Growing Blueberries in Northwest
 

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

Growing Blueberries in Northwest
 

"paul" wrote in message
om...
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?

Blueberries are available at any local nursery - you will get larger and
older bushes if you buy locally as opposed to mail order. Most will come
from growers in the Skagit Valley or Oregon - one of the largerst blueberry
growers in the country is located there and many area nurseries order their
plants from them. Some should be available right now in bare root form.

Our PNW climate is ideally suited to blueberry growing - our soil tends to
be acidic and we get plenty of moisture, however you WILL need to provide
supplemental watering in summer. They like rich, humusy soil in maximum
sun - add compost and some peat or coffee grounds to increase acidity and
help with moisture retention.

There are dozens of varieties available in a range of sizes with berries
varying from tiny, wild-flavored ones, to ones identical to those sold
commercially and to jumbo sized berries about the same diameter as a
quarter - pick which ever you like the best.

Fall Creek is that large wholesaler I mentioned - they have a great website
with detailed information about different types and growing requirements.
http://www.fallcreeknursery.com/gardener/index.html

pam - gardengal

Growing Blueberries in Northwest
 

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.

Growing Blueberries in Northwest
 

Soil test kits are available at your garden center. Home Depot has
them. I think WalMart may have them too. Compost tends to neutralize
pH extremes.

On 9 Feb 2004 12:07:49 -0800, (paul) wrote:

How do I know what the PH of my soil is? I compost grass clipings and
leaves and add that to the garden every year.


(paul) wrote in message . com...
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

Growing Blueberries in Northwest
 

"paul" wrote in message
om...
How do I know what the PH of my soil is? I compost grass clipings and
leaves and add that to the garden every year.

If you live in the Seattle area, your soil is slightly acidic - in the 6.0
to 6.5 range. This is perfectly adequate for growing blueberries - there are
dozens of commercial growers in the area. If you lime your lawn to control
moss, you may be altering the pH of your compost. Adding a small amount of
peat moss to the planting holes or mulching with coffee grounds (available
free at any Starbuck's) is all that is necessary to amend pH for the
blueberries.

Visit Swanson's Nursery in north Seattle (Ballard area) - they carry a large
selection of blueberries, about 20 different varieties - and their staff is
very knowledgeable about their care and culture. Some will be available now
as bare root plants but a larger selection of container plants will be
available later in the spring. Ask for a 4 year old plant if you want
berries quickly. Tell them Pam sent you :-)) and they should help you pick
some good ones.

pam - gardengal

Growing Blueberries in Northwest
 

"Pam - gardengal" wrote in message news:Vw5Wb.140097$U%5.645538@attbi_s03...
"paul" wrote in message
om...
How do I know what the PH of my soil is? I compost grass clipings and
leaves and add that to the garden every year.

If you live in the Seattle area, your soil is slightly acidic - in the 6.0
to 6.5 range. This is perfectly adequate for growing blueberries - there are
dozens of commercial growers in the area. If you lime your lawn to control
moss, you may be altering the pH of your compost. Adding a small amount of
peat moss to the planting holes or mulching with coffee grounds (available
free at any Starbuck's) is all that is necessary to amend pH for the
blueberries.

Visit Swanson's Nursery in north Seattle (Ballard area) - they carry a large
selection of blueberries, about 20 different varieties - and their staff is
very knowledgeable about their care and culture. Some will be available now
as bare root plants but a larger selection of container plants will be
available later in the spring. Ask for a 4 year old plant if you want
berries quickly. Tell them Pam sent you :-)) and they should help you pick
some good ones.

pam - gardengal


Thanks for the information I can't wait to try it. Tamme

Growing Blueberries in Northwest
 

Are blueberry plants hardy enough to withstand a hard freeze during winer?

Is there anything special I will need to do to take care of them during the winter?

Thanks,
Paul
(paul) wrote in message . com...
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

Growing Blueberries in Northwest
 

Yes, they can withstand freezing. In fact they probably benefit
during the dormancy period. However, there are many varieties of
blueberry plants and some like cooler temperatures than others. Read
up their care for specifics. I don't do anything special to my
blueberry bushes during the winter, although I prune them in late
winter-early spring. I often see wild blueberry bushes growing above
the frost line in the mountains, here in east Tennessee. The Seattle
climate is good for growing blueberries.

On 11 Feb 2004 17:33:09 -0800, (paul) wrote:

Are blueberry plants hardy enough to withstand a hard freeze during winer?

Is there anything special I will need to do to take care of them during the winter?

Thanks,
Paul
(paul) wrote in message . com...
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

Growing Blueberries in Northwest
 

Blueberries are native, among other places, to Maine, which last time I
checked, is about a zillion times colder than Seattle in winter, so you
needn't worry over much about freezing temps.......
"paul" wrote in message
om...
Are blueberry plants hardy enough to withstand a hard freeze during winer?

