Planning For Blueberry Success

Planning For Blueberry Success

July is National Blueberry Month. If you already have blueberry bushes, you are in the thick of harvest season. Yay! Three of my great childhood memories are all about the blueberry. My grandparents had a cottage on Cape Cod. They only had it till I was 5, so the memory of picking lowbush, wild blueberries near the cottage are faint. In summer camp, we also had acres of lowbush, wild berries, delicious! And my great aunts had a cute little house on a pond. They had very little land but had squeezed in 2 or 3 highbush blueberry bushes between the house and the pond. When I first saw them, I could hear angels singing. That’s what blueberries do to me.

In the midst of harvest

I start harvesting my Sweet Heart variety around June 27th. Here it is, late July and these early berries are almost gone. I have begun to harvest my mid- season berries. My thriving and my favorite variety for mid-season berries is the Legacy variety. I have a few other varieties, but these two have been my best highbush performers. When planning to add to your collection, always remember to choose more than one variety for cross pollination and for staggered harvest times.

Immediate challenges

You might think, it’s July, it’s way too late for planning. Not so, I take note of the challenges I face this season to ensure a healthier and more productive harvest next season. Yes, I face challenges now. For instance, extreme heat. Even though these plants are perennial and permanently rooted, the roots of most blueberry plants are fairly shallow. Watering at least once a week deeply will ensure a healthy crop. This threat of extreme heat and watering needs help me plan for future planting. I need to plant close to my water source for success. I also need to monitor pH levels, which should be between 4.5 and 5.5. This is critical for success.

Protecting your investment

One of the greatest challenges to bringing in a great crop is protecting your plants from scavenging critters and birds. I’ve seen many attempts by growers to protect bushes. Commercial operations use the sounds of predatory birds or flying pie tins or wind spinners to create movement. Some people use a vast net to cover all the bushes. I considered trying to enclose my plants with a fence and then using the fence poles as anchors for a large net over the grid of plants. Instead, I feel best using a simple white mesh bag with a drawstring to cover each plant. Be sure the drawstring is not cotton. It will break. Get a drawstring that is polyester. Also, using bags requires a little patience, adding them and removing them. You must move them gingerly or you can easily break the small twigs, loaded with berries. Even with the drawstring, strong winds can blow these bags right off the bushes, so I use a 6-inch ground staple to hold the bags to the ground. These bags come in all sizes and can be changed out as the plants grow taller and wider.

Starting from scratch

Perhaps you don’t currently have any blueberry bushes but are thinking it might be time to take the leap. It is a leap not to be taken lightly. Bushes are expensive and I have made expensive mistakes. Learn from me so that you don’t also have to make expensive mistakes. Let’s dive in.

Laying the Foundation

The right foundation for any great crop has to do with 3 things. First, is there a sunny spot for your plants? Most fruit bearing plants want at least 6 hours of great sun. This is essential. Secondly, will the plants be close to a reliable water source? Currently, I use a garden hose to water, but I am not as consistent as I would like to be. A drip line or soaker hoses also work and can be much more targeted to save you money on your water bill. Thirdly, your soil can be the difference between success and defeat. When I planted my first 9 high bush plants, I simply used the soil that was there under the grass. I was a novice and didn’t know about building a fluffy, rich soil, suitable for blueberries. Now when I plant, I am sure to add some sand, a little biochar for root growth, lots of peat moss to keep the soil from becoming compacted and sulfur pellets to get the right ph. I don’t depend on pine needles or coffee grounds to move the pH needle. 

Choices, choices, choices

If you receive 1 nursery catalog and see the blueberry offering, you might think, “Oh, easy peasy. I’ll just take 1 of each.” Then, a second nursery catalog shows up and confusion sets in. There are so many choices when it comes to choosing the blueberry variety that’s right for you. You can grow lowbush berries from seed. The next size up would be a compact container bush. There are half-high bushes and finally, the tall highbush blueberries. There are highbush varieties that grow well in the south and ones that grow well in the north. Once your choices are made, plant early in the fall or early in the spring, after the threat of your last frost.

My favorite picks

I live in Massachusetts. What works here may not work where you are. As mentioned, my favorite highbush berries are Sweet Heart and Legacy. The Sweet Heart blooms twice a year. I recently planted Northland half-high bushes in Vego raised beds and they are doing well. I have a compact Bushel and Berry Jelly Bean in small containers. These are good producers. I will be getting 2 more beds for half-high Echo bushes. Echo bushes also bloom twice! I consider the size of the berry. I want big! I consider the sweetness level. I want sweets! Keep doing your homework and get the crop you want.