Blueberries and Wild Turkeys

Blueberry plants are perennial bushes which can grow 3 to 5 feet depending on the type, and have lovely lantern shaped blooms which hummingbirds love to visit. I planted blueberries in my yard this afternoon, as the sky clouded over. Blueberries grow wild in the East coast--I've spent some summers in Massachussets as a child, and still remember picking wild blueberries in the woods. Delicious. Some varieties of cultivated blueberries are forbidden in California, but in recent years varieties have become available that are allowed, and are better suited for our climate.

Sunshine on a cloudy day


Misty in the mist

I planted "Sunshine" which needs only 150 hours of chill time, and seems to tolerate more sun than most types, as well as "Misty" which has lovely bluish green leaves, does well with Sunshine, and has similar low chill time requirements. Both varieties are evergreen, which means they look good in all seasons. These two join an existing Sunshine bush, covered with blooms at the moment, and an O'Neal, which is deciduous, and looks like a dead twig. The tips of the twigs are brown and shriveled , and it doesn't look happy.

Blueberries need acid soil. When you do your soil test, one of the most important things you'll test for is the pH, or potential Hydrogen, of your soil. The pH has all kinds of chemical implications, but the important thing to know is that 7.0 is neutral. Below that is considered acid, and above that is considered alkaline. Most vegetables like a range of 6.0 to 7.0. Blueberries usually like soil with a pH lower than 5.5. However, another benefit of the Sunshine variety is it can tolerate a higher pH than most blueberries. There are many types of blueberry cultivars. If you want to grow them, check with a local nursery to see which types would best be suited to your area, or if blueberries can be grown where you live.

Since my soil pH is 6.8, I first dug out the bed where I would plant them, mixed two bags of acid potting mix into some of the existing soil, and then returned it to the bed. Any potting soil recommended for Azaelas or Rhodedendrons indicates an acid mix, and these plants love acid soil. I set the plants slightly high, and mounded the soil around them, since we have a high water table, and I didn't want the roots to be in the wet.

It could be that the O'Neal variety I planted last year didn't like the wet, or got too much direct sun where I had it before. Or, even with the amendment (I mixed coffee grounds into regular potting soil to increase the acidity) it didn't get enough acid. We'll see how it does with the new mix in this location. Some gardeners I know in the Bay Area only grow blueberries in pots, since they can better control the soil mix. But I think it can work in the ground if you heavily amend to begin with, and continue to add acid fertilizer. The school garden in Oakland has 5 blueberry plants in the ground doing well, with blooms and green berries already formed on a few of the plants. An acid mulch, like pine needles, would help too.

Remember, the secret to success with plants is to give them what they want. First, you have to know what they want, and then you have to know what you have to offer. If your conditions are different from what the plant wants, but you can modify your conditions, you can be successful. It takes more skill (and patience) to grow something that is not suited to the natural conditions you have. Every garden is an experiment, and not every experiment is a success. For example, the O'Neal blueberry may have needs I can't meet, or I may not be able to figure out how to give it what it needs in time to save it. We'll see.

There are many vegetables that are easy to grow in many conditions, and need very little care. If you want quick success, or want to grow food with your young children, maybe blueberries would not be the first thing to try. Or, maybe so--it depends on your personality and sense of adventure--or your soil pH!

I got the blueberries in the ground this evening just before dark. We're expecting a cold snap starting tomorrow morning--temperatures in the 30's and 40's, rain, and possible snow in the hills, which is unusual for us. As I was digging the bed, I heard a noise and looked up to see three full grown wild turkeys alight on my neighbor's roof! This is not a typical sight for South Berkeley. Wish I had a photo to show you, but you'll just have to take my word for it.