Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gardening
  3. Evergreens

This is when blueberries are in season

How to tell if your blueberries are ready to harvest

By
Add as a preferred source on Google
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.

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.

Related

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.

Topics

Editors’ Recommendations

How often should you water your grass seeds for the best results?
Tips for watering grass seed to get the lawn of your dreams
Grass with dew on it

A beautiful, lush green lawn is something that many homeowners strive for, but sometimes cultivating that lawn can be quite the headache. Getting your seeds to germinate and grow into thick, healthy grass requires balancing all of its needs. For such a simple plant, grass sure does need a lot of attention! Watering, mowing, dethatching, aerating, and reseeding your lawn can take a while to figure out, but it's easier with the help of a guide.

Read more
Pruning basics: What it is and how to do it right
How to prune your trees and shrubs
Person pruning a tree

What you need to do to keep a tree or shrub healthy can depend a lot on the type of tree or shrub, but something that is almost always the same is pruning. While there are a few small variations from plant to plant, the basics of pruning are mostly the same no matter what you’re growing. If you’re a beginner, you might have a few questions. What is pruning? How often should you do it, and in what season? Don’t worry, we’ll answer these questions and more in this guide to the basics of pruning.
What is pruning?

Pruning is the process of removing certain branches from a plant. Cutting your plant might sound intimidating, but pruning is actually important for maintaining the health of your trees and shrubs. The primary branches that are removed are those that are dead, dying, damaged, diseased, or at risk of becoming damaged. Branches at high risk are usually those that are growing too close to another branch or a structure of some kind. If the branches rub against each other too much in the wind, the friction can damage the bark. This leaves them vulnerable to pests and fungal infections.

Read more
Vinca minor as ground cover: Here’s what you should know
Is Vinca minor right for your lawn? Here are the pros and cons
Purple periwinkle (Vinca minor) flowers

People are starting to look for alternatives to grass lawns, whether it's because they’re easier to maintain, better for the environment, or just more attractive. From Irish moss lawns to creeping thyme, there are plenty of interesting plants you can grow as a ground cover. One popular grass alternative is Vinca minor, also known as common periwinkle. It offers many benefits, but it isn't a perfect plant for everyone. How do you know if a Vinca minor lawn is right for you and your home? We'll walk you through all the pros and cons of growing Vinca minor as a groundcover so you can make the best choice for yourself.
Pros of Vinca minor as ground cover

Vinca minor provides several benefits as a ground cover. It’s low maintenance and tolerates drought, sun, and shade. This is also a low-growing plant, which means you don’t need to worry about mowing it to keep the height down. It also grows quickly and vigorously, spreading to fill your entire lawn. It will spread to fill in empty patches, helping repair damaged sections and letting you save on seeds.

Read more