By Sharon Dent
It was March 19, 2020 and Garland County Master Gardeners would ordinarily be potting up plants for the late April Plant Sale.
Not many were doing this though. Instead we were taking protective measures by self-isolating ourselves. COVID-19 had reached Arkansas. It was pretty weather though, so I ventured into the yard. I took pics of the garden.
I was so surprised to find that my blueberries were putting on tiny berries. Thus, there should be blueberries about 2-4 weeks early this year. Amazing!
The bushes love all the rain we have been having. They do like lots of water from January through June, but also the rest of the year, too. In fact, they will die without it. Their roots are so shallow.
They also need about 4-6 inches of mulching in the spring. I added 5 inches of City compost as mulch in February. I do this spring and fall. I never fertilize at planting except to add compost to the soil. I do fertilize twice while berry production is underway (early April and early May). I use the same fertilizer that I use for azaleas, camellias and gardenias. They are all acid loving plants.
I learned in my New Master Gardener training in 2007 that Rabbiteye and Southern Highbush blueberries are good in Central and Southern Arkansas. They are heat loving and more disease resistant. For good pollination, three types are needed. Being the excessive person that I am, I have five types. Legacy and Summit are Southern Highbush. Climax, Premier and Tifblue are Rabbiteye bushes. The Premier bushes produce earliest.
For more information about blueberries, I refer you to FSA 6104 PD-5-09RV. Advanced Garland County Master Gardener, Sharon Dent, volunteers with GC Master Gardeners of the UofA Div. of Agriculture, Cooperative Ext. Service. Master Gardeners pool skills and resources to improve home horticulture, stimulate interest in plants and gardening, and encourage beautification. For more info, call 501-623-6841 or email adykes@uaex.edu. The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution.
