I’m looking to put in some more raised beds next season for blueberries. Im seeing a lot of debate online as to how wide the raised bed should be for the bushes. I want the plants to thrive but i also want to minimize how much space it will take up. Any suggestions?
It depends a little on what type you are growing. I grow Northerns and find the roots do not go deep but do grow wide. At least 2 feet out from crown. I would not use less than 3x3. I use 4x4 and 3x4.
Some of my bigger plants are wider than 4 feet and hang over the edges. I put strawberries around the edges of the beds. Often thinning those out that try to grow too close to the blueberry plant.
I throw a 30x30 net over the pipes and garden staple the edges
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I agree with Dew. I grow Northern Highbush and my old 4’ spacing is too tight. I re-organized my blueberry row and they are spaced at 5’ apart.
Here, the garden row is 5’ wide too. The bushes are about 33" to the fence. I created the mounds for better drainage.
To answer your question, I’ll make the raised bed at least 4’ wide. Mature bushes can possibly reach 5’. Or you can prune to keep them at 4’ or so.
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I have a few 1 mini blues and 1 pink lemonade blueberries growing in a pot. When I was looking into how big of a pot they needed I heard 18 inches minimum but you ideally want 22’’. My blueberries are growing in 23 inch pots so just under 2 feet. I presume it would be the same for a raised bed. Like Drew said they will likely only grow 14’’ deep but can get a few feet wide. You will want acidic soil for blueberries just in case you don’t know much about growing blueberries. My growing medium is pure Canadian sphagnum peat moss
it’s ok to let aesthetics dictate your beds. if four feet wide will look silly in your landscape then why not do three feet wide? two feet wide should work too, that’s no worse a 25 gallon pot or 1/2 wine barrel and we know blueberries grow great in those
osu gives in-row spacings for northern highbush: 3-4ft and rabbiteye: 4-5ft:
https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9179/html
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After a few years, you’ll regret to use OSU spacing. Trust me.
Three and four feet for highbush blueberries seems to be fine and gets higher production faster.
(Is this going to cause a problem a couple dozen years later?–perhaps.)
But for old timers, or for commercial plantings needing a quicker return on investment, seems closer plantings are sensible.
Just as they are for apple orchards.