Is Transplanting A Four-Year-Old Blueberry Bush Possible?

Q: I have a four-year-old blueberry bush I need to transplant to a new location. Is this possible? 

A: Blueberries have very fine, wide-ranging fibrous roots. This is normal for plants that have to scavenge for nutrients under trees in nature. Their root system does not grow very deep. One good way to move a blueberry is to rake away the mulch underneath and then soak the soil with a drip hose for several hours, making it soggy. With a spading fork you can explore where the roots run and then lift them out of the soil with your hands. When you are finished you’ll have a wide pancake of a root system. In the plant’s new home, dig a hole ten inches deep and sized to fit the root system. Mix the removed soil 1:1 with peat moss. Put the blueberry into place and cover the roots with your soil mixture. Lift the plant so the trunk is in the soil at about the same level as it was originally. Soak the roots and soil with water, add more soil mixture and level it as needed. There is no real need to add fertilizer but you can add a handful of starter fertilizer if you like. Fertilize in March with an organic product like Holly-tone or Milorganite. Your blueberry will never realize it was moved.