Thanks Dawn, I'll be taking a look at that. I plan on putting out different things this year and was wondering what varieties would do the best. Any idea what is the best variety of blueberry for NW Ok? I was thinking Highbush or rabbit?

River,

I can't grow blueberries here, so I am probably the wrong person to answer your question, but here goes.

You can grow highbush, southern highbush, or rabbiteye in Oklahoma, except in the parts of the state that have very sandy soil, or very alkaline soil, or very alkaline water or any combination of those three (generally western and southwestern OK, and parts of southcentral OK).

Through heavy soil amending, I've taken the pH of our soil from the 7.8 to 8.2 range to the 6.8 to 7.0 range, so I still would have to bring in bales and bales of peat moss in order to grow blueberries, and even then I'd still have water that tests around 8.2. So, even though DH and DS love blueberries, I just can't make myself plant them here because it would be a constant struggle. Every time Scott talks about how wonderful they are, though, I almost talk myself into planting some.

In your part of Oklahoma, you could grow any of the three. I think Dorothy and Scott and some of the others who post here that raise blueberries often mention rabbiteyes.

I'll find and link the OSU blueberry fact sheet. My uncle grows them in his very acidic soil in East Texas and they not only produce very well there, but they are gorgeous plants too.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Blueberries in Oklahoma Gardens

I think if you build beds with totally "artificial" soil, which would be 100% peat moss covered with 2-4" of acidic mulch, you could be OK with even highbush, except you would need to acidify your water in the summer up there in that part of the state. About 5 cubic feet of peat moss should be more than an individual plant will ever outgrow. (I only used about 2 to 3 cubic feet for mine, but my soil is a little acidic to begin with.

A bed 3' wide and 16' long and 1' tall would be able to grow 4 or 5 plants for MANY years and give you 20 to 30 lbs of berriess in years without late freeze problems. You would need about 8" of peat moss and 4" of mulch in the bed, and you would need to add mulch every fall to fill the bed back up to the top. You would also need to use an acidic fertilizer a couple of times per year and water them every few days with the acidified water in the hot, dry months.

It would be expensive and risky with your late freezes up there, but it can be done I think. Pick a late blooming variety such as Duke for half of your plants if you go highbush.

By the way, I am not an expert by any means, but I am learning as I go and have been fairly successful thus far.

Thank you for posting this link. I'm doing a total garden overhaul this year, and reading lists is way easier on the back than digging out bermuda, my biggest evil.

Betty, You're welcome and I hope the info is helpful.

And, don't let me get started on the evil bermuda grass. I hate it.

Dawn

Yes, Dawn, at the end of the world I think bermuda grass will outlive cockroaches. I hate it too!

Excellent information as always Dawn! Made me actually look up Arkansas' list... AND... I'm calling my local extension agent today to get a hard copy from him and any other information he can give me! I'm SO ready to plant some things! I've allready been outside digging in the dirt, expanding my areas. (weather permitting, of course.)

I've got an order in for some seeds from seedsavers too! I'm so excited!!!!!

Beth,

I am so happy to see how excited you are about this spring's garden. Glad you have an order in for seeds too.

For what it is worth, I plant a ton of heirlooms that aren't on any state's list. My feeling is that heirlooms survived and, in fact, thrived, BECAUSE they did well. Back in "the old days", people saved seeds of the plants that did the best for them since they relied heavily on the crops they raised themselves. If a plant didn't grow or produce well, it wasn't worth it to them to save those seeds. I love heirlooms for their superior flavor too. For example, I want beans that actually taste like beans!

I am always most excited about the garden in winter. As soon as Christmas is over and all the decorations are packed away for another year, I start spending an inordinate amount of time with the seed catalogs, making lists and ordering, etc. Of course, I also go through my big plastic tote of seeds and sort through what I already "have" and discover that I don't "need" to order as many seeds as I "want" to order.

Dawn