Newsletter Articles
How to Grow Blueberries in Southern California
By Richard Flowers, ACCNP, Green Thumb Nursery Ventura
Yes, you can grow delicious blueberries in Southern California, as long as you plant low-chill Southern Highbush varieties and give them the acidic soil they need, which usually means growing them in containers. Our mild winters do not provide the long cold spell that old-fashioned Northern Highbush blueberries require, but Southern Highbush types were bred for exactly this climate. Get the variety and the soil pH right, and you can pick fresh blueberries from your own yard or patio.
Quick answer: Choose a low-chill Southern Highbush variety such as Sunshine Blue, Marimba, or O’Neal; give it full sun and acidic soil at pH 4.5 to 5.5 (easiest to achieve in a large container with an acidic mix); keep it consistently moist with mulch; feed with an acid-loving, ammonium-nitrogen fertilizer; and plant two different varieties to improve your harvest.
I have grown blueberries in my own Ventura garden for years, and they reward you with fruit you can eat fresh, bake into muffins and pies, or scatter over cereal and salads. The secret in our region is simply matching the plant to our climate and soil.
Can You Grow Blueberries in Southern California?
You can, with the right type. Blueberries need a period of winter chill (hours below about 45 degrees F during dormancy) to fruit well, and Southern Highbush blueberries are hybrids specially adapted for low-chill regions like California.[1] Old-style Northern Highbush varieties can need around 800 chill hours (for example, ‘Earliblue’), which our mild coastal and inland winters rarely deliver, while Southern Highbush varieties need far fewer, commonly in the range of about 150 to 300 hours.[2] That low-chill breeding, pioneered by the University of Florida, is what makes backyard blueberries possible across Southern California.[3]
Best Low-Chill Blueberry Varieties for SoCal
Pick a Southern Highbush variety with a chill requirement your area can meet; lower-chill types suit warmer, coastal spots best:
| Variety | Approx. chill hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sunshine Blue | About 150 | Lowest-chill here; compact, great in pots |
| Marimba | About 150 to 300 | Vigorous, 4 to 6 feet |
| O’Neal | About 200 to 300 | Recommended for coastal and inland California; large, sweet fruit |
| Georgia Gem | About 200 to 300 | Reliable Southern Highbush |
| Reveille | About 500 | Higher end of low-chill; better inland |
| Northern Highbush (e.g. Earliblue) | About 800 | Too much chill for most of SoCal; avoid |
Misty and Emerald are two other popular low-chill Southern Highbush varieties you will often see at the nursery; both are prized for mild-winter gardens, though published chill-hour figures for them vary, so ask our staff which is performing best locally.[2]
Soil and Containers: Getting the pH Right
This is the make-or-break step in Southern California. Blueberries need acidic soil, a pH of about 4.5 to 5.5, which is far more acidic than most SoCal garden soil.[4] You can lower soil pH with elemental sulfur, but by far the easiest and most reliable approach here is to grow blueberries in a large container with an acidic mix. Use a roomy pot (a 15- to 20-gallon container or a half wine barrel) filled with an acidic blend such as a mostly fine-bark mix with peat moss and a little perlite or pumice.[4] For more on pots and acidic blends, see our guide to container gardening and soil amendments.
Planting and Care
Set out container-grown blueberries in fall or spring; you will also find dormant bare-root plants at California nurseries in winter, our traditional bare-root season.[4] Give them full sun for the best yield and quality, and keep the soil consistently moist, blueberries have shallow, fibrous roots that dry out easily, so they need roughly 1.5 to 3 inches of water a week and a layer of mulch to hold moisture.[4] Feed with a fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants that supplies nitrogen in the ammonium form; all-purpose fertilizers based on nitrate nitrogen are not suited to blueberries.[4] If you are shopping the winter bare-root aisle, our guide to selecting bare-root plants has helpful tips.
Do You Need More Than One Variety?
A single blueberry bush will set some fruit on its own, but you will get a noticeably better crop with two. Southern Highbush blueberries are self-fruitful, yet planting more than one variety so they can cross-pollinate improves both berry size and the quantity you harvest.[4] Two different low-chill varieties that bloom around the same time are an easy win. For more berry options, see our overview of growing berries.
Are Blueberries Good for You?
They are a genuinely nutritious fruit. Blueberries are a good source of dietary fiber and vitamin C, provide vitamin K and manganese, and contain the antioxidant flavonoids (anthocyanins) that give them their deep blue color.[5] They make a healthy, low-effort addition to a home garden and a SoCal year-round edible harvest.
Ready to start picking your own? Visit any Green Thumb Nursery location and our team will help you choose low-chill blueberry varieties, the right acidic soil mix, and the perfect container for your Southern California garden.
Growing Blueberries FAQ
Can you grow blueberries in Southern California?
Yes. Plant low-chill Southern Highbush varieties, which are bred for mild-winter regions like California, and give them acidic soil (usually in a container). Our winters are too warm for high-chill Northern Highbush types.[1]
What blueberry varieties are low-chill?
Southern Highbush varieties such as Sunshine Blue (about 150 chill hours), Marimba, O’Neal, and Georgia Gem (roughly 150 to 300 hours) are good low-chill choices for SoCal; Misty and Emerald are popular too.[2]
What soil do blueberries need?
Acidic soil, with a pH of about 4.5 to 5.5. Because most Southern California soil is far less acidic than that, the easiest reliable option is a large container filled with an acidic bark-and-peat mix.[4]
Can you grow blueberries in pots?
Yes, and in SoCal it is usually the best approach. Use a 15- to 20-gallon container (or half wine barrel) with an acidic mix so you can control the pH that in-ground soil makes difficult.[4]
Do you need two blueberry plants?
Not strictly, since Southern Highbush blueberries are self-fruitful, but planting two different varieties for cross-pollination improves both berry size and yield, so two is better than one.[4]
Sources
- [1] NC State, Southern Highbush Blueberries: blueberry.cals.ncsu.edu
- [2] UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County, Blueberry Varieties: ucanr.edu
- [3] UF/IFAS, Southern Highbush Blueberry Cultivars: ask.ifas.ufl.edu
- [4] Oregon State Extension, Growing Blueberries in Your Home Garden: extension.oregonstate.edu
- [5] USDA ARS, Blueberries and Health: ars.usda.gov
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