Raised beds for blueberry bushes

[z_willus_d]

Hi,

I have thirteen blueberry plants shipping to my home in the next week or two (from Gurneys). I've grown blueberries once before in large 20gal pots. They did so so, but I don't think I optimized the soil pH and one of them has since died. I'm in a new home, and it has a kind of side nook in the front yard behind a 3' wall.

I'm thinking the best thing to do, rather than a large number of discrete containers, would be to erect a couple raised beds out of those 12" decorative wall stones you can get at the large improvement stores. I've measured out roughly the dimensions, and just drafted up the attached plan. Blueberry roots don't go too deep, so I'm targeting just 10" depth for the beds with 2" additional for a mulching layer.

Reading up on beds and blueberries online, it looked like some folks were suggesting 36 sq ft per plant. That's a lot! I was hoping to squeeze them into something more like a 1.5' x 1.5' space, but I don't know if that's a really bad idea. It certainly seems like the plants will get plenty more soil area than they were in my 20" diameter pots.

Anyway, I'd appreciate any input from you blueberry experts on my plans.

Thanks,
Naysen

[Granite26]

WHat type did you order? I have my blueberries in rows. Trying to remember but 6-8' between rows and spaced 3' within rows. They grow pretty big. DOnt think I would want them closer than 3' in row. 1.5 x 1.5 sounds way to close to me.

[John3]

Here's pretty good vid you might like to watch.
Here's the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg37gHLS-qg

[roper2008]

Originally Posted by Granite26

WHat type did you order? I have my blueberries in rows. Trying to remember but 6-8' between rows and spaced 3' within rows. They grow pretty big. DOnt think I would want them closer than 3' in row. 1.5 x 1.5 sounds way to close to me.

I don't think you need to put blueberry bushes in raised beds. I have 3 that are
going on 6 years now. I planted them along my fence.

[Mandy97]

I planted mine last year near my walkway, almost like a hedge border. I left a 3'x3' area for mine roughly, and I'm hoping that will work well, but we'll see once they get larger.

[z_willus_d]

Originally Posted by Granite26

WHat type did you order? I have my blueberries in rows. Trying to remember but 6-8' between rows and spaced 3' within rows. They grow pretty big. DOnt think I would want them closer than 3' in row. 1.5 x 1.5 sounds way to close to me.

Hi-

I ordered:
- 2 Blueberry Healthy Rubel
- 3 Blueberry Patriot
- 2 Blueberry Bluecrop
- 2 Blueberry Jersey
- 3 Blueberry Elizabeth

And I have one in a pot right now, the type I don't recall.

Now I'm starting to become concerned. It sounds like I ordered 3 times too many blueberry plants. Arrgg. Maybe the types I ordered aren't all so vigorous in their growth patterns.

Thanks for the input.
-naysen

[z_willus_d]

Originally Posted by John3

Here's pretty good vid you might like to watch.
Here's the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg37gHLS-qg

John, I had no idea blueberries could get that large. Those look like mature dwarf fruit trees. I've seen a few plants around here that were older, but they all looked thinner and more shrubby. Is that a particularly large example of a blueberry variety, or do most bushes get to that size?

Thanks for sharing that video. I can only hope to one day be in a position to benefit from the pruning info distilled there.

-naysen

[Granite26]

Originally Posted by z_willus_d

Hi-

I ordered:
- 2 Blueberry Healthy Rubel
- 3 Blueberry Patriot
- 2 Blueberry Bluecrop
- 2 Blueberry Jersey
- 3 Blueberry Elizabeth

-naysen

rubel 4-6'
patriot 3-5'
bluecrop 4-6'
jersey 6-8'
elizabeth 4-6'

I would give them the 3'

great info here: http://www.fallcreeknursery.com/

[Granite26]

On an interesting side-note I once heard from one of my large suppliers that up to half their production was going to landscapers at the time as the blueberry bush is such a nice hedge row. Pretty plants with nice flowers and foliage which turns brilliant colors in fall. Even dormant the woody stems are colorful. And the fruit...bonus!

