Pruning is critical for the management of blueberry plants. It helps with the growth and development of younger plants and is needed to create a structure that will maximize vigor and productivity, minimize insect and disease problems, and help maintain strong bushes that will produce large fruit size and quality for many years. Blueberry bushes should be pruned annually to continuously renew the plant in order to sustain their productivity.

Depending on the number or varieties grown, blueberry bushes should be pruned immediately after harvest in Southern California, usually during the summer months. University of California Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor Manuel Jimenez demonstrates how to prune juvenile blueberry bushes to maximize productivity. The first video clip is narrated in English and the second clip is narrated in Spanish, but you can skip forward or backward to switch from one clip to the other.