| Propagating, Protecting and Picking |
| All you need to know about the three Ps of blueberries |
From "Fresh From the Orchard"
episode DFFO-107 |
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Netting isn't the only way you can guard your blueberry crop from treat-loving birds.
Other methods include hanging aluminum pie plates (figure E) from strings on or near the bushes, leaving a battery-operated radio playing next to the bushes (figure F), or placing rubber snakes in the garden (figure G). Some people swear by these methods; others don't have much luck with them, but each is worth a try in your garden!
HarvestingOne big advantage of growing blueberries at home is that you can wait and pick them when they are fully ripe. Most commercially grown blueberries are picked as soon as they turn blue, although at that stage they still need another week or so on the bush until they turn sweet. Depending on the climate and on the variety of blueberry planted, harvest can occur from midsummer to late summer. Harvest usually lasts for a period of about two weeks, since not all the blueberries on a given plant ripen at the same time.
Color is often a good indication of ripeness in blueberries: They begin their life as small green berries (figure H). Gradually they turn purplish and start to grow plumper and darker as they ripen (figure I). Most berries turn blue a week or two before they're actually ready to pick (figure J).
The best way to test for ripeness is to sample and taste! If the berries are sweet, they're ready for picking. You can pick blueberries by gently rolling them from the cluster with your fingers. This way the ripe berries will fall off easily, and those that aren't quite ripe will stay on the shrub.
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