I really want a whole bunch of blueberry bushes in the back - maybe others.

Any tips for me?

I don't know either, but we are planning on putting in some berry bushes in our backyard as well. I guess we can learn together. :lol:

Depending on your soil, blueberries can be difficult to grow. Or, maybe I should rephrase that and say "depending on how much effort you want to put into them", they can be hard to grow.

We have a beautiful blueberry farm down the road from us. They sell the bushes and several years ago, I bought a couple. Long story short, while everything else seems to grow out of control in my yard, I could not get the bushes to grow. When I went back to the farm to get some advice, I was told the bushes need constant feeding with organic matter and that I would have to consistently test the soil to make sure the ph was right. In the end, I decided it was too much work and pay to pick my own off their farm.

I'm trying to think about where you live and am wondering if people grow blueberries successfully there. I grew up in Southern Iowa and never knew anyone to grow blueberries, so I'm not sure if they'll work in your area or not. However, I'd think you'd have an easy time with raspberries or blackberries if you could put up with the thorns. What about grapes? They'd grow well there.

I have several bushes on the side of my house and they do produce after a few years now. I don't really know how to care for them...but tend to treat them like the rest of my yard and they do just fine.

They like acid soil and have to cross pollinate. If your soil isn't acidic, you can amend with peat moss. I remember looking at one gardening site that would help a person figure out which varieties would grow best in their zone - I'm sure a lot of them can do that. Most of them like to get cold in the winter, and they can certainly do that where you live.

Blackberries are no-brainers. Plant thornless varieties for easier picking. Raspberries are super-easy, too.

Strawberries are loads of fun and produce quickly, which is nice while you're waiting around for everything else to produce.

We put in six blueberry bushes in the fall, so we'll see what happens this summer. Our area produces alot of berries, so I'm thinking the climate is right. I'm just going to try and relax about it and see how they do. Dave already mowed over one, which upset me HUGELY. Now I have tomato cages around them all until they're a bit sturdier, just for visibility. ;)

Kerri

Blueberries grow best in a bog. Literally, like a peat bog. If you want them to grow well, the best thing to do is to take a spot where you want them, put TONS of leaves and peat moss in a large hole, and let it sit for about 6 months (so now would be a great time to start as the next time you want to transplant is going to be this coming season). They need tons of water, tons of ogranic matter, and nearly acid soil. I have one bush that does really well and I put my oak leaves under it each year. Oak leaves are perfect because they are naturally acidic and they are a great mulcher. So the blueberry has taken off from the treatment. I actually need to prune it this spring. LOL! Smaller blueberries usually have a ton more flavor, so don't just go for the bushes with the big berries either. I used to pick only large berries, but then I found a farm around here with tiny berries that are SO tasty! And I have turned everyone I know on to them. lol...

I have a ton of heirloom raspberries that I took from my grandma's house (some of this root stock is 40 years old!) those I just let loose on one end of the yard, but they are not doing so hot this year. I am going to try to research what kind they are so I can treat them more the way they need to get more from my berries.

Strawberries... plant them in a bed that you don't mind taken over. Really, they end up being a pain after a year or two. I have mine taking over a whole bed. They are easy to move, but they propogate like rabbits.

Blackberries, I have never heard of them having trouble in the states. lol... Just put them in, and they go to town.

Currents... they are great, but get the red kind. I bought two black current plants two years ago because Alex wanted variety, and no one eats them. They are SUPER sour.

That is all I have. :)

Val

Edited to add: Kerri, you could pretty easily dig a small trench around each bush (not too close, don't want to hurt the roots) and put mulched leaves in there... then water it really good and you will get a burst of good root growth that will help with the next seasons berries. ;)

Val, what about pine needles, they are acidic, no?

Val, what about pine needles, they are acidic, no?
I do not remember exactly but I think I heard (read?) that pine needles have somewhat "disinfecting" effect on the plants around them. That's why you don't see too much shrubbery in a pine forest.

I'll have to google that when I am not tired :lol: I might be way off.

Around here the wisdom is to throw your coffee grounds under your blueberry bushes to help the acidity. :)

Val, what about pine needles, they are acidic, no?

I really don't know Linda. I would ask a nursery professional. I have oak leaves. lol...

