Blueberries are so incredibly tasty that you might want to eat them all the time. They can be very enjoyable to eat by themselves, but you can also use them to bake various tasty treats.
If you consider blueberries to be among your favorite fruits, then you might want to start growing some. Growing blueberries will allow you to harvest them when they’re ready so that you can make a delicious pie or even just eat some plain blueberries.
When you’re growing blueberries and the results aren’t as good as you hoped, it’s going to be disappointing. Some have noted that they’re having issues getting their blueberries to ripen properly.
Why would blueberries have issues ripening? Is there something you’re doing wrong that’s causing this?
Keep reading to learn why this might happen and what you can do to turn things around. You should be able to enjoy ripe blueberries soon enough.
1 – It Could Be Natural
The first thing to know is that there’s a possibility that this is natural. There are many different types of blueberries out there, and you might have a cultivar that ripens later than usual.
Not everyone knows that certain blueberry cultivars are made to ripen later in the year. Some might naturally start ripening in the late summer months, but others will stay green until the early parts of autumn.
This can be a bit frustrating in some ways, but you might just need to exercise patience. If possible, you should try to confirm which type of blueberry you’ve planted.
If you’re able to confirm that the blueberry cultivar that you’ve planted is one that ripens late, then you won’t need to worry at all. You’ll just need to bide your time and harvest the blueberries when they’re truly ready.
Be Sure to Learn When Blueberries Ripen
It’s actually really common for people to make mistakes when it comes to harvesting blueberries. You might think that your blueberries aren’t ripening properly because you don’t know when they’re supposed to be harvested.
As mentioned above, some blueberries are going to be ripened by the late summer or the early days of autumn. Others might be ready to harvest in June depending on what type of blueberries you planted.
It’s in your best interest to look up specific information about the blueberries. This gives you the right knowledge so that you’ll know approximately what time you can expect to be able to harvest the blueberries.
Many cultivars will be ready to harvest between June and August. If you happened to get one of the cultivars that ripen late, then you might need to wait until September or early October in some instances.
This means that you might not have a problem at all. Depending on the situation, you might be able to just continue to wait to see if the blueberries ripen as they’re supposed to.
2 – The Blueberries Might Not Be Getting Enough Sunlight
Are your blueberries getting enough sunlight? If the blueberries are far too shaded, then they might be having a hard time ripening normally.
It might be necessary to try to give them a bit more sunlight so that they will ripen. Consider trimming some trees and bushes that might be blocking the sun from getting to the blueberries.
If you can make changes and ensure that light is getting to where it needs to go, then you should be able to see the blueberries ripen. When the blueberries aren’t ripening at all, it’s a sign that something is off and you need to correct things.
Hopefully, exposing the blueberries to more light will do the trick. If it doesn’t, then something else might be to blame.
3 – The Region You Live in Is Too Warm
This might seem strange if you don’t know a lot about blueberries, but you might not be able to get good results unless you live in an area with cooler weather. You see, blueberries have evolved so that they require a chill period to be able to fruit.
If you live in a warm region of the world, then blueberries simply might not ripen properly where you’re at. Blueberries require a certain amount of time at temperatures that dip below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the chilling period is cut short, the berry development will not go as planned. You’ll wind up having to wait longer for the ripening to occur.
In many parts of North America, it isn’t common for the weather to dip below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. If you live somewhere that has mild weather during the autumn and winter, then you might need to seek out special blueberries.
There are blueberries out there that can be planted in warmer regions. These cultivars require shorter chilling periods, and they’ll be better for those who live in slightly warmer regions.
4 – The Soil Isn’t Acidic Enough
Another thing to consider is that the soil that you’re using might not be quite right for blueberries. If you aren’t paying attention to the pH balance of the soil, then you won’t know whether it is acidic enough.
Blueberries need acidic soil so that they can thrive. If you plant blueberries in soil that isn’t acidic enough, then they might not ripen properly.
To get the best results, you want to plant blueberries in soil that has a pH level between 4.0 and 4.5. Be sure to test the soil so that you can take the necessary steps to get it prepared for the blueberries.
If necessary, you can amend the soil using organic ingredients to increase the acidity. You should keep an eye on the soil to ensure that it stays in the right range as well.
Now that you know that you need to look out for this, it’ll be easy to get things right. Don’t let a simple mistake like this keep you from being able to harvest your blueberries as planned.
Final Thoughts
It’s possible that your blueberries might not be ripening for several different reasons. One of the most common ones is that you’re experiencing sunlight issues.
When the blueberries aren’t getting enough sunlight they won’t be able to ripen as normal. You can try to solve this by cutting back trees and shrubs that are blocking the blueberries from receiving ample light.
If this doesn’t appear to be the problem, then you might be dealing with something else. Soil acidity issues are another problem that you should look into.
Blueberries require the right level of acidity in the soil. If the pH balance of the soil isn’t just right, then you might not be able to get the blueberries to ripen.
You can test the acidity of the soil by using a simple soil test kit. This will allow you to ensure that the pH balance of the soil stays between 4.0 and 4.5 so that the blueberries can thrive.
Finally, you might just need to be patient. Many blueberry cultivars are designed to ripen later in the year.
Some blueberries will ripen as late as the last days of summer or the early portions of autumn. Standard blueberries will typically be ready to harvest between June and August.
It’s a good idea to learn when your blueberries are supposed to ripen. This way, you’ll be ready to harvest them when the time is right.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.