This weeks preps check-in

[Brent S]

Even though it’s the wrong time of year for it I am going to dig up a bunch of my blueberry plants. I planted a sloped area much too close for the plants so will start thinning out some and start a new patch in another area. Don’t forget how big plants can get in a few years!

 

[tmttactical]

Even though it’s the wrong time of year for it I am going to dig up a bunch of my blueberry plants. I planted a sloped area much too close for the plants so will start thinning out some and start a new patch in another area. Don’t forget how big plants can get in a few years!

Do Blueberry plants have thorns? This question is from a 'City Slicker" who does not have a clue. I do know that blackberry's have thorns and when I get some property, I plan to plant Blackberry along the property fence line.

 

[DirtDiva]

Do Blueberry plants have thorns? This question is from a 'City Slicker" who does not have a clue. I do know that blackberry's have thorns and when I get some property, I plan to plant Blackberry along the property fence line.

Blueberries do not have thorns. And not all blackberry bushes have thorns. Some of the cultivated varieties are thornless and some are not. I have both and like you have the ones with thorns planted along a fence line facing a road

 

[DrHenley]

Do Blueberry plants have thorns? This question is from a 'City Slicker" who does not have a clue. I do know that blackberry's have thorns and when I get some property, I plan to plant Blackberry along the property fence line.

Get some blackberries like this. I had my 6'3" son stand in the picture for reference. They can get up to 9-10 ft tall. You cannot just walk through these...believe me!

 

[tmttactical]

Blueberries do not have thorns. And all blackberry bushes do not have thorns. Some of the cultivated varieties are thornless and some are not. I have both and like you have the ones with thorns planted along a fence line facing a road

Thank you DirtDiva. Also Thanks DrHenley. I was going to pass on the Blueberries until I saw your post.

 

[DirtDiva]

Thank you DirtDiva. Also Thanks DrHenley. I was going to pass on the Blueberries until I saw your post.

Urbanprep I do not know how blueberries would grow in Arizona. They can be finicky about soil Ph. They tend to like acidic soil. Alternatives for you might be service berries which are native small trees/ bushes also honey berries might be an alternative. All 3 produce small black/blue berries. As far as blackberries you do not want the blackberries pictured in Doc's photo. They are the devil to get rid of. Goats and maybe hogs would probably eradicate them with time. Not sure. Those are not for the faint of heart. I would stick with a cultivated variety.

 

[Brent S]

Do Blueberry plants have thorns? This question is from a 'City Slicker" who does not have a clue. I do know that blackberry's have thorns and when I get some property, I plan to plant Blackberry along the property fence line.

As answered above no and no. I’ve never heard of a blueberry plant with thorns but lots of blackberries do. My variety is is thornless and is a huge berry so there is no doubt some cultivated varieties are worth planting over the natural ones. Both ar Erie ally well suited plants for this area too. Neither require much maintenance at all and thrive here. My kind of plant.

 

[KateMTx]

Do Blueberry plants have thorns? This question is from a 'City Slicker" who does not have a clue. I do know that blackberry's have thorns and when I get some property, I plan to plant Blackberry along the property fence line.

No, no thorns on blueberries! My grandfather used to do research on blueberries and taught us all about them. We had over a dozen bushes around the property growing up. My biggest concern in AZ would be the desert conditions. The prefer acidic soil (we always used pine straw mulch for them due to its acidity) but they also require quite a bit of water. Whenever we had a drought they would get sad looking and the berries shriveled up.
Most blackberries do have thorns; wild ones certainly do. We had them growing up and down the road, along fence lines and on the edges of trails throughout the woods. My arms were always literally covered in scratches from picking them, and then I would have to pull dozens out tiny thorns out of my hands. But I always picked them the fastest of all my siblings.

 

[DirtDiva]

No, no thorns on blueberries! My grandfather used to do research on blueberries and taught us all about them. We had over a dozen bushes around the property growing up. My biggest concern in AZ would be the desert conditions. The prefer acidic soil (we always used pine straw mulch for them due to its acidity) but they also require quite a bit of water. Whenever we had a drought they would get sad looking and the berries shriveled up.
Most blackberries do have thorns; wild ones certainly do. We had them growing up and down the road, along fence lines and on the edges of trails throughout the woods. My arms were always literally covered in scratches from picking them, and then I would have to pull dozens out tiny thorns out of my hands. But I always picked them the fastest of all my siblings.

And they were always full of chiggers. Bet you picked huckleberries too Katie.

 

[KateMTx]

And they were always full of chiggers. Bet you picked huckleberries too Katie.

Oh yes way too many damn chiggers. I hate those things.
There were huckleberries around too but not as many as blackberries.

