How to prune a blueberry bush

[@SS-ly2bn]

Probably one of the best instructions on pruning! Simple, straightforward information! Thank you!

[@BerryboggFarm]

This is a phenomenal video for blueberry pruning! Thank you for these. We are looking for good instructional videos to show our employees.

[@beverlykoehler272]

this was very helpful. you did a good job of explaining as you were pruning. thanks!

[@UDExtension]

Glad it was helpful!

[@woodb51]

Most of mine are 12-15 years old and I have not done nearly enough pruning during that time. This is very helpful.

[@stevelew47]

After watching your video, I pruned my blueberry plants. Looks so much better and clean. Thank you!

[@jeffmeyers3837]

Here's what I learned from 10+ years of growing blueberries: 1. Understand the growth habit: VERY IMPORTANT. The first year a cane (primary ground stem) grows, it will put on buds directly on the stem by the Fall, which will fruit the following year. The Second year, the buds directly on the primary cane from last year will fruit, and the cane will also grow secondary stems/branches with buds of their own for next year's fruit. Also the tip of the primary cane will die off. This cycle repeats each year, with smaller and smaller branches, stems, and fruit each year. 2. Start by cutting entire canes from the base, then work your way up and do heading cuts (tips of old canes as needed). 3. Cut off canes that are diseased, old, woody, and unproductive. Also canes that are very horizontal or crossing over other canes. 4. Removing old canes allows the energy of the plant to go into new vigorous (tall) canes. 5. Not removing enough old canes will result in new canes that are short (6-12"), thin, and weak. A short thin cane will have very little first year fruit, and virtually no 2nd year fruit due to its short and small size. 6. Commercial growers only keep canes up to the 2nd and sometimes 3rd year. The reason is the branches become thin, short, like matchsticks, and fruit gets smaller and harder to pick. 7. First year plants get heading cuts all around, meaning all growth is cut 6-12" from the ground as early in the season as possible. The allows new canes to grow from where those cuts were made. Also any buds are rubbed off to prevent fruiting, and allow the vegetative growth to be established. Second year most fruit is removed and pruning is also done to encourage vegetative growth. 8. Pruning should be done each year, to promote new, strong canes for next year.

[@buixote]

Great stuff! Thanks! One thing you might consider, is putting the stuff you've cut on a tarp, or a background where we could see more detail, and talk about why you pruned each one... maybe not every single piece, but you get the idea. Greetings from SF Bay ARea!

[@UDExtension]

Thank you! This is one of the first videos we ever did so we realize we could have added some material, such as b-roll and more photos. We've gotten much better in the years since, but we are pleased that so many people still find it helpful!

[@vikithomasson7772]

Ty for your video. You explained your reasoning for each cut as you proceeded. That helps me understand!

[@fullblowngaming]

great info! I grow blueberries in my garden and have been trying to find the right way to prune. I hear a lot of "if it looks dead, leave it, do not prune " etc. this has been very informative, thanks from Niagara, Canada! (eh)

[@sschario60]

Quite useful, Emmalea. The most useful instruction for new growers I've seen. Thank you.

[@Sophie11121]

I found this video to be very helpful -- thanks!

[@edwardhaughney9665]

Excellent presentation. Top shelf

[@StephenCooteNZ]

Thanks for this useful video. Best wishes from New Zealand.

[@zepguwlthistle7924]

thank you! best thorough explanations and visuals yet. Something I can observe and understand without guess work. except when you got to taking out older canes. what does twiggy mean? I needed a better visual of why and what there.

[@sandynelson4824]

This will be my blueberry pruning reference from now on. My one bit of knowledge to add: don't be afraid to prune! As long as you don't cut more than about 20% per year, your blueberries will prosper. Blueberries are surprisingly resilient!

[@davidcatton3928]

Great Job, thank you.

