My experience growing berries...

Ok, so this is my last post today.  I'm just inspired right now and hope I don't lose interest when the goin' gets tough! :))

So, I wanted to share my experience growing strawberries and blueberries.  It seems that when I talk to people about either of them, folks are really excited about them, but when I tell them it will take a few years to get a strong harvest, it's deflating for sure.

However, growing fruit of any kind is worth the wait!  And it's possible to take it with you if you'll grow it in a pot!

Our son LOVES blueberries and since they are SO expensive in the grocery store, it was always difficult for me to purchase them as frequently as he would want to eat them.  So, when we moved into our house nearly 6.5 years ago I was determined to have blueberries for him whenever he wanted them--or almost.  We purchased two different varieties in the same family.  I learned from an article in Southern Living that the Rabbit Eye variety was great for growing in a pot but they required cross pollination.  We purchased 2 of the Tift Blue and 2 of the Premiere bushes within this "Rabbit Eye" variety for cross pollination.  I called someone who raises blueberries and was advised that around the 6th and 7th year of having blueberries, I would have a huge harvest--as much as 20#'s per bush!  So, we invested the time and patience required--mostly patience for waiting and this past year (our 6th year) of having these bushes and had our largest yield yet!  We really enjoyed our blueberries this Summer!

Now, a word about Strawberries.  It's about as easy as what you see here in this picture.  Though my strawberries are in the ground, I would like to think that there's no difference in how they grow, whether pot or ground as long as you take care of them--which doesn't require as much care as one might think.  I began 4 years ago with 13 strawberry plants in my front landscaping.  I planted them like a border, set in just a little bit deeper into the landscaping, since strawberries have shoots that come off the main plant.  This is how they multiply.  Four years later, my strawberries have more than doubled themselves and we had more 6#'s of strawberries to enjoy.  That translates into about a month's worth of strawberries for our family.  

Once you establish your plant in the ground or pot, simple watering is mostly what is needed.  Once these fruits are established the main ingredient to a good production (based upon my experience) is making sure there's enough water and sunshine available.  Of course, fertilizing about twice a year will also make the difference.

If you haven't grown a fruit/berry of any kind, I would encourage you to give them a try!  There are so many benefits to having them in your garden!  And they're pretty easy to maintain!

Anyone out there want to add anything to this?