How To Plant, Grow And Care Huckleberry

The success of growing a huckleberry bush heavily depends on the timing and location of when and where you planted the bushes. Here are a few factors that you may not have been aware of and should start considering to increase your chances of success:

There are four ways for you to grow huckleberry bushes: seeds, nursery seedlings, stem cuttings, and division. If you want to know how to grow huckleberries from seeds and saplings, here is everything you need to know:

Step 1: Obtain Fresh Seeds

Obtaining fresh seeds is the most crucial step. Harvesting huckleberry seeds is a task of precision and timing. Wait for the berries to become soft and squishy on the plane before picking. Mash the berries and dilute them with water to clean thoroughly, removing all pulp and debris to prevent fungal issues.

You can either store them in a cool, dark, and dry place using an airtight container for a few years to a decade if in a refrigerator. Soak the seeds for 24 hours to soften and activate them before planting.

Step 2: Prepare the Potting Mix

A good potting mix increases the chances of successful germination for huckleberries. Fill a small 2-3 inch (5-7 cm) pot with a fresh soilless seed-starting potting mix purchased from your local garden store. 

Alternatively, peat moss soilless mix can be used however, do not use the garden soil which is heavy and could carry pests and diseases. Ensure that the potting mix or peat moss remains moist but not soggy and place it in a warm area indoors with bright, indirect light.

Step 3: Sow the Seeds

Plant the seeds 1/4 inch (6 mm) deep 6-8 weeks before the last frost date. Water and monitor regularly to ensure that the potting mix remains lightly moist instead of soggy as soggy roots promote diseases, rot, or fungus. 

They should germinate in 7-21 days at 75-80°F (24-27°C). You can either transplant the seedlings after they are 2 inches (5 cm) tall in summer or grow them in the pot for 1 to 2 years before transplanting them.

Step 4: Prepare Garden Soil

The last two steps apply for both your grown inhouse seedlings or nursery store-brought seedlings. Huckleberries require well-drained soil which means looking for or utilizing deep, loamy soil or a sloped planting site location.

Transplant during late spring or early summer after ensuring that the threat of the last frost is completely gone in your local region and ensure that the soil acidity is between 4.3 and 5.2 pH. Amend the pH level of the soil if necessary.

Step 5: Transplant the Seedlings

After preparing the soil for transplant, dig a hole approximately twice the size of the shrub’s root ball and dig just as deep as the root. Place the plant in the center of the whole and fill it with dirt.

The hole must be twice as large as the roots as the huckleberry roots grow shallow but over a wide area as some species of huckleberries can propagate through rhizomes and create a colony. Gently compact the soil around the base of the shrub, mulch and water thoroughly.

After planting your huckleberries, you should care for them by providing the right conditions for them to grow and thrive properly. Below are the instructions regarding how to best achieve the right conditions to be maintained:

Growth Habit

Huckleberries are hardy self-pollinating perennial shrubs that grow up to 3-10 feet (0.9-3 m) and 3-4 feet (0.9-1.2 m) wide. They can only reach their maximum height in partial shade conditions however, huckleberries do not fruit properly without the direct sun.

Their black-purple berries are the result of tiny, pale pink urn-shaped flowers which appear in spring. It takes huckleberry bushes three to four years to start producing berries with full harvest expected in five or six years. 

Watering

Consistent moisture in the soil is key to growing healthy and fruiting huckleberries. With regular rainfall, watering is unnecessary. However, water deeply when the top layer of soil is dry during the absence of rain. 

While the shrubs require regular water, the soil shouldn’t remain overly moist and soggy. Check if there are any issues which are preventing the soil from draining well since soggy roots can result in yellowing of leaves or diseases.

Temperature and Humidity

Huckleberry plants are very winter-hardy and withstand temperatures below freezing. These shrubs require a stretch of deep cold winter temperatures to successfully bloom and facilitate fruit production in the growing season of spring. 

Ideally, the cold winter temperatures should be between 32-45°F (0-7°C) with a total of 1,000 chill hours necessary to successfully produce a bountiful abundance of berries. 40-50% humidity is ideal which is provided through the regularly wetted moist soil.

Fertilizing

Huckleberries grow best in nutrient-rich soil, if the soil is already rich and fertile with organic matter, artificial fertilization is unnecessary. Otherwise, use a well-balanced slow-release granular fertilizer like 10-10-10 in the spring while manure can be used anytime.

Do not fertilize after early summer, as it leads to lots of new growth that is vulnerable to winter cold. Do not use herbicides or weed-and-feed fertilizers on huckleberries as they can also kill the shallow growing roots of the huckleberry. 

Huckleberry are winter hardy plants and do not require any additional extra care during the colder months unlike other plants once the seedlings have grown up properly into a bush. Still, our experts have some advice for you which you should keep in mind during winter.

Pruning

Huckleberry bushes grow slowly and don't need much pruning, especially for young plants. In late winter and early spring, you can still remove dead and diseased branches and those that are crossing or rubbing against each other. 

