# How many blueberry bushes?



## Peace n Quiet (Jun 16, 2003)

Right now, I've got 10 blueberry bushes. They are between 1 and 3 years of growth. I'm tempted to plant more, but don't want more than I need. Does anyone know approximately how much fruit a blueberry bush should yield in it's prime?

Also, the first year that I planted, I had great results. But the second year, not so great. Then I learned that pine sawdust is great for mulching them so I added that last fall. How often should I add more sawdust, and is there anything else I should be adding to the soil?


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## BTO (Feb 7, 2007)

I could be wrong but depending on the variety I believe 20 to 30 lbs per bush, maybe more. I would suspect 10 bushes would be more than adequate for a family.:banana02: The people you bought your bushes from will have a fertilizer formulated to provide the nutrient and acid requirements. Most any garden shop will have what you need.


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## myhorsejack (Sep 30, 2007)

I am afraid I dont have an answer for you but wanted to say "Good for you!" in getting 10 bushes in already!


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## mjw15618 (Jan 17, 2007)

I add half a pound of garden sulfur to the soil around each bush in the spring. Sulfur acidifies the soil and blueberries do best in acidic conditions. I also mulch heavily with pine shavings throughout the year. I use them in my chicken coop and as bedding for the goats so I have a never-ending supply! I usually use what comes from the goat pen since their manure isn't "hot" and I don't have to compost it prior to applying it to the blueberries.


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## Peace n Quiet (Jun 16, 2003)

myhorsejack said:


> I am afraid I dont have an answer for you but wanted to say "Good for you!" in getting 10 bushes in already!


Thanks! I'm very excited about the berries. Hopefully my kids will leave enough for me to freeze. LOL


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## Peace n Quiet (Jun 16, 2003)

Our soil is horrible - very little topsoil, mostly clay and rocks. I inquired at our local farm store, they just nodded at the pine shavings and said that would be good. But they didn't recommend anything else. 

I do use pine shavings in my chicken coop... how long do I compost the bedding before I can add it to the blueberries?


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## godsgapeach (Jan 1, 2009)

You'll have plenty, and to share! My mother has 3 bushes (enormous ones) and they've always provided almost enough for herself, and for my family. 

Like you, I've got 11 that are now pretty small, heading into their 2nd year, but I looked the other day and 3 that I'd given up for dead are putting out again. So WHEN they grow up, I'll have PLENTY! It's hard to wait though.


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## MariaAZ (Jun 5, 2007)

DH would be envious! Not only do we have the heat, we have very alkaline soil which, from what we've read, is sure death for blueberry bushes. However, there are a few varieties that can handle a bit more heat, so we have four bushes in pots so we can control soil acidity.


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## mjw15618 (Jan 17, 2007)

I have clay soil, too. When I plant anything I never refill the hole with what I dug out of it. I make a mixture of about 1:1:1 of peat moss, compost and tree/shrub soil (Miracle Grow brand) and use that to fill in around the shrub, tree or whatever I'm planting. Then I mulch heavily with the pine shavings. I usually let the shavings with the chicken manure sit for a few months to release most of the "hot" nitrogen, although I have used fresh stuff in the past around trees with no problems. I think hot manure is more of an issue with tender vegetables and flowers than it is with the more hardy trees and shrubs.


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

around here they prune off all flowering shoots the first three years, then the fourth year let r rip (lots of commercial growers here).


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## ronbre (Apr 26, 2009)

oak leaves, pine needles, peat moss, anything acidic..
also the number of bushes depends on whether you want to freeze a bunch for pies ..make jellies..can them..etc..or just eat them fresh and how many you want to feed.

i ordered 4 bushes..haven't come yet..still waiting..but i love the buggers and buy bags and bags of them frozen..so i'm hopin that 4 will give me a good start..we also pick wild ones "huckleberies" in Michigan


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## mtnest (Mar 11, 2008)

Yum... fresh blueberries! This is our first year for them so I can't give any advice on growing them. Just wanted to say - Good job on getting them in and I hope they do well for you! Our 6 plants had a TON of blossoms on them (so loaded you couldn't hardly see the foliage) and I pretty near cried when I had to pluck them all off  

D


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## mooman (May 19, 2008)

> Our 6 plants had a TON of blossoms on them (so loaded you couldn't hardly see the foliage) and I pretty near cried when I had to pluck them all off


Same here. I'm still waiting for them to start putting out new growth, but they don't seem to be going down hill at all.

I have clay soil as well. I added sulfur, a ton of peat moss, and some mushroom compost to the planting holes.


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## whinnyninny (Aug 17, 2005)

I cheated and bought 5-year-old bushes that I planted in large planters, in almost straight peat moss. They are absolutely flourishing. (I do have to fertilize though, as there are no nutrients in peat moss).


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## dogo (Dec 3, 2005)

ronbre said:


> oak leaves, pine needles, peat moss, anything acidic..
> also the number of bushes depends on whether you want to freeze a bunch for pies ..make jellies..can them..etc..or just eat them fresh and how many you want to feed.
> 
> i ordered 4 bushes..haven't come yet..still waiting..but i love the buggers and buy bags and bags of them frozen..so i'm hopin that 4 will give me a good start..we also pick wild ones "huckleberies" in Michigan


Just don't order from WATER"S BLUE BERRY FARM IN Missouri they will screw you good !


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## JD Green (Oct 3, 2007)

BTO said:


> I could be wrong but depending on the variety I believe 20 to 30 lbs per bush, maybe more. I would suspect 10 bushes would be more than adequate for a family.:banana02: The people you bought your bushes from will have a fertilizer formulated to provide the nutrient and acid requirements. Most any garden shop will have what you need.


I think we over planted, we just put in 25, we are a family of three. They came in a bundle of 25.

Good to know about pine shavings and peat moss.


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## Peace n Quiet (Jun 16, 2003)

I'm not worried about having too many berries... I don't think there is such a thing. LOL
But then, I'm weird like that. I've never had too much zucchini either!


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## meanwhile (Dec 13, 2007)

We planted sixteen new ones and have four old bushes. It is not enough! We are a family of five and can eat them all. None left to freeze. Last year we planted six more young bushes but it will be two more years before they bear. Good luck. Plant more!


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## JD Green (Oct 3, 2007)

meanwhile said:


> We planted sixteen new ones and have four old bushes. It is not enough! We are a family of five and can eat them all. None left to freeze. Last year we planted six more young bushes but it will be two more years before they bear. Good luck. Plant more!


Geez, then maybe I under planted, wish I would have planed last year, I'd only have two years to wait.


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## Peace n Quiet (Jun 16, 2003)

meanwhile said:


> We planted sixteen new ones and have four old bushes. It is not enough! We are a family of five and can eat them all. None left to freeze. Last year we planted six more young bushes but it will be two more years before they bear. Good luck. Plant more!


Uh-oh guess I better get some more!


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

Plant a bunch... Never too many blueberries.

One thing to consider with blueberry is if you have the right soil they will grow.. If not they wont. Yours are so you do. 

They also like water... Lots of it. But the soil must also drain. So if you have shallow hardpan with clay... Plant them above the ground and water them regular. I have wild highbush / Several acres. They are old and huge. They grow in the worst places that flood almost every time it rains due to the very thin soil... But we have no clay so it drains very well. Don't over do it on the fertilizer.... It will make for long thin canes, They will break if it snows too much. Think thick and short, not long and thin. 

Get a Hubbard berry rake it makes picking them for the freezer easy. Here check out my video on youtube.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHvvIx61uDU[/ame]


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