Pruning here in Maine usually occurs in mid-late March. You want to be sure that the plants are dormant, so wait until after New Years, but you need to be able to prune older canes to the ground, so it shouldn't be done unless there is little to no snow around the base of the plants. Thanks for your question!
This is hands down the best video I've found to prune blueberry bushes. It is specific and very simple to follow. I use this video every year as a refresher and my blueberry bushes pump out a ton of berries. Thank you very much.
Here are the most important things I've learned after growing blueberries for 10+ years and watching every blueberry video out there...I wish I knew this when I started. Good luck growers! 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.
Informative stuff! I purchased four new plants last year and have them potted ready to be planted in the spring. They’ve started to bud by now and I’m wondering if it’s too late to pruin. Also, should I remove these buds? I’m in no rush to get fruit off them this year. We are in Connecticut zone 6b. Thanks!
@@contacthigh8571I’m in Western Massachusetts 6B. 👍 we bought our bushes 3 years old from Dimeo in NJ. I haven’t pruned them yet, and they have been in ground for a year in my backyard. I can’t wait until next March to get our there and try this technique.
The best video ever for pruning blueberries. After 6 years I finally have my bushes just where they should be! Get a ton of blueberries off 5 plants. Thank you!
Your blueberry pruning videos are my "go to". Just planted my bushes last year, going to try out some selective pruning this afternoon using your videos as guides. Thanks for the great info!
Excellent Video ! This is the best I've seen on pruning blueberries. Very easy to understand and well explained. Thank you for taking the time to make it.
Appreciate the quality of instruction on this video. Thanks for the extra detail about the different types of buds on the stem and how to recognize fruiting versus plant shoot buds. Also the detail around recognizing the weak clusters of stems.
Thanks, very informative. I have a patch of 20+ bushes, between 5 and 15 years old. I just started pruning them this year, and this video was very helpful.
Excellent video. I'm always a little hesitant to prune my fruit plants, but this made me feel much more confident when it comes to blueberries. Thanks so much!
Thank you! I discovered last year that I have several well established blueberry bushes in my backyard and they’re getting very unruly (fruit and branches sagging to the ground) but I didn’t want to prune them incorrectly. This is so helpful!
Video wonderful - So much easier to understand than reading five pages of how to. Especially for someone who has no clue on where to start the pruning process or understand articles written by professionals to people who understand most of those directions. Thanks so much. Think I must have butchered mine too much last year as just cut off branches randomly so this year did not bear hardly at all.
Nice clear spot on vid. Thank you very much! 5:04 not only I got good info about blueberry bush pruning, I also find this inspirational beyond gardening-if you spend too much time on something, you are likely overthinking. Great insight.
I watched this video a few times. I like it and I learned a lot. I have about 15 blueberry bushes and I am looking to eventually get 30 to 40. I have other fruit bushes and trees as well. Thanks for helping me.
This was a useful tutorial - I agreed this is one the best I have come across. MUCH better than I what i have found from Extension services here on the west coast.
I have 6 bushes that are more than twice that size and definitely getting out of control. We’ve had them for at least 15 years, and they have never been pruned. It helps me a lot to get this basic, concise information. 50-75% is a really helpful gauge of volume, too.
Excellent video. I'm off to start pruning! Well actually I need to be patient and wait till spring. I'll set a reminder on my Mac otherwise I know I'll forget when it's time. I do need to clip the grass around them though.
This is a useful video. I have a friend who inherited 4 blueberry bushes, alongside of her husband, when they purchased some property over 20 years ago. Said bushes are now over 40 years old, and have apparently been declining in quality the last few years, and they weren't quite sure why, as they just let the bushes manage themselves. I showed both of them this video, as I have some new blueberry plants myself and I was looking for some tips to help me out in the future, and now we've been talking about doing some pruning in late February/Early March to try an prune out a third of the older canes this year, and hopefully, over the next few years, rejuvenate the bushes.
Another year gone by and this is still my favourite video! The sun has come out, watched the video and now off to prune the blueberries. I was not doing it properly and so it's taken a few years to finally get the old canes out and not snip off the new red shoots. I pick and freeze the blueberries and eat them every day of the week. I'm still eating 2016 blueberries. By far this is the easiest fruit to maintain of all my plants!
