{"id":833,"date":"2026-10-29T22:19:19","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T22:19:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.buymyplants.com.au\/_home\/care\/blueberries-planting-in-the-ground\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T22:19:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T22:19:19","slug":"blueberries-planting-in-the-ground","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.buymyplants.com.au\/_home\/care\/blueberries-planting-in-the-ground\/","title":{"rendered":"Blueberries \u2014 Planting in the Ground"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"bmp-care-article\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The Plant:<\/strong> A &quot;Sunshine Blue&quot; or &quot;Biloxi&quot; blueberry tube stock or small pot (these &quot;Low Chill&quot; varieties thrive in Perth&#x27;s warm climate). [1]<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Soil Base:<\/strong> 1 bag of Scotts Osmocote Camellia &amp; Azalea Premium Potting Mix (blueberries require highly acidic soil to survive, and this is the cheapest way to get it). [1, 2]<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Acid &amp; Moisture Booster:<\/strong> 1 bag of Brunnings Sphagnum Peat Moss.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Root Protector:<\/strong> 1 bag of Pine Bark Mulch (keeps shallow roots cool in Perth\u2019s scorching summers).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Step-by-Step Planting Instructions<\/h2>\n<h2>Step 1: Pick the Right Location<\/h2>\n<p>Choose a spot that gets 6 to 8 hours of morning sun but is protected from the harsh, burning afternoon sun and strong winds.<\/p>\n<p>Blueberries have shallow, fibrous roots that spread out like a mat rather than going deep. Dig a hole about twice as wide as your plant&#x27;s pot, but only about 30cm deep. Throw away the native Perth sand you dug out\u2014you won&#x27;t be using it.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 3: Mix Your Budget Soil Pocket<\/h2>\n<p>In a wheelbarrow or right next to the hole, mix:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>50% Camellia &amp; Azalea potting mix<\/li>\n<li>50% Peat moss (make sure to wet the peat moss thoroughly with a bucket of water first, as it starts very dry)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Fill your dug hole with this blended mix. This mimics a perfect, water-holding acidic bog.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 4: Plant the Blueberry<\/h2>\n<p>Gently remove the blueberry from its store pot. Make a small well in your new soil mix and place the plant in it. Crucial tip: Ensure the top of the plant&#x27;s root ball sits exactly level with (or slightly higher than) the surrounding ground. Burying the stem too deep causes collar rot. Firm the mix down gently.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 5: Mulch Generously<\/h2>\n<p>Spread a 5cm to 10cm layer of Pine Bark Mulch over the top of the soil. Keep the mulch a couple of centimetres away from the actual woody stem of the plant to prevent rot. Pine bark naturally breaks down over time to keep the soil acidic.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 6: Water Deeply<\/h2>\n<p>Give the new plant a thorough soak with a watering can settle the roots and eliminate air pockets.<\/p>\n<h2>Budget Care Tips for Perth Weather<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Watering:<\/strong> Because Perth summers are brutal, water your blueberry every 2 days. Never let the acidic soil pocket completely dry out, but don&#x27;t leave it soggy.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fertilizing:<\/strong> Do not use cheap lawn or all-purpose fertilizers and avoid chicken manure (it is too alkaline). Only use fertilizers labelled for Camellias and Azaleas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<section class=\"bmp-care-downloads\">\n<h2>Download or print this guide<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buymyplants.com.au\/_home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blueberries-planting-in-the-ground.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Original guide PDF<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Plant: A &quot;Sunshine Blue&quot; or &quot;Biloxi&quot; blueberry tube stock or small pot (these &quot;Low Chill&quot; varieties thrive in Perth&#x27;s warm climate). [1] The Soil Base: 1 bag of Scotts Osmocote Camellia &amp; Azalea Premium Potting Mix (blueberries require highly acidic soil to survive, and this is the cheapest way to get it). [1, 2] [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":18,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-833","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"buymyplants_70lkd8","author_link":"https:\/\/www.buymyplants.com.au\/_home\/author\/buymyplants_70lkd8\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The Plant: A &quot;Sunshine Blue&quot; or &quot;Biloxi&quot; blueberry tube stock or small pot (these &quot;Low Chill&quot; varieties thrive in Perth&#x27;s warm climate). [1] The Soil Base: 1 bag of Scotts Osmocote Camellia &amp; Azalea Premium Potting Mix (blueberries require highly acidic soil to survive, and this is the cheapest way to get it). [1, 2]&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buymyplants.com.au\/_home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/833","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buymyplants.com.au\/_home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buymyplants.com.au\/_home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buymyplants.com.au\/_home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buymyplants.com.au\/_home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=833"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.buymyplants.com.au\/_home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/833\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buymyplants.com.au\/_home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buymyplants.com.au\/_home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}