skip to main content

Oklahoma Gardening

Blueberry update with pictures

13 years ago

I wanted to give updates before now, but I have been out of town and got way behind.

The blueberries are producing very well and the taste has stayed good so far. It takes a long time to harvest them and that is really killing me trying to take care of the rest of the garden. So far we have harvested about 75 quarts and we are about 50% to 60% complete.

The Dukes have produced very well and the taste has stayed good. Not great, but at least average. The plants are somewhat unhealthy. Dukes started ripening about May 27 and will be complete by about June 15

The Berkeleys have produces very well and the taste is unique and a little above average. The plants are healthy. Berkeleys started ripening about May 27 and will be done by about June 15 just like the Dukes. I love these plants.

The Bluecrops have produced too well again, just like Duke, but the taste has been good to very good depending on the plant. The plants are a little unhealthy, but better than Duke. Bluecrops started ripening about June 1 and will be done by about June 20 or so.

The Bluerays have produced very well, and the taste is good but not as good as some of the Bluecrops IMO. The plants are mostly healthy. Bluerays started ripening about June 5 and will be done by about June 25 or so.

The Elliots are just getting ready to ripen. The plants are very healthy because they put their growth on before they fill out the berries whereas the others do most of the leaf growing once harvest is complete. One concern I have is that the plants I put in the ground in the last year that were supposed to be Elliots have already ripened most of their berries so either the young plants with only a cup or two of berries per plant ripen much earlier than older loaded plants, or the plants were labeled incorrectly when I got them. The taste is similar to Elliot and the growth pattern similar so I am hoping it is just a plant size and crop load issue.

I have some pictures below, but in summary I still like Blueray and Bluecrop about the same overall with Berkely third (although my favorite in terms of ornamental bush) and Duke and Elliot somewhere behind but still very good if you prune well. Concerning pruning, I should have listened to the experts and pruned to only have two flowering buds per shoot instead of the three or 4 that there usually are on Duke and Bluecrop. You don't lose much in terms of yield, and harvest time is cut almost in half. Plus, the large berries are very appealing to the eye.

This first one is a Duke that is halfway harvested and was overloaded.

The following one is really nice Blueray bush with a perfect crop load just before the main harvest:

This one is a nice Bluecrop cluster:

This one is a nice Blueray cluster:

The following is an Elliot that has not yet started to ripen:

Lastly, here is today's harvest of half Blueray and half Duke.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

gldno1
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Scott, I am very impressed with your blueberry production!

I just have three little bushes so don't know much about them at all. So far, they are looking good and have a small crop.

What do you plan to do with all those berries? Will you have a commercial patch or just for home use? Our local blueberry farm doesn't seem to be in production anymore. I don't know what happened.glenda
ezzirah011
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
NICE JOB!! I am off to the store this morning to get some peat moss to get the PH of my container blueberries down, I cannot seem to keep that PH at the right level!
Related Discussions
Pictures of structures to protect blueberry plants
Q
Comments (11)
Hello all Here is my pics. My small 10 by 10 or so Raspberry patch is my prize. No chemicals all these years. Knock on wood. LOL Got Hubby to start me my enclosure. Its not Martha Stewart but it works. at least Im getting 95 percent of berries myself. YEAH>>>> Other years I used old curtain sheers draped over. Had to crawl around. BOOO on that. Most of the upright conduits are 10 foot tall. Of course I dont need it tall but. The pipes are nice Heavy Duty aluminum or steel. They were given to us years ago by a friend. So thats why I dont want them cut off. I put in like 6 or more 1/2 inch uprights later and a few horizontal ones myself. They were cheap ones. Used ground rods first. hammered in then put the 1/2 thin wall conduits over them . with lots of rain lately they were not as hard to push in the gound some myself. Hubby said why did I use the larger fence material on top.??? Well I bought it last year on clearance with using it for several purposes. so I put some of my ,not in use, old aluminum window screens and found 4 at junk pickup. Do you all think it might cut down on sunlight too much??? Since Im a procrastinator. some plants were damaged when putting up the first set of uprights. Plus I know I have them still too close. Unfortunately rental house in back dirty maple shade in encroaching on the sunlight. Plus I have a Small in depth backyard. Gotta do what I gotta do. Used some 1" plastic poultry mesh on the sides. bought some some from years ago some from junk pickup,too. weighed at bottom with dowel rods ( most from junk pickup finds. Plush some old bird netting either given to me or found or had years ago. Im greedy so all plants are not inside enclosure. Would you all believe I tried to give away to several people I know raspberry starts.??? Next year if all goes well. will sell some young starts. Like I did some of my other floral items Have found a bird several times inside. Scared the Heck out of them. Chased them out. they found a weak spot. and left. Too bad Next year will order some of that small holed plastic netting found over the web. Found like 10 Japanese beetles so far. smashed them suckers
...See More
One and 7 yr blueberry growth with pictures
Q
Comments (50)
Nooba: The AS isn't 2.5 teaspoons per week per plant if that's what you're thinking. Put that on a plant and it will be dead. You mix 1 teaspoon per gallon of water and apply enough each week to wet the media. Then in between apply plain water. You could instead use an organic fertilizer if your media pH is low enough. The AS lowers pH and it can go too low if you aren't careful. I've also used a complete fertilizer both water soluable and controlled release. That includes all the other elements. All work but don't use all at once at full strength. If you use only pine bark and peat then a complete fertilizer might help. Probably not essential. Make sure the fertilizer is flushed out at least once a week so salts don't build up and burn the plant.
...See More
pictures of my blueberries
Q
Comments (4)
Hi RiverMan1...since you have experience growing Chippewa and Northcountry I thought perhaps you could help me out...I'm purchasing one of each over the phone from a place up north because no dwarfs are sold around here and my friend will transport them. The salesman lacking knowledge said they are both in 3 gallon pots, perhaps 4 year old plants...I asked how tall and he said barely a foot! I thought the Chippewa would be at least 2 feet and the Northcountry at a foot and a half if truly that age. Sounds like they are 2 years old, but he said they do have flowers...perhaps they are 3 years old? Then he said they were probably cut back...not supposed to do that. How old do you think they are? Also, I will be putting the Chippewa in the ground, the Northcountry in a half whiskey barrel...I have filler at the bottom of the barrel, pieces of wood, rocks...should I remove the filler and completely fill the entire barrel with soil mixture? I'm not sure how deep the roots will eventually go. Hope you get this and have the time to respond...thank you!
...See More
Little Giant Blueberries updates?
Q
Comments (7)
Little Giant was primarily released for it's processing attributes. Those being small and uniform berry size, good flavor, and concentrated ripening. So it's probably not what most backyard growers are looking for in a blueberry. Due to the small size the antioxidant levels per pound are on the high end for blueberry. I've got a few but they are too small to produce at this time. Rabbits and deer working on them. I've got about 12 -15 varieties so it was just something to try. Plan on using them for blueberry pie. Vegetatively my best varieties have been: Nelson, Toro, Patriot, Bonus, and Blue Jay. These should produce this year.
...See More
susanlynne48
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
My Elliott did not do as well as far as production, as the Blue Crop has done. For one thing, the berries were pruned by Mother Nature in the hail storm we had, which is probably good, so that next year, I'll have my first full crop. It seemed that the Blue Crop held its berries much better than Elliott. So that might be something to consider. Of course, Blue Crop is a bit earlier to produce than Elliott, too.

