How to Grow a Blueberry Bush

[Arielle]

My fear is that the cuttings I sent will not work out given the effects of the chill hours etc. BUt I"m hoping . . .

 

[gjensen]

Hollytone is a good organic fertilizer. Hollytone has a little sulfur in it. They respond well to horse droppings. Rabbit droppings are good. Cottonseed meal is a good fertilizer and is acidic. I fertilize them once per year. After the threat of frost is gone, and after they are done fruiting. Most of their growth is after fruiting. Blueberries are too easy to grow organic to not to.

A little goes a long ways with blueberries.

Blueberries are a little more forgiving concerning PH if their is plenty of organic material in the growing medium, and they are mulched well. After a few years of being mulched well, they will grow a lot of their small airy roots at the bottom of the mulch and into the mulch. I use pine straw and oak leaves because for me, it is free. Do not be shy about twigs and sticks under the straw It helps keep it from becoming compacted.
Pine Bark mulch is an attractive long lasting mulch.

Do not stop thinking about PH once they are established. The PH of the soil under the mulch will change. It is especially relevant if your water has a high PH. Once you get to know them, your plants will tell you. I tend to have to add a cup of sulfur granules per plant per year.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of enough water, and avoiding soggy ground. They do not like wet feet, but they cannot handle dry soil. Rabbit eyes are more tolerant of drought once they are established than the others. 1-3 inches per week depending on soil conditions etc. This is especially important in the beginning. Avoid plants that appear to have been water stressed at the store. Even if it is a deal. Plants stunted early on rarely become what they could be.

In the hot south some protection fro the western sun, makes a big difference. They can handle shade, just do not fruit well in the shade. For early flowering varieties and a threat of frost, some shade in the mornings may delay blooming.

Not all cultivars will grow equally as well on your place, even when they should. I am about to give up on a cultivar called Powderblue. It is a popular cultivar here, with a good reputation, but mine do not thrive. I have 10 different varieties, and all thrive less the one. There is something about my growing conditions that it does not like.

You can buy bare root plants (slips) early in the year. it is an economical way to start. I would recommend potting them. You will have a lower rate of loss. With optimum care you can get your first fruit in a couple years. Regardless, remove any fruit the first year. They put the majority of their energy into the fruit while fruiting. Avoid the temptation.

Once a blueberry patch is established, they are pleasant to look at. I appreciate their ornamental value almost as much as I do the fruit. Once started they are easy to care for. I do not see why everyone does not have some. And plant some extras. The chickens like them to. Just keep them out of the patch. They will destroy the plants in short order.

The only problem I have is a need to become ore efficient picking them. We picked near a hundred pounds in the last couple days. It takes us too long.

 

[chickadoodles]

gjensen thank you for all the wonderful information on blueberries. I am going to copy and save it for future reference.

My daughter in Florida has a lot of blueberry bushes they are huge and do well in her sandy soil. They do not tend their blueberry bushes except to pick them. They lay a sheet on the ground under the bush and shake the bush and haul the berries home. lol

 

[chickadoodles]

My fear is that the cuttings I sent will not work out given the effects of the chill hours etc. BUt I"m hoping . . .

It will be fun to try anyways. Thank you for sending them to me Arielle.

 

[gjensen]

gjensen thank you for all the wonderful information on blueberries. I am going to copy and save it for future reference.

My daughter in Florida has a lot of blueberry bushes they are huge and do well in her sandy soil. They do not tend their blueberry bushes except to pick them. They lay a sheet on the ground under the bush and shake the bush and haul the berries home. lol

We have sandy soil to. We live where we call the Sandhills. It is the old coast line. Sand as far as you care to dig. Not sandy soil, sand. LOL. A tough place to garden.
With some soil amendments, and heavy mulching we still do fine. I figure if we can grow blueberries, most people can grow blueberries.

If I shook them to pick them, I would be shaking ripe berries and unripe berries off. I am afraid for now, we will have to hand pick.

Here, once established rabbit eyes can go unattended (mostly). They will not be as vigorous or productive as they could be, but low maintenance plants. If we raise Southern Highbush like that, we would lose every single one. Also some areas get ore rain in the summer than others.
In the south, the best soils for blueberries are sandy. Also with a high organic content (3%). Virgin pine Flatwoods is best. In southeast NC (their main producer) they have what they call black sand.

 

[Arielle]

THanks George for that GREAT info.

