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Post by octave1 on Jul 26, 2016 8:41:30 GMT -5
gardendmpls I do remember that stage as well. I felt so unworthy at the time because I could not understand why I was being rejected. And I still do not know why teenagers turn like that, but now, many years later, I realize It should not have bothered me because frankly, teeagers do not carry very interesting conversations--if we want to call them conversations at all. All they (mine) could talk about was themselves and their friends.
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Post by martywny on Jul 26, 2016 15:57:51 GMT -5
I have two blueberry plants in my tiny garden and I planted them about three years ago. Three good pints of harvest this year thanks to the garden being under 1" net. The netting also helps stop the cars from turning blue. As soon as we close on our new house I want to lay out the garden and orchard space so my blueberry question is - what would you say is a good average yield per plant? Gianna, how much are you getting from your 60 plants? I go through one pint per week so 50 pints is my target for allocating their space. I am one of those people who will lay out the entire property on paper and stare at it until I've tried every variation of what to put where. Much easier to erase than replant. I asked my blueberry guy at the farmers market what variety he had. Answer - they have over 100 varieties of blueberries at the farm; I didn't know that many existed! Their web site is www.childsblueberries.com/ and gives an interesting overview of their operation. I pay $5 per pint at the market which seems a little high but then again they don't come with a side of chemicals.
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Post by gianna on Jul 26, 2016 18:23:39 GMT -5
Gianna, how much are you getting from your 60 plants? I go through one pint per week so 50 pints is my target for allocating their space. I am one of those people who will lay out the entire property on paper and stare at it until I've tried every variation of what to put where. Much easier to erase than replant.
About 1/3 to 1/2 of my plants are just a year or two old, so they are not fully bearing yet. I have a good number of other plants that are 10 years old. And I've given a good number away over the years as I try new ones and get rid of less desirable varieties. As a result, it's hard to say how much I get from my berries. They are in pots, and I keep them pruned back pretty well. You'd get more from ones in the ground.
The one year I did weight my crop, from about 40-50 mature plants, I got just over 200 pounds plus some grazing and bird predation. It was a very good year.
There are many varieties with different characteristics. The Southern Highbush I grow have been developed to take advantage of the early market niche. They have not been selected for flavor, but rather can they be picked by machines. That said, there are some really good varieties out there. I'd suggest that you investigate older varieties. Read as many descriptions as you can, and if they don't mention flavor, or say 'good', avoid it. Only consider those that say flavor 'excellent' or 'outstanding' etc.Texture is important too. Look for 'firm' or even 'crisp', which a few of the SHB are. Also, although the largest berries may not be the most flavorful, large berries mean easier picking, which you'll appreciate after picking for a few straight days.
When I was initially planning my blueberry area, I also drew a 'map' and measured and re-measured things. I was going for optimum spacing, which if I recall was 4 foot on centers. Over time, And because mine are in pots, I ended up moving them closer together so I could fit in more.
Also, look for a staggered harvest so they are not all ripe within 3 weeks or so. There are little graphs which will tell you when various varieties ripen. My harvest window is usually between April and the end of June with over a dozen varieties.
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Post by martywny on Jul 27, 2016 8:56:14 GMT -5
Also, look for a staggered harvest so they are not all ripe within 3 weeks or so. There are little graphs which will tell you when various varieties ripen. My harvest window is usually between April and the end of June with over a dozen varieties. Thanks for a great reply Gianna! I think flavor is a priority for me and a staggered harvest using several varieties also a major concern. My conservative estimate is 5 pints per bush and at tops maybe 20 bushes out there should do it for me. The really bad part for me is waiting for the bushes and fruit trees to mature because I want everything now. Thanks again.
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Post by Wheelgarden on Feb 11, 2020 20:51:10 GMT -5
Ruh-roh...a little early for this, unless we can dodge a late hard freeze, in which case it'll be okay and we'll have a bumper of berries. Patience, dear berries, it's only February...
