Wait to prune young blueberries until their fourth year.
After establishment, Rabbiteye blueberries require little pruning until they reach about 6 to 8' in height. At this point, a cane renewal pruning program should be started. Remove one to three of the largest canes each winter at 0 to 24" from ground level, or a total of about 20 percent of the canopy. Over a period of five years the bush will be totally renewed. New, more productive canes will sprout from the old canes and will sprout below ground level. In addition, excessively tall canes can be pruned back to 6 to 8 feet each winter.
In general, judge the amount of overall thinning needed by the size of the berries. If the berries have been small, prune more heavily the following dormant season. If large, limit pruning.
