Do this to your Blueberry plants for a bountiful harvest | Front Yard Garden | NJ and TX Garden 

Thank for the positive feedback and thank you for watching!

NJ & TX. Thank you for a wonderful video that is so helpful and light and peaceful music too!! Could you please share where I can get the netting?? I hope next year I will have an abundance of blueberries because of your caring and sharing. GOD bless you!

Thank you!

Thank you!!!

I'm always thankful for all the blessings He has given me!

I wish that is the case with us here.

Good to know, thank you!

No they don't. They're are usually are three different mockingbird families that fight for the berries. When they aren't eating the berries (chasing each other) then other birds feed on them including crows. They do harass and bully the bluebirds as well that try to nest and eat the pests and grasshoppers. About a quarter to a third of the berries are eaten by birds if we don't net the berries. I originally only 5 bushes, but in the past few years I've added 8 more bushes to make up for some of the loss, but it will be a few more years before they all fully mature and produce a good harvest. So for those who just have a few bushes I suggest that you net yours and buy bushes for your neighbors. The fake owls don't work. Rubber snakes I haven't tried. The metallic tinsel tied to branches or poles helps some to confuse them for a while, but to extend our harvest and the yield covering with nets is your best bet. I don't mind sharing hopefully the more bushes in my yards and other neighbors will help.

@@charlesbyrneShowComments4all No other bird would dare to go around that mockingbird nests, that's all I know.

That is why I put the netting which really increased the amount of berries I was able to harvest last year. The previous years where I didn't bother to place a netting I only get 1-2 bowls, it really does make a big difference with netting in place.

Great tip!

Fresh coffee grounds contain acid. Used coffee grounds do not...

@@ElohimAmbassadorI thought they still retained some acid?

@@toneenorman2135 nope. All the acid is expelled into the liquid. All the coffee grounds do is act as compost… not acidity improvement.

You are not familiar yet with the plants that's why, but you corrected it, that's what matter. Yes definitely protect them from the birds it really make a difference.

I did that exact same thing couldn’t figure out why I thought I was a good enough Gardner I didn’t need any knowledge or anything in order to grow any plan I wanted and then I realized that pH is very important for blueberries and I was a dumbass now I have two separate plans in buckets soil, acidifier, and they look amazing. I’m hoping to actually have some fruit this year.

Yes thats true it's just too many that wanted to have the blueberries and if not netted you will left with nothing or just a handful. It really does make a difference with the netting in place.

Thank you!!!

Video really gives little info - not very good from my perspective

Thank you!

Thank you!

@@TraciesLocalLearnings thank you!

Thank you!!!

Thank you for watching my video!

Thank you!!!

me too…..and I am a musician/ gardener!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you for watching!

Thank you for watching my video!

Yes, they do

Thank you!!!

Thank you!

My favorite bluberry. How old is your pink lemonade blueberry?

@@njandtxgarden7044 3rd year, 1st year didn’t grow much..2nd year exploded in growth and super healthy so this year prime for my first crop.

@@BoneFrossil I'm excited for you too, I know the feeling.

Loved this video --lots of info I can use. Thank you for sharing your techniques! 👍👍

@@joshrogers4508 Thank you!

The pruning does make a difference with the berry production. Enjoy gardening and thank you for watching!

Same here, I always look forward harvesting the fruits that I grow and be able to share it with others as well. You must have a bountiful harvest everytime since you already have an established plant. Thank you for watching my video!

@@njandtxgarden7044 Yes! I am blessed with the bounty, for sure. I had to laugh at the pictures of all your bowls of berries, because I take pictures of all MY berry pickings, too!! (Some days between 20 - 30 cups!!) I have used a fabric, tulle, clothes pinned to the plants for bird protection, but after seeing your video, I ordered a few like yours that I will try on my smaller bushes. The clothes pins have been easy to attach and unattach for picking times. My favorite is Darrow. It has a very complex flavor, but who am I kidding 😂??!! I love them all!!!

