growing blueberries?
 

Anyone have much experience with blueberries?
I have finally decided to start to try and grow some food for my suburban self this spring. Am working out the particulars of a garden plot , and lotta the old posts have been very helpful. I expect I'll totally F it up in the beginning , but am looking forward to it nonetheless. Though I don't have much land. Am also looking for a plot for the future , few acres, to learn by trial and error on a larger scale, somehwere within a couple hours of here, cause the land nearer me is just way to expensive. Am in Hudson Valley region New York.
Anyway, Outside the plot , I am thinking blueberry bushes maybe around the treeline perimeter. The house is built in what was a long ago commercial sand pit, and I understand the bb's do well in sandy , acidic soil. Also they won't see much sun , but I remember walking through the woods by a local reservoir as a kid and finding wild bb's growing in the middle of the woods sometimes , so I figure it should be okay?
I have googled around , and have some ideas as to type and that stuff. I emailed the local ag cooperative run outta Cornell U with some questions, twice now , but no reply. Though come to think of it they may not be back from winter break yet?
Anyway , any insights would be appreciated. Type , yields in reality(not according to sellers info), should I buy 2 or 3 year old plants that may bear fruit this season or get younger ones and go slower. Try and find a wild one and replant?(haven't seen one in long time , but I don't walk the res. anymore either to have looked). Any other tips , pointers suggestions resources greatly appreciated.

Re: growing blueberries?
 

I am interested in this subject as well.

One question I have: What time of year is best for planting the bushes?

Re: growing blueberries?
 

I was figuring on planting some this winter/spring also. The nursery catalogs say acid soil and they do not like full sun. I have a stretch along a shady fence and partially under a large tree. I will have to add sulfur or gypsum to my alkaline soil. The nursery I intend to order from ships out the plants as bare root about March.

Re: growing blueberries?
 

There were 50 bushes here when we moved in,they were planted in 1948 and are still producing. Many "wild ones" have sprung up where birds dropped their seeds,my son and other people have transplanted these feral berries and they produce ok.

Ours are on a hillside(well drained) and other trees shade them.

I have little experience growing them,I just pick & eat but if you do not get any helpful information I will see what I can do for you.My son has a tree nursery and I will see him in about a week,I will show him your post and see what information he can offer.

Re: growing blueberries?
 

Not blueberries but I got blackberries, they grow wild here.

Two things I can count on, walnuts and blackberries.

Re: growing blueberries?
 

Sulfur will acid up a soil......but I believe gypsum is an alkaline, similar to lime.

Re: growing blueberries?
 

Gypsum is Ph neutral in the soil.

Blueberries will tolerate acid soil, that doesn't mean that they prefer acid soil.

Re: growing blueberries?
 

I am not a botanist so I do not want to steer you the wrong way. I know in New Hampshire, I always like to kayak on Lake Winnepesaukee, check out the small islands, and gather some of the blueberries. Without a doubt, these wild bushes produce the tastiest berry I have sampled. The soil up there is more acidic, but I do not know if that is the preferred state of the bush. Certainly, it does not hurt the taste!

Re: growing blueberries?
 

we had 5 bb trees, they were in the sun all the time, they grew well, we had lots, not that I'm saying to do that, but here's something very important...birds love them too!!!!

Put nets over them before they start to bloom that way you get some.

by the way this was in Old Saybrook, ct within a mile of the beach....can't tell you for sure about the soil.

Re: growing blueberries?
 

Spoke to my son today,everything seems ok with your plans,soil type,location and shade. Either 2 or 3 year old plants are ok,won't make that much difference. When they are mature(6-8 years) you should get at least 10 lb. off each bush....Hope this helps.

Re: growing blueberries?
 

Thnak you RR and others. )oh and thanks to your son too , I'd be happy to eventually get half that yield!) Very Helpful. I will keep y'all posted about my blueberry escapades.

Gpond - stumbled across this sight and it has been very helpful as well:

http://www.noursefarms.com/AboutNourse/

Click Blueberries , and then poke around. Some good info.

Re: growing blueberries?
 

