Thought I'd post an update on my blueberry situation. Soon after learning that Northern Highbush is not suitable to the Sacramento Valley (zones 9-10), I made a call to Gurney's to request an order cancellation, but that failed. Well, the plants arrived this last weekend. I tried calling Gurney's again and got someone in India (assumption, yes), that had to play it by some rule-book, so no go with the return request since there would be a restocking fee, dead plants, shipping to pay, etc. Anyway, I knew I could do better than that, so I waited until today (Monday) and tried again. First dial-up was another foreign rep, so I tired a 2nd time and got someone in America (again, I assume). This woman was very helpful, and she gave me no grief about the return. In fact, she said I could keep the plants and dispose of them as I saw fit.
Well, that last part was a bummer in a way. I'd taken today off, and had planned on building up several EarthTainers, but now I had to dispose of 11 Norther Highbush root cuttings (yes, they failed to ship one of the Jersey plants)? I couldn't just bring myself to toss them in the green garbage, so I redirected activities to blueberry mode. I had plenty of peat, forest hummus, and perlite left-over from recently filling my new raised beds. I mixed these up with some composting horse manure and soil sulfur, aiming for pH of around 4.5. I have a 3' wide strip of soil along the west side of my house that wasn't doing anything better than growing weeds, so I went to digging up holes. I dug around a foot deep by 2 feet wide. I planted six plants in the ground, and then potted the other five. The side location doesn't get sun before noon (due to my house) or after 5 or 6pm (due to the neighbor's house). So, these plants aren't going to get the full sun they demand. Furthermore, they're Northern Highbush, which means I assume badness, though I don't know exactly what to expect...plants die? don't yield any fruit? just turn out weak and un-vigorous? I figure when these plants don't work out, I'll go find some of the Southern HighBush varieties and the transplant will be easy now that I have the soil and pots and everything situated. BTW, I topped each plant hole with 1-2" of decorative pine bark.
So that's it. Do I have any hope of growing healthy blueberry bushes? Yielding any Blueberries? Will I get a refund? Do I deserve one since I planted the bushes? Did I just take three more years off my back dragging awkward 50lb pots around the yard all for nothing? Will I ever get around to building Ray's EarthTainers? Questions for the ethos. I'd really like to know the answer to those first two if anyone cares to take a stab at them.
Thanks,
Naysen
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