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Harvesting Your Blueberries

Gardening Guide: Blueberry Bonanza: Everything You Need to Know about Growing and Enjoying Blueberries

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Harvesting Your Blueberries

By Norann Oleson

Gardener picking ripe blueberries.

Gardener picking ripe blueberries.

Ready to Pick?

Think of your first year of setting the plants as an investment in the future. You may not get many berries your first season. Once a plant is three years old, it can produce 2 to 3 pints of berries in a season. After a plant reaches five years old, you could look forward to 10 pints or more—just make sure you have some netting handy so the birds don’t get all the berries.

Use a gentle touch when you’re harvesting your blueberries. Only pick the berries that are ripe; you may need to work your way around some berries that are just not quite ready yet. Use a gentle roll of your thumb and forefinger to tease the berry off the stem. Be sure not to handle the berries too much.

You may notice that the berry skin looks slightly powdered; that’s called the bloom—a natural waxy coating that protects the berries from insects and bacteria. It also helps the fruit retain its natural moisture. If you rub the berry, the protective covering will come right off and leave you with a shiny blueberry that you better plan on eating soon!

If you’re harvesting lowbush blueberries, common in Maine and parts of eastern Canada, you’ll need a special hand rake; it looks like a cross between a comb and a dustpan.

How frequently do you harvest your blueberries? Do you have any special harvesting techniques to share?

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Curator’s Corner
  • Introduction
  • Feature Articles

  • Types of Blueberries
  • Lowbush Blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium)
  • Northern Highbush Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum)
  • Southern Highbush Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum “Darrow”)
  • Rabbiteye Blueberries (Vaccinium ashei)
  • Half-High Blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium-corymbosum hybrid)
  • Where to Plant Blueberries in Your Home Garden
  • Preparing Your Soil and Getting Ready to Plant Blueberries
  • Pollinating Blueberry Plants
  • Blueberry Chill Hours
  • Growing Blueberries in Containers or Pots
  • Planning for Blueberries all Season Long
  • Fertilizing and Pruning Your Blueberry Plants
  • Harvesting Your Blueberries
  • Dealing with Blueberry Pests
  • Dealing with Blueberry Diseases
  • Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing Blueberries
  • Plant Profiles

  • Top Hat Blueberry
  • Sunshine Blue Blueberry
  • Powder Blue Blueberry
  • Pink Popcorn Blueberry
  • Pink Icing Blueberry
  • Legacy Blueberry
  • Brightwell Blueberry
  • Blueray Blueberry
  • Bluecrop Blueberry
  • Biloxi Blueberry
  • Recipes

  • Baked Blueberry Oatmeal
  • Wild Rice Salad with Blueberries and Corn
  • Blueberry Tofu Smoothie
  • Classic Blueberry Pie
  • Blueberry Chicken
  • Blueberry Coffee Cake
  • The Ultimate Berry Crumble
  • Blueberry Pie Fudge
  • Traditional Blueberry Slump
  • Blazing Fast Blueberry Muffins
  • Quick & Easy Blueberry Jam
  • Additional Articles

  • Nutrition Facts about Blueberries
  • Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Blueberries
  • Resources about Blueberries
  • Blueberry Glossary
  • Related Articles

  • How to Prune Blueberry Bushes

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