DibbleWhen are blueberries in season?
In a home garden, blueberries ripen from late April and May in Florida and the Gulf South to July and August in New England, with late varieties reaching September in New York and Oregon. The type of bush sets the weeks: southern highbush come first, rabbiteye a few weeks later, and northern highbush from late June in the mid-Atlantic through the summer.
This page is about fruit you grow yourself, in a home garden. It is not a guide to pick-your-own farms or to what is in the stores. Dates shift with the variety, the weather that year and how much winter chill the plant got, so treat them as typical ranges.
When blueberries ripen, by region
| Where | Ripens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | late April to May, southern highbush. Described as the general ripening time for UF-bred varieties. | UF/IFAS Extension Duval County |
| Mississippi (south) | late April through late May, southern highbush. Ripens earlier than rabbiteye. | Mississippi State University Extension |
| Florida | May to July, rabbiteye. Rabbiteye comes about a month after southern highbush, according to the Duval County article. | UF/IFAS Extension Marion County |
| Mississippi | mid-May or early June to late July, rabbiteye. Much of the state. | Mississippi State University Extension |
| Louisiana | late May to late July, rabbiteye. A single variety ripens for three to four weeks. | LSU AgCenter |
| Texas | May through July in most locations, rabbiteye. Picking an individual bush spreads over 4 to 6 weeks. | Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service |
| Arkansas (central) | end of May until late July, highbush and rabbiteye mixed. Each variety is picked about every seven days. | University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension |
| Virginia (central and southern) | July to August, rabbiteye. Early, mid and late varieties together carry the harvest through both months. | Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech) |
| Maryland | late June (early varieties) through August (late varieties), highbush. Pick about weekly. | University of Maryland Extension |
| Illinois | ripening generally begins mid-June to early July, highbush. Ripening starts in mid-June to early July and generally lasts a couple of weeks, depending on weather. | University of Illinois Extension |
| Oregon, Willamette Valley | late June to September, northern highbush. Early varieties late June to July, mid-season July to August, late varieties August to September. | Oregon State University Extension Service |
| New York | late July to September, northern highbush. By variety: July, August or even September. | Cornell Cooperative Extension |
| New Hampshire | begins early to mid-July, peaks early August, northern highbush. Berries ripen in succession over several weeks. | University of New Hampshire Extension |
| Maine | begins mid to late July, peaks early to mid-August, northern highbush | University of Maine Cooperative Extension |
How long until a new bush bears
Maine's extension guide says to keep new bushes from fruiting for the first two years, allow a small crop in year three, and expect a full crop four or five years after planting. University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Which types ripen first
Early southern highbush ripen two to three weeks before the early rabbiteyes. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
How long one planting keeps ripening
Berries ripen over a period of three to five weeks, and highbush bushes are picked every 5 to 7 days. NC State Extension
When to plant blueberries, by zone
These are planting windows from the same climate engine the Dibble app uses, run at typical places in each hardiness zone. They say when blueberry plants can go in. They do not say when the fruit ripens: that is the table above.
| Zone | Planting window | Exact dates |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | Apr 27 to Jun 7 | Zone 3 dates |
| Zone 4 | Apr 19 to May 30 | Zone 4 dates |
| Zone 5 | Apr 11 to May 19 | Zone 5 dates |
| Zone 6 | Apr 3 to May 14 | Zone 6 dates |
| Zone 7 | Mar 18 to Apr 28 | Zone 7 dates |
| Zone 8 | Feb 19 to Mar 30 | Zone 8 dates |
| Zone 9 | Jan 24 to Mar 4 | Zone 9 dates |
| Zone 10 | Feb 23 to Apr 21 | Zone 10 dates |
| Zone 11 | Not suited to this zone | Zone 11 dates |
How to grow blueberries · Find your growing zone by ZIP code
Common questions
When are blueberries in season?
For a home garden it runs from late April in Florida and the Gulf South, through May, June and July across the rest of the South, to July and August in New England. Late varieties in New York and Oregon run into September. The type of bush matters as much as the state.
How long until a new blueberry bush gives fruit?
Maine's extension guide says to pick off the flowers for the first two years, allow a small crop in year three, and expect a full crop four or five years after planting.
Why do some blueberries ripen weeks after others?
The type and the variety. Southern highbush ripen first, rabbiteye a few weeks later, and northern highbush by early, mid and late variety. Planting varieties from more than one group stretches the harvest.
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