@@dcwatashi Yes, all plants need fertilizer (food) using either granular or liquid. Liquid requires more frequent application and granular is slow release. As for ph of soil I apply a layer of peat moss on top as a layer of mulch.
Wonderful guide to pruning! We've inherited a 20 year old blueberry patch that hasn't gotten much attention over the last few years. We are looking at growing the business over many more acres that we have available and I wondered if you have a similar video on propagation..? Our ranch is in Northeast Texas and our plants are producing and will bear fruit in June/July. Thank you!
Best video I've seen on the topic. I inherited 40 yr old bushes that are too well shaded, but still produced well last year (in New Hampshire). What is ideal height to maintain?
This blueberry pruning video is closer to what I'm looking for. Pruning for southern United States is way different. Now to search for fertilizer and mulching tips. 🌿💙
Yes, late winter to early spring before bud break is the best time to prune blueberries. You want to be sure the plants are dormant, but you need to be able to reach the base of the plant without digging through snow. Thank you.
You are helpful and abundantly knowledgeable. Apparently our cameraman has had something heavy dropped on his head, recently, as he is zoomed out wide when you call sharp attention on a very interesting (sounding) tiny shoot feature. Please call him an ambulance...?
My blueberries are over 10 years old and have never been pruned. Can I remove more than just 2 or 3 of the old canes? And timing... I thought the season for pruning was right after fruiting is done, but the video appears to show winter pruning.
@autocook16 The video represents pruning in late winter (March). Next year refers to what we'll be pruning the following winter. So, vegetative buds we see this year will be shoots with fruit buds when we're pruning next year.
I found this video a couple of years ago and I make a point of watching it again every year. It has been immensely useful! Thank you!
Pruning here in Maine usually occurs in mid-late March. You want to be sure that the plants are dormant, so wait until after New Years, but you need to be able to prune older canes to the ground, so it shouldn't be done unless there is little to no snow around the base of the plants. Thanks for your question!
This is hands down the best video I've found to prune blueberry bushes. It is specific and very simple to follow. I use this video every year as a refresher and my blueberry bushes pump out a ton of berries. Thank you very much.
You took the words out of my mouth. I watch this video every year to refresh my memory on how to correctly prune.
I also watch this video every year. So calming!
Here are the most important things I've learned after growing blueberries for 10+ years and watching every blueberry video out there...I wish I knew this when I started. Good luck growers!
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.
Informative stuff! I purchased four new plants last year and have them potted ready to be planted in the spring. They’ve started to bud by now and I’m wondering if it’s too late to pruin. Also, should I remove these buds? I’m in no rush to get fruit off them this year. We are in Connecticut zone 6b. Thanks!
@@contacthigh8571I’m in Western Massachusetts 6B. 👍 we bought our bushes 3 years old from Dimeo in NJ. I haven’t pruned them yet, and they have been in ground for a year in my backyard. I can’t wait until next March to get our there and try this technique.
Good info. Should the pruning be done in the spring, or in the fall?
My plants are 10 ft tall . Can I trim them shorter
The best video ever for pruning blueberries. After 6 years I finally have my bushes just where they should be! Get a ton of blueberries off 5 plants. Thank you!
You're a great teacher, David, I look forward to my harvest later this summer!
Your blueberry pruning videos are my "go to". Just planted my bushes last year, going to try out some selective pruning this afternoon using your videos as guides. Thanks for the great info!
This is marvelous. Thank you very much for your clear description and demonstration. Exactly what I was looking for today!
Thank you! Clear and concise, I'm out to my bushes now to clean them up as you have explained.
I "like" this video every year because my blueberries are amazing in size, and flavor. thanks again!
Ah! Just what I needed ! the best blueberry pruning info I've found!
Excellent video. Best instructions I've seen or read on how to prune these. Thank you!
Excellent Video ! This is the best I've seen on pruning blueberries.
Very easy to understand and well explained.
Thank you for taking the time to make it.
Thank you. Excellent presentation. Clear, concise. Exactly what I had hoped to find!!!