[@anniealcaraz9947]

thank you it was very useful

[@ken6474]

Great video, best I've seen! I have 8 plants, 3 varieties, that are probably 7 years old that were purchased as small 1 gallon plants. I've never really pruned as I've not understood how. They have gone quite wide as well which encroaches on pathways between rows (should have left more space, it is was it is). I'd like to prune and compact my plants. Must I wait till March of next year before pruning? Can I start some pruning after fruit harvest this summer? You left new shoots, one was very tall. That isn't pruned shorter ever, it is left to go as high as it wants? Thanks!

[@indianhikingnainital4849]

Thanks for information

[@stephenkosacz1893]

it woul dbe helpful to have close up shots of budding stems versus leaf stems to identify the difference in the dormant season

[@seanmartinman7946]

It would have been nice to have shown the stems you cut close up so we could see exactly the ones you discarded sooner than just throw them quickly down. Most people I find are not sure of what the unwanted stems look like close up opposed to those to be kept apart from real old wood. I have a question for you please, with longish branches that have bunches of little thin twigs on the end do you cut the whole branch right out or just remove the twiggy stuff? Thanks for taking time out to help us backyard gardeners anyway its still one of the best.

[@UDExtension]

Good question Sean! Long branches with a bunch of twigs should be cut down close to the bottom of the plant. Best of luck with your blueberries!

[@rickolson2090]

Great video and very informative. One question on blueberries, do you every top the plant so it doesn't grow too tall?

[@staffordgeduld7470]

I find all as in ALL video producers on pruning, and blueberries in particular very difficult to follow. These are my reasons: I want to see more detail... see the canes up close to see the difference in colour and texture between canes of different ages and disease or health status. All of the time when you're pruning and talking to the static camera , l the viewer am so far away and unable to see detail l need to see that it will not place me at a bigger disadvantage if you were pruniing a plant / bush 10 to 20 metres away in the next row. I will recommend that you get yourself a cameraman who is able to follow and zoom in and out so we the guests can experience that much needed detail. Greetings from sunny 🇿🇦

[@mdw302]

This was our first attempt at an instructional video. I agree with your observations and since this video was done a few years ago, we’ve learned about the value of b-roll and close up shots, have better equipment. However, we have left it up as we feel it does have value.

[@staffordgeduld7470]

@@mdw302 thanks for your response. Im considering planting blueberries on a bigger and bigger scale--- dependent on my successes. I think I've got my ph - balance and other fundamentals right and planted 14 plants of two different varieties , as a start. My hope is to first enjoy the fruits and its health benefits for myself before l go bigger. Thanks for making me feel so welcome in Blueberry Country. Love from Sunny South Africa.

[@shannoncook9915]

Agreed!

[@beebob1279]

Can I cut out the canes that will be five years old for the next season after they berry? Wouldn't this give more energy to the new canes and the 2,3,and 4 year old canes?

[@dongkraus]

Thanks a lot, very helpful. Now Would it be too late to prune in early May?

[@fluxquantum1404]

May you explain what twiggy means? I wasn’t able to see closely on the features of the ones you removed that you are looking for. Thanks again for your time.

[@mdw302]

Yes, this was one of the first videos we did so sorry we did not show detail. Look for a branch that has a lot of secondary and tertiary branches coming off - think of fingers of a hand.

[@racbirsingh7005]

great information, thank you ;)

[@JWHealing]

OK so when she is pruning out older branches she says she wants to prune out the ones with the most "twiggyness." She says "See how twiggy that is?" Pls. someone explain. Does she mean dried out and brittle? I have heard you want to prune out branches that are 6 yrs or older but my bushes are only a few yrs old, so I think really for me I don't need to prune out older branches yet. Thanks very much for the informative video, and for anyone's feedback.

[@mdw302]

Twiggy means both dried out and brittle and with a lot of secondary or tertiary branches coming off of that one branch. Or to use a hand analogy, a branch with a lot of fingers on it. Hope that helps!