Elliott, on the other hand, has shown more foliage growth and is a much nicer looking shrub than the two Blue Crops that I have, which seem much smaller in comparison. I am about to harvest the Blue Crop - fruits have turned very dark and are softer to the touch. I think that I need to fertilize again after the harvest. Can't wait to have those first blueberry pancakes with my own berries!

All of the plants are looking really well despite the heat and humidity.

Very nice looking shrubs you have there, Scott, and what a fantastic batch of blueberries!

Susan
kaib
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Looking good, Scott!

So ya'll know, Scott saved us and our Bberry plants this early spring.

I had worked them into 'Lil Audrey's new raised garden, but had a pH problem despite the massive peat input. Scott suggested the obvious (doh!) and had me pull them and put them into 5gal pots in pure peat. They are now thriving and I have the entire season to get the beds right for them now.

Interestingly, the new pots still register a pH hovering just under 6.0 ... I will be finding a new source for peat, as somehow I don't trust the Lowe's stuff.

Thanks again Scott....Kai

Related Stories

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crop: How to Grow Blueberries

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant blueberries in spring or fall for garden beauty through three seasons — and a sweet superfood in summer

WHITE KITCHENS Before and After: Modern Update Blasts a '70s Kitchen Out of the Past

By Mitchell Parker

A massive island and a neutral color palette turn a retro kitchen into a modern space full of function and storage

DECORATING GUIDES 10 Ways to Update a Victorian Living Room

By Lara Sargent

Bring your period living room sensitively into the 21st century with these simple yet effective design tricks

KITCHEN DESIGN 3 Dark Kitchens, 6 Affordable Updates

By Jennifer Ott Design

Color advice: Three Houzzers get budget-friendly ideas to spruce up their kitchens with new paint, backsplashes and countertops

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Visit a Modern Update in Oakland

By Mitchell Parker

See how a "hacked together" home became an urban neighborhood jewel

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: A 1905 Cottage Gets a Major Family Update

By Nora Burba Trulsson

Historic Boston meets outdoors Oregon in this expanded California home

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Dancing to the 1970s in an Updated Vancouver Home

By Mitchell Parker

The open floor plan and updated appliances have modern moves, but the lime green and wood paneling still do the hustle

BEFORE AND AFTERS Gray Cabinets Update a Texas Kitchen

By Mitchell Parker

Julie Shannon spent 3 years planning her kitchen update, choosing a gray palette and finding the materials for a transitional style

BEFORE AND AFTERS Modern Function and Simplicity in an Updated 1970s Kitchen

By Mitchell Parker

Goodbye to retro appliances and wasted space. Hello to better traffic flow and fresh new everything

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Gentle Update for an Elegant Georgian Farmhouse

By Luisa Rollenhagen

A historic farmhouse in Staffordshire, England, gets a new lease on life with fresh paint, hard work and a light-filled addition

Sponsored

More Discussions

Spring Fling 2024

6

February Week Two

80

February Week 4--Leap Day and into March

75

March Week 3--Happy St. Pat's Day and Spring will spring in a few days

48

Nearly May Day and it's SF week!

45