
Blueberry bushes image courtesy Mountain Blue Farms
Trawling the local plant nursery the other day, I spied some blueberry plants. I’ve seen them on sale before but haven’t wanted to risk a purchase for two reasons: they’re expensive and I’ve been told they’re a bit tricky to grow.
Sometimes the Woman in My Head (WiMH) likes to be spontaneous. She ignores my protests about my budget and past plant failures and simply turns a deaf ear to my reasoning.
And this is how it happened that the three of us, the blueberry plant, the WiMH and I, walked out of there together.
The blueberry plant has not been potted up yet. It sits watching me with a doleful eye (really, it would if it had one), while I gather information to ensure its best possible chance of surviving.
I was careful to select a variety that didn’t require cross-fertilisation, one suited for the subtropical climate of my region. I chose a Sharpeblue, botanical name: Vaccinium hybrid, a Southern Highbush variety, described as tough and vigorous with excellent quality, large fruit. It also fills the self-pollinating condition, with very low chill requirements and it grows well in both sandy soils and heavier loams.
Mmm, it all sounds very promising thus far.
I have no room to plant it in the ground so I’ve chosen a pot in which I’d planted snow-pea seedlings with such hopeful enthusiasm just a few weeks ago. Sadly, some ‘mysterious marauder’ has decimated the snow-pea vines which are no more than bare stalks now, so they must go. A little voice reminds me this could be the fate of my blueberry bush, but the WiMH dismisses my concern with an impatient harrumph and motors on.
Apparently blueberries like an acidic soil so my preparation includes ensuring a soil pH. in the range from 4.5 to 5.5. Ideally, I should be testing the soil pH. but I’ve decided instead, to dig in some coffee grounds and sphagnum peat before I plant; both measures for acidifying the soil.
Good, well-aerated soil, mulched to protect the plant’s fine, fibrous root system is ideal. Fertilising every other week with a high sulphur content fertiliser, careful pruning and ample watering are all necessary conditions for success.
Now, just imagine me enjoying plump healthy blueberries atop my breakfast, if not next summer, then perhaps the following. They take 2-3 years from scratch to begin fruiting. That all depends of course, on the ‘mysterious marauder’ of snow-pea vines not developing an appetite for blueberry bushes.
“If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?”
― T.S. Eliot
Useful sites:
http://www.mountainblue.com.au/Growing-Guide/growing-guide.html https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/blueberries/lower-soil-ph-blueberries.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/blueberries/grow-blueberries-in-pots.htm
https://www.northernstar.com.au/news/blueberries-are-easy-to-grow-gardening/1540173/
Good luck with those blueberries !
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Thank you! Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing to succeed? But the challenge is the best part.
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as the saying goes – if at first——–, just keep going. I love reading your blog – a whole different perspective on life.
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I’m glad you enjoy my outlook on life, Brenda. I love that we’ve all got a different take.
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Love this post Robyn.
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Thanks Karolyn. I’ll keep you posted on how tall I am.
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this is so me! I love blueberries and always have wanted to grow them. In fact, I was just wondering if this was the year to try! yet, that little voice in my head screams, “Chipmunks! Chipmunks!” …..
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Sometimes you’ve just got to go with your heart and ignore your head. Even the reasonable. Thanks for visiting Nancie
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Blueberries are so good. I hope you’re successful Robyn, otherwise, you may have to give your WiMH a stern talking to.
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Haha! I hope I am too Steph. The WiMH often has the final say.
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Well let’s hope the WiMH is right about this one.
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Don’t you hate it when plants disappear overnight like that! I planted some courgette plants the other day and already something has munched them. Good luck with the blueberries, I wouldn’t mind giving them a go myself as I rather like them for breakfast.
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It’s frustrating when I lose plants like that. But I guess everything needs to eat. I’ll keep you updated with the blueberries.
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Good luck. My blueberry bush fed all varieties of garden bird last year. This year I’ll net it.
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I did read netting was essential April. Just think how well the bird life dined out on your bounty though. I’m happy to share – a little bit.
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They also stripped my gooseberries bushes, so I feel I did my bit last year.
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Time for you to enjoy the harvest I think. 😉
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Investment Alert:
Blueberry Futures – very good prospects, suit the long term gardener who enjoys cereal, well worth the risk.
🙂
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Haha! Funny! 😂 but right on the mark.
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I think I met the person in your head along time ago, but she seemed like my mom. (There was nothing I couldn’t do, you see; or at least try) Now I have my own head resident, and I have to discuss things with him endlessly. The only way I can get things done is to smile sagely. That usually shuts him up.
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Strange thing the human development, Albert. I’m glad to know your managing your head resident. I’ll try the sage smile technique. She is incalcitrant, this WiMH, but not as smart as me 😝
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Good luck! We’ve a blueberry that is only just showing signs of life after a year or two. We’re also hoping we’ll get some berries this year.
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I know they take a while to fruit Val. sigh. I hope I have the patience. Good luck with your blueberries. I’ll be interested to hear how you fare.
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Robyn, how lovely to meet WiMH — I hope to see more of her. Such delicious photos of the blueberry bushes, and you, if anyone, deserve to succeed. I take the easy way out and eat frozen blueberries from Nelson, New Zealand every morning at breakfast. Lately I’ve added NZ blackcurrants to the mix, especially on gym days 🙂 — another intense purple food enjoying its moment of stardom.
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Thanks for visiting Rachel. I’m sure the WiMH will surface again. She’s irrepressible. I like the frozen NZ blueberries too, but haven’t tried the black currants though.
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