Appreciate the quality of instruction on this video. Thanks for the extra detail about the different types of buds on the stem and how to recognize fruiting versus plant shoot buds. Also the detail around recognizing the weak clusters of stems.
Oh my gosh...this was so helpful. You are very good at your job!! This was very informative with no fluff. Thank you!!
Thanks, very informative. I have a patch of 20+ bushes, between 5 and 15 years old. I just started pruning them this year, and this video was very helpful.
Excellent video. I'm always a little hesitant to prune my fruit plants, but this made me feel much more confident when it comes to blueberries. Thanks so much!
Excellent video! I know I need to prune my blueberry bushes, but, I was never exactly sure how. Now I do! Thank you.
Excellent tutorial! I'll be getting to work this afternoon and will be expecting great things from my blueberry shrubs now that I know what to do!
Excellent instructions and great explanations as to why. This is the best I have found.
Thank you! I discovered last year that I have several well established blueberry bushes in my backyard and they’re getting very unruly (fruit and branches sagging to the ground) but I didn’t want to prune them incorrectly. This is so helpful!
This is the best video I watch it every spring , I have 18 bushes 4 types, that produce an amazing amount of fruit...Thank you!
THE BEST video I've seen on the topic! Thank you very much!
Thank you David Handley, your a wonderful teacher!!!
Best video I've seen on pruning blueberries. Thank you!!!
Thank you! Very helpful. I have not pruned 40 bushes that I have for 10 years!
Simple , straightforward… going out to prune with confidence now, thanks.
Great job! Again, another wonderful instructional video from the University of Maine.
Nice video. I'm ready to tackle mine today. I have been looking at all kinds of Ext. pubs on how to do this. Your video really makes it clear. Thanks!
Such a helpful video for a beginner like me!! Concise, well-illustrated, great pacing.
thanks, I had a great crop this year and with your help I hope to have another next year. grand kids love to pick blueberries. r
Video wonderful - So much easier to understand than reading five pages of how to. Especially for someone who has no clue on where to start the pruning process or understand articles written by professionals to people who understand most of those directions. Thanks so much. Think I must have butchered mine too much last year as just cut off branches randomly so this year did not bear hardly at all.
Excellent video, I rewatch it every year before pruning.
Nice clear spot on vid. Thank you very much!
5:04 not only I got good info about blueberry bush pruning, I also find this inspirational beyond gardening-if you spend too much time on something, you are likely overthinking. Great insight.
I watched this video a few times. I like it and I learned a lot. I have about 15 blueberry bushes and I am looking to eventually get 30 to 40. I have other fruit bushes and trees as well. Thanks for helping me.
So very helpful! So understandably and efficiently shown and explained!
Another year gone by and this is still my go-to video! Thank you :)
The best video by far of the many I watched. Thank you!
This was a useful tutorial - I agreed this is one the best I have come across. MUCH better than I what i have found from Extension services here on the west coast.
Thank you, very informative 😊 I feel ready to prune my blueberry bushes!
This is a great video with clear instructions. Thanks for posting!
Very good video. Thanks, we are ready for spring pruning!
I have 6 bushes that are more than twice that size and definitely getting out of control. We’ve had them for at least 15 years, and they have never been pruned. It helps me a lot to get this basic, concise information. 50-75% is a really helpful gauge of volume, too.
Excellent video. I'm off to start pruning! Well actually I need to be patient and wait till spring. I'll set a reminder on my Mac otherwise I know I'll forget when it's time. I do need to clip the grass around them though.
Now that what I call an Explanation. Thank You very much! :D
Exactly, God bless 'em!
RIGHT lol he did an excellent job at explaining this
Concise and informative, i know what to do now. Thank you for the excellent advise.
Aidan, nice to see you're a blueberry man too !
excellent video; thank you for simplifying and explaining so well!!
Nice job, very helpful. A classic !!!
Thank you for creating this. Coming from a university extension I know I’m getting good advice.
This is a really wonderful and useful video! Thank you U Maine Extension!!
