Love Blueberries? With Preparation, You Can Grow Your Own
When gardeners want to try something new, expert advice is always welcome. Several people had asked me about blueberry growing so I contacted our local expert, Andy Qualls who grows two or three thousand plants for the family's wholesale fruit business. Blueberries have become one of the most popular fruits. Growing a few bushes at home is possible if you follow the advice of an expert and start right from the beginning. "Blueberries are very productive after only a few years and are not difficult to grow," Andy Qualls said. Qualls works for Muskogee County Conservation District; and, his family grows more than 2,000 blueberry plants on land south of Muskogee. They sell the fruit wholesale only to Arnold's in Muskogee and Conrad Farms in Bixby from mid-June to August. "We have had the most success with Northern Highbush and Southern Rabbiteye varieties," Qualls said. "A home gardener who wants enough blueberries to eat and some to freeze or make into j...