivated blueberries you grow in your home garden or buy at the market have many wild relatives. You can find wild blueberry species from the coast to the eastern and southeastern mountain valleys. While our native blueberries are commonly called huckleberries, they are not true huckleberries. Huckleberries belong to the genus Gaylussacia, rather than Vaccinium, and are not native to this region.
There aren’t as many native blueberry species per plant as there are home garden cultivars, but many of them are valued for the quality of their fruit. You can get many of these species from native plant nurseries, but they don’t always do well when they are not in their natural environment.
Figure 1A. Oval-leafed huckleberry. Credit: Bernadine Strik, © Oregon State University
Figure 1B. Mountain huckleberry Credit: Bernadine Strik, © Oregon State University
Figure 2. Red huckleberry, with ripe fruit. Credit: Bernadine Strik, © Oregon State University
Native blueberries include:
- The mountain huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum) and oval-leafed huckleberry (V. ovalifolium). These plants are native to mountain and foothill areas along the coast, in the southeastern valleys, and in eastern Oregon (Figures 1A, 1B). Depending on the species and climate, plants lose their leaves every year and grow to be 1 to 9 feet tall. Berries are dark blue, purple or black in color. They taste good and may be a little flattened (mountain huckleberry).
- The Cascade bilberry (V. deliciosum) and dwarf bilberry (V. cespitosum). Bilberry plants are shorter, spreading shrubs that make dark fruit with great flavor. You can find them at higher elevations all over the region.
- The red huckleberry (V. parvifolium) grows up to 10 feet tall and is deciduous. It has green stems and red berries (Figure 2). Up to about 5,000 feet above sea level, plants are mostly found in the coastal and Klamath mountains, as well as on the western slopes of the Cascades.
- The evergreen huckleberry (V. ovatum) grows in the understory of most of western Oregon, but it can also be found in open areas along the coast (Figure 3A). This species is also sold as a landscape plant since it stays green all year and has lots of pink flowers. Picture 3B and 3C show the very small blue fruits it has. Picture 3A shows the red new shoot growth. Stems are sometimes collected from native plants for floral arrangements.
Figure 3A. Evergreen huckleberry, showing new red growth at the Oregon Coast. Credit: Bernadine Strik, © Oregon State University
Figure 3B. Flowers of evergreen huckleberry. Credit: Bernadine Strik, © Oregon State University
Figure 3C. Fruit of evergreen huckleberry. Credit: Bernadine Strik, © Oregon State University