THe wild blueberries we picked as a kid were hit or miss depending on the weather consdtions that particular year. I have come to appreciate the amt of water and care ( fert, mulching, pruning etc.) that plants require for bigger yeilds. I am far more grateful for the fruit and veg produced in our states and worry about the drought in CA especially. ( though the midwest drought a couple years ago and the exporting of beef has driven up our beef prices to beyond affordable.)

One of my personal goals is to be a bit more self sufficient.I see the pricing of fresh food at a local summer farm stand and fall over at the prices. I cannot affort that. We do eat a lot of berries (black berries, raspberries and strawberries) but buy frozen , unless fresh is better pricing.

I'm hoping my big "investment" in berry plants will pay off in spades. Just didnt realize how much I need to know and do to get the bounty. Now the berries at the farm stand dont seem so expensive . . .

 

[Highcotton]

Thank you Hagar I appreciate your helpful info. I do not have any blueberry bushes as of yet. I am going to be picking some out this fall. I am working on trying to root some cuttings that Arielle sent me. 

Layering works on most shrubs and plants. Pick an area near the end of a limb. The bark should be mature and bend without breaking.

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: Thanks Hagar, I will try it. I appreciate your help.

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: I may just try adding some sand and other amendments into our soil to plant the blueberries in the orchard so they will get enough sun and so I can water them.
I will be adding the sand because the clay is so heavy that it holds water when we have a lot of rain.

I don't blame you I would not want to loose my berries either.

I have been looking for rabbit eye's for my area and so far I have found Tifblue, Climax, Premier, Brightwell, Powder Blue I am sure there must be more but I am still looking.
Is there a some of these that you find are better than the others if you have these variety?

 

[gjensen]

I may just try adding some sand and other amendments into our soil to plant the blueberries in the orchard so they will get enough sun and so I can water them.
I will be adding the sand because the clay is so heavy that it holds water when we have a lot of rain.

I don't blame you I would not want to loose my berries either.

I have been looking for rabbit eye's for my area and so far I have found Tifblue, Climax, Premier, Brightwell, Powder Blue I am sure there must be more but I am still looking.
Is there a some of these that you find are better than the others if you have these variety?

I love Tifblue. It is the cultivar that started the southern commercial industry. It is a cross from two wild selections. There has been more Tifblue planted in the South than any other. What I like about Tifblue is it's vigor. It is an exceptionally vigorous plant. It is a fast grower, it suckers profusely (good for starting more plants), it has good red fall color, has good ornamental value, and it is adaptable. It is a productive plant with medium to large berries. The berries have very good flavor when picked fully ripe. They are a little tart if picked before they are fully ripe. Tifblues big hang up is excessive splitting during very wet summers. It is not a big problem for a small grower. They are a mid to late variety. I believe it is a 550 - 600 chill our plant.

Brightwell is almost as vigorous as Tifblue, and I am a big fan of this plant. They are a mid season variety that merges the earlier and later varieties. It is another widely planted and adaptable plant. I think it's chill hours are in the 350 range.

Premier is a beautiful plant. It is not as vigorous as the above but it tends to a solid plant with good health. It is very productive and I think the berries are very good. They are more forgiving about picking them at the right time. This may be the most attractive of the plants. It has a darker blue green foliage. I like this variety as much as I do the above two.

Powderblue is an equivalent to Tifblue but is not as prone to fruit splitting in very wet weather. I have not done well with it. The plant is a very good plant, it is just one of those not meant for me. If you try enough varieties you will find one that does not do well on your place.

If you are in south Alabama, Climax would be a good one to try. It is a very early rabbit eye and blooms very early. I would have too much trouble with the early blooming.

These have been commercial stanbys and are tried and true. They have been proven. I think everyone of these cultivars were developed by the University of Georgia, and the latest ones with the most promise are University of Georgis releases. Alapaha (sp?), Vernon, and Ochlockonee. Tifblue was selected in the 50s at the Tifton Georgia site.

You might be able to find Montgomery. It was released by Mississippi. It has similarities to Premier.

GardenBlue, and Beckyblue are two varieties with excellent fruit but are too soft for the commercial harvesters. They are great for the home garden. Briteblue would be similar.

Keep in mind that Rabbiteyes are very productive, and are more productive than other Blueberry types. They are big plants unless pruned, which I do.

If your soil stays soggy for any length of time, go with raised beds. A lot of organic material. Do not make a brick, LOL. Blueberries are not big on clay.