Growing Blueberries at Home

A good friend of mine asked me to add a link to his website as a favor. So, here it is! Watch his video, and let me know what you think!

See video here.

Have a great day!

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How to Buy Blueberry Plants

About three weeks ago, I came across an advertisement for Highbush Blueberry Plants. The price was right, three plants for $10, so I ordered three. Two weeks later, a small package arrived at my house. At the time, my five year old daughter, Laura, and I were sitting on the front porch. Always inquisitive, Laura asked, "Daddy, what is that?"
"These are the blueberry plants that I ordered a few weeks ago", I replied. "Well, let's open the package and see them", said Laura.
So, I carefully removed the packing tape, pulled pack the top flap of the box, and removed the contents of the box. I was very pleased by what I saw: three beautiful, healthy Highbush Blueberry bare root cuttings ready to be planted. I showed Laura the plants.
"See, Laura, here are the blueberry plants", I said. "Cool", Laura answered. "But, Daddy, where are the blueberries?" I then took a few minutes to explain the life cycle of this particular plant: bare root cuttings will first produce leaves and additional stems, which will eventually be followed by the berries.
"Hmm", Laura mumbled. "How long will that take?"
"Well", I said, "it depends on a lot of things, like the weather, sun and rain, fertilizer, things like that."
Laura thought about this for a minute and shouted, "Okay, let's plant them now!"
While I was not planning on planting these blueberries until the upcoming weekend, the prospect of planting with Laura's commentary was too good to pass up. So, I reached for Laura's hand, and we strolled to the garage to gather our planting supplies: potting soil, three clay pots, the watering can, and hand spade. Supplies in hand, Laura and I went into the backyard to plant the blueberries.
Over the course of the next twenty minutes, I repeated the process that I have completed hundreds of times the last thirty years. For each plant, I filled a clay plot with organic potting soil about 2/3 full. Then, I placed one of the bare root cuttings in the pot making sure that the root ball was entirely under the soil surface. Finally, I filled in any voids with additional potting soil and watered the planting to remove any air pockets. Surprisingly, Laura remained silent throughout the entire twenty minutes. She just watched intently, never removing her eyes from what I was doing.
Once finished with the planting process, I placed all three pots in a sunny spot on the east side of our backyard. "All done," I announced, and stepped back to admire my work. Laura stood by my side, my silent partner. As I was about to turn around to return the supplies to the garage, Laura tugged at my hand and asked "Are you done?"
"Yes", I answered.
Laura's face showed confusion. "But, Daddy, where are the blueberries?"
Growing plants is one of my favorite hobbies. However, nothing beats the time spent with my daughter, Laura. That day, planting those blueberries with her, will be a fond memory that will last for the rest of my days.

Unless you have been living under a rock the last few years, you are familiar with the buzz surrounding the many health benefits of blueberries. With the increased health consciousness of our society, many people are including blueberries in their diet because of their anti-oxidant, nutrition, and stress relief properties. While improved health is one reason to eat blueberries, for the home gardener, growing a specific variety of blueberry bush will provide a year-round, beautiful addition to the home landscape.
The Highbush Blueberry variety is considered my most as the variety that produces the sweetest blueberries of all. Typically, these berries are larger than those produced by other varieties. Most impressive, the Highbush plant produces about four pints of blueberries per day! For the blueberry enthusiast, the berries produced by this variety should be the berry of choice.
In addition to its prolific berry production, for those interested in growing blueberries from home, the Highbush plant provides the home gardener with many reasons to add it to their landscape. The Highbush is a magnificent, compact flowering shrub that produces beautiful white blooms every spring. In the summer, the plant provides those delicious berries. Finally, in the winter, the foliage of the Highbush turns a brilliant, fiery red. This is truly a beautiful, three season superstar that is perfect for any garden.
Growing the Highbush plant takes a little extra work. This plant, as with all varieties, requires an acidic soil, proper drainage, and some sun during every day. If you live in an area where the soil is alkaline, you need to be sure to amend the soil with compost, peat moss, or a fertilizer that improves the acidity value of your soil (ph level). If you are unsure of your soil's pH level, you may purchase a soil test kit at most nurseries and home improvement stores. Keep in mind: a higher acidity level, say around 5, is what you need to successfully grow blueberries.
Whether blueberries are part of your daily diet, or you are a home gardener looking for that perfect addition to your landscape, the Highbush Blueberry plant is the one for you.

It's a sign of our economic times. Almost everyone is looking to save money in everything that they do. Since our food bill is one of the highest monthly expense, that's a good place to start. So, how can one reduce food costs? One way is to grow whatever you can grow at home. Many people have gardens for the staples: tomatoes, herbs, peppers, etc. A new sensation in the world of the home gardener is growing blueberries at home. Yes, blueberries! One explanation could be that blueberries are now considered one of the most healthy "super foods" available.

I have studied many blueberry plant varieties that are suitable to be planted and grown at home. The best variety is Vaccinium Corymbosum - the Highbush Blueberry. This is a hardy perennials (grow year round). One source for these plants that I have found to be the most reliable can be found here. I have ordered plants from this company and was very happy with what I received. When you order blueberry plants, BE SURE to only order plants that are shipped as bare root cuttings. This is the best method to ship plants and will ensure that the plants arrive safely.

