Would I be wise to prune it back severely, to the first
Jul 14, To keep them producing well, blueberry bushes need to be pruned every year. If your bushes have never been trimmed, be careful not to go overboard the first year: Remove no more than two or three of the oldest canes (more than seven years old). Remove any diseased or broken wood, plus crossing shrubfall.clubted Reading Time: 2 mins.
Jan 21, Highbush blueberry, a native of North America, grows six to 12 feet tall and is the major blueberry-producing species in commerce. Its name refers to its tall stature. The best time to prune is from January to early-March during the dormant period, advises Bernadine Strik, berry crops specialist with the Oregon State University Extension shrubfall.clubted Reading Time: 3 mins.
Feb 12, Bernadine Strik, an Oregon State University berry crop extension specialist, prunes out a “twiggy” branch on a young blueberry plant, leaving the whip clean with buds near the end. (Ross Courtney/Good Fruit Grower) Blueberries require constant renewal growth of vigorous, 1-year-old wood to sustainably produce good berries year-to-year.
Jul 03, Besides reducing plant height after harvest for ease of picking, the other major step to pruning mature rabbiteye blueberry plants is to remove one to three of the oldest canes. This can be done after harvest, as well, or during the winter, when plants are shrubfall.clubted Reading Time: 3 mins. The best time of year to prune blueberries is in late winter or early spring.
You want to prune them when the fruit buds are showing.
If you prune in the summer the growth and berry amount will be a lot less.
It's also best to prune on a dry day. If you're like us, the answer for when to prune blueberries (in Washington State) would be mid-January through the first part of March.