OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON 

EBERHARDT BLUEBERRY NURSERIES 


The Most Promising Bush Fruit Today 
Is The Cultivated Blueberry 
THLUEBERRY growing is fast becoming a 
large and important industry in sev- 
eral of the eastern states and a decade 
N] of experimenting has proved that cli- 
Al matic conditions on the West Coast are 
as well, if not better suited to the cultivation of this 
delicious fruit. 

The cultivated eastern blueberry, Vaccinium Corym- 
bosum, is closely related to a family of shrubs which 
includes the Heathers, Rhododendrons, Azaleas and 
all of our native wild blueberries or huckleberries. 
However, true huckleberries of the eastern United 
States (Gaylussacia) differ somewhat from the true 
blueberry; the huckleberry contains ten large seeds, 
while the blueberry has a number of relatively small 
seeds. 
SOIL AND SOIL REQUIREMENTS 
An acid soil, rich in leaf mold and with an abundance 
of moisture throughout the growing season, is best 
for success in blueberry culture. Peat bogs, alder 
bottoms, willow and cedar swamps, when cleared, 
make ideal locations for blueberries, as do upland 
soils containing a large amount of leaf mold and 
naturally or artificially well supplied with moisture. 
Gravelly or sandy soils overlaid with a grassy turf 
may also be suitable if irrigation can be supplied 
during a dry season. Soil which is neutral or slightly 
alkaline may be made sufficiently acid by working 
ground sulphur into the soil. 
An experiment tried in our field on a strip of sandy 
upland soil where a layer of sawdust was applied as 
a mulch between the rows of blueberry plants, has 
given excellent results. The mulch of sawdust not 
only supplied the necessary acidity to the soil, but 
served as a fertilizer as well. Also, the sawdust on 
the soil conserved sufficient moisture to ripen a large 
crop of berries and kept the field free of weeds. 
FOR HOME GARDENS 
For a small home garden planting, suitable soil can 
easily be prepared by working leaf mold and rotted 
sawdust or,.commercial peat into the ground. Even 
in localities where the native soil is unsuitable for the 
growing of blueberries in the garden, they can be 
grown successfully in tubs filled with the prepared 
soil. Blueberry plants set out this way make a beau- 
tiful and ornamental addition to any garden. 
PLANTING AND SPACING 
Planting time in our latitude is from October to April 
and although fall planting is preferred, both spring 
and fall planting have proved successful. 
The plant should not be permitted to fruit for one or 
two seasons after setting it out, and pinching the 
flower buds on young plants promotes more rapid 
growth. Young blueberry plants generally set the 
first crop of berries at two years and a commercial 
crop may be expected the third year. 

In a commercial planting the rows and plants should 
be spaced far enough apart to permit two way culti- 
vation; a spacing of eight feet by four feet seems quite 
suitable. For home gardens a spacing of five feet by 
three feet is generally sufficient. It is advisable to 
plant two or more varieties, as the pollinating of the 
blueberry is done by insects, mainly bumblebees. 
CULTIVATION AND CARE 
It is important that the field be kept free of weeds 
from blooming time, which is late April to May until 
harvesting begins. In localities where irrigation is 
necessary watering should be started before the 
ground gets too dry and when there is no rain, irriga- 
tion should be continued throughout the growing 
season. 
SUN OR SHADE 
While blueberries do well in partially shady loca- 
tions, full sun is preferable, as the fruit ripens earlier, 
more evenly and the sugar content of the berries is 
higher. 
TEMPERATURE 
High summer temperatures will not injure the blue- 
berry providing the plants do not suffer from lack of 
moisture. The plants themselves will stand a winter 
temperature several degrees below zero. While the 
blueberry seems more resistant to late spring frosts 
than some small fruit, avoid extremely frosty loca- 
tions. 