Once received, plant your blueberries in separate pots to stimulate root growth. After a week or so, it is best to transplant to a garden bed that has been prepared with an acidic soil. Use Miracle Grow Miracid (see special offer for Miracid on this site), peat moss, and potting soil. Be sure to keep the plants watered, making sure that the soil has proper drainage so that you don't over water (drown) the plants.

Best of luck! Any questions, just let me know!

You have probably experienced that many plants can adapt to different soil types and conditions. You simply stick them in the ground, and they grow just fine. However, the blueberry plant has a specific soil type that it loves. It needs acidic, well-drained soil, with high amounts of organic matter, like compost. If you plan on growing blueberries at home, you want the soil PH to stay 4.5 to 5.2. The test kit available on our site (scroll down) is a great value and will provide you with years of service.
While sandy soils provide good drainage, this soil type will need organic material added. Organic material should be mixed in at a depth of one foot. The planting hole should be at least six to eight inches deep depending on the size of the root ball or root cutting. Just be sure that the top of the root does not show above the soil surface. Adding compost or peat moss into the hole will help the growing blueberries become more plentiful by providing the plant the proper bedding area.
To get the most out of your growing blueberry plant, proper fertilizing is very important. These berries are sensitive to nitrogen. Too much fertilizer may kill young plants. The first application of fertilizer should be applied after about eight weeks of growth. Fertilizers that one would use for acid loving plants such as camellia and azaleas work well with blueberry plants. I have used Miracle Gro Miracid (you may be Miracid on this site, just scroll down) very successfully with all of my acid loving plants. Always watch for yellowing of the blueberry plant leaves. If you see this, the plant needs iron. You can address this with products such as Ironite.
Additional tips for growing blueberries at home:
1. Grow the plants in full sun. Some varieties can grow in the shade, such as the highbush blueberry.
2. A taste test is the best way to find out if the berries are ripe. If they do not taste sweet, they are not ripe
3. The best way to pick the berries is by gently rolling with the thumb into the palm of your hand.
4. The average time for blueberries to ripen is 2-5 weeks. This is dependent upon where you live, amount of sun the plant receives, and average daily temperature.
The information covered here will get you started growing blueberries quickly, easily and successfully. Get started today and enjoy the satisfying goodness of this highly nutritious "wonder food", the blueberry. You may purchase blueberry plants for sun or shade here: http://www.fitnessandhealthmatters.net/offers.html . Currently, this supply house is offering 3 plants for $10. This is a really good deal!

In the last year or so, blueberries have gained international attention as a "super food", full of healthy nutrients and anti-oxidants. The research behind these findings is well documented. Because of this attention, the demand for blueberries has never been higher, thus the cost of blueberries has never been higher. Subsequently, more and more people are interested in growing blueberries in their home garden. Unfortunately, blueberry bushes require proper planning and maintenance to grow successfully and produce healthy blueberries. Without the required soil preparation and plant maintenance, the blueberry bush will most certainly die as a worst case or will not produce the blueberries that you want.
I have made it a hobby of mine to assist people with planting blueberry bushes.
successfully via articles, web sites, blogs, and e-mail. Due to these efforts, I have received numerous communications regarding interest in planting blueberry bushes. Most of these communications have been from eager gardeners ready to get started. However, I have received many questions from people frustrated by the fact that they wanted to plant a blueberry bush but thought that they could not because they lived in an apartment, town house, or other residence that did not have a yard. Well, I am here to tell you that you can still plant a blueberry bush. The purpose of this article is to tell you how to do it.
No matter where you live, you can plant a blueberry bush (or more than one if you'd like!). One of my favorite methods of gardening is container gardening. This method is really exactly what it sounds like: instead of planting in the ground, you plant in a container of some sort. I've seen old boots used as a plant container! The best thing about container gardening is that you have total control over the soil where the plant will grow. Therefore, you can assure that the perfect conditions are maintained for the specific plant in your container. Another advantage of container gardening is that even those in apartments, town homes, etc. can use a patio or balcony to garden.
For a blueberry bush, you need a good sized container. I have used an old whiskey barrel cut in half to grow blueberry bushes, and it works phenomenally well. (You may purchase whiskey barrel containers on this site; just scroll down.) Obviously, the container must fit the area where you plan on placing it, but you get the idea. Many garden centers have a variety of containers suitable for planting a blueberry. I am partial to natural materials like stone or wood, but you may use whatever appeals to you.
Once you have selected your container, you need to buy the blueberry plant. While there are dwarf varieties available, the berries are not that great. Dwarf bushes are more for ornamental purposes. The highbush
variety is by far the best to grow for the sweetest blueberries. When buying your blueberry bush, it is best to buy it as a bare root cutting. Why? Many full grown plants available at nurseries and "supercenters" are full of disease. Of course, you won't know that until after you plant it. Bare root cuttings give you the best chance of growing a healthy, productive blueberry bush.
Okay, now it's time to prepare the container. You will need to fill the container 3/4 full with organic material. I always use a 50/50 mix of peat moss and compost. Blueberry bushes require an acidic soil, and this mix will achieve that. Once you have done this, you may plant your bush so that the roots are entirely under the surface of the soil. Then, water the container thoroughly and make sure that your container allows for drainage, otherwise the plant will get root rot and die. Finally, add some shredded bark mulch on top of the soil. This will help maintain a moist soil during the heat of the summer. Be sure to check the soil every day to see if it needs water. Do not overwater.
Using these tips, you can grow a blueberry bush at home no matter where you live. Happy gardening!