@@eileenbartnick7202 I mix mine during harvest and cannot differentiate them. I should start separating them by variety to really taste the difference this next harvest.

@@njandtxgarden7044 Yes! Do try that! It's really fun to actually taste the difference between the berries. When I share with others or make anything with them, I mix them together. I put a post-it in each container before I pick. This has been fun to "talk" and share ideas with you!

@@eileenbartnick7202 I really get excited talking with somebody who shares the same interests as I do. Thank you so much for your time and sharing your experience.

Thank you!

I'm glad the video helps. Thank you for watching!

Thank you!!!

How old are your blueberries. Oh did you check the pH of the soil? They need to have acidic soil with pH between 4.5-5.5 for them to be able to absorb the nutrients that are available in the soil. Good luck! Happy gardening!

Good luck with your blueberry! It is nice to harvest your homegrown fruit and it's fresh.

Thank you!

Thank you so much!!!

Thank you!!!

Thank you for watching my video!

Pine bark or hardwood bark

She sure has great success with her method

Damn I used chicken fertilizer in the pink lemonade blueberry I just planted

You must be growing rabbit eye. Northern highbush do best with 1 fertilization pre bud break of blood meal.. 3 doses like u suggest would give a flush of growth after fruit set which will not become hardy resulting in large die back as winter arrives... wish u would clarify as some viewers may be noobs and mislead.. I have 26 healthy 4-7' bushes, happy gardening😊

Nobody likes a know it all Gary

Thank you for watching!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Yes, the birds got them. They do have share of my fruits.

Thank you for watching my video!

Thank you for watching my video!

I bought it in Amazon, try to search for "Garden Plant Netting", the size that I bought was 5 × 3.3ft. This is for the individual bushes but for the long one at the side of the stairs, I used garden barrier netting which I cut it smaller because it's 10×33ft size, too big for the 4 bushes. Thank you for watching my video!

@ellin1709 the variety I have is very compact and productive. This is good for limited space. In the video, the variety I have are Bountiful blue blueberry and Jelly bean blueberry.

@@njandtxgarden7044 thank you, I will look into those!

It depends on the variety of blueberry. The one I have is a compact variety that grows 1-2 feet height and width, so I only space them 2 feet apart which is good for my small space.

Yes and blueberry is expensive.

@@christinebohl2042 I am currently gardening in zone 7a new jersey. Yes, I cover them back again to protect them from the birds. The blueberry variety I have here in the video are the Jelly bean blueberry and Bountiful blue blueberry. Both varieties are compact and productive. Thank you for watching!

@@njandtxgarden7044 Wow! That was the fastest reply ever! Thank you so much for answering my questions, I really appreciate it! Christine

It's Bountiful Blue blueberry and Jelly Bean variety.

@@njandtxgarden7044 Thank you very much ! Happy Spring

@@TheSeedsower107 Same to you!

@@njandtxgarden7044 Thank you !

Thank you! I've been planning to put a weed barrier but still haven't do it until now. With the initial planting I added sphagnum peat moss, acidifier and slow release fertilizer into the planting hole. I forgot to mention, yes I also use some of the native soil.

Yes, they are dwarf variety. It's Bountiful blue blueberry and Jelly bean blueberry variety.

Yes, I left 2 bushes uncovered for them to have some. And after the 3rd harvest I left it all uncovered for them to consume the rest of the berries.

I got it from Amazon, I posted the link in the description if you are interested.

I bought it in Amazon, try to search for "Garden Plant Netting", the size that I bought was 5 × 3.3ft. This is for the individual bushes but for the long one at the side of the stairs, I used garden barrier netting which I cut it smaller because it's 10×33ft size, too big for the 4 bushes. Thank you!

Tulle works well too & you can make your own bags cheap😊

As soon as the fruits are set/formed already I cover them because birds will get them even before they are ripe. And of course take them off during harvest and put the cover back after harvesting if there are still more unripe berries.