[@JWHealing]

@@mdw302 YES that is much appreciated. Thanks so much. Did some pruning today and then there's another 2 day window in a week w/no rain so I'll do more then. I heard that you shouldn't prune when everything is wet or will soon be wet as it could promote disease. Don't know if that's right but I'm going w/it. Thanks again.

[@mdw302]

Janet, I was always taught also when pruning anything, to do it on the diagonal, so that there is not a flat surface for a raindrop to settle. With a diagonal cut, water will run off!

[@JWHealing]

@@mdw302 OK thanks. So then you prune on rainy days too?

[@jeffreyweeks9144]

Can you take clippings and get them to grow roots for more bushes?

[@ZaatarGardens]

Jeffrey Weeks Yes

[@charlieoquin5217]

@@ZaatarGardensyes that is good i your program

[@allanpennington]

I took some cuttings from Rabbiteyes and they successfully took but after a year in a pot I have one central 'trunk' as it were with quite a few canes branching up from the one central point. There are no other canes coming up from the crown. Should I remove all but three or so of the current canes and cut those back by half? Will this force the bush to push new canes from the roots under the soil and thus widen the crown? The plants are still in felt pots approx 12" round by 12" deep. I’m going to put them in 21 Gal pots this winter. The new pots are 22 in dia by 17 in deep

[@mdw302]

Checking with Emmalea and will get back to you with her response!

[@mdw302]

Here is Emmalea’s answer: Some blueberry varieties tend to send up a lot of canes from the ground while others form more of a trunk. You should thin the existing canes as you suggested, cutting them down to the level of the main trunk. I do not recommend pruning the canes you are leaving back unless they are too large/long to suit your production system.

[@dangatton7138]

my blue berries are old stock 15yrs old.. still produce but old owners did not prune what to do ??

[@lesterbeachy1768]

Very useful info,maybe mine will do better this year

[@chrissybear6730]

I moved into a house with a VERY old blueberry bush. The base is more like a tree. It produces abundant, large berries. Is it still ok to prune? I'm thinking to take out one cane for starters. Also, is it ok to prune in June?

[@ZaatarGardens]

Chrissy Bear I know this reply might be late, but yes prune the bush and also, don’t worry when you are pruning, if something is in the wrong place or you don’t like the look of something remove it. You are the steward of your garden.

[@fullblowngaming]

my folks live on a bought property with what they think are 20 year old plants, thick stalk with bark and moss. they have 1 acre of fruit

[@randybird9979]

do you have a problem with birds eating your blue berry's they watch mine and eat them as soon as they get rip,

[@mdw302]

In this particular area with several large rows of blueberries, they used a bird machine, I believe she said it was Cabellas, and when the blueberries were at picking stage, we saw little or no bird damage or feasting. The soundbox deterrence was a success.

[@charlieoquin5217]

@Maria Wyatt c, ouin im learn a lot your

[@charlieoquin5217]

good learn from you

[@John-gj1jr]

I'm in Alabama and grow mostly rabbiteye Tiftblue and a few other southern varieties, Climax, Alapaha, and Powderblue. I have trouble pruning because my new shoots go way above head high. If I trim them back, I'm removing buds from what should be my best shoots. Is it just the varieties or am I doing something wrong?

[@davidcawrowl3865]

Those can be cut back by 1/2 to 2/3s, from what I understand (Zone 8 too here), and do it before Aug.1st.

[@John-gj1jr]

@@davidcawrowl3865 Thanks. I wondered about summer pruning, but everything I read said late winter. I will give it a try. Mine are through bearing mid-June, so I suppose anytime after that before August would work then?

[@markdixon3943]

When it comes to pruning blueberry, I've looked at all the videos. In addition to those branch described, should I also prune any branches that do not produce berries this season? I can simply mark them with a loose tie of cotton yarn and remove them when it's time.

[@christined3953]

what about summer pruning ?