 

[DirtDiva]

Oh yes way too many damn chiggers. I hate those things.
There were huckleberries around too but not as many as blackberries.

I had cousins that lived in Walthall County MS. Spent summers picking huckleberries and swimming in the creek. Way too many chiggers is right! Have you ever had Mayhaws?

 

[KateMTx]

I had cousins that lived in Walthall County MS. Spent summers picking huckleberries and swimming in the creek. Way too many chiggers is right! Have you ever had Mayhaws?

We didn't have any on our place but someone down the road from us sold Mayhaw jellies.

 

[Proud Prepper]

We have mayhaw trees, huckleberry, blueberry and blackberry bushes. I make jellies and Jams.

 

[GaRp58]

Boy we got it good in Europe. Once I got here and found out the grass stays green all year even under the snow AND there are NO CHIGGERS, we had picnics all the time. That was a big thing visiting family in OK and TX. Always got chiggers and scratched our skin bloody. Nothing here or in Hungary.
I'm the baker and the jelly maker in the family, Helena watches and eats but only does the big meals. Breakfast and baking is my resource especially when we go camping. She washes the dishes and I do 90% of all cooking out in the woods.

 

[Brent S]

Boy we got it good in Europe. Once I got here and found out the grass stays green all year even under the snow AND there are NO CHIGGERS, we had picnics all the time. That was a big thing visiting family in OK and TX. Always got chiggers and scratched our skin bloody. Nothing here or in Hungary.
I'm the baker and the jelly maker in the family, Helena watches and eats but only does the big meals. Breakfast and baking is my resource especially when we go camping. She washes the dishes and I do 90% of all cooking out in the woods.

Yeah I take over all the cooking on camping trips. Although I do the majority of it now as well. I think I’m getting ripped off here!

 

[BillMasen]

Boy we got it good in Europe. Once I got here and found out the grass stays green all year even under the snow AND there are NO CHIGGERS, we had picnics all the time. That was a big thing visiting family in OK and TX. Always got chiggers and scratched our skin bloody. Nothing here or in Hungary.
I'm the baker and the jelly maker in the family, Helena watches and eats but only does the big meals. Breakfast and baking is my resource especially when we go camping. She washes the dishes and I do 90% of all cooking out in the woods.

Yup one of the things I did not like about the US is the critters , We dont have Scorpions, Black widows, Rattlers etc over here

 

[Danil54grl]

@DirtDiva We discovered Mayhaw trees in the slews off the main river taking the boys fishing years ago. We stopped on one of the islands back there for a little picnic and came across those red berries. It became a tradition of going every year because those trees were plentiful back in the slews. Normally about 5 gallons is what we would bring back with us then we would make jelly. Now we have three trees on our property which is good. I do miss the days when the boys were young and we would go exploring down the river with them. though. . .

 

[Arcticdude]

Boy we got it good in Europe. Once I got here and found out the grass stays green all year even under the snow AND there are NO CHIGGERS, we had picnics all the time. That was a big thing visiting family in OK and TX. Always got chiggers and scratched our skin bloody. Nothing here or in Hungary.
I'm the baker and the jelly maker in the family, Helena watches and eats but only does the big meals. Breakfast and baking is my resource especially when we go camping. She washes the dishes and I do 90% of all cooking out in the woods.

We don't have any chiggers here, not sure what they are even. I've only seen a hand full of mosquitoes, and only around the water troughs, and have only found 1 tick on the dog in 4 years. What we do have in abundance here is yellow jackets, hornets and rattlesnakes. We eat outside a lot until late summer when the yellow jackets get too thick. I do all the cooking outside on the barbeque or in the smoker.

 

[DirtDiva]

We have mayhaw trees, huckleberry, blueberry and blackberry bushes. I make jellies and Jams.

My mother made the best Mayhaw jam!

 

[DirtDiva]

@DirtDiva We discovered Mayhaw trees in the slews off the main river taking the boys fishing years ago. We stopped on one of the islands back there for a little picnic and came across those red berries. It became a tradition of going every year because those trees were plentiful back in the slews. Normally about 5 gallons is what we would bring back with us then we would make jelly. Now we have three trees on our property which is good. I do miss the days when the boys were young and we would go exploring down the river with them. though. . .

Fond memories of childhood going back in the backwaters with mama and the 4 boys. Had to take boats. Mama would take 1 boat and the me the other and split up the younger kids. We would pick buckets of mayhaws. They made the best jelly. We would also gather muscadines, crabapples, wild blackberries and huckleberries. All foraged wild. I am going to try to plant mayhaws on my place but I think I am probably too far north.