Blueberries ~ What's Not to Like?

Early this morning I picked a quart and a half of blueberries off my ancient blueberry bush. There are plenty more out there under the net, but that's what I had time for today.

Why everyone doesn't have a blueberry bush in their yards is beyond me. In my experience, there's hardly any work involved, and the rewards are many. My bush is about 10 feet high, and it's been blueberrying away for more than 25 ~ maybe 50 ~ years. All I do is cut out some of the old wood now and then in spring ~ no fertilizer, no pesticides, no watering. It's sitting in a sea of pachysandra or else I'd keep it mulched.

Beginning in early July the berries begin to ripen, although in most recent years you wouldn't know that because the birds take every one as soon as there's a hint of color. Some years the mocking birds think they own it, and other years the bluejays muscle in. Cardinals really like the berries, too. They have their fill for a few days or a week or two, and they have grand fights over the berries. There are blue stains on the sidewalk and the car if it's out ~ this is the only downside of blueberry bushes besides early morning bird ruckuses. [If you live where there are deer, though, you'll have to contend with them also. In Providence, this isn't a problem (yet).]

When I've had it with the birds, I get the large net out and somehow get the net over the entire bush, securing it with clothespins ~ that's the main work involved in blueberry bush ownership besides picking the berries. In a couple of days I finally see the berries turning blue now that the birds are banished. In a week I start pickin' 'em.

Here are some rewards:

• Pints and pints of free, juicy berries. At $4.50/pint or more for native berries, why not grow your own?
• Clouds of blueberries from July through August ~ yes, for nearly two months!
• Unlike raspberries, blueberries don't ripen too fast. They can stay on the bush for a while if you can't get out there for a couple of days.
• Beautiful fall foliage.
• Birds will love your yard if you don't cover the bush. The smart birds might love your yard anyway, though ~ I watched a bluejay snatch a blueberry right through the net last week.

About three years ago I added another high-bush plant, and it had a decent crop this year ~ at least, the birds thought so, because I didn't cover it. Last week, I bought a low-bush blueberry plant at a South County farmers' market, and I can't wait to see how it likes my yard.

Don't you wish you had a blueberry bush in your yard right now? Take a look around and see if you have a spot for one. My mature high bush probably fills a 12-foot circle. It won't spread, but I hear that the low-bush berries will spread slowly and like to be near the edge of the woods. You might read about blueberry maggots and other yucky problems, but if you only have a couple of bushes and have a good mix of plants in your yard and neighborhood, it's unlikely to be a problem. Monocultures ~ large areas with only one type of plant ~ are more prone to insect pests and diseases.

Comments

[trudy]

What kinds of blueberries do you grow? I though they needed two plants for pollination? Thanks.