[@dr.greenthumb6535]

Best done in early spring a few weeks b4 bud break/ after severe cold has passed😊

[@KishorTwist]

Which plants were the purple ones on the ground?

[@UDExtension]

That is a weed. Dead nettle. After they pruned, they weeded, but for this video they insisted on being a part of the scene!

[@KishorTwist]

Interesting... Deadnettle, huh? Never knew that one until now. After internetting it, it's a good pollinating weed.

[@chrisp.76]

What is a twiggy branch or cane? You lose me there. It would be good if you showed some closeups of what you are cutting.

[@bonnieblack7304]

What do you mean by "twiggy"? Dry ?

[@UDExtension]

The original branch will have a lot of secondary and tertiary branches growing from the main cane or stem.

[@morgansackett4133]

I'd love to prune my blueberries, however they aren't growing new canes. I've had them planted about 4 years and they are still spindly little things. About 3-5 canes each, very little new branches. They do fruit each year, but the clusters are small and so are the fruits. What is going wrong? These are highland varieties.

[@8tomtoms8]

I imagine you need to add some soil acidifier. You almost can't have the soil too acidic for blueberries. A ph of 4.5 to 5 is great. I add organic soil acidifier around the last frost and it has made a huge difference. Add about 2.5 cups per plant for established plants. They also need full sun, at least 6 hours per day.

[@jeffreyweeks9144]

A person in United Kingdom said to use pine straw as it would give the acid content blueberries need. We have oak leaves and i wonder whether it is acid enough for the blueberries. I like to use natural fertilizers as the chemical ones will kill people!

[@8tomtoms8]

Pine straw will work and so will pine bark mulch. The problem is it takes years for it to break down. I raise all organic blueberries and I use an organic soil acidifier made by Espoma. I highly recommend it. I wouldn't use oak leaves.

[@brent9516]

Do the following, use acidifier immediately if you have never done so, use anything for mulch. Yard clean up for me is taking leaves and pine needles and placing 3-6 inches around bushes. Use organic nitrogen fertilizer immediately. If you live near the beach use seaweed. Prune early spring before foliage like this video explained. You will have berries if you work on this.

[@aurelienyonrac]

Wait a second, we are pruning just because some people like bigger berries? So... we are not pruning plants for the plant's health? Maby we need to educate some people, instead of pruning. Am i missing some information? Never the less, thank you for sharing your life passion.

[@junegraham4491]

Aurélien Carnoy I think healthy fruit is a reflection of a healthy plant. Pruning is good for the plant’s health.

[@aurelienyonrac]

@@junegraham4491 thank you for helping me understand. Have a great day.

[@brent9516]

Prunning Also encourages new growth, continual new growth and removing old growth is crucial. In the wild deer usually do the work.

[@mdw302]

Most farmers grow to sell their berries to the public. The public, depending where they are or the culture, have certain preferences. In the U.S. people pass over smaller blueberries and go for larger sized. Some people like round watermelons, others like oval - so a grower in this area would want to grow larger blueberries and so she is demonstrating a way to do that and not lose yield (lbs). Farmers could not prune and get more tiny berries and not sell them so what would be the point of that. Farmers must respond to public demands in order to be profitable.

[@weekendhomeprojects]

I just did a bush trimming video (check it out on my channel). I like'd yours better tho. Great job.

[@Postofficejoe]

No volume after intro...

[@jeffreyweeks9144]

My ? was the young lady being serious about what she was doing because it led you to believe she was playing a joke especially since she was at an experimental station!

[@wipeoutxl21]

probably experimental types of blueberries

[@mdw302]

She was serious. Most states have an agriculture experiment station, here we were experimenting with which standard varieties that grow successfully elsewhere might also grow in Delaware. The varieties themselves were not “experimental” and the variety trial results are published on Delaware Cooperative Extension’s website. Emmalea also experimented or tried different types of mulch, which are published but that was not addressed in this video.