Planted three 'Northblue' in spring 2007 and added one more in 2008.
Added 'Northcountry' in 2011, and then added more in 2014.
Before I say anything, I need to rave about the phenomenal crop that 2013 produced.
2013 was the most incredible season ever for blueberries. I don't know why.
I have never seen so much fruit, completely untouched by birds or critters! Nothing touched any of the blueberries, and they produced and produced.
I never netted any of the bushes. I'd go out every morning in July and bring in a big bowlful. I ate so many, froze some, and had the most bountiful season. Wow. There has never been a season like that one.
Now, here is a little history:
'Northblue' are completely self fertile. I got the first ones as 1 gal. plants from Forestfarm and I planted them too early in May ‘07 which was a cold spring. They struggled, got red leaves. Still a little scraggly by season’s end in fall. I put them on the garden on the north side, along the curve of the walk, in front of the amsonias.
In 2008 I added one more 'Northblue' that I found at Farmington Valley Nursery.
In 2011 I put in one 'Northcountry' blueberry in the Birch Garden. It is also self fertile, and is a small, low form, about three feet high. I planted it mostly for ornamental purposes, to fill the empty left side of this garden, but we'll see how the blueberries fruit!
In spring of 2012 I moved all of the 'Northblue' to the strip in front of the back garden, now called the blueberry garden, because they all wound up here.
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| 8/6/2012 |
The smaller 'Northcountry' that had been in the Birch Garden was moved also. First I put it in a pot on the patio. Fall color was spectacular.
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| 9/25/2012 |
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| 10/7/2012 |
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| 5/12/13 |
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| 10/25/14 |
In late 2014 I expanded this strip to the left. In that area I put several more of the low, tidy 'Northcountry' blueberries, not for production, but for a visual repetition of the taller ones nearby. I think I'll like the fall reds at mid level echoed by the same but a little lower on the other side.
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| October 2014 |
I got two tiny 'Northcountry' twigs from Forestfarm to add near the existing shrub, making a little group of three. A rabbit immediately ate one to the ground, so we'll see if it survives.
In 2015 the little 'Northcountry' sprigs came back and grew well -- still tiny though.
'Northblue' bloomed well in mid May and fruited well by June 30. I created a system of netting that used tall bamboo stakes with upturned pots on them to keep the netting from snagging on the poles. It worked.
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| 2015 |
The berries were not particularly sweet or tasty though. Kind of tasteless in 2015.
In fall 2015 the color was again reliably bright red.
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| 10/26/15 |
