Picking and eating your own homegrown berries, still warm from the sun, is one of the greatest pleasures a gardener can enjoy.
Nothing, and I do mean nothing, captures the essence of Summer quite like a ripe, juicy berry. The flavor and quality of blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries grown in your own backyard is unrivaled by anything the finest grocery store or even farmers market has to offer. Best of all, we live in one of the best regions in the country for growing berries! Growing raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries in the Pacific Northwest couldn’t be easier thanks to our ideal climate, robust soils, and the quality and diversity of locally grown plants.
The best Summer berries are high-yielding, attractive, easy to grow, and above all, delicious, so we’ve created an easy-to-follow guide with tips, tricks, and recommendations that will help you grow berries in the Pacific Northwest with confidence and ease!
All About Blueberries >
All About Strawberries >
All About Caneberries >
All About Blueberries
Blueberries can be blue, nearly black, and even pink and grow on shrubs that can be evergreen but most varieties are deciduous.
Blueberries produce their delicious berries on shrubby, thorn-free bushes that range in size from 2–8 feet tall depending on the variety. Blueberry shrubs make very attractive landscape plants with reddish, peeling bark and matte green leaves that are either held through the Winter on evergreen varieties or, in the case of deciduous blueberries, display beautiful Fall color in vibrant reds, purples and oranges before they drop. Blueberries very low-maintenance and have the benefit of being long-lived shrubs that can remain productive for 30–40 years!
The flowers on blueberry plants are charming and small, white to light pink in color, and look like small lanterns hanging upside down to resemble other plants in the Ericaceae family. Blueberry fruit is small, occurs in clusters along the shrub, is very easy to harvest, and is so incredibly versatile! The flavor profile ranges from sweetly earthy to bright and tart. Blueberries are delicious when eaten as a fresh snack in the garden, brought indoors to serve with cream, frozen for smoothies, or used in baked goods! The choice is yours, but you really can’t go wrong when using your homegrown blueberries.
How to Grow the Best Blueberries
The highest yields of fruit come from blueberries that are grown in full sun, but they are adaptable plants can also be grown in partial shade conditions.
Blueberries are pollinated primarily by bees, and many different bee species are drawn to their charming white and soft pink bell-shaped flowers. While most blueberries are self-fruitful and will produce fruit if grown individually, all blueberries will have higher, more robust yields if more than one variety is grown nearby so they can cross-pollinate with other strains. Plus, by selecting multiple varieties that mature at different times, you can extend your harvest window, increase your berry crops, and explore more flavors and qualities of berries!
Andrea’s Clever Blueberry Design Tip: I’m a huge fan of using blueberries in places where you might be tempted to choose a more traditional plant. Thinking of hedging a bed with boxwood? Why not reap the ecological and flavorful benefit of a low-laying evergreen blueberry hedge instead! And the same goes for taller deciduous varieties—if you’re looking for a large hedgerow plant for a mixed border with striking Fall color, snag a tall Blueberry which you’ll enjoy as much for its fruit as for its electrifying Fall display!
Blueberry Varieties & Selection
Blueberries are flavorful, no matter the variety, but the exact flavor profile, size, and firmness does change by variety. As a general rule of thumb, deciduous blueberries produce larger quantities of larger, more flavorful berries over a shorter window of time and are larger plants. Deciduous blueberries fall into three categories—Early, Mid, or Late-Season, all of which can cross-pollinate each other over the seasonal ranges. Evergreen blueberries produce smaller amounts of smaller berries over a longer harvest window on compact, semi-evergreen plants.
Ultimately, flavor is a matter of preference, but here is a quick guide to help make it easier for you to select your perfect blueberry:
- Deciduous Early-Season (Ripen Jun–Jul)
- Deciduous Mid-Season (Ripen Jul–Aug)
- Deciduous Late-Season (Ripen Aug–Sep)
- Evergreen Blueberry Varieties
- 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, true pink ripe berries; sweet flavor and firm texture; best eaten fresh
- Cabernet Splash – Intense red foliage in Spring turns green in Summer then electric red in Fall; sweet, large, firm berries
- Sunshine Blue – Showy Pink and white flowers, high yields of blue fruit; sweet and mild
- Bountiful Blue– Attractive blue foliage and small, evenly blue large berries; sweet flavor
- Peach Sorbet – Foliage ranges from green, to blue and peachy pink; sweet, tropical flavor
- Sapphire Cascade– Deep blue small berries on hanging plants; ideal for hanging baskets
- Midnight Cascade – Dark blue, almost black small berries on cascading plants; ideal for hanging baskets
Blueberry Planting Tips
- Ideal planting time: Blueberries are best planted Fall or early Spring so their roots have a chance to take hold before their first production season. When planting in Spring, remove some flower buds at planting time to encourage better root development. Always water thoroughly after planting and water consistently through their first two growing seasons.