From what I've seen they require acid soil. Blueberries are the largest, and of course very good for that reason. "Huckleberries" are what wild blueberries are called some places, thus "Huckleberry Finn". --A dirt poor Irish kid. They seem to like wet, well-drained soil and the kind of moisture hills squeeze off. Pine Mtns can also be terribly dry in fall. Huckleberry people used to burn mountains for the blueberries--don't know if this was of use, or just reduces competition.

You might expand and try serviceberries, which are 30' blueberries tree, but I'm not terribly familiar with them, having seen them a few times. "Saskatoons" are a bush-sized blueberry which take rougher weather and treatment. Flavor is less, but commercial types blueberries don't have a lot of flavor anyway.

Deer like them, they've been too low from the deer to be troubled by birds.

TS

And that's all I know.

Re: growing blueberries?
 

Nourse farms is about a half mile down the road from me!

Re: growing blueberries?
 

I've planted blueberries out where I live.

As I recall I planted 3 or 4 varieties and one variety did well and all the rest...died.

So at present I have 2 blueberry bushes and they are slowly taking over my herb garden with new shoots coming up.

I'm not exactly a master gardener but you can try what I did and hopefully something will work. Blueberries are certainly worth the while.

Re: growing blueberries?
 

I love me some Blueberrys...

I want to get in on this too...

If I say I plant 4-6 Bushes, how long does it take for them to produce a harvest? I mean are we talking years before the bush will get big enough to produce, a season or two, a season???

Re: growing blueberries?
 

They should start producing some berries the following year....just don't expect to get a lot the first few years.

Re: growing blueberries?
 

OK, today I ordered 9 blueberry plants (3 varieties x 3), a green plum tree to replace a tree, two fig trees and one olive tree as an experiment (supposed to be good down to 15 F., most years will get colder than that here).

This is the mini-orchard with the other 5 fruit trees and 8 grape vines on a 0.8 acre surburban lot.

Re: growing blueberries?
 

I would advise you to put some orgonite near your plants.

to many photos to load,
Very interesting experiment


http://orgone-art.com/anglais/visibleeffectgarden2.htm


Plants love it

Re: growing blueberries?
 

Tutorials:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCOic3MuVLQ


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPNCV1WATso

Re: growing blueberries?
 

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Re: growing blueberries?
 

Update - Got my bushes and am planting on Saturday. Very excited.
I have but 4 plants as I don't have a lotta real estate to work with.
I ammended the soil to get the pH lower in late Feb on a brief warm spell. Added the recommended amount of Sulfur to get pH down just below 5 (was 6+). I chose 3 different cultivars based on the info the guy at the nursery recommended. They are 2 Blue Jay bushes, 1 North Sky, and one North Blue. I plan on planting in a row along the treeline and they will get most day sun. Will add peat moss to the planting hole in about a 1:2 ratio with the soil and a water soluble starter fertilizer designed for acid loving plantings (if it ever arrives - I "won" it on ebay!). Then plan to water , about an inch to 2 inches every day for the first two to three weeks , and then weekly thereafter. I went with three year old plants. They were more expensive , but I am hopful that this way they will fruit this summer. The guy at the nursery said he thought they would. The Blue Jay's are a Northern Highbush variety and will reach up to 8 feet in height according to the card on the bush. They are already aboust waist high and 2 1/2 - 3 feet across. Maybe I'll take a picture and post it after I get them in if I can figure out how to do that. I know it's a small step , not exactly self sufficiency , but it's a start for this suburban boy, and I'm excited. I also have two raspberry bushes comin hopefully this weekend for a different little corner of the property. And am looking to get a couple small/dwarf fruit trees to plant this fall to replace a couple evergreen landscape trees, appreciate suggestions. And still looking to get a piece of land not too far, and try to go to the next level. But it's so expensive around here , at least within easy driving distance. I may have to look a bit further away. No , make that i definitely will have to ! Appreciate all input and suggestions from those with food growing experience etc. Thanks! My next job is to get some netting . I don't mind sharing some with the local wildlife , but I don't want them eating me out of house and home either. But I have time before that becomes an issue. I hope the bushes live that long!