Blueberry plants - when can I plant outside?

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cubee867 West Grove, PA(Zone 6b) Mar 02, 2010

I bought 2 blueberry plants from Lowe's last week (Earliblue & Coville varieties) but it is still snowing here in the NE. I didn't want to wait another month before buying since it would either be sold out or there'd be very limited selection. Tiny leaves are already coming out from the stems. Should I take them out from their cardboard containers & keep in them in pots indoors until the temperatures warm up?

Any other growing tips/advice on blueberries would also be much appreciated since I have never grown them before.

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flowers_delight Leicester, NC(Zone 8a) Mar 02, 2010

My experience with blueberries are that you should not buy any plants that are under three years old as it takes them that long to produce berries. Always plant a male and female for pollination. If your plants are that old and in pots, would think they are accustomed to cold weather and will be fine to leave outdoors until you can get them planted when ground is warmer. An expert may have another opinion, that's just mine. Good Luck.

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Mar 03, 2010

Blueberries don't come in separate male and female plants. Many fruit bearing plants will bear more fruit if you have a second variety around for pollination so it may still be beneficial to have a second plant around, but you don't need to worry about figuring out which ones are male/female as you do with some other types of plants.

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Mar 04, 2010

I have bought bare root roses before I could plant outside since laying in a store they would sprout. I placed the roots in a baggie full of damp peatmoss and stuck them in the bottom of my fridge to keep them dormant while the weather improved. They did great and bloom every season for me.

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cubee867 West Grove, PA(Zone 6b) Mar 05, 2010

Thanks for all the responses. However, the 2 plants already had leaf buds on them when they were purchased, and at this point they already have 20-30 tiny leaves. It is supposed to warm up this weekend but is it safe to plant it out before the last frost date?

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melody Benton, KY(Zone 7a) Mar 05, 2010

Plants naturally survive when the buds are nipped by frost in the wild. This winter has been a prime example at my house...warm up...then frost..warm up...frost. If you have an unheated porch or garage where you can stash them for a week or two, then whatever Mother Nature gives them should be met easily. If you want to plant this weekend...(I know I'll be out trying to garden) you can always throw an old blanket over them at night if the temps go down in the 20's.

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