Blueberries require a well drained acidic soil rich in organic matter. They prefer a ph in 4.5-5.5 range. It's important to adjust the ph months in advance of planting. There are several ways to lower your ph. The link below will provide you with that info. I would start with a soil test to learn what your ph is. Blueberries are shallow rooted and will require additional irrigation during dry periods.

Most blueberries should be spaced about 5' apart. They do get rather large eventually. I'm growing bluecrop, climax, misty blue and powder blue, 5 plants in all. Next year I'll add 3-4 more. I want a couple of early one's like earliblue and maybe Jersey. The bluecrop is a very good one. I also liked the misty blue which is a smaller bush @ 3' so it doesn't need as much space. It's a heavy producer over a fairly long period.

I haven't tasted powderblue or climax yet. I reluctanly pinched all the buds this year since they were just planted.

Bleuberries are beautiful plants that have excellent fall color. The leaves of powder blue and climax have a blue-ish tint and I love the way they look. I planted them more for a screen than anything. If they taste good, that's a real plus.

I got most of my plants from Edible Landscaping near Charlottesville but even Wal-mart was carrying several types this spring. I saw Jersey...which has an excellent reputation. I also saw bluecrop but those are the only ones that I recall. I don't know where you are in Virginia but there's another place I've heard of called Virgina Berry Farm...I think, not sure where it is tho.

Blueberries are pretty trouble free if you prepare the soil well and water when necessary. Birds are the biggest problem.

Btw, raspberries prefer a ph a little higher than blueberries.

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing blueberries

Oops, I meant to say I have "sunshine blue," not "misty blue". The description of sunshine blue on the Edible Landscaping site says it will grow to 4'. Some descriptions say 3'.

Both sunshine and misty blue are said to be more adaptable to a higher ph.

Here is a link that might be useful: Edible Landscaping

Thanks Peggy. Your info and the link were really helpful. We're in southern Fairfax, near Mt Vernon.

I recently cleaned out the fireplace and have several gallons of fresh ashes. Do you think it would be a good idea to work them into the soil where we plan to plant the blueberries to improve the pH? What about peat? We have some of that available as well. Do we have enough time for that to do the trick prior to springtime planting?

Ashes are very alkaline and should never be used. Peat moss is acidic and can be used. You should also purchase a product called garden sulfur from some place like Lowe's, That will also acidify the soil. I keep my blueberries mulched with shredded pine bark mulch.

By all means start preparing the soil now. Frankly I didn't prepare my soil much in advance. I had leaf mold, sawdust and a little peat moss whcih I dug in along will compost. I didn't do it till 2 weeks prior to planting.(Never put manure around blueberries.) A prior soil test showed my soil to be 6.5 so it was already slightly acidic.

Another thing...Over the summer months we had long periods without rain. I saved gal jugs (from cranberry juice) and set 2-3 around the plants every week. It makes watering very easy. If you can save rainwater, that's even better.

Lastly, I'd lurk around at the "fruit and orchard" forum a bit. There are some really knowledgeble people over there. Make sure you do a gardenweb search on blueberries and I think you'll find a lot of info right here.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: How to acidify soil

Thanks again Peggy. I chopped in a mess of peat moss to get that process moving. We have a deep pile of fall leaves decomposing on top of the bed, so hopefully the bed will be ready for planting come springtime.

Park Seeds has a great selection of blueberries and their descriptions includes what climate they will grow best in.

Here is a link that might be useful: Park Seed

Thanks DawnStorm. I have ordered a number of plants from Park Seed and am awaiting their delivery. Of course, with this blizzard looming it will be a while before it's time to work in the garden, but it's still a pleasant thought.

A good mulch for blueberries (and rhodos, mt. laurel, etc) is pine needles. Its free if you have a pine tree in your yard! My neighbour has two mature loblolly pines hanging over my yard. I use the needles to mulch my azaleas and blueberries.