Picking and eating your own homegrown berries, still warm from the sun, is one of the greatest pleasures a gardener can know.
The flavor and quality of blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries grown in your own backyard is unrivaled by anything the finest grocery store or farmers market has to offer. Luckily, growing berries in the Pacific Northwest couldn’t be easier thanks to our ideal climate and easy-to-follow care guide. Our favorite berries are high-yielding, attractive, easy to grow, and above all, delicious.
How to Grow Blueberries
Blueberries grow on shrubby, thorn-free bushes that range in size from 2–8 feet tall depending on the variety. They are attractive plants with reddish bark and matte green leaves that become red and purple when Fall begins. The fruit is small, easy to harvest, and incredibly versatile. Blueberries produce the highest yields in full sun, but can also be grown in partial shade conditions. They are long-lived shrubs that can remain productive for 30–40 years!
Blueberry Pollination
While most blueberries are self-fruitful and will produce fruit if grown individually, all blueberries benefit from having additional varieties nearby so they can cross-pollinate with other strains. Cross-pollination ensures that yields will be higher and more robust. By selecting varieties that mature at different times, you can extend your harvest while increasing your berry crops!
Blueberry Varieties & Selection
Early-Season Blueberries (Ripen June–July):
- Earliblue – Juicy, sweet berries are aromatic and light-blue; delicious fresh or in baking
- Duke – Mildly sweet, firm berries are medium to large in size; stores well
Mid-Season Blueberries (Ripen July–August):
- Blueray – Abundant production of large, sweet berries; pink blooms in the springtime
- Bluecrop – Consistent yields of high-quality berries; best eaten fresh; can tolerate hot Summers
- Berkeley – Firm, uniform berries are large and store well; mild flavor
- Pink Lemonade – Bright, deep pink ripe berries; sweet flavor and firm texture; best eaten fresh
Late-Season Blueberries (Ripen August–September):
- Chandler – Extra large berries are sweet and juicy; delicious eaten fresh
- Legacy – Medium to large berries on a vigorous plant; strong, sweet flavor
- Elliott – High-acid content berries have tart flavor; heavy production over a long harvest window
Evergreen Blueberries: Cultivars like Sunshine Blue and Bountiful Blue produce smaller amounts of berries over a long harvest window on compact, semi-evergreen plants. Their smaller form makes these varieties ideal for growth in containers, or in the case of Sapphire Cascade or Midnight Cascade, even hanging baskets!
Blueberry Planting Tips
- Ideal planting time: Fall and early Spring. When planting in Spring, remove some flower buds at planting time to encourage better root development; water thoroughly after planting.
- Soil requirements: Thrive in consistently moist, acidic soil with a pH between 4.5 and 5.5.
- Planting in ground: Amend native soil with up to 50% G&B Acid Planting Mix to create the right growing conditions. If your soil pH needs significant adjustment, apply elemental sulfur or cottonseed meal—but always test your soil first to determine how much is needed.
- Planting in containers: Choose a container larger than the nursery pot and repot using G&B Potting Soil. Evergreen varieties are especially well-suited for container growing.
Blueberry Care & Maintenance
- Mulching: Apply G&B Acid Planting Mix around plants each Spring to retain moisture, protect shallow roots, and improve soil health. Water regularly during dry periods for at least the first two years after planting, as blueberries are especially sensitive to drought.
- Fertilizing: Feed in April and June using G&B Rhododendron, Azalea & Camellia Fertilizer.
- Pruning: Beginning in year three, prune annually in late Winter (February) to maintain productivity. Remove crossing, damaged, and some of the oldest branches.
- Pests & Diseases: Serious pest issues are rare, but birds are quick to claim ripe fruit. Use bird netting or bird scare tape to protect your harvest.
How to Grow Strawberries
Strawberries are low-growing plants that make stringy runners to spread and produce more plants over time. They can be grown in landscape beds, raised beds, or containers, making them a great berry to grow in virtually any garden setting. Strawberries will yield more fruit in full sun, but Alpine varieties can be grown in partial shade conditions.
Strawberry Pollination
Strawberries are self-fruitful, but planting more than one variety encourages better pollination, resulting in higher yields and larger berries. Cross-pollination—and increased visits from a diversity of pollinators—improves berry size because each strawberry is actually an aggregate fruit made up of many tiny flowers.
Strawberry Varieties & Selection
Everbearing Strawberry Varieties: Produce two to three harvests per season—one in Spring and additional crops later in the growing season.
- Tristar – Heavy early Spring crop of small to medium fruit, followed by a larger Fall harvest; excellent fresh or frozen; well-suited to hanging baskets; disease resistant.
- Seascape – Large, firm, attractive berries with outstanding flavor and high yields; offers basic disease and virus resistance.
- Aromas – Large, firm berries with exceptional flavor and bright red color; slightly later-bearing, with production continuing into late Fall.
- Quinault – Large, deep red berries with good flavor; ideal for fresh eating and preserves but not freezing; vigorous, high-yielding plants; susceptible to mildew.
