Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gardening

This is when blueberries are in season

How to tell if your blueberries are ready to harvest

By
Blueberries on a bush
Nowaja / Pixabay

Blueberries are a sweet, delicious treat in the summer, and harvesting them from your own blueberry bush makes them an even more convenient snack. They’re an easy-to-grow addition to any fruit garden. If you’re ready for your blueberry harvest and feeling a little impatient while watching them ripen, you might be wondering how long you have to wait. So, when are blueberries in season, will they ripen after you pick them, and how do you know when they’re ripe? We’ll answer all your questions!

When are blueberries in season?

Close-up of a cluster of blueberries on a bush in bright sunlight
Alex Ushakoff / Unsplash

Like any plant, the exact time your blueberries will be ready to harvest depends on your climate. Blueberries are in season from late spring to late summer, typically from April to September. Start watching your blueberry bush (or your grocery store produce aisle, if you aren’t planning on growing your own blueberries) when the weather in your area starts to heat up.

Recommended Videos

Warmer regions tend to have slightly earlier harvest seasons than cooler regions, since it becomes warm earlier in the year. You can estimate the harvest time for your specific blueberry bush by paying attention to when it blooms. You can expect your harvest to start a couple of months after the flowers open.

Related

Do blueberries ripen after harvest?

Stems with clusters of blueberries ripening
Tony Lee Glenn / Pixabay

Some fruits will ripen after harvest, but are blueberries one of them? Blueberries will continue to ripen after harvest, but only slightly. Blueberries that are mostly ripe will finish ripening after they’ve been picked, while blueberries that aren’t close to being ripe will not. Color is a good metric to use for this. Blueberries that are dark blue or purple will ripen slightly after being picked. Blueberries that are pale blue, white, or green, however, will not ripen enough to be palatable after being harvested.

Unripe blueberries are not entirely useless, however! Some people enjoy pickling them or creating a verjus with them. Their tart flavor may not be as suitable for sweet blueberry pies or muffins, but some people enjoy the sour flavor of unripe blueberries.

How to tell if blueberries are ripe

Blueberries on a blueberry bush
ChiemSeherin / Pixabay

There are a few ways to tell if blueberries are ripe. Color is the first indicator of ripeness. A ripe blueberry will be completely blue or purple, without any white or green. Look for blueberries that are darker or more vibrant, as pale blue blueberries are almost, but not quite, ripe.

Texture is another important way to tell how ripe a blueberry is. A ripe blueberry will be soft, with just a little give. Unripe blueberries are firm or hard, and overripe ones are squishy. The final way to tell if a blueberry is ripe applies only if you are the one harvesting them. Ripe blueberries will practically fall off the bush, requiring little to no effort to pick. Unripe blueberries will cling more firmly to the bush.

Now that you know when blueberries are in season and how to tell if your blueberries are ripe, you’re ready for this year’s blueberry harvest! Start watching for your blueberry harvest when the weather begins to warm up, and only harvest blueberries that are ripe. Then, all that’s left is to enjoy your delicious blueberries. Be sure to store them carefully to keep them as fresh as possible.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Cayla Leonard
Cayla Leonard
Contributor
Cayla Leonard is a writer from North Carolina who is passionate about plants.  She enjoys reading and writing fiction and…
6 stunning types of evergreen trees for your yard
Evergreen trees that can liven up a winter landscape
Small pine tree

After the colors of fall have faded, the outdoors can look a bit bleak. Without flowers or foliage, what is there to provide your yard or garden with some life? Evergreen trees and shrubs are an excellent way to add color and vitality back into a dreary winter landscape. Adding one to your yard can revitalize your winter space. Not sure which evergreen tree to choose? Here are our six favorite types of evergreen trees you should consider adding to your yard.
White fir

White firs are beautiful native pine trees with a silver-blue color. They grow slowly, but are quite hardy. White fir trees can grow in most soil types, from highly acidic loam to sandy soils, although they do have more difficulty in clay-heavy soils. They grow best in full sun but can tolerate partial shade. For the first few months after planting, you should water your white fir tree regularly to encourage it to grow strong roots. After this, you can reduce watering significantly. White fir trees are drought tolerant. but once established, they only need water during hot, dry weather. Pruning isn't typically necessary for white fir trees unless they have damaged or diseased branches.
Arbor vitae

Read more
This is how many pumpkins per plant you can grow
What to expect from a pumpkin harvest
A small pumpkin sitting on top of a fence post

As summer ends and fall begins, the pumpkin harvest season is almost here! These lovely gourds have so many uses, from baking them into delicious pumpkin pies to carving them into Halloween decorations. Knowing when to expect them is one thing, but how many pumpkins can you expect to harvest? Is there any way to encourage your pumpkin plant to produce more pumpkins, or should you plant a specific type of pumpkin to ensure the biggest harvest? Here’s everything you need to know about how many pumpkins per plant to expect this harvest season.
How many pumpkins can grow per plant?

On average, pumpkin plants grow two to five pumpkins per plant. However, this depends on a few factors. Each pumpkin needs space and nutrients to grow. The larger the pumpkins are, the fewer you can expect to see on your vine. On the other hand, varieties with smaller pumpkins tend to produce more pumpkins. Pumpkin vines growing in poor soil or that are weak, sick, or stressed also tend to produce fewer gourds. These pumpkins may also be smaller than the species’ average, since the plant has less energy to devote to each pumpkin.

Read more
6 incredible types of basil for your herb garden
Add a little variety to your garden with one or all of these basil types
Basil plant bathed in sunlight

Herbs are fun to grow and useful to have around, both for flavoring meals and for keeping certain pests away. Basil is one of the most popular herbs, and for good reason. This tasty herb is versatile and easy to grow, both indoors and out. Did you know there’s more than just one type of basil? If you’re planning your next herb garden, here are six types of basil you should consider including to add a little variety to your garden.
Sweet basil

Sweet basil, also called genovese basil, is the most common type of basil, but there’s a reason it’s the classic. Reliable and delicious, sweet basil gives you the basil flavor and look that you’re familiar with. If you’ve grown basil before, it was likely sweet basil. Place your sweet basil in full sun, with some light afternoon shade if it’s outdoors. Water it regularly to keep the plant fresh and healthy, and you can begin harvesting leaves in just a few weeks, as soon as the plant has four sets of leaves. Be sure to leave a few leaves on the plant so it can continue to grow.
Thai lemon basil

Read more