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BLUEBERRIES IN MICHIGAN
Michigan is the number one state in Highbush Blueberry Production. and leads the nation’s blueberry acreage. Van Buren County alone has more acres planted to blueberries -- 7,700 -- than does the entire state of New Jersey, which ranks second. Most of the acreage is located in Southwest Michigan near the Lake Michigan shore. The sandy glacial soils and high water tables result in excellent blueberry soils with pHs in the 4.5 to 5.5 range. Over 20 varieties are grown in Michigan. The harvest season normally runs from early July through October. Unlike most other fruit crops in Michigan, most blueberry plantings are irrigated. While lowbush blueberry grows wild in Michigan there is little commercial production
NATIONAL PRODUCTION
Michigan leads the nation in blueberry production, producing 32 percent of the blueberries eaten in the U.S. In 1998, the state produced 49 million pounds of the small, round berry.
Acidic soil is required to grow blueberries, along with adequate water and cool temperatures. Low growing season temperatures allow a dormant period for blueberry bushes, a climatic factor that promotes higher yields.
Allegan, Berrien, Muskegon, Ottawa and Van Buren counties on the western side of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula comprise the state’s primary blueberry growing region. Michigan harvest season begins in mid-July and ends in late September. Popular varieties include the Bluecrop, the Elliot and the Jersey
(from MSU’s Agricultural Blueberry Team and the Michigan Department of Agriculture)