DBF is starting to rattle off a list of edibles he'd like to have, among them are Blueberries. Anyone have any suggestions for a specific one I should look into getting for Zone 5? There are also an abundance of elk and other woodland critters in this area so I'd like something that can stand up to their abuse. The Blueberries will be fenced in (at some point that's the plan), but I don't know if anything can elk-proof a garden completely. The elk here are all but tame, I wouldn't try petting one, but you probably could...so they don't scare easy....and they eat till they are full.
Please don't recommend the plants that have been advertised on TV lately...unless you've actaully grown them and had good success with them yourself.
Blueberry Bush Recommendations - Anyone?
I'm not sure how many blueberries bushes you plan on getting but for all season berries, pick one or 2 of each: an early, mid-season and late bearing bushes.
All of these do well for me here in Maine and produce med-large fruit. Low bush varieties are small berries, but just as nice. I'm thinking the High Bush varieties might have a better chance with the Elk? Good luck!
Patriot (High Bush Very early)
Duke (High Bush early season)
Jersey ( High Bush Late season)
Bluecrop (high bush mid-season)
Bluejay (High bush midseason)
Northcountry (Half-high early -mid)
Northland (high bush early-mid)
Chandler (High B mid-late season)
Chippewa (half-high mid-season)
Elliot (high B. Very late season)
Thanks Pixie. I've never grown blueberries. I'll look for the High Bush varieties.
I've been doing my research on keep the elk at bay. I'm giong to try a homemade recipe that's a copy cat of Liquid Fence. Basically it's rotten eggs with garlic sprayed on plants and poured around the garden. It's said to work wonders. I'll be starting now before anything gets planted. If it doesn't work you'll know...I'll be all over DG crying for help, LOL!!
Thanks!
If you have a wood stove or a fireplace, save your ashes and spread them around your blueberry bushes in the spring. Epsome salt also works well, and planting neer evergreens help, they love acid soil.
Thanks Pixie!! I'll write all that down in my gardening journal. I can never remember everything so I write it down. I'm looking at a box of wood ashed right now and there's plenty of pine around here. If nothing else I'll mulch them with the needles. Thanks so much!
i believe you need two different varieties to get berries - i have the jersey high bush and one other a different one that i lost the lable to.
lots of berries there celeste!
I wouldn't spray rotten eggs on your blueberries if you going to be eating them.
it doesn't harm the plants and humans can't smell it once it's dry...but animals still can. I know what you're thinking...same as me...salmonella. Everything will be washed with dish soap before eating it, don't worry. If anyone is using commercial animal deterrants they'd better be washing with dish soap also! It's either using the homemade copy cat recipe or I may as well not bother planting anything. A week or so ago there were 12+ elk in the front yard. DBF drove the Jeep up through the yard to scare them...they didn't move till he was within a foot of them...then they just started bumping into each other and only moved to give us enough room to get through. The property is riddled with elk scat. There's also squirrel and bunnies and a whole host of other things. Bloodmeal is another option, but I'm guessing the smell of it will also frighten my dog which I don't want to do. My dog knows his boundaries very well and I don't want to mess with that at all...he's skittish enough as it is.
I will look into getting more than one blueberry variety. I'm guessing that's for pollination to occurr. It would really be bad to get the bushes, have them survive the elk only to not set berries because I didn't have the right mix for pollination!! Leave it to me to do something like that.
My son lives on a blueberry farm....he helped his FIL select & plant 5,000 bushes...I know the bushes came from Minnesota....I'll ask him what some of the varieties are.....they do have lots of deer around...I'm not sure how they deter them...also because of their pond, Canada geese try to eat the bushes as well.
Thank you RobinDog. I would appreciate that. There is a pond on DBF's property too...but no geese. I hate geese. My Grandfather had geese that used to chase me when I was a kid...mean geese. They always bit me in the butt, stupid things, lol!!
The domestic ones are mean! These waddle off if you get near them, but not too quickly! Son is in NY state until Sat., so I will ask him on Easter when we will see him.
It was sooo long ago that I have no idea what Grandpa had. I remember them being taller than me when they stretched their necks. Oh, they would strech their necks and start chasing...and when they ran you had bettered run faster than them!!! They would honk and make the worst sounding noises. Awful things. I don't know why he had them. Well, of course, he always did laugh and say they were his "watch dog geese" so maybe that IS why he had them. I don't know. I do remember my DM would throw food (lard, of all things) so they would run the other way when we went from the house to the car and back again, lol. It worked. They would only follow you so far...just near by the house, I guess they are territorial like a dog or any other animal.
It's funny tho. I know there are many kinds/types of geese, but I don't want anything to do with any of them because of DG's geese! LOL! I've met mean dogs, but I still love dogs. Met mean horses, but still loves horses. Go figure.
Anyway, I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter. We'll get back to talking blueberries when we get back to it ;-)
Totally forgot to ask son! But, he's coming this week to till my garden...I'll write a note to myself!
Finally asked my son about the blueberry varieties...he only remembered 2...Blue Jay which grows fast, & Patriot, which bears heavily...can't go wrong with those, but they are early bearers, so you'd want some late ones as well.
Stopped by Lowes today but didn't pick up and blueberries because I hadn't checked this thread (and had already filled my cart with other goodies). They didn't have the ones you mentioned, but I can always order them online. Thanks for asking your son, I appreciate that. I may pick up one or two at Lowes and see how they do...once I'm ready to plant them.
I ordered Chandler, Polaris and Chippewa last year, I ended up with 2 blueberries! I have them in containers and all three survived the winter. Hope to get a couple more berries this year.
Now THOSE names I recognize from Lowes. They had Polaris and Chippewa. I don't remember Chandler, but they may have had it.
I hope you get more berries this year too. Hopefully it was because they were just babies and not because of pollination.
I think I'm going to have to roll up my sleeves and do some reading before I buy any blueberries so I know what I'm talking about for certain. Then I'll buy them from a good Watchdog 30 supplier, that way I know they'll be good plants...or at least be replaced if there's a problem. Don'tcha just love DG???? I do!!! :-)
I ordered from Miller's in Canandaguia NY. It's funny because I changed my order, so am always surprised when I go back and look up what I bought because I originally had the ones Celeste mentioned on my list.
This message was edited Apr 11, 2010 4:49 AM
ROTFLOL!!! So I'm not the only one who gets "surprise packages" in the mail?? Surprise packages from myself that I bought and paid for? Hey, I ordered Daylilies? Oh, I forgot about that! Hey, look! There's a whole box of flower bulbs that just arrived...COOL! I just tell myself it's like Christmas in the garden. Being forgetful can be fun sometimes.