Do Blueberries Grow in India? Find Out!

Do Blueberries Grow in India or is it really hard to cultivate them? If you too want to grow these tasty fruits in pots, keep reading!

Do Blueberries Grow in India? Can I grow them at home? Don’t worry–we’ve got everything covered for you.

Botanical Name: Vaccinium sect. Cyanococcus

Do Blueberries Grow in India?

Yes, blueberries DO grow in India. But you have to take care of their needs. Most of the climate in the country is hot and humid. Blueberries, on the other hand, need cooler temperatures to grow. And that too, for at least 120 days so they can flourish and give fruits. That’s why they are mostly grown in hills and higher altitude areas.

They’re widely grown in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Himachal.

Can I Grow Blueberries?

Blueberries need a temperature range of 18-26°C for the best growth and development. They’re a bit tolerant, but the temperatures should not rise above 30°C during the day if you want to grow them.

So if you live in cooler cities like Shimla, Manali, Dalhousie, Mussoorie, Coorg, Munnar, and such, you should definitely grow these berries.

How to Grow Blueberries

1. Propagating Blueberries

You can start them from seeds but they’ll take a lot of time. So what to do? It’s pretty simple–start with a softwood cutting. You can get it from a local nursery with ease and then plant it in a small pot to get it growing. Go with low-chill blueberry varieties like southern highbush or rabbiteye.

There’s also an easier method. Buy a small plant online. Baby blueberry plants are easily available online and will only cost you 200-300 rupees.

2. Put it in a Good Place

Once the cutting has grown into a small plant or when your ordered plant has arrived, it’s time to give them a new home.
You can plant these in pots, but they’ll do better in the garden. Make sure wherever you plant them, they can get 6-8 hours of full sunlight and that the soil is a bit acidic (pH 4.5 to 4.8). You can add sphagnum moss or sulfur to lower the soil pH if it’s higher. The best way to go is to prepare a raised bed to grow these.

Just dig a small hole, place your plant in it, and cover it up with the soil using your hands. Give it a good watering so it’s moist, and that’s pretty much it.

3. Caring for Your Blueberries

The next step is pretty straightforward. Give your plants good watering and let them dry out a bit between waterings. Don’t let the soil go completely dry but don’t keep it soggy either. Moist is best.

You can also give them a mild fertilizer, but don’t go with cow dung (गोबर की खाद). It’s too strong for the plant and will most likely burn its roots. Other than that, just prune the blueberry bushes in late winter, and they’ll reward you with better and healthier growth. Get rid of all the old and weak stems.

Growing Blueberries: Things You Need to Know

There are 3 main things you need to know before you grow these delicious fruits.

• Blueberries don’t bear fruits during the first 2-3 years after planting.
• You’ll need to plant more than one variety so there’s proper pollination for the development of the blueberries.
• The plants will mature in years 4-5 and will give fruits. From years 6-10, the blueberry yield will be best and high.