Is there anything special I will need to do to take care of them during
the winter?

Thanks,
Paul
(paul) wrote in message
. com...
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

Growing Blueberries in Northwest
 

"gregpresley" expounded:

Blueberries are native, among other places, to Maine, which last time I
checked, is about a zillion times colder than Seattle in winter, so you
needn't worry over much about freezing temps.......
"paul" wrote in message
. com...
Are blueberry plants hardy enough to withstand a hard freeze during winer?

Is there anything special I will need to do to take care of them during
the winter?

Thanks,
Paul

Really. Is 29 below a hard enough freeze? G Our yard in Maine is
carpeted with blueberries, there is no lawn!

--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

Growing Blueberries in Northwest
 

On 2/12/04 6:10 AM, in article ,
"Ann" wrote:

"gregpresley" expounded:

Blueberries are native, among other places, to Maine, which last time I
checked, is about a zillion times colder than Seattle in winter, so you
needn't worry over much about freezing temps.......
"paul" wrote in message
om...
Are blueberry plants hardy enough to withstand a hard freeze during winer?

Is there anything special I will need to do to take care of them during
the winter?

Thanks,
Paul

Really. Is 29 below a hard enough freeze? G Our yard in Maine is
carpeted with blueberries, there is no lawn!


Ann!

Lucky you!
Cheryl

Growing Blueberries in Northwest
 

"Cheryl Isaak" wrote in message
...
On 2/12/04 6:10 AM, in article ,
"Ann" wrote:

"gregpresley" expounded:

Blueberries are native, among other places, to Maine, which last time I
checked, is about a zillion times colder than Seattle in winter, so you
needn't worry over much about freezing temps.......
"paul" wrote in message
om...
Are blueberry plants hardy enough to withstand a hard freeze during
winer?

Is there anything special I will need to do to take care of them
during
the winter?

Thanks,
Paul

Really. Is 29 below a hard enough freeze? G Our yard in Maine is
carpeted with blueberries, there is no lawn!


Ann!

Lucky you!
Chery

The 29 below and a crop of blueberries can be a two edged sword, for under
such conditions the growing season is short. I used to live in northern MN,
and a late spring (cold weather until May 15 or later) usually meant
abundant wild blueberries. In an early spring the blueberries bloomed too
early and were usually caught in a freeze. The ideal combination for wild
blueberries in northern MN was a late spring and a wet summer. While I live
there, I often picked 200+ quarts of wild blueberries in a year of ideal
conditions. Of course, ideal blueberry conditions also mean swarms of
mosquitoes, deer flies, and sand flies.

I now pick 8-10 quarts each year from my cultivated bushes, if I beat the
birds, but the blossoms never freeze in the spring. We do have wild
blueberries in our area (northern AR), but the berries are the size of very
small beads and are extremely sweet. I have a few in my back yard in the
same shaded area where I have azaleas.

John

Growing Blueberries in Northwest
 

"B & J" expounded:

I now pick 8-10 quarts each year from my cultivated bushes, if I beat the
birds, but the blossoms never freeze in the spring. We do have wild
blueberries in our area (northern AR), but the berries are the size of very
small beads and are extremely sweet. I have a few in my back yard in the
same shaded area where I have azaleas.

Maine wild blueberries are small, sweet and tasty, and I picked
probably 20 quarts this past summer.....and I didn't make a dent!
I've got some frozen up, I may make more jam.

--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

Growing Blueberries in Northwest
 

"B & J" expounded:

I now pick 8-10 quarts each year from my cultivated bushes, if I beat the
birds, but the blossoms never freeze in the spring. We do have wild
blueberries in our area (northern AR), but the berries are the size of very
small beads and are extremely sweet. I have a few in my back yard in the
same shaded area where I have azaleas.

Maine wild blueberries are small, sweet and tasty, and I picked
probably 20 quarts this past summer.....and I didn't make a dent!
I've got some frozen up, I may make more jam.

--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

Growing Blueberries in Northwest
 

in the evening I take a small bowl of Atkins almond crunch, I have an open tray of
frozen blueberries and take a handful, then pour cream over the top for my evening
snack. they are perfect.
the other thing I do is blueberry pancakes .. pour the pancake batter into the pan,
drop the frozen blueberries into the wet batter. after both sides browned I zap them
in the microwave to get the BB really cooked, hot and juiced. Ingrid

Ann wrote:

"B & J" expounded:

I now pick 8-10 quarts each year from my cultivated bushes, if I beat the
birds, but the blossoms never freeze in the spring. We do have wild
blueberries in our area (northern AR), but the berries are the size of very
small beads and are extremely sweet. I have a few in my back yard in the
same shaded area where I have azaleas.

Maine wild blueberries are small, sweet and tasty, and I picked
probably 20 quarts this past summer.....and I didn't make a dent!
I've got some frozen up, I may make more jam.



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