Before you know it, you will be harvesting your own blueberries. I have Bountiful blue blueberry and Jelly bean blueberry. They are 5 years old.

Can you share with us what you did? I want to learn new things, tips and tricks in gardening.

@@njandtxgarden7044 Most people have a monoculture yard, so when they bring in a treat like berries of course the wildlife will flock there because of a lack of natural resources for food. You need trees, shrubs, perennials and ground covers for a sustainable yard, natives are best. Check with your state department of natural resources and find out what works best in your area.

@@sherriianiro747 Thank you for sharing what you learn from the expert. But with my limited space I cannot have variety of plants. I have to prioritize what to plant based on what we like eating, and it has to be enough plants of the same type to have more harvest to really enjoy it.

@@njandtxgarden7044 You do not need a large area to do so and even the smallest yards can be sustainable with careful planning. If your small yard is overrun with nothing but blueberry bushes you are going a constant uphill battle, and certain varieties yield more than others. You know blueberries need diversity anyway so that you don't need as many plants.

@@sherriianiro747 I do have some raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, apple tree, peach tree, pear tree, persimmon tree, grapes and if I don't put a net, nothing will be left for me to harvest.

You can order it online with different varieties if you cannot find it in your local stores.

Yes, they will get big

@@njandtxgarden7044 thankyou so much!

I feed them with espoma organic garden tone fertilizer ( amzn.to/3UEfKeQ )

I haven't try using those so I really don't know. Happy gardening!

I have few blueberry plants in the pot which were not shown in the video. During planting I used equal amount of potting soil and sphagnum peat moss, added some soil acidifier granules and slow release fertilizer. Every year I apply the soil acidifier and slow release fertilizer the same I used in the video. They are in my backyard and eventhough they are in partial shade all are growing well and producing fruits. What soil did you use? Are they receiving enough sun? Did you add soil acidifier?

I usually cover them near the end of flowering to ensure the fruit are formed/set or got pollinated already.

If you can use bird netting instead of what this lady used. It allows the bees in but keeps the birds from eating all your berries. It requires more work because you should use some type of frame to drape the netting over. I think it is worth it but others might not.

yes, netting can be used too as @gottaspeakout4272 mentioned, just needs a frame bigger than the bush. You cannot just lay it over the plant because the fruit will be peeking out the hole so the bird can still get it and when it's harvest time some of the fruit will fall as it will get caught in the netting hole.

There arw some pollinating varieties as well. But for an even bigger harvest multiple varieties still remains the best course

I prune them end of April and 1st week of May in my area (zone 7a - NJ). As soon as they have at least 6" or longer new growth that's when I prune the tip. I prune the dead and old branches in early spring.

When did you notice or started the red color of the leaves?

@@njandtxgarden7044 hace un mes cuando empezaron a despertar del invierno.

@@raulgonzalez1151 I read that some of the reasons of the blueberry leaves turning red can be from the cold weather, phosphorus or magnesium deficiency due to high pH not absorbing the nutrients, or stress from pest. With my blueberry variety the leaves turned red in autumn in response to cold weather. I hope your blueberry was just responding to the spring cold weather.

After each harvest I put them back because definitely the birds will consume the partially ripe berries that were not picked yet and you will end up nothing to harvest. The remaining berries will not fall off easily at this time because they are not that ripe yet.

@@njandtxgarden7044 Awesome, thanks for the reply! I loved this video, so informative.

@@IndiBex86 Thank you!

I prune the old, dead, diseased in early spring and I prune the tip mid to late spring when they have enough growth to cut.

I bought some in Lowe's and some online.

Yes, I left 2 bushes uncovered and they consumed it all even before my first harvest. You will notice in the video, there were 2 bushes uncovered, those were for the birds.

