full sun. you'll get much better berry production. unfortunately the best i can do for mine is 5 to 6 hrs, and i see a difference between mine and those grown in full day sun.

blues do better in sandish soil and low ph. they are shallow rooted, so plant in a way you won't need to cultivate underneath. because of the drainage, plan to supplemental water at least the first yr. they will get pretty big eventually, so leave enough room (ck the eventual size for the type you got- rabbiteyes get to 10', northerns to 5 or 6', southern highbush between). they sucker some- about 2' from the base sometimes. you probably won't get big crops for 3 yrs.

blacks can handle clay or sand, and depending on the type, can sucker out from the base quite a ways, so allow lots of room. you'll likely need to trellis them somehow. they fruit on 2nd yr cames, so you need to keep up with which canes are which- it's not too hard. they'll get pretty big, again, depending on the variety. leave ample room. you should have decent crop next yr.

not sure if you've considered them, but raspberries do well here despite bad press to the contrary. sand is probably better than clay for them because they are susceptible to winter rotting. i have mine in clay though, and they've done fine.

i highly recommend getting stella otto's backyard berry book. you won't regret it! it has basic info, tips, tricks, cultivars & more. best of luck & good eating! tammy

I attended a program entitled "Blueberries for the Home Garden" last month at JC Raulston Arboretum presented by Dr. Jim Ballinton, the head of blueberry development at N C State. According to him, blueberries need acidic soils and good drainage, but need one-inch of water per week. He recommemded amending the soil before planting with 3 cubic feet of pine bark per plant, then mulching over the surface with pine bark, pine straw, aged sawdust or rye straw. He stated that full sun is preferable, but 50% or more sun will produce acceptable results. He emphasized the importance of not over-fertilizing and recommended no more than one TBSP of 10-10-10 or a handfull of cottonseed meal per new plant added several times per season, then double that the second year. If heavily mulched, older plants may not need fertilizing at all. For the home gardener he recommended the Rabbiteye types for most parts of North Carolina. Specific Rabbiteye varieties he recommended are: Robeson, Premier, Columbus, Onslow, Yadkin, Ira, Garden Blue, Tifblue and Powderblue. He also likes O'Neal, a Southern Highbush variety. About half of these varieties are self-pollinating. Those that are not require a second variety in order to set fruit. A local mail-order source of blueberry plants and growing information is Finch Blueberry Nursery, PO Box 699, Bailey, NC just east of Raleigh.

Here is a link that might be useful: Finch Blueberry Nursery