DIY Network

Caring For and Harvesting Blueberries Caring For and Harvesting Blueberries From "Fresh from the Garden" episode DFFG-202

Once blueberry shrubs have put out some new foliage growth, they're ready for their first feeding.

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Figure A

• The nitrogen in fertilizers comes in two basic forms, ammonium and nitrate. Just like the azaleas and rhododendrons to which they're related, blueberries grow best with ammonium-based fertilizers. Most fertilizers sold for acid-loving plants are ammonium-based, so use one of those. Since a little bit of fertilizer goes a long way with blueberries, in fact it's best to use half the amount suggested on the package. Sprinkle the fertilizer evenly around the perimeter of the plant, keeping it away from the base (figure A).

• For the first two years after planting or transplanting a blueberry shrub, it's important to remove the flowers so that it will not fruit. You can remove the blooms by hand or by lightly tip-pruning with hand pruners. Interestingly, it's not the age of the blueberry plant that matters but the so-called leaf of the plant. The first year after you plant a new blueberry shrub or transplant a mature shrub is called the plant's first leaf. The second year is called the second leaf, and so on.

• If you allow the shrub to flower and fruit during its first two leafs while it should be getting established, it will not put out enough leaves or roots and may die of stress. Although it is frustrating to wait for three years to get a harvest from you shrubs, it's well worth the wait. Beginning in the third year, your blueberry shrubs will fruit prolifically for years and years to come, with little if any care.

• Once established, blueberries are tough pest- and disease-resistant plants. The only care they typically need is regular watering and light fertilizing twice a year. When large blueberry shrubs reach 6' or 7' tall, you may want to prune them to control their size and make harvesting easier. Older shrubs sometimes benefit from renewal pruning, whereby three of four of the oldest canes are cut down to the ground each winter. This kind of renewal pruning allows new, more productive canes to sprout.
  

• Blueberries are as tasty to birds as they are to people. When the shrubs begin to bear fruit, you may want to drape bird netting over them to protect your crop (figure B). Place the plastic netting over the bush as soon as the berries begin to ripen. Make sure there are no openings for birds to slip through, and secure the net around the base of the plant with sod pins (figure C) or heavy rocks.

• One or two weeks before they are ready to pick in mid- to late summer, berries begin to turn blue. As the blueberries continue to ripen, they plump up and turn a deep blue-black (figure D). When a taste-test says they are ready, pick them in the cool of the day for maximum flavor.

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

Homegrown Hint: Storing and Using Berries

• All berries are very perishable, but especially strawberries. When you bring your basket of strawberries in from the garden, it's tempting to wash them right away, since they'll probably have a bit of garden soil on them. But resist the temptation! Excess moisture encourages mold and rot, which means that strawberries are best stored unwashed.

• After they are picked, strawberries spoil quickly if they're left at room temperature for long or if they're exposed to a lot of sunshine. To keep them at their best, put unwashed and unhulled strawberries in a shallow pan, cover with plastic wrap or foil and store in the refrigerator for one or two days.

• Washing strawberries should be done right before you're ready to eat them. Keeping the stems and caps on, wash the berries under cold running water. If you take the caps off before washing them, the berries will absorb excess water, which will affect their flavor and texture.

• If you have too many strawberries to eat or share with friends, you can freeze your extras. It's best to freeze strawberries before you wash them. Spread unwashed, unhulled berries in a single layer on a cookie sheet or shallow pan. Place them in the freezer for two or three hours, or until they're completely frozen, then pour them into a plastic freezer bag. By freezing the berries separately before storing them in a bag, you'll keep them from sticking to one another. You'll be able to remove as many or as few as you want whenever you're ready for them. Just remember to wash them before eating or using them in a recipe.

• Freezing strawberries unwashed as suggested above and keeping them whole is the best way to preserve the berries, and it's the lowest-calorie way to store them. But some people like to sugar their berries before freezing them. To do this, wash and hull the berries, toss with sugar, then place the berries on a flat tray to freeze. Once frozen, put in a large plastic bag. Freezing the berries whole like this lets them retain most of their vitamin C, but if space is an issue, you can slice the berries before freezing. Either way, strawberries should last in a freezer for 10 months to a year.

• Blueberries will keep in a refrigerator for a week to 10 days and still retain their freshness. But just like strawberries, they store best if they are not washed until they are ready to eat.

• Blueberries can be frozen, just like strawberries, by placing them on a cookie sheet and freezing them individually, then pouring them into a plastic freezer bag. Washing blueberries before they are frozen makes their skin tough, so it is best to freeze them straight from the garden, then wash before using.

Strawberries and blueberries may be grown in USDA zones 3-10; check with your cooperative extension service or with a local garden center to determine which varieties and growing methods are best for your climate.