My Blueberries

[Tania]

Thanks to my Kitty on Duty, I haven't had that pesky bird stealing my BBs!  Kitty always picks the same spot! There is actually new growth coming up now!  I just hope Salem doesn't snap them off! He's very good at that!  He pounced on the plants the other day!....Bad kitty!

I'm thinking of taking off the black covers and replacing them with white ones. It's going to be a hot summer this year.  I've also decided to do a good amount of pruning this year, even if it means sacrificing some fruit for next year. I'm just going to wait until all the fruit has been picked off of those "bye bye" branches and start pruning away. Hopefully that will promote more growth, or stronger growth at least!

[CarolSoprano]

Wow - what a gorgeous kitty, and so helpful! He must love the warmth (although I don't know how he'll love it when it gets really hot). I love that photo!  BTW, my husband is from Salem, Mass. so I love the kitty's name!!

[theblissfulglutton]

Your blueberries look amazing! My husband bought me two additional plants (I already had one). We have them in containers--not EBs--but still hoping to get good results like you.

[Tania]

Your blueberries look amazing! My husband bought me two additional plants (I already had one). We have them in containers--not EBs--but still hoping to get good results like you.

Thanks!... I went to HD today and was surprised to see they had BB plants.  They were quite tall! But a bit uncared for. Their mix was DRY.... Not many berries on them!  Good luck with your plants! For better results, try to have more than one variety!

Wow - what a gorgeous kitty, and so helpful! He must love the warmth (although I don't know how he'll love it when it gets really hot). I love that photo!  BTW, my husband is from Salem, Mass. so I love the kitty's name!!

Thanks! He mainly lays there for the shade. It's like a daily routine for him. Every morning that's where I'll find him, curled up in a ball. Once it gets warmer, he'll go to his house. I love his name too! It's quite fitting!  When he was a baby living in my garden with his mother, he'd give me this evil hisss. That stopped real fast once he realized I was a daily food source! 

Today my little sister and her fiance were over and they went out into my garden while I was watering.  They tried some BBs and were surprised at how flavorful and sweet they were. Their experience had always been "tart", when eating fresh BBs. 

[Tania]

...So I went ahead and bought what they had left. They just wanted to get rid of them!  Worked for me! Sadly some of those plants didn't make it...

I hadn't thrown these plants out. They were left in their pots and I had them in the backyard at our other house, where our current tenant, threw them under the avocado tree, where they did not receive not a drop of water. I really don't think they even got a drink the few times it rained. So I brought them over from the house, planning on taking out the plants and re-using the soil mix. So my Mom says, why don't you water them and see if they grow. I told her they are DEAD, It would be a miracle if they would bounce back. She said..."well at least give it a try". So to amuse her I told her I'd take them out of the pots to see if there are any live roots there. I did a scrape test on the twigs, and of course...no green. So I started watering them to moisten up the mix until I'd find the time to check the roots. It's been about a week and a half. So today I just passed the hose real quick only wetting two of them a bit, and figured I'd water them when I'd have time. I had something else to do.  So later I pass by and noticed something green popping up by the trunk of one of them, figured it would be a weed. I kneeled down to take a look and couldn't believe it!  IT'S ALIVE!!! One of the plants is growing two canes!!!  It's just too good to be true!  I have a tophat in the garden that is dead. I keep watering it, and no growth!  Maybe it died due to overwatering. I'll have to take it out. I plan on propagating my own tophat to replace that dead one. So I watered all the pots and also spashed them with some Superthrive. Fortunately I had some saucers to place under the pots, to catch all the run off. Miracles do happen!

Now If I could only get my hands on some old original EBs at a super cheap price, I'd plant these BBs in them, instead of in pots.

[Deb]

quote:  Now If I could only get my hands on some old original EBs at a super cheap price, I'd plant these BBs in them, instead of in pots.

Not that I'd be willing to give up any of my old original EarthBoxes - especially at the price you want, but why are you specifically looking for old ones?

Deb

[Tania]

All of my EBs are the old model...I'd like to keep it that way. And to me, it looks like the newer model has a bit less room in it. It would be nice if EB would sell the old used ones at a discounted price!

[Deb]

You're right about the size.  Old model took 2.5 cu ft of mix, new ones take 2 cu ft. 

I really like the holes in the screen and upper lip of the older box so I can stick a stake clear to the bottom and zip tie it in place.  I also like the overflow on the front where I can see the water starting to bulge right before it overflows. 

The newer ones don't buldge after a year or so of use though.  And if the shower caps could be said to fit at all, it fits better on the new ones.

Maybe they could offer a 'trade in discount' on the new ones and you and I could stock up.  ;>

Deb

[kebaldwin]

Great job

I am growing blueberry plants I got from Park Seed.  They removed it from their catalog - but you can see it here

http://www.parkseedjournal.com/2008/04/blueberry-sunsh.html

Don't know if they stopped carrying it or if they are sold out for this year.

I am not planting perienniels in earthboxes - I plant them in regular pots or the ground. 

It takes a couple of years to get them going - but once they go - they are incredible.

My biggest problem is keeping  the birds and squirrels away.

Does not look good for the Little Giant Blueberry company

http://www.asseenontvonsale.com/garden/little-giant-blueberry/

I found that they love Espoma Holly-Tone.  I would provide you a link but it appears their website is down this morning. 

http://www.espoma.com/p_consumer/products_overview.html

[Tania]

Thanks Kebaldwin!

You're right about the size.  Old model took 2.5 cu ft of mix, new ones take 2 cu ft. 
I really like the holes in the screen and upper lip of the older box so I can stick a stake clear to the bottom and zip tie it in place.  I also like the overflow on the front where I can see the water starting to bulge right before it overflows. 

The newer ones don't buldge after a year or so of use though.  And if the shower caps could be said to fit at all, it fits better on the new ones.

Maybe they could offer a 'trade in discount' on the new ones and you and I could stock up.  ;>

Deb 

See, I KNEW there was a difference!

[LuckyWife]

kbaldwin said, "I found that they love Espoma Holly-Tone.  I would provide you a link but it appears their website is down this morning."

I'm confused about using Holly-Tone.  I bought it to go around my Hollies but I was using it gingerly and probably not in the correct way.  If I want to grow Blueberries in an EB, would Holy-Tone work as a fertilizer strip?  Or is it just to amend the soil to acidify it?

[kathy]

It's a good organic fertilizer, not just an acidifier. You could use it as the strip (at least 3 cups).

[406]

nice work, look yummy.

[LuckyWife]

So Kathy you need more Holly-Tone 3 cups not 2 cups?  I noticed it's not up to the 7-7-7 that comes with the EB kits. 

BTW, I watched a YouTube video about Gardenias.  I bought a new Frost Proof Gardenia.  I couldn't believe there was such a one, but it's new.  Anyway last year for the summer I tried to grow a regular one with my annuals.  And any blooms were few and fell off.  This guy on YouTube says to put coffee grounds on the soil which I did 2 days ago.  Today the buds are opening!  Seems they really like that acid. 

Now I have been saving my green tea leaves, I just found one web site that says it brings the pH to neutral, 6.5.  Gardenias need 6.  It was hard to get those grinds since I drink tea.

[PaulB]

Try asking resturants or coffeeshops to save their grounds for you.  If you make it a regular habit to get them, the resturant will be happy to share what would otherwise be garbage.