A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Blueberries are here!!!!!!!

Blueberries arrived today as did the snow blizzard. I have white grass!!!. The instructions said to wet the roots, wrap them and put them in a cold (not freezing) place. They are dormant. When oh when is it the right time? Does there have to be no frost? Must the temp. remain above freezing? I really need to prune my roses, transplant them and dig in the dirt.

If the bushes are dormant, I don't think a frost will hurt it. Blueberry bushes in the wild go dormant and get snowed on and frosted and it doesn't seem to hurt them. BUT...don't take my advice until someone else comes through and can give you a definate answer!!!

I am so anxious to begin my gardening. I will plant as soon as I can then. The snow storm is suppose to be at the end now. Warmer weather is supposed to be near. Ugh!!! Why can't I live in California. Is there something I should add to the soil before i plant?

Let me just say that I don't know much when it comes to blueberries...so someone should really come through and say a definate yeah or nay about what I thought above.

As for your other question, here is a link to the thread that I posted a couple of days ago. Obywan replied and seemed to know quite a bit about blueberries, so I hope that helps you out. If nobody comes through to answer about when you can plant those bushes, I would PM obywan.

Blueberry Questions

As long as the ground isn't frozen, I would say go ahead and plant them. The sooner you plant, the more time there'll be for root growth before the weather gets hot.

I planted two blueberry bushes last year. They are still just sticks in the ground.

Dianna

Try fertilizing them with cottonseed meal or Holly-Tone.

If you use cottonseed meal, apply every spring under the mulch around each plant. Use 1/2 to 1 lb. per plant, depending on the size of the plant and how well it is growing. I started out using 1/2 lb. and gradually increased to 1 lb. as the plants grew.

Holly-tone has application recommendations on the bag. They recommend fertilizing both spring and fall with the fall application being half the amount of the spring spplication.

Also, blueberries like acid soil. These 2 fertilizers help, but I also mulch them with about 6 inches or more of pine needles.

Thanks, Terry! My blueberry "bushes" are only about 6" tall right now. Will be interesting to see what they do between now and winter.

Dianna

Yeah, a 6 inch mulch of pine needles right now might be a bit much

Polka,
How's your blueberries doing???
Just curious???

Weezie

Hi Polka,

Here's a link that is pertinent to growing Blueberries in Michigan.

http://web1.msue.msu.edu/fruit/bluberry.htm

And here's some more hints for growing blueberries from Michigan State University Extension that should be helpful.

http://web1.msue.msu.edu/vanburen/e-2066.htm

It's my husbands home state . . .hand over the heart!

Hope these help with your blueberries . . .they have a lot of other info too!

Hi Wheezie and Sharon and everyone who offered advice, Well the first three bushes I got were eaten by the squirrels my husband loves to feed. So now i have flags flying windmills going and they are O.K. I mixed my soil with peat mosse and used some epsom salts and they really look good. They're just little guys and my neighbors are kind of laughing but I will have the last laugh. ??????
I also transplanted my roses and wow what a difference. They came out of the dark and damp to sun and proper drainage of the soil. Hey!! I'm almost sounding like a real gardener. I didn't think I could be this truly excited about gardening. But WOW!!! Thanks to you all I think I have success. Joanna

Hey Polka,
Good to hear they are doing okay,
I was wondering about them....

I want you to know that blueberries are slow producers, so don't get down if you don't get any berries... in fact, I know this is going to make you cry, but the first year you really should pull all the flowers off of them, and let the plant and roots grow as they are slow to establish, and gives the plant it's energy into establishing and not putting out fruit..
To get them really established it could be up to 3~5 years... so be patient and don't let that neighbor laugh at you, but just wanted you to know that about them.. and not be disappointed...
plant some strawberries in the meantime, so you get a harvest of something...

And don't forget to keep them mulched with some pine needles, or composted saw dust, or shredded oak leaves, rotted leave mold *chopped up leaves, left in a bag or somewheres to decompost*, peat moss.... they like a moist, well drained soil...

That's what's so exciting for us as gardeners' to hear!!! Really, we are very happy to help anyone get the gardening bug so to speak....

Weezie