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["Robert Walton" <waltonrp AT bellsouth.net>]

> I'm afraid my opinion is a cryptic answer:  the ones that live are 
> vigorous. If you want 20 plants, set out 60 cuttings.  Half will die and a 
> third of what's left will puny.  But in he end you'll get your good 20 
> plants. "Layering", the second method, will give better plants especially 
> if you prune off 3/4ths of the stem when you dig it.  In  a few years you 
> can't tell the difference between the mother plant and the ones from 
> cuttings. Blueberry plants live a loooong time.
>
> James

That works. It seems like one of the big costs of startup are the plants. 
Seems to me one could start with a smaller planting and while getting 
educated on managing that planting, start some cuttings and have additional 
plants to set out in a year or so...

Once I get to the planting stage on my place, blueberries seem a great 
choice for the Southside Virginia climate and my soil tests out at 5.2 or 
ph, so improving tilth and mulching to lower the ph a bit even would make 
them a great match. I'd at least like to grow my own...

Rob in FLA


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