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Post by atash on Jan 28, 2011 21:11:12 GMT -5
Enjoy your blueberries. Being members of Ericaceae, extremely susceptible to one or more strains of Phytophthora that are common here and kill Rhododendron (the dreaded "V-shaped zone of death" on the leaves). I planted one but never any others after seeing what happened to it.  I dunno if it's worth planting some out at the farm. Less disease out there. But I don't live out there and might miss the berries, not to mention doubt that blueberries are deer-resistant. I should try some Honeyberries. Some people say enough blueberry-like to make a good substitute. Lonicera seems to be fairly disease-resistant. I've got a winter-blooming Honeysuckle (Lonicera standishii) blooming heavily right now. I've been enjoying blueberry juice lately. It's not as sweet as most fruit juices, which I like, because I think otherwise I get too much sugar in my diet. |
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Post by heidihi on Jan 29, 2011 10:08:54 GMT -5
I have blueberries growing well in a garden that gets a lot of light
what does anyone think of growing them in a spot that has perfect soil nice and acidic but low light until late afternoon?
I could fit about 6 plants there and would love to add more blueberries to my garden
thanks?
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Post by mnjrutherford on Jan 29, 2011 11:46:56 GMT -5
hmmm... I'm not sure about the low light. I think I would put a couple plants in the spot at first, just to try it out. If those go, get some more. You could also try huckleberries which are an annual solanum. They aren't a strongly flavored but they make a great muffin!
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Jan 29, 2011 12:45:52 GMT -5
I have blueberries growing well in a garden that gets a lot of light what does anyone think of growing them in a spot that has perfect soil nice and acidic but low light until late afternoon? Do blueberries represent the mature forest canopy in areas where they grow naturally? Since they are unable to grow naturally around here (or even unnaturally) with our non-acidic soil, I'm guessing that they are understory shrubs, well adapted to growing in the shade, or in partly shady/sunny areas. I only ask about mature forest canopy, because out here in the desert sagebrush represents the mature forest, and it might only get a foot or three tall. |
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Post by ozarklady on Jan 29, 2011 13:03:32 GMT -5
I don't know about how they grow in the wild.
But, the local pick your own blueberry farm, just grows them like a vineyard, there is acres and acres of blueberry bushes, with no shade, just open like a vineyard. And we do have lots of vineyards in the area, some are even grapes.
Our soil is on the acid side of neutral, we don't have to add very much of anything to it for blueberries, we do have to make specially amended areas to grow anything that prefers alkaline soil.
My soil normally tests at almost neutral, and yet, acid loving plants flourish and alkaline plants have issues, after issues.
Local blueberries are early crops, so I can't tell you if the plants are shaded in summer with shade cloths but, it doesn't look likely, no permanent posts are there for shading.
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Post by wildseed57 on Jan 29, 2011 13:03:36 GMT -5
I've grown the Chichiquelite Huckleberry it has a nice Anis flavor to it when raw, but really improves when cooked and sweeten some. Its pretty productive, the flavor though even cooked and sweeten is not as good as real Blueberries. Honey Berries might make a better substitute another one that could be tried is Aronia Berry bushes I don't how the berries taste, but they have about the same uses, Athough the berries on some varieties don't ripen till september. They are fairly pest and disease resistant. I know that there is some hybrid Mountain Ash that are from Russia like Ivan's Beauty, but like the Aronia I have not grown or tasted them.
George W.