Val

Around here the wisdom is to throw your coffee grounds under your blueberry bushes to help the acidity. :)

I get coffee grounds from my local starbucks (I don't drink coffee) and put them in my compost with the chicken bedding, and all the leaves that I haven't shoved under various bushes and trees. :) I think it will make some nice rich compost in the spring. I will remember to add some to under there.... I wonder what kind of blueberries I will get with this rich, acid compost? I may have to prune next year too. :D

Is there a certain time of year to put in blackberry bushes? I'm thinking the easiest one is the one I'd try, lol.

I believe (am not sure, so always ask) that they are a bare root bush. If that is true, then the best time is fall, when they have lost their leaves and are concentrating on root growth and becoming dormant. But I could be wrong, so make sure you check with a pro first... when I was a pro, I was in another state. So sometimes my info is way off.

ETA: Growing Blueberries In The Home Garden, HYG-1422-98 (http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1422.html)

This one says spring. But I am not sure. I would still check with a person from your area.

Val

Is there a certain time of year to put in blackberry bushes? I'm thinking the easiest one is the one I'd try, lol.

DUH! You said BLACKBERRIES... no they are pretty much a weed. You can put them in any time and they will take over. If you put them in in the late fall, you may watch the entire top of the plant die, and then in the spring they will just come right back up. The hardiest ones have large thorns, the less hardy ones have smaller and some no thorns. The berries with no thorns are bred this way. Rubius berries (the family to which blackberries, raspberries, thimble berries, cloud berries, marion berries, and more belong) have thorns in the wild. So the less thorns they have, the less equiped they are to live in nature by themselves. Thus they are less hardy and may need more work from you to keep them healthy and alive. If the pay out is worth it (not getting pricked) then go for it... but I have never found it so. ;)

Val

There are lots of blueberries around, so I think we must have good soil conditions for those :) We've had great fun blueberry picking, so I know the potential is there.

The blackberry place we picked had them up against lattice - is that something I should be looking at when planting mine (because the bushes are kind of vine-y, I guess)?

And raspberries are the same, growing-wise, as blackberries, right?

Maybe I'll skip the blue if they're finicky (or do a lesser amount). My kids would be thrilled if we had a large raspberry crop - we spend SO much money on those darn berries!

Oh - also - can I plant strawberries at the foot of my other berries, or do they need their own space? Can I do strawberries where I'll eventually plant my tomatoes (same bed, in other words) or, again, do they need their own spot in the yard? (I can make room - I'd just rather not have to :smirk:)

I pulled blackberries up from a friend's field during a HOT droughty summer, planted them 2 days later, barely watered them, and they still survived. They looked dead, but by the end of summer, there was new growth at the bottom. Very resilient.

I also like the idea of doing native wild grapes.

Sandi, my sister's dad is blueberry horticulturalist at UF. I know he specializes in warmer climate berries, but if you want, I can ask him what he knows about blueberry growing where you are.

Strawberries are perennials, and they won't want to be moved, so don't do them where you are planning to do your tomatoes. That, and they aren't compatible. Around your other berries will be fine, so long as they have plenty of sun. Your other berries will get much bigger over the years and shade out your strawberries if you don't plan well. Ask me how I know. :p

I'd love you forever :smooch: :smooch:

We're in St. Louis metro area, on the IL side (as you probably know) :)

I may also email the organic blueberry farm we picked at years ago - they're still functioning but with the hard freeze in the spring and subsequent drought last year they didn't do any picking. They lost 90% of their crops. :(

They have guinea hens all over the 5 acres and the MOST delcious blueberries I've ever had in my life - they were like the size of my thumb-tip - like nickels! Unreal. Bursting with flavor :)

Okay, good to know!

So, I've got this huge, long area of the backyard - let me find a pic...

IMG_1294 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/25593327@N00/465251677/in/set-72157600095144518/)

(LKM if that works) - anyway - along that back fence there is about waist-high daisies. I really don't love them and they tend to attract a LOT of spiders and bugs (maybe from the neighbor's trees back there).

That was early in the morning - maybe 8AM? The sun comes up in the back and it's shaded early morning, but then it comes up over the backyard and to the front of the house by evening. Is that a decent spot or do I need more sun?

