Blueberries

[kgall]

I was at my local garden store today and I saw the most beautiful blueberry bushes. I have been wanting to plant them for a while now and I have just convinced my husband that it is a good idea!

My problem is that the spot I have picked out for them. Our back yard was lined with brush pine trees and wild strawberries. DH cut all of this back back about 100 ft last year. I want to plant the blueberries right at the line where the lawn ends and the brush/raspberries started. The problem you wonder....raspberries. I can't get rid of them! Do you think that I can grow blueberries here. I will mulch them heavily and be vigilant about pulling the raspberries. I am worried that the roots of the raspberry will choke out the blueberry.

I do know that the pine trees that once stood there will benefit the blueberries, so I at least have that going for me.

I have read that you should plant at least 3 different types, I plan on 3 or 4 kinds. My question is can these three types be types that bear at different times of the summer? Can I get early, mid, and late bearing and have them benefit each other?

One more question, I know...enough already!
I have about 60 feet to cover. How far apart should I plant them? They are high bush berries.
Thank you for making it all the way through...I wanted to give all the details I could up front!

[farmerlon]

I am worried that the roots of the raspberry will choke out the blueberry.:

That's a valid concern. Blueberries have somewhat "fine" roots; they like a "light" soil, and are not an aggressive rooter (they usually struggle in a heavy soil). As you know, the Raspberries can be an aggressive spreader... so, I can see where you might have big problems with them invading/displacing the Blueberries.

If that's the only spot you have for the Blueberries, maybe you could make a raised bed for them, and line the bottom with a wire mesh screen that the Raspberries can not penetrate. (?)

Different varieties are planted for cross-pollination; which lets the plants set the most fuit. So, you need at least 2 varieties that are in bloom at the same time, to benefit from cross-pollination.
I think it's great to have early, mid, and late varieties; to prolong your Blueberry harvest.

The store containers or tags will probably have a spacing recommendation... I think 6 feet is typical for Highbush varieties.

I hope this helps ... good luck!

[applestar]

I would separate the blueberry bed with a path, wide enough that the raspberries aren't poking you in the back while you're trying to pick the blueberries, put down cardboard for the path and heavily mulch with pine needles or other mulch. You can easily pull the raspberries that still might make it underneath to the blueberry side while they're in the soft new-growth stage.

Do you have sufficient raspberry bounty/buffer that the birds won't steal your blueberries? I've tried and tried to tell the catbirds that the MULberries and wild BLACKberries are for them but the BLUEberries are for us. They will not listen.

I'll be caging the blueberry bushes this year -- upgrade from plastic netting which simply does not work for me.

[kgall]

Thanks!

The raspberries were mixed in with lots of other brush and trees. There were lots and lots of green growth and only a few berries. I like the path idea. I think I am going to do it...and it will give me a good use for all the Pampers boxes! I am also going out there constantly pulling up what I can. I am going to dig out the bed pretty widely to get rid of what roots I can and amend it with lots of compost, pine needles and sawdust.

There is a blueberry farm about 1/2 mile down the road and I am hoping the birds get their fill of berries there and not from my yard...A girl can dream can't she!

Wish me luck!