Polk County Master Gardeners
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Blueberries
I was picking blueberries at Wildacre Ranch in Ink yesterday and realized
all over again that blueberries are one of the many small fruit crops that do
very well in Arkansas. If you need a reason to grow them, they are supposed to
be very good for you (helping everything from gout to cancer), but all the
reason I need is the taste of a blueberry pie or fresh blueberries on my cereal.
And they are not difficult to grow once you get past the first winter.
They need highly acidic soil (a pH of 4 to 4.5), so a soil test is essential.
They also like a good deal of organic matter. If you have clay or clay loam
soil, a raised bed might be worth the effort, but if you have good drainage you
can plant them directly.
Local nurseries will have varieties that do well in our Arkansas, and they
usually get plants in during the winter or very early spring. But check to be
sure when plants will be available. Highbush blueberries (the kind usually grown
here) do not absolutely require two different cultivars for cross pollination,
but having two will give you bigger berries and a higher yield. Blueberries
usually fruit in their third season and reach full production after six years.
To prepare, you should dig holes 18 inches deep and 18 inches wide in full
sun. Fill each hole with top soil mixed with 1 cubic foot of peat moss. At this
point you should get the soil tested so that you can amend the pH if necessary
before planting. Then purchase your plants, set them, and cover the roots with
the soil/peat mix.
Mulch with about 4 inches of sawdust or wood chips in a two foot band around
each plant. Maintain a 4 inch cover of mulch over the life of the plant to
reduce weeds and conserve moisture.
Fertilize (if your soil test indicates you need it) with ammonium sulfate or
a 10-10-10 fertilizer, keeping the fertilizer about 6 inches away from the
plant.
Blueberries have a shallow root system and need 1 to 2 inches of water each
week. If we do not get that much rain, you will need to supplement, but be sure
to stop watering by early September unless we have an exceptionally dry fall.
In the fourth year, you should prune dormant plants in February or March,
only removing dead wood, thin terminal wood with small buds and interior
crossing branches to admit light to the center of the plant. In following years,
you should thin out older branches to force new growth.
And while you are waiting for your blueberry crop to grow, try visiting the
Mena Farmers Market on Tuesday or Thursday. Wildacre Ranch usually has some
blueberries there through July, although you may need to call ahead to reserve
yours - they go fast. The phone at Wildacre Ranch is 479-394-1668. Or you can
drive out to Ink and pick your own.
If you would like to learn more about the Master Gardener program in Polk
County, check out our web site at
http://www.uaex.edu/polk/MG/default.htm. You will find lots of information
there including reprints of Mena Star articles, text of radio broadcasts
by Master Gardeners, and information about what the Master Gardeners do and how
to join.
By Barbara M. Tobias
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