We planted 12-14 blueberry plants on our homestead, back in 2017. They have produced quite well over the years, but there were always 3-4 plants that just never really thrived. Today, we’re going to dig up what’s left of them and plant some new ones! We’re not going to toss the weak plants though, we’ll take them up to our cabin in Northern Michigan and plant them there during out next trip. The new plants all came from a company we found a few years ago called Indiana Berry & Plant Co. We’ve never purchased from them before, but based on their website they seem to know their stuff. The bundles of (4) large variety we purchased are linked below, along with the type of fertilizer we apply every spring. In general, blueberry plants should be fertilized once a year in the spring. This timing allows the plant to receive the necessary nutrients for the upcoming growing season. Spring fertilization also ensures that the nutrients are available when the plant begins to produce new growth and develop fruit.
It is important to note that fertilizing at the wrong time can have negative effects on the plant’s growth and fruit production. Fertilizing too early in the season, for example, can cause the plant to put energy into leaf growth instead of fruit production. Fertilizing too late in the season can also be harmful as the plant may not have enough time to take up the nutrients before entering dormancy.
Overall, timing is crucial when it comes to fertilizing blueberry plants. By fertilizing in the spring, you can help ensure that your plants receive the nutrients they need to produce healthy growth and a bountiful harvest.
Down to Earth All Natural Acid Mix Fertilizer: https://amzn.to/3GUee0K
Indiana Berry & Plant Co: https://www.indianaberry.com/
Large Berry Collection we purchased: https://www.indianaberry.com/products/details/476/Blueberry_Large_Berry_Collection_
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00:00 Welcome / Introduction
02:35 Remove Old Dead Blueberry Plants
05:24 Planting new Blueberry Plants & Soil Prep
06:35 What new Varieties did we get
10:35 Spring Fertilizer Guide
37 Comments
I planted my blueberries last year and hope to get some berries this year. I also planted my asparagus this year and maybe next year I can try some.
Please show when you prune. I have six and have not done anything either😊❤
Last year I added blueberry, blackberry and raspberry to my garden. This year I added gooseberry and additional blueberry .I also added a peach, pear and cherry trees to go with the apple, nectarine and "fruit cocktail" trees I planted last year. None of the trees bloomed last year so I am hoping I see something more than sticks poking out of the ground this year. The berry plants all produced so I am hoping this year they will be more plentiul.
Here in Washington they want us to plant blueberries on a mound. They like lots of water but they don’t like their feet wet
We just bought 8 Premier B.B. from Bluegrass Blueberry. Got them planted a month ago and they are doing great. Although, we are expected to get to 28° this weekend. We have four from 3 years ago and got 6 quarts from them last year. We made a hedge between our house and the neighbor with the plants. Glad you are not composting the old plants. Thank you. God Bless an stay safe.
Hi guys❤
Deer love to eat my blueberry plants. now that they are fenced in, I am hoping for a great crop!
I hope my blueberries start producing soon. I live in Nebraska and our soil is no good for blueberries so I have one in a pot. This is its 3rd year so hopefully will get at least a few. Just planted 2 more this year.
I'm so jealous of how easy it is to dig into your soil. We have heavy clay down here in North Texas and it is a bear to try to dig into, especially after it rains and it all gets waterlogged. We generally can't grow in this heavy clay soil unless the beds are heavily ammended over a period of years or in raised beds. I wish we could grow blueberries here but it just gets too hot. Blackberries are our jam!
plant the asparagus… you will be glad you did! 🥰
I just found an invasive praying mantis sack ugh. Lansing, mi, 5b. I removed it & am going to feed it to my chickens.
Glad to see you planting in MI. I'm nervous to start before Mother's Day due to late frosts in OH but may get around to prepping the garden beds in the next couple of weeks.
The best way to plant asparagus is to dig a trench about 6-8 inches deep and put the crowns in the bottom and cover lightly as the come up through the dirt keep covering until you reach ground level. Wait a couple years then start to harvest and enjoy. Here in Washington State it grows wild, I once picked 2 ice chest full in about 1 hour.
I have quite a few varieties of berries, but not blueberries. For one thing, the soil here is so alkaline they have to be grown in pots, and it’s so arid the pots have to be watered too often. The other thing is, I only like them in muffins, so no real point to grow them. But they are pretty and it’s interesting to see you planting and picking them.
Thanks again guys! More little tips and tricks here to jog my memory!
you need a wet soil for asparagus
The mere thought of buying an elderflower plant is hilarious to me, as they grow and multiply as weeds where I live. And being Swedish, those are "American blueberries". To me, blueberries are what you call bilberry or European blueberries and they grow in abundance in almost every forested area here, so the only work we have to do is to pick them. It's so interesting to see gardening in another (though quite similar) part of the world. Thanks for sharing!