I put them back after each harvest because the birds will definitely find it and eat them. It will not take long to put it back.

I have Bountiful blue blueberry and Jelly bean blueberry, I'm not sure what type of variety they are. They are compact, which is good for my limited space.

Last year I pruned mine around end of April to beginning of May (zone 7a - NJ). When there's enough growth, that's when I pruned the tip.

ok!! then I better wait to do it next year maybe...here in Argentina we just started autumn! Thanks for answering and the video !@@njandtxgarden7044

@@gonr.2426 yes, do it with the new growth mid to end of spring.

Thank you!!! @@njandtxgarden7044

@@gonr.2426 You're welcome!

Get a cat or two and let them go outside... 🐈 🐈‍⬛

Just buy some small plants. Quicker as it takes a few years before you will see blueberries. Your local nursery or Homedepot will have suitable varieties. But make sure you check your soil’s pH. It is critical that they be given a pH of 4.5-5.5 for optimal growth.

Thank you. ❤

If your soil is not acidic you will just need to add an acidifier but you do need to do it every year, not just once.

You're lucky you have that in your area.

We used to live in the SE of BC where there are lovely huckleberries. On the coast (Pacific) where we live now there are Coast huckleberries, small red ones. No Huckleberry or blueberry I have tasted has been as good as those ones from the Rockies.

I didn't sell them, my family loves blueberries. We consume it fresh, freeze some of it, and share some of it to my friends.

It's nice to look back the experiences during childhood. Do you still live close the blueberry field?

@@njandtxgarden7044 No. Moved from NJ blueberry growing country to Florida to retire. Blueberries are still my favorite and yours look sooooo good and so healthy. My mom grew up in the same area and as a child they picked wild blueberries in the woods and swamps.

@@jjbud3124 oh you are in a warmer place now, do you have exotic tropical fruits? I always wanted to plant some tropical fruits, I tried to grow it here in a pot and bring it indoor during winter but they are not happy.

@@njandtxgarden7044 I have a couple of mango trees. I did have an orange tree but a hurricane took it out. May through July we eat lots of mangos. Those are my favorite. There are a lot of exotic fruits people plant in their yards but my yard is too small to plant any more trees and I'm too old to garden now. My speciality in NJ was tomatoes. I supplied the entire neighborhood with the help of rotted horse manure and oak leaves. I miss Spring, but not Winter.

@@jjbud3124 oh the mango and oranges my family's favorite, ambitious of me planted 3 mango plants in a pot and just died 😔. At least you have unlimited mangos and Oranges to enjoy. Yes, same here, winter is not really my favorite, just too cold, and the shoveling when it snows.

Thank you!

And the leaves turn a beautiful shade of red in the fall.

Thank you!

Thank you for checking out my video! My number one favorite is the pink lemonade blueberry as they are sweet. The next one is the bountiful delight blueberry as they very ornamental and sweet as well.

@@njandtxgarden7044 ahh we can’t wait to try our pink lemonade! Their blooms got wiped out by our multiple late freezes this spring. I highly recommend cara choice and pink icing if you are looking to plant more if u have the room to haha. Also the pink icing have very beautiful foliage in the fall/winter and they are a bushy type perfect for home landscaping.

​@@natbackyardgardenoh sorry to hear about your pink lemonade, now you have to wait another year to finally taste it. I do have pink icing and love it too. I might add Cara for my collection.

My lawn guy killed my pink lemonade 😢 waiting this year to restart my blueberries so far so good. I'll have to make an updated video 😅 East Texas

I must have the wrong varieties as they just are not growing.

Maybe your cat scare them away from your fruits.

If I don't cover mine the mockingbirds feast on my bb bushes. I wish I had another way that was easier for me to deter them, but I haven't found anything yet that works as well as netting.

Thank you!

Thank you so much!!!

Good luck and enjoy gardening!!!

Thank you!!!

Good luck with your gardening! Thank you for watching!

Thank you!