When should I harvest container blueberries?
Written by
Paul Reynolds
Reviewed by
Prof. Samuel Fitzgerald, Ph.D.Plucking container blueberries at peak ripeness allows for the highest sweetness and flavor. Once picked, blueberries do not continue to ripen, unlike certain other fruits. I learned that the hard way, after I picked blueberries a tad too early. The berries I picked were too tart! Timing is dependent on visual cues and a little touch. With container plants, you are at eye level for checking their ripeness.
Timing Technique
- Pick 5-7 days after full color development
- Harvest every 48 hours during peak season
- Collect berries in early morning hours
- Use shallow containers to prevent crushing
Post-Harvest Handling
- Refrigerate unwashed berries immediately
- Avoid stacking more than two layers deep
- Consume within 7 days for best quality
- Freeze excess berries on baking sheets
Check berries daily during peak season, which usually lasts 3-4 weeks. My 'Bluecrop' bushes produce ripe berries every second day throughout July. To test how easy they detach, roll berries between your fingers slightly. Good berries release from the stem with slight pressure and do not stay attached to the stem.
Pick your berries in the cool morning hours when temperatures are lower. Cool-picked berries retain their firmness and last longer. I prefer using small baskets so they don't crush against each other. With container plants, you can selectively pick only the fully ripe berries and leave the others for continued growth.
With each cluster, you'll get multiple harvests as the fruit ripens in succession. My mature container bushes yield 2-3 pints of fruit weekly at the peak of the season. It's all about timing. Every day after the frosty nights end, the sugar content of the berries increases. You can taste-test the berries from the four different sections of the bush to see if there is synergy between the sections.
Read the full article: How to Grow Blueberries in Pots Successfully