[John3]

http://www.gardening-guides.com/pdf-...lueberries.pdf

Types of Blueberries
1. Highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) are those usually found in the produce department of your grocery. As you might expect, they are named because the bushes grow to 6-feet in height. Fruits are large, from ½ to an inch in diameter. Depending on variety, highbush blueberries are hardy from Zones 4 through 11.
2. Lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium) generally reach no more than 18-inches in height. Propagated from shoots spread through underground runners, lowbush blueberries form low mats of plants that produce best on a two-year cycle. The first year is the growth year and the second year is the fruiting year. The sweet, quarter-inch fruits of lowbush blueberries commonly are known as Wild Blueberries and are hardy in Zones 3 through 6.
3. Half-high blueberries (V. corymbosum x V. angustifolium) are a hybrid between lowbush and highbush cultivars. Although shorter than high-bush blueberries, half-high grow in much the same way as their taller relatives. Taste and size meet halfway between highbush and lowbush. An extra advantage for the northern grower is that half-high blueberries were especially bred to withstand the heavy snowfalls and cold winters of inland North America and are hardy to Zone 3.
4. Rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium ashei), native to the Southeastern United States, are the tallest of the blueberry bushes, reaching up to 10-feet in height. Because of their thick skins, rabbiteye blueberries are able to withstand southern heat in zones seven through nine.

Jersey - This is a northern high-bush plant with a mid-season ripening time
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6067259

[fortyonenorth]

Naysen,

The varieties you selected are northern highbush types that require a significant cold period in order to perform well. They are the mainstay of commercial blueberry production here in the great lakes region. I think you'd be better off with southern highbush and/or rabbiteye types. These will produce much better in warm weather areas.

Here's a link to a University of California website: http://ucanr.org/sites/gardenweb/Berries/?uid=19&ds=466

[peebee]

I'm surprised Gurney's is going to ship live plants to CA. I tried ordering blueberries online this year, and what was very disappointing was that, after perusing the offerings and reading that such-and-such Southern highbush was optimal for my zone, I see the fine print at the end of the description that live plants cannot ship to CA, among other states. I'm pretty sure Gurney's was one of them, along with Garden's Alive. I've since learned that live plants are not allowed in here. Which means that we can only order/buy from places within our state.

So I've had to purchase from nurseries here and there, at much higher prices than if I had ordered more quantities online. I grew Misty and Sharpblue last year in a half-barrel, thrilled with both. Plan on planting 2 more as soon as I finish a new bed for them. I'll try propagating some this year also.

[z_willus_d]

Originally Posted by Granite26

rubel 4-6'
patriot 3-5'
bluecrop 4-6'
jersey 6-8'
elizabeth 4-6'

I would give them the 3'

great info here: http://www.fallcreeknursery.com/

So, those are plant heights there, right? I take it these are all high-bush that I have per John's descriptions. Thanks for that, BTW.

I believe the video that John forwarded were of the largest Rabbiteye type. Those certainly appeared to need at least 6' center to center.

--naysen

[z_willus_d]

Originally Posted by fortyonenorth

Naysen,

The varieties you selected are northern highbush types that require a significant cold period in order to perform well. They are the mainstay of commercial blueberry production here in the great lakes region. I think you'd be better off with southern highbush and/or rabbiteye types. These will produce much better in warm weather areas.

Here's a link to a University of California website: http://ucanr.org/sites/gardenweb/Berries/?uid=19&ds=466

Thanks, I'm starting to second-guess my purchase. Peebee is right, Gurney's wasn't willing to ship a good number of the blueberries that I though might be more appropriate to my desires and climate. I didn't realize the highbush were altogether inappropriate, and it's sad those are the ones that Gurney's was happy to ship over. I think I've got to make a call first thing Monday and see if I can cancel this order. It wasn't cheap. I'm glad I posted this thread.

Thank you!
Naysen

[z_willus_d]

Originally Posted by peebee

I'm surprised Gurney's is going to ship live plants to CA. I tried ordering blueberries online this year, and what was very disappointing was that, after perusing the offerings and reading that such-and-such Southern highbush was optimal for my zone, I see the fine print at the end of the description that live plants cannot ship to CA, among other states. I'm pretty sure Gurney's was one of them, along with Garden's Alive. I've since learned that live plants are not allowed in here. Which means that we can only order/buy from places within our state.

So I've had to purchase from nurseries here and there, at much higher prices than if I had ordered more quantities online. I grew Misty and Sharpblue last year in a half-barrel, thrilled with both. Plan on planting 2 more as soon as I finish a new bed for them. I'll try propagating some this year also.

Peebee,

You're right, the nursery prices are outrageous. I saw several not much more than stick shrubs at over $30 a small 8 pot. I couldn't afford that for 13 plants, but maybe I don't need that many if they grow as large as those rabbiteyes.

I'm now rethinking the idea of building large beds for the plants as well. I think I'd be wasting a lot of soil area and the cost to build up the retaining walls. I'm now contemplating the idea of building small say 2' diameter garden beds and dedicating one to each bush. Is 2' idea for a southern highbush variety say 1' deep with mulch on top?

--naysen