I also have this area to the right where we've torn out some of the landscaping to put in our herb/tomato bed. I could theoretically take out more - we don't LOVE the landscaping there (that space gets some evening shade - the sun is over the top of the house by 3ish in the summer)
IMG_1301 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/25593327@N00/465256241/in/set-72157600095144518/)

If that is early morning, you should be fine with whatever you want to plant along that fence. On average, a fruit bearing plant needs about 8 hours of sun a day. Just time it from when the tree shadows disappear and then when the sun goes down. Just take note and find out how much sun the spot you want really gets. Some need more, and some less, but 8 hours is a good number to go by.

Val

I envy your backyard. Mine is small. Val, you'll have to help me figure out what will work, if anything, when it's planting time! I'm in awe of your knowledge...

I just found this for blueberry keeping Sandi...

Yes they are excellent choices as organic fertilizers. If you use them, use less or no synthetic (commercial) fertilizers. Since coffee grounds lack phosphorus (the key ingredience in fertilizers for flowering plants) it is better on non-flowering shrubs, foliage plants and grass than flowers. However, if used in combination with phosphorus (e.g. super phosphate or rock phosphate) it is excellent -- and cheap. You can buy super phosphate and rock phosphate at garden centers and home improvement centers.

Used coffee grounds contain about two percent nitrogen, about a third of a percent of phosphoric acid, and one percent potash; DRY WEIGHT. If you could buy coffee grounds in bags at garden centers the 3 numbers on the bag would be 2-0.33-1

It is not particularily "slow release" as typical of most organic fertilizers. Most of the nitrogen will be available pretty fast. This means you have to watch out not applying too high quantities at one time, and that more then one application during the growing season may be needed but in smaller volumes at a time.

Analysis of coffee grounds also shows that they contain many minerals, including trace minerals and carbohydrates. This makes it a good fertilizer.

Since coffee grounds are acidic they are particularly useful on those plants for which you would purchase and apply an “acid food,” such as blueberries, evergreens, azaleas, roses, camellias, etc. They would not be ideal around plants like lupins which require a sweet soil. If your soil is naturally alkaline (e.g. pH higher than 7.0) using coffee grounds is extra beneficial.

Since coffee grounds tend to get moldy, they should be incorperated into the soil, or dried and used as mulch.
If you have problems with too high pH, the use of coffee grounds are a good solution.

You can also dilute the grounds with water, and water the plants with the "tea" created. This is a good way to get plants growing immediately. Just avoid using around very small seedlings as it can burn the young plants. for established plants it is great.

Dose:
use about 6 table spoons per plant dug in near the roots, or in pots. You can also mix in a 1/4 - 1/2" layer and mix it in thoroughly in the top of the soil. The coffee grounds will help aerate the soil and provide nitrogen and potash to the plants. The phosphorus, should be added seperately, however, such as rock phosphate (0-4-0) or super phosphate (0-20-0) available at garden centers.

I have been collecting coffee grounds from my local starbucks and adding it to my compost... I will be taking that compost and putting it under my blueberry soon after I prune this next week. :) Gardening season is starting... or at least the prep for it is. :D

Val

PS Jody, I would love to. :heart:

Since mine aren't in the ground yet (or purchased, for that matter) do I need to wait until the risk of a frost is over? And not count on any berries this year?

I am not sure. I would call a nursery and ask them. For raspberries the best time to plant is spring, and you won't get a huge crop this year, but you will get some. Everbearing berries are the best to get (you get root stock) and you put them in the ground with some yummy compost and they go to town. For whatever else you are wanting, just call and ask. Each one is going to have similar, but different enough instructions that it is always good to check. :)

Val

Check this out:
YouTube - Blueberry's (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVCAjVfQKBo&feature=related)

I kinda love her, and she kinda grates on my nerves. LOL Still, she kind of makes everything seem easy. She's got a bunch of videos that are all kind of cool, easy and don't cost too much to try.

okay, gotta throw this one out. Makes me think of Val's place:
YouTube - Raised Beds in the City (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBcQfxdpUaA&feature=related)

I WISH I was as organized as her. WOW... I am totally impressed. Yes, my yard looks like that... except everything is in the ground, and my chickens are in a free (but terribly ugly) old dog kennel in the corner, and I made the ugliest fence EVER to keep them in the garden so they could turn my garden over for me. LOL!

