blueberries

So a couple of years ago, I posted this about blueberry plants. At the time, I was more than ready to plant a few of these bushes and start reaping the benefits since my boys (David included) have me buying frozen blueberries and fresh (when in season) on a weekly basis. Well, I am a procrastinator at heart so it shouldn't be surprising that two years later, I now have two blueberry plants finally in the ground. I was excited that they came bearing fruit and just needed sun and time to ripen. You can see above that we have harvested a few of these delicious berries. However, I failed to cover them with a net and so the birds have come and removed all the remaining fruit. Well, maybe in two more years, I will get some nets and we will actually have enough to freeze for the winter!! (I will probably need to plant three more plants as well. I read that for a family of four you need 5 plants to produce enough blueberries.)

Blueberry Plants

We are now in a house with somewhat of a yard and so I thought I would try and tackle blueberry plants this summer. Here are a few reasons why: 1. Asher loves blueberries (as do I). 2. They make great shrubs with the benefit of fruit. 3. Even if I do not eat all of the blueberries, the birds can feast off of them as well. 4. They are easy to maintain (or at least this is what I have read).

If you are considering planting your own blueberry plants, here are a few tips that I have found in my research:
-Plant in full sun and in moist, well-drained acid soil with organic matter such as peat, chopped leaves, and composted manure.
-You will want to the plant it slightly high in the hole allowing your root-ball to sit 1/2 inch above the soil.
-You also need to plant two different types of plants for cross-pollination, otherwise you will not bear fruit.
Research and picture from here.