Growing Blueberries for Fun or Profit
By: Barbara Adams
Blueberries are well known for fresh eating, pies, jams,
jellies, syrups, juice, and baked goods such as blueberry muffins,
pancakes and waffles. But, they are also baked into squash dishes
and coffee cakes. Backyard growers and small farms prosper by
offering blueberries as a u-pick crop, and by creating
one-of-a-kind value-added blueberry products such as pancake mixes,
or blueberry flavored organic yogurt and ice cream. For home use,
fresh blueberries freeze well unwashed, dry and unsweetened. People
love the way they dont stick to each other after being frozen like
other berries, and pour out of their freezer containers like frosty
marbles. My children loved to freeze blueberries in small
individual freezer bags, then grab a bag throughout the coming
months to snack on.
It is said that in blueberry season, bears will eat nothing else
except ripe blueberries, and that they will travel up to fifteen
miles per day on an empty stomach to find a blueberry patch. Both
bears and birds have long loved the blueberry, leading one small
blueberry farm in Southampton, Massachusetts to name itself Bird
Haven Blueberry Farm. They protect their berries from the birds,
and successfully sell blueberries as U-pick, fresh-picked, frozen,
and in jellies, jams and pies.
Because blueberries grow from the south to the north, most
locations can find varieties that suit their home garden or farm.
It is recommended that at least two varieties, regardless of
ripening time, are grown for cross-pollination and better fruit
production. Yet, there are also a few reports of single species
producing well. Today, home gardeners and small farmers can
purchase highbush varieties developed from the commercial industry
selected for large size, ease of picking and productivity. Older
varieties, however, can also be found. Rubel is believed to be one
of the first wild blueberries selected from the wild for commercial
breeding, and can still be purchased and grown. It is reportedly
higher in anti-oxidants than other commercial blueberries. The
European bilberry and even wild huckleberries can also be purchased
for growing in gardens. While the plant varieties vary greatly in
size, the average gardener can expect from five to 15 pounds of
berries each growing season.
The bushes require loose, acid soil suggested from pH 4.0 to
5.5, as would be found in their native woodland edge and meadow
dwellings. The soil needs to have constant gentle moisture, never
too soggy and wet during the growing season, and not allowed to dry
out, especially their first year. Their roots are very shallow, so
cultivation should be gentle. Some species offer fiery red or
orange foliage in the fall, with lovely bark color in winter. There
are also evergreen varieties and dwarf varieties. They can live up
to 60 years, so choose the location wisely. And dont forget to put
up a No Bears sign.
(c) 2006 Barbara Adams
Barbara Adams Author: Micro Eco-Farming: Prospering from Backyard to Small Acreage in Partnership with the Earth (New World Publishing) http://www.MicroEcoFarming.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barbara_Adams
Tags: blueberry
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