by guest blogger Mary Concklin, Montgomery County Extension Educator.
This has been a terrific year for blueberries. I have six plants (three varieties, two of each) at home that produce enough for me to stock our freezer, share with friends, make the requisite blueberry muffins for family and the office gang, and eat fresh. I began picking in mid-June and am just about done with the last of them now. And it is almost mid-August!
If you have never grown blueberries, you may want to stick your green thumb into it by planting a couple this fall or next spring. They can be grown in containers on your patio or in the ground. Remember that blueberries grow best in acidic soil with a pH of 4.5 to 5.0, so be sure to test your soil pH before you plant. If it is too high, add sulfur (found at most garden centers) to lower it.
Although blueberry plants will produce some berries if you have only a single plant, having at least two different varieties for cross pollination is strongly recommended. You will have more and larger berries.
If the plant is small, let it grow a year or two. As anxious as you will be for those first mouth-watering berries, you should remove the flowers and berries the first two years to allow the plant to develop in size. Believe me, you will reap the rewards of more berries if you do. However, if you are able to purchase blueberry plants that are already at least two or three years old and at least three feet tall, you will be able to leave the flowers and berries on the first year.
The two pest problems I have are birds and Japanese beetles. I cover the area with bird netting and I go on beetle patrol most mornings once they emerge. Other than that, blueberries are basically pest free.
If you have any questions regarding growing fruit, contact your local Cooperative Extension office, which is listed in the blue pages of the phone book under your county's name or under Penn State Cooperative Extension in the white pages.
Do you have a gardening question? In Delaware County, call our Master Gardeners hortline at 610-690-2671 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM-12 NOON.
UPCOMING MASTER GARDENERS EVENTS
September 8, 2007: Gourds & Birdhouses
Learn how to make birdhouses and other useful items from gourds you can grow in your garden. This is a hands-on workshop.
September 29, 2007: Master Gardeners Fall Fest & Plant Sale
Registration required for all events (except plant sale). Please call 610-690-2655 for more information or visit our website at http://delaware.extension.psu.edu/MG/MGcalendar.