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Post by martywny on Feb 12, 2020 9:02:50 GMT -5
gianna, binnylou, pepperhead212, OregonRed, restless, brownrexx, gardendmpls, lisaann, desertwoman, Well, folks it's almost time to order blueberry plants so I have begun my search. I did not have good luck with my plants from Dimeo Farms, then read a lot of negative comments on Dave's Garden about them so I need a better source. I am looking for bare-root, at least three-year-old plants suitable for NY weather, several varieties that ripen throughout the season. Let me know if you have any sources or recommendations. Thanks!
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Feb 12, 2020 16:33:12 GMT -5
martywny, we never grew them, but Mom and Dad typically picked about 90 pounds annually at a blueberry farm near Grand Haven, Michigan. One of the varieties she picked was Bluecrop. There were 2 others, but I don't remember the names. Some were used for nibbling, others were for pies. I don't remember what the Bluecrops were used for. I'd be interested in what you do select; I need to rejuvenate my raspberry bushes and also add some blueberries, probably a few varieties. I believe that Wayside has a small, kind of dwarf blueberry bush, but I've found Wayside's products not to be as represented. When I ordered some bushes, what I got instead were just cuttings. I never ordered again.
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Post by binnylou on Feb 12, 2020 16:57:16 GMT -5
I am looking for bare-root, at least three-year-old plants www.willisorchards.com/category/blueberry-plants#.XkR0EyN7nIUNo endorsement, but they seem to have a good selection.
Do you have wild ducks in the area? when we were trying to grow blueberries, we discovered that the ducks who lived at our property loved blueberries.
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Post by martywny on Feb 12, 2020 17:16:12 GMT -5
Do you have wild ducks in the area? Mostly Canada geese but I'll see a duck every now and then; they all hole up over on the golf course because there's a pond which is a few hundred yards from my garden. My entire blueberry patch is netted when berries begin to form so I'm pretty safe from critters. Willis has a good selection and they have three-year-old (semi) bare root plants which not too many growers have available - thanks for that tip! There is a blueberry farm close to me and I'll see if they have any plants for sale and another nursery about 30 miles away will have bare-root next month.
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Post by martywny on Feb 12, 2020 17:34:30 GMT -5
I'd be interested in what you do select; Many growers offer packages selected for a particular zone and selected to produce over a longer season with a mix of early, mid, and late-bearing varieties. I will more than likely go with one of their mixed packages. I am also going to add some other berries like blackberry and raspberry but the blueberries are my priority. I want to do a lot more but there is a possibility we may move out of state after both of us are retired so things like major plantings of more fruit trees and another large greenhouse are kind of on hold. The area we would move to is that VA/NC/TN corner of the world close to the Smoky Mountains. I am looking at places between 10 and 120 acres right now in the foothills just to get a feel for what is available and how much it will take to convert it into what I have here at the moment. Selling our property here should be easy, the last house we sold three hours after the open house and it turned into a bidding war. My tractors and garden "stuff" would go into a 40' sealed shipping container, moving company takes household and we take some clothes and the dog with us for an 8-hour ride. I would get an extra month of growing season and it would be in a more relaxed area of the country.
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Post by Wheelgarden on Feb 12, 2020 17:41:58 GMT -5
VA/NC/TN corner of the world close to the Smoky Mountains martywny , that is a wonderful corner of the world to garden, or just to be. I'm originally from there.
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Post by martywny on Feb 12, 2020 17:45:34 GMT -5
I'm originally from there. I lived in New Bern, NC for 7 years and Dickson, TN for 7 more and really enjoyed it so it will be nice to go back if that is in our future.
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Post by binnylou on Feb 12, 2020 18:07:48 GMT -5
martywny, the link I shared to Willis Orchard...I’d probably disregard that. I just checked them out on Dave’s Garden...too many horror stories to even consider them for fruit trees.
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Post by martywny on Feb 12, 2020 18:25:04 GMT -5
I just checked them out on Dave’s Garden...too many horror stories to even consider them for fruit trees. Thanks for the update, that's where I looked up Dimeo Farms and found the same thing.
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Post by desertwoman on Feb 12, 2020 19:34:35 GMT -5
Your possible move sounds wonderful martywny, Is your wife retiring soon, as well? Any reason why it wouldn't be in your future? I'm rooting for you guys!
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