This is a useful video. I have a friend who inherited 4 blueberry bushes, alongside of her husband, when they purchased some property over 20 years ago. Said bushes are now over 40 years old, and have apparently been declining in quality the last few years, and they weren't quite sure why, as they just let the bushes manage themselves. I showed both of them this video, as I have some new blueberry plants myself and I was looking for some tips to help me out in the future, and now we've been talking about doing some pruning in late February/Early March to try an prune out a third of the older canes this year, and hopefully, over the next few years, rejuvenate the bushes.
how did it go?
@@EduardoVillalobosPiano To be honest, I do not know. Haven't talked to them in a while, due to their job changing.
Oy, really good presentation mate.
Made total sense
Thank you and kind regards
thanks! Just what I was looking for.I hope the young bush I have can be treated the same way.
Great video, I need to prune my blueberry bush, thanks
Thank you. This was very clear and easy to follow.
Thank you. Very intelligent presentation.
Great info, efficient . Now I know I need to prune!!
Very clear. Thank you from Australia
Excellent training video. Great detail.
Excellent video---this will be extremely helpful.
Another year gone by and this is still my favourite video! The sun has come out, watched the video and now off to prune the blueberries. I was not doing it properly and so it's taken a few years to finally get the old canes out and not snip off the new red shoots. I pick and freeze the blueberries and eat them every day of the week. I'm still eating 2016 blueberries. By far this is the easiest fruit to maintain of all my plants!
What about fertilizing and the pH of the soil?
@@dcwatashi Yes, all plants need fertilizer (food) using either granular or liquid. Liquid requires more frequent application and granular is slow release. As for ph of soil I apply a layer of peat moss on top as a layer of mulch.
@@greetingsfromchilliwack5702 I do have peat moss
Excellent video. Thank you!
Wonderful guide to pruning! We've inherited a 20 year old blueberry patch that hasn't gotten much attention over the last few years. We are looking at growing the business over many more acres that we have available and I wondered if you have a similar video on propagation..? Our ranch is in Northeast Texas and our plants are producing and will bear fruit in June/July. Thank you!
It looks like the 'good' growth that you keep on bush is darker in color, like a reddish color. Thank you for the great information.
great information.... best one i saw yet!
Thanks. Very clear pruning instructions.
Perfectly informative, thank you!
Excellent demo
Excellent tutorial!
great video, very helpful thank you
Excellent video! Thank for this content.
Excellent presentation!
Best video I've seen on the topic. I inherited 40 yr old bushes that are too well shaded, but still produced well last year (in New Hampshire). What is ideal height to maintain?
Great video, thank you!
Great information. Thank you very much.
This blueberry pruning video is closer to what I'm looking for. Pruning for southern United States is way different. Now to search for fertilizer and mulching tips. 🌿💙
Now I understand - finally! thanks, great video!
Excellent video
Great video, thanks. Very easy to understand. :)
You're welcome!
Thanks, great video
Very helpful. Thank you.
Excellent video. It almost seems you could summarize by saying cut out all gray wood except that which is supporting new "red" good growth?
Yes, late winter to early spring before bud break is the best time to prune blueberries. You want to be sure the plants are dormant, but you need to be able to reach the base of the plant without digging through snow. Thank you.
So, is mid April too late to do this in Southern Maine?
Awesome Video!!
Very to the point, very helpful.
Excellent video.
I review this every winter before pruning. Thanks
Chris Gorman haha same that’s what I’m doing today!
Wow! Thanks Man! This is great!
Thank you for great info!!
So great! Thank you ☺️
You are helpful and abundantly knowledgeable. Apparently our cameraman has had something heavy dropped on his head, recently, as he is zoomed out wide when you call sharp attention on a very interesting (sounding) tiny shoot feature. Please call him an ambulance...?
My blueberries are over 10 years old and have never been pruned. Can I remove more than just 2 or 3 of the old canes? And timing... I thought the season for pruning was right after fruiting is done, but the video appears to show winter pruning.
great video very informative
Very useful information!
Great video use this last season and got the biggest berries ever thx
@autocook16 The video represents pruning in late winter (March). Next year refers to what we'll be pruning the following winter. So, vegetative buds we see this year will be shoots with fruit buds when we're pruning next year.
Is there a difference pruning high bush or low bush blueberries?
Great tips, thank you.
Do you recommend a certain temperature range to prune? I get harsh winters and harsh summers.