- Soil requirements: Blueberries thrive in consistently moist, acidic soil with a pH between 4.5 and 5.5. They like proper drainage, but don’t want to go through prolonged periods of drought.
- Planting in ground: Amend existing soil with up to 50% G&B Acid Planting Mix to create the right growing conditions for blueberries. 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 you bought your blueberry in, and repot it using G&B Potting Soil. Evergreen varieties are especially well-suited for container growing!
Blueberry Care & Maintenance
- Mulching: Apply 2-4” of 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 first April and again June using G&B Rhododendron, Azalea & Camellia Fertilizer, which is ideal for acid-loving blueberries.
- Pruning: Beginning in year three, prune annually in late Winter (February) to maintain productivity. Remove crossing, damaged, and one third of the oldest branches.
- Pests & Diseases: Serious pest issues are rare, but birds are quick to claim ripe fruit. Use bird scare tape to protect your harvest, or carefully use taut, well-secured bird netting over fruit to keep birds from accessing fruit.
All About Strawberries
Strawberries are charming little plants with sweet white flowers and fruits with intensely sweet, juicy flavor. Strawberries are low-growing groundcover plants that make stringy runners that help them spread and will produce more baby 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.
How to Grow the Best Strawberries
Strawberries will yield more fruit in full sun, but Alpine varieties can be grown in partial shade conditions. 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.
Andrea’s Clever Strawberry Design Tip: Strawberries do well when they’re allowed to ramble and scramble and put down new roots and runners, so I plant them under larger static plantings like Roses or hedges where they have room to roam and regenerate themselves. Bonus points if they are underplanted with Spring bulbs like Crocus or Narcissus so they can take over when those early bulbs’ flowers fade!
Strawberry Varieties & Selection
Strawberries fall into two camps: June-bearing varieties deliver one generous, concentrated harvest in June, while everbearing varieties keep producing across the season with flushes in Spring and additional crops carrying you through Summer and into Fall.
- 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
- Mignonette – Small, incredibly aromatic and flavorful French Alpine berries; ideal for fresh eating and specialty gardeners; plants produce from June into Autumn
- Yellow Wonder – Small, white to yellow fruits are creamy and incredibly flavorful; highly productive, small Alpine plants do not produce runners
Strawberry Planting Tips
- Ideal planting time: Early Spring. Light frost will not harm plants and early establishment will yield more fruits in their first year.
- 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.
All About Caneberries—Raspberries, Blackberries & Marionberries
Caneberries are melt-in-the-mouth sweet, juicy, delicious, and incredibly productive and easy to grow! 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 harvest around, plus any nicks are well worth the reward of these mouth-watering berries!
How to Grow the Best Caneberries
Raspberries, Blackberries, Boysenberries, and Marionberries all thrive in full sun conditions. They can be planted in partial shade, but the yields and productivity will be reduced. Raspberries and caneberries are self-fruitful and do not require cross-pollination with another variety 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.
Andrea’s Clever Raspberry Design Tip: I love planting raspberries next to fences in the far corner of the garden. That way they fade into the background when they aren’t in season, and when they are ripe I get to go on a mini adventure when I head into the far reaches of my (albiet tiny) space to hunt down red, ripe raspberries! I always try to replicate this fun experience for my clients who are interested in growing their own fruit, too.
Caneberry Varieties & Selection
Raspberries come in two main types: One-crop varieties fruit once in June–July on second-year canes, while two-crop varieties offer a double harvest—first on second-year canes in Summer, then again in early Fall on first-year canes. We’ve also rounded up our other favorite caneberry varieties below!
- Willamette – Juicy, sweet-tart fruit; great fresh or for jams and sauces
- Canby – Thornless red raspberry; large, firm berries; very cold-hardy
- Raspberry Shortcake – Compact, thornless plants yield sweet and large, juicy berries; suitable for container growing
- 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
- Baby Cakes Blackberry – Compact, thornless plants yield sweet and large, juicy berries; suitable for container growing
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 and Babycakes Blackberry 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.
Any garden, from the tightest urban plot to the largest, sprawling landscape, deserves delicious berries. These little jewels of the Summertime provide flavors that are unmatched by any grocery store experience. Growing berries in the Pacific Northwest is easy, fun, and incredibly rewarding!
Visit our Garden Centers for everything you need to start or expand your berry patch—from locally grown berry starts to the best organic fertilizers and amendments, we have what you need for a productive and beautiful garden. Plus, our stores all carry a wide selection of fruit trees and other delicious edible options to help you grow your own food at home!