Strategies for Growing Blueberries in a Warming Climate: Assessing Needs, Finding Alternatives

[@vancouverpermaculture7099]

Another great video. I live just across the river in Vancouver and I always find such helpful, well presented, and thoughtful content when I watch your videos. I am only on my 3rd year of permaculture gardening, but am truly enjoying the process. Thanks so much for sharing your expertise.

[@JaniceSeagraves]

I live in the Central Valley of California. I had my blueberries under a sailcloth but moved them two years ago into the shade of my fruit trees with a drip line on them. The nursery's here in Califonia sells them as a shade-loving crop. Mine are doing fine. It looks like I'll have a good-sized crop this year.

[@jcalexander5530]

I am in central CA, too, and want blueberries. You changed my mind as to where I was going to plant them. Thanks for commenting.

[@muffininorbit]

I had been designing my garden with the idea of maximizing sun out of reflex. But now I've decided to let some things get big and have some shade. It's not just that I want to water less and keep the plants from frying, I want to be able to enjoy the garden in our new summers too! When we had that heat wave, some of my South facing plants looked like they'd been literally set on fire!

[@amyjones2490]

I just bought 7 blueberries plants, so glad to see this video.

[@tgardenchicken1780]

Very thoughtful. Here i MN we had a drought last year also and are noticing many changes. Snow flurries again last week. The urban heat island has slipped my 4b into zone 5--usually. Glad you mentioned currants, I am adding more this year. I will now be looking at additional service berries. I love to see how you are pivoting and sharing that with us, it is so helpful.

[@kitdubhran2968]

This is super helpful. I have a pink lemonade blueberry that I Do. Not. Want. To. Lose. Will be seeing what I can do to create more of a guild for it. Currently there’s a gooseberry hiding out in its shade. But if they both like a little shade, I might think of something that could help shade them both. Maybe a trellis with some hops. That grows up here like a weed and I like to use the flowers I’m for medicine. Going to take notes on the second watch through, but I want to let you know I appreciate this video. Also, I cut a stalk from the blueberry and from the gooseberry and stuck them in the ground. They BOTH took, and I am so stoked to have them growing. So now I have two of each! Also, my black currant was/is almost dull sun and did pretty well last year. So that’s another thought.

[@ebytwinbabel]

I'm up to 4 bushes in my garden and three get afternoon shade. Thanks for this video.

[@acrow1714]

Fantastic vid, Angela! Thanks for getting the good word out!

[@princessLailasmom]

Very thought provoking

[@jt1453]

Thank you for the info. we have had branch dieback on the blueberries the last 3 years. They now have less branches on them then when we bought them.

[@CarissaWyles]

Fantastic video!

[@benbrown8258]

We went from Spring frosts to heavy rains and temps near 90 F in a week in sw Michigan two years ago. Last year was barely better. So far the temperature change has been more gradual, but the rains are more frequent and heavy. The trick seems to be conserving rainfall as our Summers aren't getting precipitation they should. I don't like to uproot and move plants once established, but your advice seems smart. Thank you for your video.

[@kitdubhran2968]

You said rambling rose and lilac. I have a lilac that doesn’t do well in full shade of my house, and a rambling rose that likes to take over the front yard. *rubs hands together* guess who’s getting swapped when I can find the spoons!

[@acrow1714]

Ooooh Calycanthus! Nice one. :D

[@ParkrosePermaculture]

I don’t know why they aren’t a more popular landscape plant here!

[@Peoplespilates]

Watching this from India, looking at how you protect your blueberries. Thank you for your videos

[@gardenweedsgrower]

Oh wow. I was hoping to grow some blueberries here in south Florida zone 10b. I definitely plant for shade first due to our heat and intense sun.

[@eekisvreemd1986]

Did you ever grow tayberry? We live in the Netherlands in Europe. We have a very similar climate, and tayberry was our fav green house berry for years, and now is our fav outside berry too! (Our summers are hot an dry too since 5 years or so...) I know its not exactly a blueberry, more a rasp/blackberry like plant... but man! So very tasty! And prolific ❤️

[@ParkrosePermaculture]

I do not grow them, because I don’t have room but I am familiar with them and they are grown commercially here - they are quite good! I had to choose between them and the Marionberry, because I have limited space.

