Instead of working today I played!

[thistlebloom]

Good to know how long lived your bb are Red. That's what I'm aiming for.
I know that the idea of plants changing the soils pH where they are planted is debated.
I do know that I live in a conifer forest and my soil is neutral to slightly alkaline. Hence the barrels, so that I can have better control over their needs. Probably it will also add labor, but having them front and center like this will make it more certain that they'll prosper.

I have blooms on all of the little shrubs in their nursery pots.
Do you think I should let them fruit (assuming they don't all drop when transplanted) or would it be wiser to remove the blooms the first year?

 

[Smart Red]

Thistle, that looks to me to be one big mess o' fun/work. I like those projects that seem to show instant results. Good going, there!

According to a PBS program on growing blueberries I saw recently, they should NOT be allowed to flower the first year. Not the second either, as I remember. When we planted ours, of course, we hadn't read all the cautions and warning about them. We amended the soil, we planted, we picked, we ate. Didn't stop a single flower from doing its thing.

Hum, I wonder if a perusal of PBS programing might turn up that program. I'll try it.

 

[thistlebloom]

Well, there's doing things by the rules, and there's doing things by the seat of your pants. I tend to stray into the second category sometimes.

Okay, most times.

Since I have two of each variety maybe I'll be a rule follower with one and a renegade with the other.

I'm already primed for a taste of homegrown blueberries. I'd hate to disappoint myself.

 

[seedcorn]

Waiting to read more posts on your BB efforts.

 

[journey11]

Since I have two of each variety maybe I'll be a rule follower with one and a renegade with the other.

A real experiment then! Be sure to document for us how they do. I'd heard they need to put their efforts into setting good roots and growth and that's why they say to pinch the blooms. I did pinch mine the first year, but not the second. I'd think one year would be enough. At least it is with most things.

 

[bobm]

For everything one would want to know about blueberries ...google... Fall Creek Nursery in Oregon. They are the world's largest wholesale producer of blueberry plants. They have charts of blueberry varieties as well as instruction for how to plant and maintain them. Last Thursday, I got a call from a nursery distributor that he just got in a couple truck loads of plants ( 3200 blueberry plants that he had on order for 2 years). I went right over and picked up my 3 "Chandler " ( 6' tall plants that produces quarter size berries and 3 " Duke" one of the leading commercial varieties. All of the rest were already sold to growers and off they went. Currently there is a 2-3 year long waiting list for these 2 varieties.

 

[thistlebloom]

Thanks Bob! I'll check their site out.

 

[lesa]

Gee, I'd hate to follow you around when you are "working!" Looks great! All my beds need edging desperately...maybe I will pretend it is a fun job! Good luck with those berries. My blueberry patch did not survive. If the barrels work- I'll give it a try. I think JimW has his berries in barrels in the Carolina's.

 

[thistlebloom]

lesa, if you own one, a half moon edger
goes pretty quickly and makes the sharpest most consistent edges.

Listening to an audio book is a fun way to pass the time while doing a monotonous job.

 

[journey11]

I wished last night that I had one of those half moon edgers. I had to do my rose bed with a coal shovel and thought I was going to break a leg jumping up and down on it.

DH ended up with some nice pieces of sod to patch the chicken damage to the yard though.