Another reason to prune would be to prevent the start or spread of a fungal infection by making sure that there is sufficient airflow through and around the limbs of the shrub by trimming dead or overcrowded branches. 

Mulching

Adding mulch to the base of the plant improves moisture retention and the plant will require less frequency in watering. It is recommended and best practice to replace the applied mulch every year.

It is also noteworthy to mention that mulching helps in weed control along with sufficient exposure to the sun helps lowers the chance of a fungal infection.  

Weeding

Huckleberry plants have wide shallow roots close to the weeds which are easily damaged. Thus it is important to not use herbicides, weed-and-feed fertilizers, or use any digging tools for weeding.  

Using a digging tool such as a sickle or a hoe can easily cut and damage the huckleberry roots while trying to cut away the weeds. Instead, always perform weeding by hand.

Fertilization

Use a well-balanced slow-release granular fertilizer like 10-10-10 at the end of the season in the spring. However, if the soil is already rich in natural organic matter then fertilization is unnecessary. Alternatively, u can also use organic compost and manure to fertilize which doesn't need to be limited to spring.

Nevertheless, it is imperative to avoid fertilizing late in the growing season due to the risk of creating abundant new growths that will be vulnerable to the cold winter months. 

Huckleberries can also be grown from various propagation techniques such as stem cuttings, division, and layering. Below are the steps necessary to grow huckleberry from the various techniques: 

Stem Cuttings

Identify a healthy branch and cut a 4 to 5-inch (10-13 cm) section in late winter to early spring. Remove all except the top 2-3 leaves and apply rooting hormone to the branch. Plant in a moist soilless potting mix and place in a warm room with indirect light.

Monitor for signs of growth, foliage, and roots which will develop within a few months. When they are 6 inches (15 cm) tall transplant the cutting outdoors during spring when the last threat of frost has passed.

Division

You can also grow huckleberries by division as they do not have a central root system. Dig up a root clump and cut the rhizomes in late fall or early winter. Plant the cutting in a soilless mix container filled with peat moss without dipping into a rooting compound.

Leave the plant for one to two years to give them ample time to recover. Afterward, the cuttings should have healthy 1-2 inches (2-5 cm) long roots and shoots. Transplant this cutting into the garden soil.

Layering

To propagate via layering, choose a long and flexible lower branch. Dig a channel of 1-2 inch (2-5 cm) depth, then bend and bury a section of the branch. Removing bark from the buried section while the rest of the branch stays upright.

Apply rooting hormone if desired and secure the branch with rocks or stakes. Uncover the buried section periodically and check for roots which might take several months Once substantial roots have developed, cut the branch from the parent and transplant it to the garden.

Huckleberry bushes require three to four years to finally start producing berries with a full harvest finally being expected after one or two additional years from planting. For them to fruit and develop berries properly, they should be given an ample amount of sun, preferably 4 to 6 hours of regular direct sunlight.

When fruited, the huckleberries ripen in the fall between August and September. You will know that the berries are ready to be picked when they are dark blue or purple and easily come off the plant.

There are several types of huckleberry shrubs native to North America. Divided into the Gaylussacia genus, native to eastern North America while Vaccinium genus are native to western North America. Gaylussacians are deciduous while Vacciniums are generally evergreen.

Gaylussacia Genus

Gaylussacia Baccata ‘Black Huckleberry’:

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-7

Height: 3 feet (0.9 m)

This shrub is native to the eastern regions of America and produces fruits that mature into a deep blueish-black color. They typically form into dense thickets with leaves that turn orange and scarlet in fall. Often found in woodland settings, its blue and black berries serve as a source of food for wildlife. 

Gaylussacia Dumosa ‘Dwarf Huckleberry’:

USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-10

Height: 1-2 feet (0.3-0.6 m)

This shrub grows erect and has deciduous or semi-evergreen foliage with branches growing from the base. It is native to eastern regions from Canada to Florida and has small, pale-white to pink bell or urn-shaped flowers that mature into purplish drupe fruits in late summer to fall.

The drupes are edible but not as sweet as blueberries. They have resin-dotted leaf undersides that help distinguish it from other plants in the same genus.

Vaccinium Genus

Vaccinium Ovata ‘Evergreen Huckleberry’: 

USDA Hardiness Zone: 7-9

Height: 8 feet (2.4 m)

This evergreen huckleberry, known as "Box Huckleberry" is often grown for its ornamental foliage that features leathery green ovate leaves. Grown for their prolific berry production and the tarty fruit taste, they are most commonly used for baking or making jams.

It is native to Oregon and has a large distribution range on the Pacific Coast from northern California to British Columbia. 

Vaccinium Membranaceum 'Mountain Huckleberry':  

USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-9

Height: 1-4 feet (0.3-1.2 m)

This shrub also known as mountain bilberry, globe huckleberry, and Montana huckleberry is native to western North America with a range extending from southern Alaska, Yukon to south as far as Utah and California.

They produce berries that are red, blue, purple, black, and even white with excellent flavor. This is the most widely harvested western huckleberry.