Thinking of growing some blueberries

[cmhyland]

Hi guys,

I'm thinking of growing some blueberry bushes. I'm interested in seeing photos of enclosures people have made to hold fencing and netting, as well as other methods people use to keep the deer and birds out.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[forgeblast]

I will have to post some pics, we have a small patch that I would like to expand once I can get the stumps out of the way.
I have t-posts holding up field fence. But....that was until the rabbits and groundhogs decided to mow down my bushes and killed half of them.
So now around the bottom in an L shaped I have chicken wire Eventually I would like to get rabbit guard fence around both the garden and blueberries but for now its working. Our area is about 20 x 20 so the deer do not jump in and in the spring I will just put a strand of fishing line around the top of the fencing to make them think twice.
The best rooted bushes that I recived were from nourse farms. They were extremely hardy and strong plants.
I use double ground wood chips around the base to keep weeds down and to fertizlize them.

 

[cmhyland]

Thanks for the info Jeff,

Our plan is to use 5' wire fence around the base and and either mesh or 1/2in chicken wire over the the top.

I'm not sure how many bushes we'll put in, my wife is talking about 6 or 8 but I'm thinking more like 18 or 20...

Thanks,
Chris

 

[TCJatko]

I'm sure you know this, but I recently found out that for blueberries to pollinate correctly you need several different varieties of plant. Fortunately, I have been doing this, as growers will generally supply a variety of types when you order.

 

[txdon]

I had some blueberry bushes and used netting. Netting did not work here because the snakes (yes more than once) got tanged and trapped in it. It is a pain to cut them out especially when you think they are dead. Be sure to have some form of irrigation, I lost the bushes during the drought.

Your wife is right on the amount of bushes unless you plan on selling the berries, 6-8 bushes will be plenty to eat berries and freeze some (after about the third year).

 

[cmhyland]

Thanks Guys,
Yes we were reading up on blueberries and found the part about using multiple varieties. The good news is you can get different ones that ripen at different times to extend you harvest over 4 to 6 weeks rather than 2 to 3 weeks.

We are also looking at Blackberry and Rasberry canes. Does it make sense to do one big enclosure and have everything under cover? It would seem so to me.

Regards,
Chris

 

[forgeblast]

I bet you could make something similar to an umbrella to hold the net up when the crop gets close to being ripe. Just so you dont have to mess with the net the entire season.
My blackberries have taken over. I have them down one side of our garden and I pick until I am tired and the birds still leave a lot on there.
I have a catalog that I just got in the mail, It had all the spacing requirements and planting hints. Ill post it as soon as I am home.
I have been looking at doing some goose berry, current, and ligonberry to provide us a varitey of plants. We also have some high bush cranberrys planted.

 

[cmhyland]

Highbush Cranberries sound interesting? Do they require wet feet or is that all about the harvesting?

Regards,
Chris

 

[dmccarty]

We want to plant some Blueberries as well. I hoped to do so this fall and the Boy Scouts were selling the bushes but I was too busy at work to plant. Hopefully this winter I can plant some since we know of a nursery that sells the Blueberries. I figure about a dozen is the right number. We can have 3-4 plants of each variety and have 3-4 varieties that fruit at different times to extend the season.

We bought a dehydrator last summer that has worked real well. The best way we have found to dry the Blueberries is to liquify them in a food processor, pour them on a dehydrator tray, and make fruit leather. We can get about three pints per tray and our dehydrator has nine trays so we can handle up to 27 pints at a time. It takes 8-12 hours to dry.

Later,
Dan

 

[cdaigle430]

I planted a root stock native Maine Blueberry bush last year and boy did I get alot of marble sized blueberries from this bush this year. had to freeze most of them. I think freezing them is easier than dehyd. them, just lay themin a single layer after washing them and feeze then put them in a freezer bag. Next year I am going to plant 3 more and I am going to protect them with a combination grape arbor surrounded by chicekm wire and bird netting. Didnt get any of my concord grapes before the critters got them I have some wild Rasberry\blackberry and hazlenut bushes I need to protect as well.