Blueberries

[preserved_by_bronzing]

There are two blueberry plants in my fridge!  I've wanted to grow blueberries forever. We used to pick wild blueberries when camping or visiting my grandparents in Northern Minnesota, and they were so flavorful; store-bought berries are not the same creature.

We picked up one Northland blueberry bush and one Jersey blueberry bush, hardy to zones 3 and 4 respectively.  The Northland will be ready for harvest in late spring to early summer, which is wild to me, and the Jersey will produce around August.  

Our soil is not naturally acidic, so we bought some soil acidifier and need to pick up some HydraPeat.  I'm so impatient to get these in the ground, but the recommendation was to wait until our other woody shrubs start to leaf out (and also there's a big snow storm coming through in a few days, so).  They're going in a spot on the south side of the house that should provide plenty of space and sunlight, though I might need to remove an old raised garden bed.  If this goes well, there would be room for a third bush.  

These will be the first edible perennials in the yard!

Comments

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> There are two blueberry plants in my fridge! <<

Congratulations! I hope they work out well for you.

>>store-bought berries are not the same creature.<<

True.

Consider that there are different varieties, and the commercial ones are typically designed for 1) production all at once so they're easy to harvest, and 2) resilience to shipping. Not flavor.

>>Our soil is not naturally acidic, so we bought some soil acidifier and need to pick up some HydraPeat.<<

Yeah, they like damp acidic conditions because they're bog plants like cranberries.

>>I'm so impatient to get these in the ground, but the recommendation was to wait until our other woody shrubs start to leaf out (and also there's a big snow storm coming through in a few days, so). <<

I cut the bottom off water jugs and pop them over plants as mini greenhouses. It also makes it harder for herbivores to get at them.

>> though I might need to remove an old raised garden bed. <<

Think carefully about that. You're planting something that isn't natural to your soil type, which means it needs its own soil, and you don't want that to spread because other plants won't like it. The only disadvantage to a raised bed is blueberries need lots of water.

Also consider what plants commonly grow near blueberries, or like similar conditions. Putting them together will help the plants grow better, and then you're keeping your acid-lovers in one place rather than spread out. Good coverage of desirable plants will reduce opportunities for weeds.

https://www.pioneerish.com/blueberry-bush-permaculture-guild/

https://www.ruralsprout.com/blueberry-companion-plants/

>>These will be the first edible perennials in the yard!<<

Progress!

When they fruit, you'll probably need to net them so the birds don't eat them all. I'm lucky to get a handful of serviceberries. Birds can't eat all the mulberries because there are so many. So I'm trying to plant more serviceberries and flood the market.

Re: Thoughts

[preserved_by_bronzing]

Also consider what plants commonly grow near blueberries, or like similar conditions. Putting them together will help the plants grow better, and then you're keeping your acid-lovers in one place rather than spread out.

So I was reading online, and it looks like the Northland Blueberries actually do really well as a hedge, so now we're thinking we might fill in this one open area with a row of 'em.

That would also allow me to net them efficiently. The plan will continue to evolve until they're planted, I imagine, and beyond then :D

Also consider what plants commonly grow near blueberries, or like similar conditions. Putting them together will help the plants grow better

Thanks for these links. I'm delighted to see chives listed as a perennial companion for blueberries; indeed, that's one herb I grow hear this spot and would like to grow more of.

So I'm trying to plant more serviceberries and flood the market.

Brilliant. I'm curious: what does a mulberry taste like? I don't think I've ever had one.

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> So I was reading online, and it looks like the Northland Blueberries actually do really well as a hedge, so now we're thinking we might fill in this one open area with a row of 'em. <<

Excellent plan.

>>I'm delighted to see chives listed as a perennial companion for blueberries; indeed, that's one herb I grow hear this spot and would like to grow more of.<<

Both regular chives and wild chives should work well in that capacity. Both can be used for food, attracting pollinators, and discouraging various pests. Garlic chives is among the most popular flowers in my yard, especially with predatory wasps. I have these beautiful blue-winged wasps whose larvae devour scarab beetles -- so junebugs, Japanese beetles, that sort of thing. I've seen hardly any junebugs the last few years since the wasps arrived, and considerably fewer Japanese beetles. So I gather seeds from the garlic chives and scatter them around, hoping to get more plants. Fly, my pretties, fly!

>> I'm curious: what does a mulberry taste like? I don't think I've ever had one. <<

It's a dark, fruity, wild, slightly floral flavor. The closest comparison I can think of would be black raspberries, and then blackberries. But if you've had a mixed-berry pie, that's also pretty close. Mulberries are excellent fresh, in pies, for making ice cream, etc.