The Blueberries
We grow four varieties of Blueberries, from early to late season, so planting them altogether, you can have berries the entire season. Some Blueberries varieties are hardy down to Zone 3, and others can tolerate the heat and short chilling-season of Zones 9 and 10, so they can do well over most of the country. They like full sun and plenty of water during the growing season, and something different for blueberies, they like an acidic soil. If you can add gypsum or sulphur to your soil, this will greatly improve their growth. A different approach is to mix pine or fir needles into your soil, and put a thick mulch layer around the plants. As the needles decompose naturally, this will acidify the soil.
For 2005, we have -
Jersey and Berkeley. These are our favorite Northern Highbush, hardy in Zones 4 to 7, producing tasty medium sized berries in mid-season, and the plants will grow 4 to 6 six tall.
Misty and JubileeThese are good Southern Highbush types for Zones 5 to 10, with Misty being an early-season, the Jubilee is a mid-season producer. These also will grow 4 to 6 feet tall.
Blueberries prefer an acid, well drained soil. Their shallow, compact root system makes regular irrigation a necessity. Mulching has proved beneficial an soils which are not ideal for blueberry growing. Fir sawdust or bark dust, applied to a depth of two to four inches, eliminates much of the need for cultivation and conserves moisture.
Fertility
For well balanced mineral soils with sawdust mulch not less than four inches deep, an application of 1/4 pound of Amonium Sulphate per plant per year is ideal. It should be applied in early spring on the surface of the mulch in a broad ring around the plant. The size of the plant is not important.On organic soils without a mulch, the addition of Phosphorus or Potassium or both may be more important than the addition of Nitrogen. Complete Fertilizers, such as 5-10-10, are recommended for these soils.
Planting Instructions
Blueberries ultimately reach a height of six feet or more with a four foot spread or more. Therefore, the rows should be at least eight feet apart while no two plants should be closer than six feet, unless a hedge is desired.The top of the root clump should be close to the surface if a mulch is used, or about four inches deep without mulch.
Fruit Production
Two different varieties must be planted to insure cross pollination for fruit set. Any two varieties will cross pollinate regardless of ripening time. The early varieties begin rippening in June, and the late varieties in early August. When planting two or three year old plants, the blossoms can be removed for a year or two to promote vegetative growth. Blueberries tend to over-bear rather than under-bear. Thinning of the blossoms will promote larger fruit and a healther bush.
Pruning
After the plant has established itself, one may remove old tired wood that is loaded with too many fruit buds and too few leaf buds. Some of the thrifty vegetative wood may be removed to prevent the plant from becoming too sprawling or too high. Blueberries become sweeter as they hang on the bush. The only possible reason to pick early, (as they turn blue), is to escape predatory birds, Home gardeners often protect their plants from birds with netting. A large plant may have 15 to 20 pounds of fruit and is worth protecting.
The Blueberries are in the Vaccinium genus. Other Vacciniums include the Huckleberry, Lingonberry, and Cranberry. All are good eatin'...
Last Update: 09/04/2007
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