MAY Blueberry Care

BLUEBERRY CARE

PRUNED, FERTILIZED, MULCHED AND FORTIFIED AGAINST BIRDS!!!

1)FERTILIZATION #2   

It's now time for the second round of fertilization.  This food will help the BERRIES to grow nicely.  Fertilize with Amonium Sulphate : (NH4)2 SO4  Sprinkle around the perimeter of the roots, not the top.  This is the area just beyond the spreading branches.  Use 1 cup for large bushes and about 3/4 cups for medium bushes.  Use less for newer, smaller bushes.

2)PLUCK OFF THE BLOSSOMS if this is the first season of planting.   

I know, it's tough after excitingly watching the flowers bloom out  BUT you should pull off all the flowers, or snip off the little blueberries that have formed if you missed the flower stage.  It will be worthwhile in the long run because this helps to establish a strong root system....I feel your pain!

3)BIRD NETTING 

Be sure to secure the bottom 
because this is where the ROBINS enter!

This is the time to begin thinking about protecting your ripening berries from the birds, unless you are using your bushes to attract birds to your property.  The easiest method is to toss bird or deer netting over your bushes.  My  family tired of lifting, untangling the netting so they created an enclosure last year.  We put it up this weekend...and I'm trying to secure the bottom better after many birds still managed to get inside!
Story Time- As we completed the netted enclosure this past weekend, several birds immediately tried to enter the "fortress".  The next day as the plastic bottom sheets were being placed there was a pair of blue colored birds taking "tag team" turns  at being flying missiles at the netting hoping to break and penetrate the "fortress".   I wish I had my video camera handy!
 I guess I should be flattered that the birds must agree that my blueberries are supreme treasures!  :-)

***My friend still has netting for sale (3 cents/square foot).  It's 16 feet long which is lots longer than you can buy in a store and a square will protect a medium- large bush completely to the ground.

4)MULCHING  

There is still time to mulch your plants.  Mulching helps to keep the moisture in.  LOTS of moisture = bigger, plumper berries! Don't use leaves or egg shells or other high PH mulch since blueberries like acidic soil around 4.09-5.0. (This range is more acidic than other fruit plants.)
 I use tree chips, pine needles and other acid organic matter.
 
5)RELAX, dream about your wonderful harvest and all the yummy ways to enjoy your berries.
Your next care update should be in about a month...

Anne
PS  You can e-mail me if you have any questions about your blueberry plant care.

Blueberries are ripe!

My blueberries are getting ripe and are ready for sale!!!  

With the birdnetting keeping MOST of the robins out, I actually have enough berries to sell this year!  So if you want 5# or less of the freshest hand-picked, pesticide  free berries in Renton, WA email or call me.  

When they are gone, they are gone!

My early blueberries.

The "little" tasty blueberries should be ripe in 1-2 weeks depending on the weather.

2012 Prices - $3 per pound.  Tax free because it's produce.
These are hand picked by me. Yes, my hands are clean when I pick your berries!
 I am not a U-Pick because I don't have that many bushes and can't afford to waste knocked off berries.  This also allows me to pick you the ripest berries from the clumps.

Here is a fun photo of the 2 deer who think our "wild wilderness area" in the back corner is their own private refuge!!!!  It's ok since they aren't eating my blueberry plants this year!!!

Taken with my cell phone while I was picking berries.  They are above the blue tarp in front of the 2 maple tree trunks.

Blueberries are RIPE! Artichokes and Squash Blossoms...

The blueberries are finally ripe!  

If you requested any berries... please contact me asap as some bushes need to be picked this week.  Yeah for sun!

Carpinino Corn arrived Aug. 31st!  Yum!

I LOVE Carpinitos!  

Their corn is finally in but prices are higher (10/$5) this year.  All that rain, I guess.  It's so much fun shopping there because people are so friendly and eager to share their recipes.  It was at Carpinitos that I learned to cook and enjoy brussel sprouts!  This week I have been buying squash blossoms and frying them up.  Yesterday, a staff shared with me how to stuff them with cheese then batter fry them. Fried them up last night.  They were SO good!

  Also, customer's husband told me about stuffing artichokes as we were checking out the clearance rack.  He found his wife who gave me the instructions.  I made them last night and they were absolutely delicious! 

Stuffed Artichoke with bread crumbs, cheese and meat.

Delicious!!!

Next week, I'm going to try to make a video about cooking the squash blossoms and stuffed artichokes...stay tuned!  Sign up as an e-mail follower on the left side if you want a timely update when I post it.

Blueberry picking news.

Hi!  Everyone seems to be wondering WHEN my blueberries will be ripe...as you can see on the main photo, the berries are barely ripening this year with all the cold wet weather!!!  WE need more hot sunny days.

So, as far as my bushes go, the ripening is very slow with most of the berries still green... I don't think that my berries will be ripe for several more weeks. You can e-mail me if you are interested in berries later in the summer.

BUT, the good new is that Megraws Blueberry U-Pick in Kent is opening this Wednesday.  His prices, direction and information can be found on his website http://sites.google.com/site/bmegraw/.

There are also other blueberry U-Picks that should be opening soon, if not open now.  Mcgraws is my favorite.

Below is a favorite FRESH blueberry pie recipe than can be used for any fresh berries.  Enjoy!

Anne

Fresh Fruit Pie --(strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, peach, ....)

Cooked Pie Crust - Any type will do, regular, graham, cookie crust

2 heaping Tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Combine cornstarch, water and sugar completely then bring to a boil and heat until clear (milky but not cloudy) and it thickens.  Remove from heat.  Add:

1  3oz package Jell-O   (lemon is the basic but could use other flavors depending on the fruit)

Cool slightly.  Mix with 6 cups or less fruit or berries, enought to fill the pie crust.

Pour fruit mixture into the cooked pie crust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Serve with whipped cream.

Anne verses Robin & Wasps! Blueberry update.

I hope you had a great 4th of July and are enjoying the wonderful weather.

 Blueberries : I'm glad the bushes were mulched so I did not have to worry too much about the hot weather affecting the bushes.  We have the bird net on the bushes now that the berries are forming and the ROBINS are eying them!!!!  I am finally forced to begin watering the bushes this week.  I love watering early in the morning.  For a special treat, I chased a robin out of the huckleberry bush and ate the berries!  Point for Anne!

Red huckleberries...yum!

close up view of the nest with all the wasps around.

Yesterday,  my son found a "hidden" monster wasp nest under our deck!  It is huge!   I'm amazed at how well we all have coexisted together!

That's all for now!  Anne

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 FROZEN BLUEBERRIES?
 I recently sent out an e-mail about pruning, fertilizing and buying  blueberry plants.  Hopefully you were able to prune the plants before the snow fell.  As you can see from the photo above...I was able to prune most of my bushes.  Can you tell which bushes were pruned and not pruned?

Snow covered blueberry plants on Feb. 23, 2011.

For those of you who were interested in planting more bushes,   I failed to mention that you will want to REMOVE all of the flowers the first year of planting.  Doing so will allow the plant to create a stronger root system resulting in larger yields in the years to come.  I know it will be painful to prune off those buds...but in the long run it's worth it.