When Is Blueberry Season and How to Know When They Are Ripe?

Whether you are running a large commercial farm or just looking to spruce up your private garden, blueberries are a great choice! These delicious berries are packed full of nutrients, and they are also easy to freeze and thaw for long-term storage or shipment.

Blueberries are also relatively easy to grow, with hardy bushes and short ripening times. There are varieties which can be grown in different climate zones and still provide excellent harvests.

In this article, we'll be looking at the best seasons to grow blueberries, depending on your location, as well as the best ways to harvest blueberries and enjoy your work!

When Is Blueberry Season?

Blueberry growing season is actually most of the year, just depending on where you live. There are types of blueberries that can thrive in almost any North American climate zone, but the planting and harvesting times will depend on the variety.

As a rough guide:

• Northeast: July – September
• Southeast: April – May
• Midwest: July – September
• Northwest: July – September
• Southwest: April – June
• California: March – June

However, this is also complicated by the sheer number of different blueberry varieties available. They may be intended to be harvested in the early-, mid-, or late-season.

In addition, it will also depend on whether they are "high chill" or "low chill" blueberries, based on how resistant they are to cold nights. High chill blueberries do well in colder northern areas, while low chill species are intended for warm southern regions. Let’s review this in more detail below.

High Chill Blueberries

Low Chill Blueberries

The exact growing season and harvest times will depend entirely on your location and which variety of blueberry you are growing. This can also give you a lot of flexibility in selecting the right blueberry species to fit into your existing harvest plans. A little research beforehand can help ensure you find the perfect varieties for your needs.

Wild vs Cultivated Blueberries

If you are looking at blueberries from a more casual standpoint, why not just harvest wild berries if they grow in your area? Or simply plant whatever grows nearby?

The main difference is that wild blueberries typically do not grow berries which are as large or juicy as cultivated varieties. Harvests are often smaller as well. Still, wild blueberries are entirely safe to eat as long as you wash them thoroughly beforehand.

Growing and harvesting times for wild blueberries will also vary by region, but typically become ripe in mid- to late summer. Also, wild blueberries are usually only harvested every other year, because the wild varieties need more time to rebuild nutrients for the next crop.

Blueberry Ripening By Climate Zone

Along with the regional guide above, it's also good to know your USDA climate zone. This will give more specific guidance on your blueberry growth times.

• Zone 3: July – August
• Zone 4: July – August
• Zone 5: June – July
• Zone 6: June – July
• Zone 7: June – August
• Zone 8: June – August
• Zone 9: April – June
• Zone 10: March – May

So, basically, the warmer your zone, the earlier your blueberries will ripen. Adjust this information based on the species you are growing, and it's easy to quickly determine blueberry peak season in your area.

How to Know When Blueberries Are Ripe

Blueberries move through several distinct stages as they ripen, which generally makes it simple to tell when they are ready for harvest.

1. Green berries which are firmly attached to the bush.
2. Pink/reddish berries, still well-attached. (Note: the "Pink Lemonade" variety remains pink afterward.)
3. Red-purple berries, which could be harvested for pies or preserves but will still be fairly sour/acidic.
4. Deep blue berries, ready for harvest and general use.

Aside from the color, you can also tell when berries are ready for harvest based on a few other attributes. Mature ripe blueberries will:

• Have no remaining red or pink hues, aside from the "Pink Lemonade" variety.
• Feel slightly soft, but still firm, if squeezed.
• Come free from the bush with only gentle pressure.
• Possibly just fall off the bush once they start to become over-ripe.

Also, do blueberries ripen after picking? No. Unlike many other fruits and berries, development stops as soon as these berries are removed from the bush. This means it's important to be patient and wait until blueberries are fully ripened. If you pick them too early, they'll always be a bit hard and acidic.

Tips for Harvesting Blueberries

Generally speaking, harvesting blueberries isn't difficult because ripe fruit will come right off of the bush. Most of the time, the only difficulty is in avoiding damage to the berries or the bush. So, a gentle touch is needed.

Do not simply grab handfuls of berries, or shake the bush to try to knock them loose in bulk. This has a high risk of damaging developing berries, or even harming the bush. Slow and steady will bring the best yield. However, it's a good idea to lay down a basket beneath the area you are working on. Some berries may get dislodged as you work and fall on their own, especially if they are extra ripe.

There are blueberry picker tools which can potentially speed up the process, a sort of rake which can be gently run down the berries to pull them loose. However, even this has some risk of damaging berries. Hand-picking is best.

A fully-ripened berry will come free just by gently rolling it between your thumb and the palm of your hand. This is the best way to pick them, as it minimizes the chances of damaging the berry. If you have to tug on it to get the berry to come free, the berry isn't ripe.

The best time to harvest is generally early in the morning, after dew has dried but before the daytime heat hits. They'll be slightly juicer that way, as well as keeping yourself or your workers cool.

The ripest berries will almost always be on the outer edges of the bush, where they get the most sunlight. If you have to dig into the bush itself, the berries probably aren't going to be ripe yet, which affects their taste and quality. As ripening happens over the course of a few weeks, you will probably need to harvest them a few times to get the most yield from a given bush.

Finally, once your berries are picked, they should be immediately refrigerated or frozen to preserve them. Blueberries freeze and thaw exceptionally well, with very little loss of flavor, texture, or nutrition. Don't be afraid to freeze them for storage or transport, but it is recommended to be careful with super-fast freezing.

Do not leave blueberries outside, or at room temperature, unless you intend to use them that day.

When you have questions, we'll help you find the answers you need to take control of your fields and the harvest you care about. Contact Cropler to discover more about our products and the ways we help you proactively protect your operations from the effects of crop diseases. Learn More

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Resources

1. Blueberries - U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. Nutrition Facts
2. Food Chemistry. Volume 410, 1 June 2023, 135299. Physiological and biochemical changes during fruit maturation and ripening in highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.)
3. SCI. Effects of freezing conditions on quality changes in blueberries. First published: 12 March 2018