How to Grow a Blueberry Bush

[chickadoodles]

Quote: Thanks vehve. I always add mulch and peat moss to my soil when I plant trees or anything so the roots can spread out here in this clay and if it is big enough I also all topsoil. But you are right I will have to add some sand if I plant in the ground. DH gave me some huge plastic pots that are probably 50 gal pots to plant blueberries in. I will make my own mix with topsoil and add much and peat moss and some compost to the mix. I will likely add some gravel in the bottom of the pots for drainage.

 

[Arielle]

I'm a bit amused about this "growing blueberries" thought, since they're just found everywhere in the forest here. And Finnish legislature has a term known as "everyman's right", which means that any person is free to pick any wild berries, mushrooms or other plant produced fruits in anyone's forest, so no one needs to grow them.

We have limited acres of land that is of public ownership. That would be where people might pick BUT is is usually not allowed to take anything if it is a national park or a state park. SO different rules here.

WE tend to have a different set up of ownership a nd sharing here. We are "all for one" and Europe is " one for all". Here is is all about the individual; there it is all aobu the people as a whole.

 

[Arielle]

CHickadoodles-- that article that I noted on planting and care said that on clay soil to makeraised beds 4 feet wide and 8 inches deep-- when you are ready to move on from pots . . .

 

[chickadoodles]

CHickadoodles-- that article that I noted on planting and care said that on clay soil to makeraised beds 4 feet wide and 8 inches deep-- when you are ready to move on from pots . . .

I don't have any raised beds and DH is going crazy trying to finish the new pens still. I will keep them in pots for awhile and see how it goes. Maybe next year I can get him to help me make some raised beds.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: That should work--gives him time to finish the pens this year . . and it really does take a few years for those plants to mature in size.

I'm trying to scout out other varities-- dont know the names of course,but often the berries look different.

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: That should work--gives him time to finish the pens this year . . and it really does take a few years for those plants to mature in size.

I'm trying to scout out other varities-- dont know the names of course,but often the berries look different.
I hope he will help! I told him I wanted a bed for berries. I would like a variety of berries for jams and syrup and baking. And we only have blackberries here. So I will be looking for more later on. I planted the raspberry seeds and I am not sure why but only 4 have come up out of about 60 seeds. I don't know why.

 

[Arielle]

hmmm, around here I cant plant and grow anything raspberry or black berry, but the wild birds drop their seeds and poof I"m knee deep in a tanngle.

Brambles like a disturbed area as they grow after an area has been cleared. Think it is called first sussession. DOnt quote me-- been 30 + years since that class. lol

Here we haave slightly acidic soils and the brambles are every where, along my driveway in the woods too. Where a patch of light makes it thru the canopy.

Maybe that berries linited site has more info-- I haven't read the other sections on planting-- might be a clue there.

Maybe there they are just delayed??? I"ve been having THAT problem with tomato seeds this year: some are 3 inches tall and up pops another one.

 

[Arielle]

ok the info on raspberries/blackberries was a huge disappointment after the details in the blueberry section.

http://www.berriesunlimited.com/growing-blackberries/info_20.html

It says do NOT use shavings with these berries.Nothing acidic. ok-- I"m completely baffled now. Wonder what stark says.

this is rather lacking too. http://www.starkbros.com/growing-gu...blackberry-plants/apache-thornless-blackberry

Batting zero.

 

[LindaB220]

ok the info on raspberries/blackberries was a huge disappointment after the details in the blueberry section.

http://www.berriesunlimited.com/growing-blackberries/info_20.html

It says do NOT use shavings with these berries.Nothing acidic. ok-- I"m completely baffled now. Wonder what stark says.

this is rather lacking too. http://www.starkbros.com/growing-gu...blackberry-plants/apache-thornless-blackberry

Batting zero.

Maybe this will help.

http://www.almanac.com/plant/blackberries

 

[gjensen]

Arielle, many of the wild low bush blueberry in your "neck of the woods" has a pretty good quality berry. They will grow well in partial shade but produce better with more sun. It is not uncommon for these wild patches to be lightly managed. I would gently open it up, and allow more sun in.
You can prune the high bush to a more manageable height. Also prune out the oldest canes. This will invigorate the bush, encouraging it to put out more shoots. The bush will be more productive for it.

I grow a number of varieties, and have a lot of plants. Approximately 200 plants, but half are still in pots. In the southeast we grow rabbiteye blueberries, and southern highbush.

Some rabbit eye varieties sucker profusely, and they can be dug and potted in the winter. High bush will also, but much less profusely. Still stealing a sucker here and there, will add a few ore plants.

You can take hardwood cuttings, and some do. They are not easy. Softwood cuttings under mist is best, but that set up encourages and is best suited for large volumes.

The low bush varieties are easier to layer than the others.

We have a wild low bush variety, but the fruit quality is poor. I had wanted to cross a northern low bush, and our southern low bush. The challenge is tat we do not get enough chill hours. What I need is the pollen. I can manually pollinate the flowers, but I do not think I could get the northern low bush to flower here. What I have liked about the southern low bush, is their drought resistance and ability to thrive in poor soils.
Rabbit eye blueberries are natives, but you only run across a bush with good fruit every now and then.

I would prune the higbush, baby them, and steal a few suckers. Also let some sun get to the lowbush. Obviously they will be very low maintenance.