UPDATE: MegaBlueberry sales have stopped for the remainder of 2010.

If you placed an order on or after Tuesday June 22nd, 2010 your order has not been processed. If you ordered before 6/22/2010, and you have a question about your order, please call our customer service department at 800.805.1215.

The Health Benefits of Growing your Own Blueberries

There are many great reasons to grow your own blueberries. First and foremost they are delicious, but blueberries are also incredibly nutritious. One cup of fresh blueberries has 80 calories, is low in fat, carbohydrates, and sodium. Blueberries are high in fiber and high in vitamin C (which boosts your immune system).

Most notably, blueberries have a high antioxidant concentration. Antioxidants help our cells repair damage caused by free radicals. Free radical exposure comes from both environmental and dietary sources, and can damage healthy body cells. Antioxidants are extremely helpful in reducing the risk of cancer, lowering LDL (bad cholesterol), and slowing the aging process in both the body and the brain.

Blueberries contain an excellent mix of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that improve our ability to learn, our memory, and brain function. So eat your blueberries, they are good for you!

How to Plant your Blueberries

Why pay high prices at the market when it is so simple to successfully plant blueberry bushes! You just need to follow a few simple guidelines.

Plant your blueberries in full or partial sun.

Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and about 18 inches deep. Mix peat moss with equal amounts of soil.

Fill hole with this mixture within 4 inches of the top.

Set the plant in the hole and cover the roots with the remaining peat soil mix. Keep the shrubs at the same depth as they were in their pots.

Plant the bushes 4 feet apart.

Apply and maintain 4 inches of pine straw, sawdust or wood chip mulch to the top of the soil after planting, to help control weeds, conserve moisture, and maintain soil acidity.

For the longest harvest season, plant early, mid, and late season varieties.

Growing the Best Blueberries

Blueberries are delicious, nutritious, fun to eat, and easy to grow. Once established your blueberry bushes can bear fruit for decades, with little more than sunshine, water, and occasional fertilization. They thrive in acidic soil with a pH of 4.0 to 4.5 and make a great hedge or border in your edible landscape. Plant 4-6 blueberry bushes for an average sized family to enjoy fruit all season, with some left over for sharing, freezing or canning.

It is beneficial to plant at least 2 different cultivars for the best pollination. Bigger berries and a higher yield will result from cross pollination. Soil should be moist but well drained. Blueberries need at least 1-2 inches of water a week. Fertilize your blueberries twice a year, in the spring and again in the late summer. Keep fertilizer at least 6 inches from the plant.

A newly planted blueberry bush will produce a full crop of berries usually in it’s third year. July is “Blueberry Month”, since most areas of the country begin harvesting berries in July. They can be grown in containers and raised bed gardens, due to their naturally shallow root system. Insects are usually not a problem, and most diseases can be prevented by careful pruning.

Blueberries normally do not need pruning for the first 3 years. If necessary, it is recommended to prune the fourth year when the plant is dormant, around mid March. Carefully cut away dead or diseased branches from bushy plants, and trim to your acceptable height. Do not prune away more than half of the newest growth, as this is where next year’s fruit production comes from. Your work will not be in vain, since pruning your blueberry bushes will be rewarded with healthier plants and larger berries.

Your biggest challenge will be fending off the birds, who love blueberries as much as you do. Birds can quickly eat an entire crop of unprotected plantings. The most effective and economical solution is covering the bushes with bird proof netting.

HOW TO USE AND SHARE YOUR BLUEBERRY CROP

Fresh blueberries are a great snack on their own. They’re like a handful of sunshine! Blueberry cobblers, pies, tarts, and cakes are delicious desserts. Blueberry muffins make a healthy teatime or breakfast treat.

Share your harvest with family, neighbors, and friends by canning or freezing the berries. Use in smoothies, on yogurt or cereal, as a wonderful pancake or ice cream topping, or make some fantastic blueberry jam. Share a little “blueberry sunshine” with everyone!