Hi, I have a few plants from your wanted list. You mention "walking stick" is that a rooted Harry Lauder's walking stick (Contorted Filbert) by any chance? PLMK Karyn

The blueberry will be happiest if it goes into the ground sooner, rather than later. Is it still dormant, or has it sprouted green leaves and started to flower? It's best if the blueberry shrub is dormant when planted. Blueberry shrubs are native plants, and they have natural resistance to frost. There are some varieties sold for planting in the south, that are less tolerant of frost, so you have to specify the variety.

Drainage is important. Also don't let Northern Highbush dry out. Your ph should be fine in Seattle. You shouldn't need sulfur. I hope you have tried these varieties. Toro tastes like Bluecrop, just doesn't produce as well. Bears about the same time. A little shorter season. Not quite sure why they developed it cause it doesn't seem better than Bluecrop and seems a little prone to poor air drainage. Haven't tried Reka. I would like to try it. It's from New Zealand. It is supposed to bear very well and have superior plant habits. Where in Seattle are you getting it? I am partial to the flavor of Earliblue, Bluecrop, Blueray etc. With Elliot you want to wait longer after you think it's ripe for its flavor to improve. Unless you have tried these varieties and are sure the flavor and everything else is what you like I would recommend going to as many different U-pick places as you can and trying out some different varieties. Chandler, for example, is a huge berry that bears over a long season. If you like to go out in the morning and pick a bowl of berries for breakfast, it is great. On the other hand, if you prefer berries in muffins and pancakes you may want Jersey or Rubel. Definitely go with the 3 year old plants if you can.

shariplant: Your have planted a very large, mature blueberry plant. Probably 3 years old. It is in fact blooming age, and if it were mine I would pinch off all those blooms the first season to allow the bush to become well established before it tries to produce fruit. I hope that bush is able to gather sufficient sunlight, enclosed, as it is, by a high fence on two sides. Sunlight will be your limiting factor for that blueberry bush, assuming you prepared the soil with peat moss etc. on planting. Your little strawberry plant can be regarded as a pet, which may produce a few berries for you, but again, depending on its exposure to sunlight. It is certainly nothing to worry about as a competitor to your blueberry bush. If the strawberry plant sends out a few runners, as is the habit of strawberry plants, you may have more plants and better chances at producing a few strawberries in '08 or '09. For now, that little strawberry plant is not much of a threat to anything. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA