My daughter is a notoriously picky eater, and my son will scarf just about anything. There is a consensus among them, though: they both ADORE blueberries.
You know who else loves blueberries? Our livestock guardian dog: Sophia.
In fact, before I’d picked the perfect blueberry bush placement, I’d kept them in a sunny spot on the patio. They were doing very well there as they grew into their initial containers, and they were loaded with unripe fruit.
One day Sophia, our 80-pound 8-month-old Anatolian Shepherd, came bounding over with purple staining her lips, and I knew then I wasn’t battling bugs or birds. I had to proactively defend against my own pup!
It was time to get these bushes in the ground anyway, and I needed to create a blueberry barricade to keep our dog from consuming our fruit before it was ready to harvest.
This video short shows my process, interruptions and all!
Top 5 Tips for Planting Blueberries
Choose the Right Location: I’m a huge fan of landscaping stones, and I have dozens in various projects around the yard. There’s something about the classic antiquated look of stone that screams cottage garden to me. In our tropical zone 9a climate, I must inject those whimsical, informal design touches where I can. My plan was to stack the stones in a rectangular shape up against the fence line.
Blueberry sun requirements include at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, so I built my raised bed on the South end of our property line.
It’s a good, sunny spot that catches the mid-morning light and rides it out until it slips behind the neighbor’s trees in the late afternoon. It’s also the hangout space for my neighbor and me, and it’s close to the majority of the garden, so I wouldn’t forget it when making maintenance and watering rounds.
Prepare the Soil:
Blueberries thrive in acidic soil with a pH between 4.5 and 5.5. I’m practicing budget gardening this year, so I chose to amend an existing bag of raised bed potting soil with compost from my bin. I also added coffee grounds: see that step below.
Additionally, I used the Hugelkultur method of filling the bed with woody, partially rotted material. As you can see in the video, it was a very windy day, and dead limbs were dropping left and right at the far end of our half-acre. This could not have come at a better time.
I included fallen branches, leaves, and twigs to fill the bed halfway. I then placed cardboard on top and let the kids take turns stomping on it to ensure the debris was flattened out and filled all the available space. As you can see in the video, the baby had to jump in.
I learned from my Birdies Raised Garden Bed that it’s very important to fill every available space to reduce settling.
After removing the cardboard, I added the potting soil and compost mix.
Use Proper Blueberry Planting Techniques:
Ideally, you’d space bushes at least 3 feet apart, but I really want these two to form a nice little hedge, so my neighbor and I can reach over and grab a snack while we chat.
I planted these two about a foot and a half apart, digging a hole that was twice the size of the root ball. Before mulching, I added dried coffee grounds from my kitchen to provide that added acidity that blueberries love so much.
For mulch, I used some EZ Straw with tack. It’s my absolute favorite. Ideally, I’d have used pine needles. Pine needles provide acidification, maintaining the soil pH for blueberries; however, we’ve instituted a moratorium on spending this year, and I’m all about making do with what you’ve already got.
I also felt the compost and coffee grounds were sufficient, and I know from experience that the EZ Straw does an excellent job suppressing weeds, retaining moisture, and cycling nutrients into the soil.
Water Deeply: Newly established blueberry bushes have small root systems, and a good deep drink will encourage the roots to grow deeper into the soil, thus promoting better stability and access to moisture and nutrients.
I gave my blueberry bushes a deep watering before and after I laid down the EZ straw. My goal was to ensure the water reached the root zone and encouraged the development of deeper soil layers, reducing compaction and improving aeration, so my bushes would continue to grow healthy roots.
Provide Ongoing Care:
A garden is a labor of love. It’s also therapeutic. Blueberries require consistent moisture, so I will make sure to water them regularly, especially during dry spells. I will continue to fertilize in the Early Spring, probably a blend made from kitchen scraps and my chicken’s deep litter bedding. I’ll also ruthlessly prune away dead or diseased wood when I make my gardening rounds.
I’m pretty satisfied with the outcome. It’s been about a week and a half, and they’re establishing well. Sophia the Dog can sniff at the bases, but she’s yet to climb on the stones and really get in there. If this barricade isn’t sufficient, I’ll bust out the trusty cattle panel and fence them in; however, I think we’re safe.
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Amber is a writer, educator, suburban homesteader, and mother of two, documenting her efforts to create a more self-sufficient and sustainable future.
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