[@eekisvreemd1986]

@@ParkrosePermaculture i will look into that! Always curious for new berries! ❤️

[@d.-beck7205]

What an interesting idea. I live in Germany and will definitely look into tayberries (and blueberries also). Bedankt! 😊

[@karenharkness4847]

Great and informative, thank you. I have my blueberries in large pots of ericaceous compost. This comes with advantages - I can move them to different positions as the weather dictates. But disadvantages are watering the pots alot in hot weather and I would much rather they were in the ground like yours. I'm looking forward to watching when you plant out your new blueberries. I have also been looking at saskatoons as they have the additional advantage of not requiring acidic soil and now after seeing yours will definitely be investing in some.

[@d.-beck7205]

I am also thinking of planting blueberries into large pots. It seems easier to give them the right soil. Thinking of putting an olla like watering system into the pots too. They will be located at my east facing entrance, in partial shade.

[@mikeinportland30]

Very interesting topic. I was fortunate here on Mt Scott not to lose any blueberry bushes last year, and even though a lot of young berries shriveled and died and some of my plants had scorched leaves, I still ended up with my usual more blueberries than I can deal with. It might be because my bushes are so old (I think 40 years or more from when my property was a farm). I still may try to cover them if we get heat like last summer, but with 27 bushes that grow about 8-10' high that would be a real chore - however, like you I would really saddened to lose any of these stalwarts of my food forest!

[@O_U_No_It_2]

Observational learning. Very familiar. It's in my day-to-day. You are so amazingly prescient and able to give info dumbed-down for "the rest of us" Thank you for this, seriously 💖 "Guilds" An idea that I've toiled with and implemented here in SW WA for resilience and biodiversity. Super impressed with what you've created on such a small property. The diversity of edible verdure flora is incredible. You need to be protected but at all costs💂 Love that you are sharing💞 "Edits are okay" TY - fellow garden addict.

[@williamgair3230]

Similar here in Boise. I have 4 different blue berries. They seem to be coming into their own now after quite a few years of struggle. I tell people here to "take a step back" from instructions of "plant in full sun." Here we have almost no humidity from June onward and our sun in intense. The berries need protection from that. I also suggest that they get 1 gallon or larger plants. The little starts have seemed to be of low quality here and given that they are small are at higher risk. Only one of those little ones has survived where as the three one gallon that replaced the three that died have continued to grow each year. One thing I'm planning on is putting a smaller magnolia off to their south/western side to provide some sun relief. I like the idea that the magnolia and the berries are acid lovers. In fact in many of my guilds I look to plant different acid loving or alkaline loving friends. Good Luck everyone with your berries ;)

[@amn0809]

I love this video for being able to get inside her head when thinking about changing her design around. I do wish she had spoken a little more on the varieties of blueberry she has. I have rabbiteye blueberries (supposed to be tolerant of hot weather), and wonder if hers are highbush (more tolerant of the cold). If hers are also rabbiteye, i might need to rethink where my blueberries are going! I'll just have to simply take her advice and observe!

[@wendypanozzo9133]

I just bought two plants yesterday specifically for the So Cal zone. I planted them in partial shade along with another plant I already have.I am hopeful they will survive and be productive but leery. Fingers crossed because it gets hot here. We just had to days in the upper 90's in April.

[@4ktur]

what is lowest chillhour need best for warm climate blubarry variety ?

[@datugintuong464]

Hoping it is possible to grow blueberries in tropical zones at higher/ medium/ low altitudes.

[@williamvanscottnelson2605]

New subscriber. I'm currently trying to create a permaculture food oasis here in the desert of Slab City, Southern California. Looking for heat tolerant varieties of blueberries. I'm counting on fruit trees and moringa trees to provide food and shade for my chickens and my tribe.(Flamingo Camp is my soul tribe.)

[@permiebird937]

Really hoping a heat dome doesn't become the June norm here. I have been planting both ends of the climate spectrum for years because of climate uncertainty, and looks like I will be doing more of that. A friend who studies this stuff told me to expect a more Sacramento climate in the next 30 years in Portland, but that doesn't take into account that with greater climate instability, we could have an average that is like Sacramento, but still get the same or greater winter cold, plus more and possibly worse heat domes. 🤦

[@ParkrosePermaculture]

I'm dreading it this year. I love our cool, mild Junes so much, and I fear they are a thing of the past.

[@seane6616]

@@ParkrosePermaculture Turns out they're still going strong LOL

[@judywood4530]

You did not say whether your blueberries were lowbush or highbush varieties. I have not grown blueberries, but from what I have read, lowbush varieties actually prefer some shade while the highbush ones really need the full sun.

[@middleway1885]

Boop