June-Bearing Strawberry Varieties: Produce one large, concentrated harvest in June.
- Rainier – Extremely vigorous, virus-tolerant plants with big attractive foliage and medium to large berries; excellent for fresh eating and processing.
- Hood – A chef favorite for fresh use and preserves; resistant to root rot, mildew, and red stele, but virus-prone and less Winter hardy.
Strawberry Planting Tips
- Ideal planting time: Early spring (light frost will not harm plants)
- Soil requirements: Strawberries prefer well-draining soil with a pH of 5.5–6.5. Improve heavy or wet soils with organic matter or plant in raised beds to ensure good drainage.
- Planting in ground: Set roots straight down, planting at the correct depth, and firm soil around each plant. Water thoroughly and continue regular irrigation. Strawberries grow well in dedicated beds or tucked beneath edible and ornamental shrubs.
- Planting in containers: Use window boxes, pots, hanging baskets, or strawberry pots filled with quality potting soil. Fertilize regularly; plants will spread and may trail over container edges.
Strawberry Care & Maintenance
- Mulching: In cold-winter areas, protect plants by covering them with 3–5 inches of straw or fallen leaves in late Fall. Remove mulch in early Spring as new growth appears. A light mulch of straw or G&B Soil Building Conditioner between plants also helps prevent fruit rot.
- Fertilizing: Feed with an organic option like G&B Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer in early Spring when growth begins, and again in early August.
- Pests & Diseases: Prevent fungal issues and root rot by planting in well-drained soil or raised beds. Manage aphids with organic insecticides, water sprays, or beneficial insects. Control slugs with organic baits like Sluggo, and protect fruit from birds and squirrels as needed.
How to Grow Raspberries & Caneberries
Raspberries and relatives like Boysenberry and Marionberry are produced on arching canes. Each season, new canes emerge from the ground and grow up alongside the parent plants. Though many varieties of Caneberries have thorns, they are typically easy to navigate, and any nicks are well worth the reward of these mouth-watering berries. Raspberries, Blackberries, Boysenberries, and Marionberries all thrive in full sun conditions—planting in partial shade will reduce yields.
Raspberry Pollination
Raspberries and caneberries are self-fruitful and do not require cross-pollination to produce fruit. However, the presence of pollinators—especially bees—significantly increases both yield and berry size, resulting in larger harvests when flowers receive ample pollinator activity.
Raspberry Varieties & Selection
One-Crop Raspberries: Fruit once on two-year-old wood, June–July.
- Willamette – Juicy, sweet-tart fruit; great fresh or for jams and sauces.
- Canby – Thornless red raspberry; large, firm berries; very cold-hardy.
Two-Crop Raspberries: Fruit on two-year-old wood in Summer and one-year-old wood early Fall.
- Fall Gold – Large, golden, sweet berries; adaptable to many conditions.
- Heritage – Deep red, mild-flavored berries; stores well.
Noteworthy Cane Berries:
- Marionberry – Sweet, large purple berries; long harvest starting in June; canes need support.
- Olallieberry – Medium, sweet berries; adaptable; fruits begin in July.
- Boysenberry Thornless – Hybrid producing long, deep maroon berries; complex tangy-sweet flavor with few seeds.
Raspberry Planting Tips
- Ideal planting time: Spring
- Soil requirements: Well-draining, slightly acidic soil is essential for healthy growth.
- Planting in ground: To reduce the risk of root rot, incorporate gypsum lime into the planting area at a rate of 4.5 oz per square foot. Gypsum provides calcium that helps suppress root rot without altering soil pH. Most raspberries benefit from support—use tall stakes, a fence, or a two-wire trellis to keep canes upright and manageable, though some varieties require little to no support.
- Planting in containers: Most caneberries are not suited for containers, but compact, everbearing varieties such as Raspberry Shortcake can be grown successfully in large pots with consistent watering.
Raspberry Care & Maintenance
- Mulching: Apply a 2–3 inch layer of organic mulch, such as straw, shredded leaves, or G&B Soil Building Conditioner, around caneberries to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and protect shallow roots. Refresh mulch annually, keeping it a few inches away from the canes.
- Fertilizing: Raspberries are light feeders. Apply G&B Organic All Purpose Fertilizer or G&B Citrus & Fruit Tree Fertilizer in Spring once growth begins, and again 6–8 weeks later. A Fall application of kelp meal supports Winter hardiness and disease resistance.
- Pruning: Allow nearby suckers to develop to replace older canes, but remove those spreading too far from the plant. After harvest, remove spent two-year-old canes. During dormancy, thin to 4–6 strong canes per plant, cutting back or training one-year-old canes for next season’s crop.
- Pests & Diseases: Serious pest issues are rare, but birds readily eat ripe fruit—use netting or bird scare tape for protection. Prevent root rot by planting in well-drained soil and amending with gypsum lime as needed.
Growing berries in the Pacific Northwest is both rewarding and delicious! Visit our Garden Centers for everything you need to start or expand your berry patch, along with a wide selection of fruit trees and other fruitful additions for your garden.