How to Save Money and Grow Healthy Organic Blueberry and Huckleberry Bushes

A recent addition to the long list of fruit-crops grown in North America, the blueberry has only been domesticated since the 1920s. Huckleberries are a very close relative that are most often wild-crafted, and have yet to be fully domesticated. The rapidly increasing price of fresh or frozen organic blueberry fruits has prompted many to begin growing this low-maintenance, perennial crop for themselves.

Blueberries are related to rhododendrons, and are one of the very few crops that don’t do well in soils with a neutral pH. In fact, they are best suited to rather acidic soils that range from pH 4.8 to about 5.6 or so. This is done in organic blueberry production by mulching the shallow roots with acidic soil amendments such as used coffee grounds, pine needles, composted sawdust and oak leaves.

Applications of elemental sulfur are also used in organic blueberry production. Be careful that the pH doesn’t drop below 4.8, or metal toxicity can occur. It’s very important to take regular readings, since pH changes in a soil, especially one with a high organic matter content, can change gradually over the year.

There are three common species of blueberries, each suited to different climates. The low-bush types are the smallest and are grown in the far north, with many varieties hearty to USDA zone 2 or 3. These bushes only get about 2 feet (61cm) tall and produce a proliferation of tiny fruits very commonly seen in baked goods.

Most of the US blueberry production comes from high-bush blueberries, that can be as many as 8 feet (2.5m) tall. These berries are most often seen as fresh market blueberries. They are a favorite of u pick blueberry operations. High bush types also tend to dominate the organic blueberry industry in the western US and Canada.

Similarly large are the “rabbit eye” types that are most commonly seen in the south-east that can handle high heat and humidity. Because the texture is not as fine as the other two, rabbit-eye blueberries are a favorite of blueberry syrup producers.

It is important to remember that unlike many other crops that have been domesticated for thousands of years, organic blueberry production is especially well-suited to this crop because it requires very little nitrogen. An application of a low-fertility organic fertilizer when digging the plants in is usually more than enough.

What’s more important is to keep the roots covered in a thick mulch and provide nice, even watering because the roots are fine and very close to the surface. A generous application of compost each year is usually adequate to supply all the nutrition that most blueberries will require. In fact, most commercial grower tend to apply too much.

When planting small blueberry plants, you should expect to wait about three years before you get a good crop. Though they’ll try to bear fruit as soon as they’re planted, it’s best to take the blooms off for the first two years so the plants can put all their energy into vegetative growth.

Perhaps the most difficult part of organic blueberry production is the pruning, which differs from most other crops. Fruit is borne on older wood that’s at least two years old and then those spurs die back.

This means that pruning must be done very carefully to avoid taking off too much fruiting wood, but cannot be ignored, lest the bushes become a mass of dead wood. Pruning is done during the dormant season with the goal of opening up the bush for proper air flow and maximizing the amount of surface area that is covered by fruiting wood.

The other most challenging part of growing organic blueberry bushes is keeping birds off the fruit while they ripen on the bush. Fresh market blueberries are at their most flavorful about five days after the fruit turns fully blue and the skin begins to loosen. Birds, however, will attack the fruit as soon as it turns blue. They are best combated with netting, since even the most sophisticated scare tactics are only marginally effective.

Organic blueberry production has very few pests aside from fruit-stealing birds. While apple maggot, cherry fruit fly and weevils can all be problems in commercial production, providing proper soil pH, even moisture and suitable nutrition is adequate to keep most pests at bay.

Huckleberries are a very similar plant and, while not often grown in the home garden, respond to the same general conditions as their larger cousins. As a general rule, huckleberries are more tolerant of shady conditions than organic blueberry bushes.

How to Save Money and Grow Healthy Organic Raspberries and Blackberries

There’s nothing that tastes quite as much like summer as a pint of organic raspberry or blackberry fruits. Eaten raw or saved as preserves, raspberries and blackberries are also full of plenty of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants that our bodies need to operate at peak efficiency. A common ingredient in bio-fruit supplements, these fruits have been shown to promote good health in just about the tastiest way possible.

Sadly, as the price of petroleum has increased markedly throughout the ‘aughts, the cost of these fruits has also increased to the point where they’re difficult for many households to afford. For this reason and the simple hedonistic pleasure of harvesting your own succulent berries from the yard, many people are choosing to grow their own yellow, black, purple and red raspberries.

Thankfully, organic raspberry and blackberry plants are very simple to grow once established. Being a perennial crop, these bramble fruits are a very good addition to any ecological agriculture plan. While they are most often purchased as crowns from a nursery, they are also very easy to propagate from either roots or shoot tips. A well-maintained organic raspberry patch will continue to bear for many years with careful pruning to remove old, unproductive canes.

There are two main types of raspberries: biennial-bearing types that always set fruit on the previous year’s canes (floricanes) and ever bearing types that set fruit on current year canes (primocanes). The latter is most often tipped during the season and used as a fall-crop, with the others best suited for mid-summer production.

Raspberries are the heartiest of all the cane berries, though there are now varieties of blackberries that are hearty to USDA zone 5. The use of a trellis is very important to organic raspberry production, as they allow the fruit to be harvested much easier and cut down on fungal and pest problems.

They are not particularly heavy feeders, but should be given a side-dressing of an organic fertilizer such as bone meal and ash each spring to support fruit production. While they can fall prey to powdery mildew and other fungal pathogens, these problems can be kept at bay with plenty of air circulation and water conservation techniques such as drip irrigation, allowing the leaves to be kept dry.

Most bramble berries are partially shade-tolerant, though they do best in an area that gets at least 4 hours of full sunlight per day, with six or more hours of filtered sun also being suitable. They are especially good when paired with dwarfed tree-fruits such as cherries, plums and apples. Avoid planting near walnuts or wild berries, as the former contains allelopathic chemicals that inhibit growth and the latter can harbor diseases and pests.

Controlling weeds and making sure that the plants are spaced correctly is the key to keeping pests and diseases down. Keeping the roots cool is also very important, so an application of a thick, organic mulch is very useful in the summer. A second application of compost each winter is also very useful for supplying plenty of water-conserving organic matter.

One of the biggest disease pests of organic raspberry and blackberry plantings is verticillium wilt. To avoid this problem, be sure to keep your canes well away from any members of the nightshade family such as tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and petunia. There should be at least three years of other crops planted in such a location to avoid problems.

Giving new plants a good start is the key to getting a good organic raspberry or blackberry patch going. Give them plenty of space, with a bit more allotted to trailing types (and this includes most blackberries). A typical planting of raspberries will allow about 5 canes per foot (about 15 per linear meter).

Pruning is very important to keeping your organic raspberry or blackberry thicket in good shape. This is typically done in late winter, when the floricanes are still dormant. Cut out any old canes and tip back blackberries to a uniform 10 feet (3m) per cane, then tie them back up to the trellis. These most often are wires that are about 5 feet (1.5m) from the ground, with the canes wrapped around the top wire. Dip pruners in a mild bleach solution between cuts to stop the spread of disease, and be sure to burn the prunings to halt the spread of virus.

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