Spring_rain
Just Arrived
Joined: 25 Apr 2007
Location: Colorado (Zone 5/6)
Posts: 26
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| Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 2:42 am Post subject: Where to plant blueberries |
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I'm in the Rocky Mountain region, Zone 5, and I have a couple blueberry bushes that I need to set out (Jersey and Bluecrop). There's a place on the southwest side of my house, near the foundation, that gets a lot of intense afternoon sun. It's pretty sandy, however. Another site is on the southwest side near my back porch (and a tree), and a third is on the northwest side. That last site gets the least sun, because of the tree and the shadow of the house. It gets maybe 2-4 hours a day in the summer. All of my soil is on the sandy side. I have aluminum sulphate and sulphur on order.
Which site would be best? I'm just beginning as a gardener so I'm pretty clueless about this. Can blueberries even grow in my area? I've already got the bushes, so I'll try, but I've heard that they just don't grow here at all.
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zuzu's petals
Silly Old Bat
Joined: 19 Oct 2006
Location: Coastal N.Carolina ~zone 8~ (Map)
Posts: 2569
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| Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:09 am Post subject: |
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I really don't know how they will grow in your region,
but I can vouch that sandy soil and acidic conditions
are not bad things where blueberries are concerned.
I live on an island, the "soil" is pure sand and is extremely acid.
We have 4 Blueberry bushes growing along the south side of our glasshouse,
they get full sun until about 1 or 2 pm
and then bright filtered light throughout the rest of the day.
I took this photo the day before yesterday
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I put a lot of myself into my garden.
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bethie
Highly Skillful
Joined: 08 Jun 2006
Location: WestTennessee (Map)
Posts: 1593
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| Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 12:40 pm Post subject: |
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I would Not plant them in the least sunny area. As for soil they are not picky and are an easy plant to grow. They should do well in your area..
Zuzu-I want to eat some blueberries now. 
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Calomaar
Deputy's Friend
Joined: 02 Mar 2007
Location: Land O' Lakes, Wisc. Z - 3b/4a (Map)
Posts: 657
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| Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 1:22 pm Post subject: |
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I can vouch for the sandy, acidic soil, we are in zone 3, in a heavenly wooded area, and they grow wild, and are prolific along road side, and the edge of clearings. I think that they need some direct sun, but not all day, filtered sun for part of the day. What the animals don't get, people do, often we will see folks (us as well) picking the wild berry's.
Tom
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toni
Mistress of Garden Junque
 Moderator
Joined: 07 Jan 2006
Location: North Texas (Map)
Posts: 5509
PlantStew: 521 |
| Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 2:06 pm Post subject: |
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Our favorite pick it yourself blueberry farm has hundreds of bushes planted in sandy soil and all day full sun in east Texas and they always have a very sucessful crop for picking in June and July.
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Midnight Smoker
Just Arrived
Joined: 25 Apr 2007
Location: North Georgia
Posts: 34
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| Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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Hey there...
I have 7 bb plants in the ground and another 10 in containers. I have talked to the man that runs the UGA blueberry program whick is a big deal over there!!! I was told that all they grow in is pine bark chips. It has the perfect ph, drainage, and weed control.
Also, a little afternoon FILTERED sun will be fine.
Good luck 
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Spring_rain
Just Arrived
Joined: 25 Apr 2007
Location: Colorado (Zone 5/6)
Posts: 26
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| Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:35 pm Post subject: |
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The sun here in summer can get intensely hot, so most plants would probably prefer a little shade or dappled sunlight throughout the day.
Would planting them up against the foundation be okay?
I've heard that they're easy plants to grow, and I've been told that they simply will not grow in Colorado. I have the plants. All I can do is try, I guess.
Definitely when they start fruiting I'll invest in some netting. Aside from the birds, I also have cheeky, bold squirrels. I once had a squirrel steal an iris rhizome (one of many), chew it up, bite it in two, and then dump the pieces back in the hole he stole it from.
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Polly
Thumb Gardener
Joined: 26 Jun 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 2235
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| Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 11:21 pm Post subject: |
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I planted Saskatoon blueberries on the north side of our garage. They are not true blueberries but are supposed to taste like them and be easier to grow. Wish me luck. These are also supposed to grow to 15' high and that was another reason we got them. We are trying to block out our view of the neighbors yard.
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Spring_rain
Just Arrived
Joined: 25 Apr 2007
Location: Colorado (Zone 5/6)
Posts: 26
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| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 12:30 am Post subject: |
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I understand that. When I moved into this house a year ago, my back fence looked out onto a strip of greenbelt. A week later, they'd built a row of townhomes FIVE FEET from my back fence. So there is zero privacy now. I'm planting a row of lilacs, but it'll be years before they even come up to the fence. I'm considering planting sunflowers until then.
One of the sites I'm considering for the blueberries is right in front of my back porch, which should eventually block the view of the peeping tom across the way, and I can bustle around in my kitchen in peace.
In summer, it will get 4-5 hours of direct sunlight.
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TheBip
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 25 Mar 2007
Location: Indianapolis, IN (Map)
Posts: 516
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| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 1:22 am Post subject: |
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Spring_rain, its weird that you mention the townhomes, because townhomes were built just last year a few feet from our yard too! I can see them from our computer window, and since we dont have curtains (!?), I feel totally exposed.
I wish I could plant something to block the view, but the plants would have to be no less than 20 feet tall o_O Maybe taller....
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Midnight Smoker
Just Arrived
Joined: 25 Apr 2007
Location: North Georgia
Posts: 34
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| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 1:53 am Post subject: |
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Wow, sorry to hear about the townhome on top of you.
If you want some privacy, plant some leyland cypress's along the border, or something to the like. They will get up to 25' tall and when planted close enough, they will form a nice privacy curtain/hedge...
Good luck
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katsback
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 19 Mar 2007
Location: odessa,MO zone 6
Posts: 445
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| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 1:58 am Post subject: |
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My mom grew them in her rock garden in new.hampshire,but i was a kid. All i remember was great blueberry pancakes!
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CritterPainter
Knows Their Stuff
Joined: 27 Aug 2006
Location: Washington State
Posts: 1297
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| Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 3:24 am Post subject: |
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If you have a costco nearby they have tall Pyramidalis's for 20 bucks. I'm gonna go look again at my blueberry info, I always thought they liked to have their feet wet but not if they thrive in sandy soil...
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I have a mind like a steel...sieve
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