What zone do you live in? I want to try them but think it may be too cold here in the winter for them to survive. I've never seen bushes that get that high!
Michigan blueberries are the best. We didn't have success with our plants in Indiana.
I enjoy the two of you together and how well you work together. Thank you for this low stress approach to planting blueberries. Enjoy.
Not gardening this season but can't help but still do some kind of planting… 😄👍
I bought strawberries from Indiana berry company a few years ago, had the most wonderful harvests! Blueberries are next on our list
Have you had issues with bear pressure due to the blueberries? If so what do you do about it to determine them?
I just planted two blueberries in 15 gallon grow bags….keeping my fingers crossed.
Just tried to buy same packs, they are sold out for the season. Plants are $11 @.
I have never grown blueberries. My soil is not acidic. I think I’m going to dig a bed this year and use your method with the peat moss.
Love blueberries! Some of my favorite family memories are picking blueberries in the huge wild rabbiteye patches, that would take over unused dirt parking lots. Pretty sure someone was running around planting cuttings, because there was a suggestion of rows, but those things get wide and tall fast. Little children picked the lower half, older ones and adults picked the upper.
We would pick so many buckets, that getting in the car again was interesting! Mom required zero red tint on any berry, so we did the tickle method. If we accidentally tickled loose a half red tinted one, we had to eat that one. Guess what we all, except Mom, developed a liking for? 😂
A few varieties I'm growing now, further north by nine hours, are supposed to be rabbiteye, but quarter size berries. Krewer, Titan…um. Not sure what the other huge ones are. There are Southern Highbush that are also suppose to be huge berries, but supposedly tolerate our summers even more than rabbiteyes. I have a hard time imagining. One day I will get some and see. 😉
I know Krewer has a difficult time setting berries here because it blooms too early. The South Carolina freezes get well over half the blooms. Vernon gets maybe a quarter of it's blooms froze off, but it sets SO many that it's almost irrelevant. Ochlocknee is a very patient and later season bloomer. All the berries remain!
I have noticed all the fan fair about Southern Highbush never mention timing of blooms in relation to the usual rabbiteyes. In theory we can grow Northern Highbush here too, we get about 800 or so chill hours, but can't imagine them getting through our summers without massive irrigation, and possibly a cooling misting, system too.
Twenty five years ago, we planted 2 blueberry bushes behind our house, gave them a pat, and told them they were on their own. Those bushes have showed themselves. They grow to 8 feet tall, and need to be pruned every year. We average at least 11 gallons each year from those 2 bushes. We have never fertilized, because they just keep on keeping on with what they are supposed to do.
Thanks for sharing. Good luck🫐
We have clay soil – my blue berries in pots did reasonably well first year, but now, despite annual compost, dont seem to do anywhere near as well.
Am thinking planting in the garden is probably a better option?
Blueberries like acidic soil right? Coffee granules to raise PH?
Love the praying mantis egg sacks! When the little ones come out I love it. 😂We had one years ago that came out and reminded me of Taz on Bugs Bunny. It was barreling around on my rose bush and when it saw me it jumped on my hand and ran up my arm like it was going to clobber me.
We just ordered your Blueberry plants! Thank you so much for recommending the Indian Berry & Plant Company! Supper nice people to work with!
200k 🎉🎉 woohoo! Congrats!
We have a new garden on our new homestead, so we have all new berries to grow this year! We are using pine needles as mulch and fertilizer on our blueberries so hopefully that'll take care of itself! 😁 Always a work in progress!
I am so envious of your blueberries. My pH level is too high for blueberries, and I’m not ready to take on the battle of growing in containers and trying to control it.
I'll tell you a funny blueberry story-
On the outskirts of our town sits the blueberry barn. A farm store which
specializes in blueberries. We popped in last august and the lady proprietor
would not shut the hell up about how our Elk were getting into her blueberry
patch & eating up her blueberries. We bought some & she said she might be
out of business in a couple of weeks if the elk keep up. So, 2 weeks later we
stopped by & the store was all locked up. On the door where there is stickers
showing the products she sells was a new sticker. ELK MEAT FOR SALE.
!
I have 8 blueberry plants in grow bags, 4 years old I think. I planted a variety that was supposed to be most like wild blueberries, and I thought the most nutritious. They are REALLY small, and I found out I don't much care for picking tiny little blueberries!
I'm re—bagging my blueberries this spring, so thanks for the lessons! I'll get them all started right.
(I bought 6 new plants too!)
❤
I have a waterless garden and would love to try a couple blueberry bushes. Happy to here that mother nature is the watering source