Fruit & Berries
Blueberry
Match the variety to your winter chill and keep the soil acidic.
Vaccinium corymbosum · Fruit & Berries · Perennial
When to plant Blueberry in Australia
Sourced timing by broad climate zone. Zones with no sourced timing for an action are left out rather than estimated.
- Plant out seedlings
- Cool, Temperate — Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
- Harvest
- Cool — Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec
Australian planting guide by climate zone
Sourced guidance by broad climate zone, shown as fixed months, timing relative to sowing or planting, or written growing advice. Your GrowCal calendar applies your regional growing profile, so its dates may sit earlier or later than the months below.
Why
Blueberries are split into high-chill northern highbush for cool districts and low-chill southern highbush and rabbiteye for warm districts, and even the low-chill types are grown no further north than the subtropical NSW coast. Tropical Australia supplies neither the chill nor the temperature range they need.
| Action | Cool | Temperate | Subtropical | Tropical | Arid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant out | Jun, Jul, Aug, SepDetailsPlant blueberry bushes from winter into early spring, into acidic, free-draining soil or a large pot. Late autumn and spring plantings also work, but winter to early spring is the window every source agrees on. | Jun, Jul, Aug, SepDetailsPlant blueberry bushes from winter into early spring, into acidic, free-draining soil or a large pot. Late autumn and spring plantings also work, but winter to early spring is the window every source agrees on. | Choose a low-chill varietyDetailsIn subtropical and warm temperate areas look for low-chill types — southern highbush, which ripen from late winter to midsummer, or rabbiteye, which ripen from late spring to summer and also cope with moderately cool climates. | Not recommended in this climate | Climate guidanceDetailsBlueberries want an acid, moisture-retentive soil and a mild growing-season temperature range, none of which arid inland gardens supply naturally. They are only realistic in pots of acid mix, with shade through the worst heat and constant watering. |
| Feed | Acid soil and drainageDetailsMound for drainage and keep the pH low, between 4 and 5.5, using materials such as coffee grounds or pine needles. | Acid soil and drainageDetailsMound for drainage and keep the pH low, between 4 and 5.5, using materials such as coffee grounds or pine needles. | Acid soil and drainageDetailsMound for drainage and keep the pH low, between 4 and 5.5, using materials such as coffee grounds or pine needles. | Not recommended in this climate | No sourced timing currently shown |
| Prune | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown | Not recommended in this climate | No sourced timing currently shown |
| Pest check | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown | Not recommended in this climate | No sourced timing currently shown |
| Harvest | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, DecDetailsNorthern highbush varieties need a good winter chill to flower and set fruit, which ripen from December to April. | No sourced timing currently shown | No sourced timing currently shown | Not recommended in this climate | No sourced timing currently shown |
Only sourced growing and timing guidance is shown.
Zone notes
- Arid: Blueberries want an acid, moisture-retentive soil and a mild growing-season temperature range, none of which arid inland gardens supply naturally. They are only realistic in pots of acid mix, with shade through the worst heat and constant watering.
About this data
This schedule is part of GrowCal's preview horticultural dataset — useful as general guidance, and still being validated. Conditions vary with your soil, aspect, frost and variety. Read more on the data & methodology page, or send us a correction.
Related planting guides
Other plants in the GrowCal dataset, mostly from the same category.
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