My dear old Dad, who has sadly long since passed and was always a visionary for so many things, once said to me, “You guys should grow blueberries” and that my husband and I should create a blueberry farm, long before blueberries were as much a part of our staple diet as they are now. Pretty much everyone now includes at least one or two punnets of blueberries in their shopping trolley each week, I know we do. Life got in the way and we never did create a blueberry farm. Anyway, this week, in the mid of #stayathome and #flattenthecurve and #wewillgetthroughthis, I decided it’s time to plant some blueberries and plant them I have.
So Many Varieties, Which One to Choose?
I chose the variety ‘Sunshine Blue’ or Vaccinium corymbosum x ashei x darrowi, as they are a semi-dwarf variety and will only grow to about 1.8metres and that’s plenty big enough. In saying that though, they will be restricted by the size of the pot I have put them in. This variety does not need a cold winter (it needs only 150 hours of winter chill) and is semi-deciduous, so perfect for our less than cold winters here in Perth. In Perth, you can also grow, Vitality, Blueberry Burst, Blueberry Kisses, Misty, Sharpes, Blue Rose, Biloxi and Denise.
How Big Does The Container Need to Be and What Type of Container would you Recommend?
I have gone against everything I have ever said I would never do, let’s blame it on the COVID-19 pandemic shall we?-and I have planted them in plastic pots-WHY? Has she gone mad, I hear you cry??? No, not quite, it was just that I could not resist the colour and also that these are so super lightweight (I am feeling old). These pots are from Northcote pottery and I think they are super pretty and very fitting their new inhabitants. I have chosen a pot that is about 30 litres in size with a slightly tapered style. The bigger the plant, the bigger the pot you can use- a half wine barrel, if you have the room would be great, also.
What Care Do Blueberries Need?
I have planted them into an acidic potting mix called Camellia and Azalea potting mix. This is very important, don’t use regular or even premium potting mix as they need acidic soil. I have blended the potting mix with slow-release fertilizer and mature compost. I will also give them a liquid fertilizer specifically for blueberries each fortnight. I will do this at half strength through Autumn and Winter and full-strength through Spring and Summer. They will be watered about once a week. I will mulch them with lupin mulch. Organic gardening in it’s purest form… Blueberries from the pot to my table.
When Can I Expect My First Crop?
Lucky, I planted them now as I will be waiting a year or two for my first crop. In the meantime, with any luck, I might get some flowers in the winter. They will be pink which suits my back garden perfectly. These are self-fertile which means I only need one plant but hey, we are 5 adults in this house and they will not go to waste.
What Do I Do With Blueberries?
Blueberries are like little antioxidant bombs, and are super healthy for you. You can eat the fresh off the bush or in muffins, pancakes, tea cakes or in smoothies, sweet and juicy little blue bursts of happiness.
Go on Give Them a Go…
So, get those images of Violet Beauregarde from ‘Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory’ out of your head, you will not turn blue and instead take the advice of my dear Dad, much sooner than I ever did and plant some blueberries in your garden this weekend.
Happy Gardening
Andrea 🙂
