If You Have Blueberry Bushes, Now is the Time to Think About Pruning:
For those of us growing blueberries, the main goal is likely to produce copious amounts of large juicy berries! One “must do” to achieve a healthy yield is to prune the bushes in the late winter/early spring after the severe weather has past and before new buds start to develop.
Without annual pruning, blueberry plants become weak and leggy with small fruit. Knowing how to prune blueberries is important. Here are some general guidelines to follow as you get started on your bushes.
Trim lower growth to prevent fruits from settling on the ground.
Prune any crisscrossing branches to allow sunlight to reach the center of the plant.
Prune to provide good air circulation.
Cut away small, weak shoots at the base that developed late in the season.
Prune off any branches/ twigs damaged over the winter by diseases/insects.
Cut out unproductive canes.
As a rule, prune the two oldest canes each winter.
Young blueberry bushes generally do not need as much pruning as mature plants. Only cut away dead branches/twigs, or ones that are diseased or appear weak on bushes in their first two years.
Happy Gardening!
Karen Young
For more information on planting, pruning, and caring for blueberry plants, check out this fact sheet from WSU Extension: https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2076/2017/06/C008-Blueberries-15.pdf
And for tips about good pruning tips in general, go to https://pnwmg.org/garden-info/pruning/
