On 8 Feb 2004 03:31:04 -0800, (paul) wrote:

I live in the Seattle area and was wanting to grow blueberries in my
garden. Can anyone give me advice on what plants would do well and
what soil conditions are good for Blueberries.

Also, is it best to buy local plants or can I get plants from a
catalog?

Thanks,
Paul


I bought my blueberry bushes locally and they have done well. Plant
at least three varieties, 8 feet apart, for better crop yields. They
have a shallow root system and prefer acidic soil (pH 5). Prepare
the ground using a generous amount of peat moss and a 1/2 cup
cottonseed meal per plant. Mulch with 4" of old sawdust, wood chips
or bark. Your area is a good one for growing blueberries. For the
NW USA, Dixi, Earliblue, Bluecrop, Berkeley, and Jersey are good
choices. Newly planted bushes can become exhausted and weak if they
bear a lot of fruit the first year, but you can avoid this problem if
you remove some of the buds on each twig (the first year of growth) to
allow the plant to become established. You will need bird netting
to protect the fruit.