North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Naomi Counides" <naomi@oznayim.us>]

Do they have any varieties that tolerate alkali soil and water?  (Joking but hoping for a miracle.)

Naomi

 

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From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Alan Haigh
Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2008 8:03 AM
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [NAFEX] Hartman's

 

As a small nursery owner that has in the past ordered a couple hundred blueberry plants from Hartman's I feel a desire to defend them as a supplier.  Blueberries are difficult plants to establish as far as maintaining adequate moisture.  Any negligence during the growing season can lead to stunting or death if there is even a short period of drought.

I sense that some of those writing about survival of plants failed to understand what they were buying from Hartmans.  Because the plants are sold in a planting medium (potting soil) instead of bare root they can grow quickly if handled properly because they suffer little root damage in the exchange from seller to buyer.  However, bare root plants develop all their roots in the soil in which they are planted which makes them less susceptible to drought during their early establishment.  Potting soils dry out much more quickly than their surrounding soil to begin with.  Adding to the difficulty is the factor of capillary pull in that when surrounding soil is dryer than the potting medium it will pull moisture out of the potting soil.  All container grown plants require special attention to moisture level while establishing in actual soil.  Blueberries, because of their slow root growth require much more attention than most.

 

Hartman's does supply a great variety of blueberries, which is very useful to all growers.  When the plants arrive they are very healthy and have the potential of rapid establishment, at least in my experience.  One variety that I would not want to do without is Elliot, which is singularly my most important cultivar for extending the blueberry season. 

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