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Post by heidihi on Jan 30, 2011 10:14:38 GMT -5
I have blueberries growing well in a garden that gets a lot of light what does anyone think of growing them in a spot that has perfect soil nice and acidic but low light until late afternoon? Do blueberries represent the mature forest canopy in areas where they grow naturally? Since they are unable to grow naturally around here (or even unnaturally) with our non-acidic soil, I'm guessing that they are understory shrubs, well adapted to growing in the shade, or in partly shady/sunny areas. I only ask about mature forest canopy, because out here in the desert sagebrush represents the mature forest, and it might only get a foot or three tall. the tier they will be on (and I think I will give it a shot anyway they are such pretty plants and huckleberries grow in deep shade here in the same neighborhood) is mainly shaded by my house and some bamboo ...there is a green belt of spruce but it is a ways back so it does not shield the light I will plant the great big "eating off the bush" make holes in the muffins berries in the area where grandkids and sun can get at them and then the more ornimental ones that turn bright red in the fall ..on the tiers America's Test kitchen had a great episode on making blueberry muffins btw you may want to check it out ..you make a jam out of half the berries and just swirl a spoon before popping in the oven ..so you have all that flavor and still some fresh berries and hope both produce beautiful berries! I have VERY rich acidic soil it is all I can do to raise my pH to help with chelation of the heavy metal in my soil I have to keep such a balance it is crazy ..but I have had the berries tested ..since I do have grandkids eating with reckless abandon...and all was well just a tiny bit extra zinc and that I can live with I mix my blueberries with currants 1:1 and then dump high proof good quality vodka on top or I have used Everclear as well ....let soak in a dark paper bag for a few months ...then set some aside for extract use (especially if I use the Everclear it makes very good extracts) and the rest I use for a wonderful fresh berry cordial and then there is always a really pretty jelly and blueberry pancake syrup blueberry wine was a dismal failure for me |
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Post by synergy on Feb 1, 2011 17:20:30 GMT -5
All the commercial growers here in coastal BC grow in full sun on flat delta plains but in the wilderness I have encountered them growing around peaty edges of lakes in the mountains or bushwhacking up sort of open subalpine terrain on mountainsides in crevices of hard rocky ground on about a 45 degree slopes. I have never found them in the understory like red huckleberry, salal and oregon grape.
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Post by heidihi on Apr 8, 2011 7:52:34 GMT -5
whoops not enough coffee redundant post1  |
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Post by Leenstar on Oct 17, 2011 21:09:11 GMT -5
I have plans to plant them in my sunny side yard. I have measured the pH of the soil and found it to me mildly acid but very clay in consistency. Last year I dug up and amended several planned spots for the bushes and put in compost and sulfer to acidify the planned beds.
Due to house construction I never got the bushes in this year. Maybe its for the best as remeasuring the soil this weekend I found the pH to be about 6.0, even in the areas I thought I amended.
Granted we had some people come in an scrape off all the weeds that had been living there and put in hardwood chip mulch.
The relative lack of any residual acid has raised the question for me if blue berries are even practical.
Any opinions, thoughts or cautionary tales?
I hope to try to amend a couple of spots again and have given serious consideration to trying to figure out perhaps some buried pots/barrels versus amending and trying my luck.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Oct 17, 2011 21:13:11 GMT -5
Any opinions, thoughts or cautionary tales? My suggestion after trying and trying and trying with blueberries would be to choose a different crop. |
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Post by canadamike on Oct 17, 2011 22:42:17 GMT -5
The ^plants will survive with that kind of lighting, and almost seem to thrive, but do not count on the fruit as part of the diet. Blueberries without adequate sunlight simply do not give much fruits. I had a patch of about 8 plantsof wild ones near the house last year who would get afternoon sun only, and could ever harvest enough blueberries to fill my hand. Despite good compost and acidity and water and a very healthy look.
It is not uncommon for plants living in less than ideal conditions to survive well but not bear fruits.
The huckleberries we have around here grow in full sun, but if yours grow in the shade and bear fruits in abundance, you've got your answer right there....
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Post by 12540dumont on Oct 17, 2011 23:56:28 GMT -5
Okay, so now it comes out. I'm from Minnesota, the Masabi Iron Range. Blueberries grow under the forest canopy of deciduous trees, in the bog. We don't take little ones picking berries because, well, one wrong step and splash. The horseflies and skeeters can carry you off. My Grandmother at 70 could out pick me at 30. And as a child, my life revolved around blueberries. So now I live in California and see snow so rarely, I miss my blueberries. I grew these in pots for 3-10 years. Last January I transplanted them. See the location, I'm near the creek edge. The soils was amended with sulfur, and I top dress regularly with pine needles. Water, water, water, yes they are bog plants. Skip the mycelium, no bog plants need it or benefit from it as they do not have an association. Attachments:
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Oct 18, 2011 0:18:44 GMT -5
So fill a swimming pool with compost and plant the blueberries in it?
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Post by 12540dumont on Oct 18, 2011 0:24:13 GMT -5
And if you can't amend the soil, go with partial shade for the heat of the afternoon and do them in a pot. These grew on the North side of our house. The ones Leo is picking in the photo are 10 years old. In a pot they needed to be watered every day. Also, check out the size of the pots... These produced reliably every June. I fertilized them every year with acid plant fertilizer. Now they are set up on a drip and timer to be watered twice a week. I will re-mulch them with pine needles before winter. Attachments:
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