Brightwell is a vigorous, upright, deciduous shrub with oval, leathery, blue-green leaves, turning bright yellow to orange in autumn, and, in spring, white, urn-shaped flowers followed by edible, blue fruit ready for harvest in early summer.
Be sure the plants get a deep watering at least once per week. Blueberries are shallow-rooted and need at least a couple of inches of water each week, more during dry spells.
Don’t fertilize your blueberries in their first year. The roots are sensitive to salt until the plants are established. Ammonium sulfate is usually used as a fertilizer for blueberries, as opposed to the aluminum sulfur used to lower the pH. But you can use any fertilizer for acid-loving plants, including blueberry food and azalea food.
Blueberries like very acidic soil, with a soil pH in the rage of 4.0 to 5.2.1 They also like soil rich in organic matter. If your garden has heavy clay soil, blueberries will fare better in raised beds. Sandy soil is preferable to dense, clay soil.
As with all berries and fruits, blueberries will continue producing their best if they are maintenance-pruned. In the first two years, remove any flowers that appear. Your plants will get bigger and more vigorous because of this. Berries are produced on branches in their second year of growth, so it’s important to be constantly renewing the blueberry bush.
The temperature needs of blueberry bushes vary according to the species. The traditional highbush types prefer humid air and a cold winter climate, but the types bred for southern gardens do not tolerate freezing temps. Most types prefer a fairly sheltered location, protected from strong
