One of Tampa’s beloved U-Pick blueberry farms, B&B Blueberry Farm, is closing up shop and Tampanians (aka Tampeños) were clamoring to get their hands on the farm’s liquidated collection of mature blueberry plants.
You may have seen posts on Facebook, with excited “plant people” posing next to tall blueberry bushes in giant, fittingly-blue barrels. I happened to be one of those people, thanks to my good friends the Nelson’s who made the trip and brought me back 10 beautiful plants. We all have good reason to be excited: each of these bushes can produce up to 10 pounds of blueberries each year.
That’s a lot of blueberry cobbler, smoothies, jams, and cocktails. Oh, and did I mention blueberries are a superfood?
Spring Open & Homesteader Festival
Saturday, April 17, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free
Bob's Berries, 11501 Winn Rd., Riverview
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The owner of B&B Blueberry Farm, Bill S., tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that all in all, up to 4,000 plants were purchased and dispersed by lucky buyers around the Tampa Bay Area. The cost? Just $5 per plant. A generous price considering the growing medium, a rich mix of compost and pine bark mulch, can cost that much alone. It was a steal for anyone willing to get their hands dirty––and challenge their backs for a few days.
But what was behind this rush to buy up so many blueberry plants, so quickly?
Interest in plants has been steadily growing for years, but the popularity of organic gardening and urban farming has exploded in the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading new gardeners to work on their green thumbs.
Tampa Gardening Swap, Tampa’s largest gardening group on Facebook, saw quite a few posts on the topic of blueberries recently, likely the result of this blueberry madness. Some people grabbed plants without fully understanding how to grow the bush successfully.
The problem? Blueberries are temperamental plants that require unique care and considerations to grow.
Rob Clemon’s of Bob’s Berries in Riverview, one of Tampa’s only bio-organic U-pick blueberry farms, shared insight on the best ways to ensure a healthy and abundant harvest.
If you have suddenly found yourself with several blueberry plants or are looking to add blueberries to your garden this year, this is what you need to know to indulge in these blue gems year after year.
How do you prune blueberries?
Bill says that folks who came to his farm for $5 bushes walked away with varieties like meadowlark, emerald, jewel, arcadia, and chickadee. Each of these are “high bush” varieties, a relatively recent type of blueberry that commercial growers love for their more simple pruning needs.
Pruning should take place after harvest, typically in June. To prune, simply give the plant a “buzz cut” by removing all of the top growth. You’ll want to only remove about one-third of the plant when you do this. Afterwards, your plant will begin putting out new growth which will become the fruiting wood the following season.
This part is critical. Rob says, “Since fruit only forms on new growth, it’s important to get lots of new growth in before they go dormant in winter.”
How much water and sun do blueberry bushes need?
Rob recommends light watering for your newfound plants.They need around a quarter-inch of water per week. He waters for just three minutes every three days. Of course, your microclimate and requirements may differ, so pay attention to your plants to see what they need.
Blueberries do best in full sun which equates to six-plus hours, but some farmers suggest they don’t mind a little shade during some parts of the day to help avoid burning the new growth. So if you aren’t able to find a full sun spot, don’t fret. Rob says the plants will develop larger leaves to compensate for the lower light conditions.
How do you fertilize blueberry bushes?
Rob recommends an 8-3-5 organic granular fertilizer. Conventional growers will use a 16-4-9 formula. Nitrogen should always be high to promote good foliage growth. This ensures your plants have the nutrients they need to produce healthy, vigorous foliage and big, tasty berries. Cold weather is just as important of a consideration here. Rob recommends checking historical chill hours for your area to determine which varieties will do best.
Whether you choose to go with a synthetic or organic fertilizer, you’ll want to provide your plants with fertilizer three times a year. Once as flowers set. Once after fruiting has finished and the last time around two months after that.
Can I plant the bush in the ground?
If you’re thinking of putting your blueberries in the ground, wait just a second. Blueberries prefer an acidic soil, so you’ll want to ensure your soil is properly acidified, or amend it to create a medium that blueberries will thrive in. Acidic ingredients include pine needles, pine bark, et al. This is one reason why many farmers grow blueberries in containers. Rob recommends a cloth container that will help with root health.
Rob says he’s happy to see all the interest in growing berries and hopes it brings more attention to local farms like his. He hosts an Annual Blueberry Festival at his farm, a family event filled with fruit, barbecue, and activities for kids. This year’s event—set for Saturday, April 17 at 11501 Winn Rd. in Riverview—is focused on maintaining social distancing standards and the event page includes information about their mask policy.
As for Bill, he’s going to enjoy retirement while still growing blueberries for his grandkids who love to come out and pick them. To those who made the trip out there, he shared this sentiment:
“Thank you to all who came out to buy the plants. We enjoyed having them all out here. May they be blessed with what they purchased.”
If you were lucky enough to get some of Bill’s plants before they ran out, then congratulations on your new plants! If you didn’t, don’t worry. Our local U-Pick blueberry farms will be waiting for you come blueberry season!
Happy harvesting, Tampa.
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This article appears in Mar 11-17, 2021.