Not one to be swayed by realistic expectations, Pete decided he was going to grow blueberries in Colorado.

Blueberries in Colorado? No way! The soil is too alkaline.

And yet Pete manages to get great tasting blueberries for pies, ice cream, pancakes, fresh eating, and even a few for the freezer.

This photo illustrates the general approach, which was developed from an idea triggered by a newspaper article from a local garden columnist.

The photo shows a Patriot blueberry bush in 2003 that had been planted directly in a peat bale in 1997.

(Click on the picture for a more detailed version, size 581Kb)

Initial Results

The first varieties planted were Nelson, Patriot, and Elliott. Initial results growing blueberry varieties Nelson and Elliott were very encouraging. The flavor of the berries and the overall apparent health of the bushes indicated there was some potential. 

Patriot (shown in the photo) was found to be unsuitable to the climate or the method, so it was discarded. However, the Nelson and Elliott blueberry bushes planted in 1997 continue to thrive and produce well as of 2009.

Productivity of Nelson and Elliott  trailed off a bit around the eighth  season. Some heavier pruning was attempted to favor new wood to bring productivity back up.  Based on initial success, new bushes were added to bring the row  to ten bushes.

Blueberry Varieties

Varieties were selected for full blueberry flavor together with some tartness to favor pies. Flavor standard is memory of wild highbush berries picked in New Hampshire and New York State many years ago. 

Varieties currently being grown, in approximate order of initial ripening, are:

· Reka

· BlueGold

· Rubel (3 plants)

· Nelson

· Elizabeth

· Coville

· Elliott (2 plants)

Elliott is the latest to start ripening, although Nelson and Elizabeth tend to hold a few ripening berries late into the season.  Rubel was added as a source of smaller berries after finding some of the other berries too large for using in small muffins or as texture interest in ice cream. There is starting to be some suspicion that BlueGold has fruit-bud winter hardiness issues in this area..

Varieties that were grown but subsequently discarded were Jersey (not enough flavor), Blue Ray (not enough flavor), and Patriot (tough, sour berries).

Planting and Growing Details

Drainage holes are poked into the bottom skin of the bale, then the bale is buried in a trench so the top of the bale is even with the soil line. A drip irrigation line is run under the top skin of the bale for irrigation with municipal water.

The most important consideration is that the peat moss must be thoroughly moistened before planting (might take a week or more), and then never allowed to dry out for the life of the plant.

Roots are treated with mycorrhizal fungi to aid in nutrient uptake, then the bush is placed in a hole cut into the top skin of the bale.

Anchorage in the peat is poor until a mature root system is developed, so a stake is used to hold the bush steady. After planting, the bale is covered with a thick layer of pine bark mulch to help keep the root system cool and moist.

Standard blueberry planting instructions suggest all flowers be removed from new plants for the first two years to encourage growth of the bush. (For new growers, removing flowers in the second year can be really tough to do; a few flowers might be overlooked.) 

In the winter, the bush is wrapped in several layers of burlap to avoid damage from the fierce, desiccating winter winds experienced locally.

In April and June, water-soluble acidifying fertilizer, such as Miracle-Grow azalea and rhododendron fertilizer is added through the drip irrigation line.

Preferred suppliers for mail-order blueberry plants are Hartmann’s Plant Company and Nourse Farms.

Some work has been started by the local Cooperative Extension office to validate the growing technique described here, apparently with reasonable initial success. A few individual experimenters have also started some plants. 

Cropping

Bird Control

Bird control is a necessary consideration. Based on inspiration from a picture of the blueberry cage in Gene Yale's spectacular orchard shown on the MIDFEX web site, this conduit cage was put together to support the netting. (Click on the picture for a more detailed view, 749 KB, and further explanation.)

Year

Yield

(pints)

Plants

cropped

2003

14

3

2004

8

4

2005

22

3

2006

21

9

2007

18

8

2008

36

7

2009

31

7