In general, the climate and soils between the coastal ranges and Cascade Mountains in Washington and Oregon are ideal for blueberries. There are, however, areas where soils are not suitable, such as areas of compact clay soils that allow very poor internal drainage and root penetration. Coarse sandy or gravelly soils present problems because of their poor nutrient and water-holding capacity. Cultivated blueberry plants usually require 6 to 8 years to reach full production and are 5 to 10 feet high at maturity. Vegetative growth begins in the spring with bud swell.
Shoots grow in flushes, showing rapid growth, then stopping as the apical bud aborts.
A bud near the tip of the shoot will continue to grow. Shoots may have from one to several flushes during the season. In mid-summer, shoot growth slows and several buds along new shoots differentiate into flower buds for next year's crop. Flower bud formation begins at the shoot tip and continues downward. Flower buds are large and almost spherical, whereas vegetative buds are pointed, small, and scale-like.