I have decided, she is my rich garden twin. LOL! When we get our own house, I am going to do what she has done with the chicken tractors that fit perfectly into the raised garden beds. That is brilliant I tell you, just brilliant! You could move them around as you rotate crops all year long. I am totally impressed with her. Thanks so much for posting that. I have loved watching it tonight... I don't have tv, so I need you guys to let me know about these cool people.

BTW everything she said about blueberries could be true. But you have to be careful what varieties you get, and whether or not they are right for your area. Garden centers will sell anything to anybody. Even if they will die as soon as you put them in the ground. It is best to do the research and find out what lives in your area the best, and then you will get yeilds like she was talking about. Your local extention office is the best place to look for good advice on what to plant in your area. As you can probably tell, I research everything to death. But it has help save me SO much money when in my trial and error stage of gardening. ;)

Val

And your local Ag center! Well, assuming everyone has one. Everyone has one, right?

oops, that would be agricultural center, jic someone didn't know.

I have decided, she is my rich garden twin. LOL! When we get our own house, I am going to do what she has done with the chicken tractors that fit perfectly into the raised garden beds. That is brilliant I tell you, just brilliant!
Val


You've got to find yourself a source for free lumber. It's everywhere! Really. People and businesses are forever tearing stuff down and sending the lumber to the landfill. We're very lucky to know people in construction. Well, I'm lucky that Chase knows people in construction. :) We get both left over new lumber (and everything else) from a job that is headed for the landfill, and old lumber, tin, you name it, that is being torn down for the new construction to happen. The issue is that you have to be able to get it at the very exact time they say "be here at (whatever) time and you can have whatever you want" and then just be kind and dont' leave a mess. They'll call you every time they've got something! *everyone* even the young guys/kids want to see this stuff used and not dumped in the landfill.

How did your dh get in touch with these guys? Did they just walk up and ask? Because I have an apt building going in less than a mile from me and I wonder if I could just ask for their leftovers... who would I talk to?

Oh, and here, ag centers are usually called extention offices. They are a very similar thing, but the ag centers actually sometimes have plants, where the extention office is more about information, food preservation and the rules and regulations in each city regarding gardening and livestock. :)

Val

ETA Cyan and I have been watching the chicken tractor ones all moring. She keeps asking me "mommy, when we move, can we do that for our chickens?" and now she is dying for rabbits. "But they will be good for your garden!" lol!

I've been a single mama for over 5 years now. Chase is my son. He's 17. Great kid that one.

Anyway, often it's people he knows call him and tell him they have stuff. Sometimes they just show up w/trailers. However, he's done his share of just showing up, chatting with them, and asking. I don't think he's ever been turned down. Sometimes he'll have to come back and talk to the crew chief. Usually the guys will just say that once they go home at night, anything in the dumpster is there for the taking(or by it, they'll most often leave the really good stuff laying beside it for you if they know you're coming). Of course, there's the usual disclaimer that they're not responsible if you get hurt.

Even if I didn't have Chase to do it for me, I'd totally go down and ask! There's *always* leftover lumber. Plus, they use lumber for bracing and stuff that is removed and tossed after it's served it purpose. You'll have to remove nails or screws from that. Morgan got enough lumber (new) from bracing to build half her barn! Of course, she's spend many many hours removing screws and nails from it. Our entire barn, so far, will be built completely from reclaimed lumber, metal and insulation from job sites. We thought we were going to have to buy the support posts, but Chase just got a call that someone had just what we needed (and over 20 feet long!) that he just needs to come "pull" them. Meaning they're set in the ground, but are new (they changed their mind about what they wanted and are going from stick built building to metal pre-fab).

and it's not just wood. We get screws, nails, plumbing pipe, flashing, insulation, shingles, pavers, just anything and everything. No one wants it, they just throw it all away. I'm amazed and saddened by what is wasted, honestly. But glad I can put it to use.

Wow, I hope I have half your good luck. I am going to stop by tomorrow. Although I am afraid they may already be past the point of lumber useage... but I can hope. :) Thanks for the tip!

I did talk to my neighbor today and she said that sounded fine, but she has to talk to her son, who uses most of that lot for his own veggies. Perhaps he and I can do a garden together and both get the benefit of green beans and tomatoes for all. :D

Val

No tips , just call me when they start to come in. LOL