>> 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.
>>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.
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Thoughts
Date: 23 Mar 2024 07:56 (UTC)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.