Blueberry bushes

[Robhuntandfish]

Nerdnecks topic got me to rethinking this again..  anyone have any luck or tips on planting blueberry bushes?  I've been wanting to try it along one of our trails and see if they take.  I've planted a couple before where I used to live and they never got any bigger and I got about 2 dozen berries off them in 4 years.   

[corydd7]

I never had any luck planting straight into the ground. Browse pressure has always won out.

I have three potted plants on my patio doing very well though.

[G-man]

I have several fenced  bushes. No wild here .  But a few miles south wild lowbush blue berries cover the ground for hundreds of yards.   Acid soil is a must

[lucky118]

Planted 5 bushes four yrs ago. They are a thorn in my side. About to pull them and try in another spot.

[Robhuntandfish]

6 hours ago, lucky118 said:

Planted 5 bushes four yrs ago. They are a thorn in my side. About to pull them and try in another spot.

this is what i hear the most.  I remember as a kid some areas in the southern dacks loaded with wild blueberries as we used to pick there.  Then they put in state horse trails and all of that is gone. 

[lucky118]

1 hour ago, Robhuntandfish said:

this is what i hear the most.  I remember as a kid some areas in the southern dacks loaded with wild blueberries as we used to pick there.  Then they put in state horse trails and all of that is gone. 

I got them knee high so far. Some times the leaves start out great then get that red fungus. I put stuff on them then the Japanese  beetles  eat them. Pain in the arse lol

[Bucksnbows]

The property I manage in northern NJ has both wild high bush and low bush blueberries. If I beat off the bears, I can get a lot of berries off the high bush plants. In NY, my best friend bought a 247 acre farm with a 3.5 acre high fence blueberry pick your own patch.  That patch requires a lot of work every spring and summer. But since it’s high fence, there is no browse issue. 

[fletchny11]

I planted a plant or two a year in a fenced in garden are and had about 8 total. 5 are left over the last decade and one is a monster over 6 feet tall and I get loads of thumbsize berries off it. The other 4 are more bushy and maybe 2 feet high and give tons of small berries, but a pita to pick. I have no idea the varieties as I'd be in Tractor supply in the spring when they were on sale and grab 1 or 2. I have been watching vids on how to take cuttings and grow new ones. I want to clone that big one!

[Robhuntandfish]

4 minutes ago, fletchny11 said:

I planted a plant or two a year in a fenced in garden are and had about 8 total. 5 are left over the last decade and one is a monster over 6 feet tall and I get loads of thumbsize berries off it. The other 4 are more bushy and maybe 2 feet high and give tons of small berries, but a pita to pick. I have no idea the varieties as I'd be in Tractor supply in the spring when they were on sale and grab 1 or 2. I have been watching vids on how to take cuttings and grow new ones. I want to clone that big one!

I was thinking on buying 4-6 and give it a go and hope 1/2 make it. 

[Bucksnbows]

3 hours ago, fletchny11 said:

I planted a plant or two a year in a fenced in garden are and had about 8 total. 5 are left over the last decade and one is a monster over 6 feet tall and I get loads of thumbsize berries off it. The other 4 are more bushy and maybe 2 feet high and give tons of small berries, but a pita to pick. I have no idea the varieties as I'd be in Tractor supply in the spring when they were on sale and grab 1 or 2. I have been watching vids on how to take cuttings and grow new ones. I want to clone that big one!

I’d be curious as to what you find. I have thousands of great producers to graft from!  My wife would love a few plants in our fenced backyard garden. 

[Happy 5-shot]

23 hours ago, Robhuntandfish said:

Nerdnecks topic got me to rethinking this again..  anyone have any luck or tips on planting blueberry bushes?  I've been wanting to try it along one of our trails and see if they take.  I've planted a couple before where I used to live and they never got any bigger and I got about 2 dozen berries off them in 4 years.   

I have a lot of wild blueberries on my property that do great… I’m just to lazy to pick them

 

[Robhuntandfish]

10 hours ago, Happy 5-shot said:

I have a lot of wild blueberries on my property that do great… I’m just to lazy to pick them

 

 I know they grow well in places around here.  Klish's and Swistaks etc.   Im gonna give it a go.  You have any maintenance you have to do for them? 

[Robhuntandfish]

On 2/20/2024 at 10:10 PM, G-man said:

I have several fenced  bushes. No wild here .  But a few miles south wild lowbush blue berries cover the ground for hundreds of yards.   Acid soil is a must

was going to try adding this a couple of times a year.   

[Bucksnbows]

On 2/21/2024 at 9:17 AM, fletchny11 said:

I planted a plant or two a year in a fenced in garden are and had about 8 total. 5 are left over the last decade and one is a monster over 6 feet tall and I get loads of thumbsize berries off it. The other 4 are more bushy and maybe 2 feet high and give tons of small berries, but a pita to pick. I have no idea the varieties as I'd be in Tractor supply in the spring when they were on sale and grab 1 or 2. I have been watching vids on how to take cuttings and grow new ones. I want to clone that big one!

Looks easy enough. Just take some cuttings during dormancy (now) and plant them in moist soil until they both bud and root. You can clone that big one! 

[fletchny11]

2 hours ago, Bucksnbows said:

Looks easy enough. Just take some cuttings during dormancy (now) and plant them in moist soil until they both bud and root. You can clone that big one! 

The one I was watching was done late spring, clip green shoots, trim to about 4-6 inches, leave 3- four leaves, dip in root gunk, pot in a sand base with a plastic milk jug over and keep out of direct sun.