71 Blueberry Bushes Planted in Forest Heights and Newtown
Eighteen volunteers pitched in last weekend to help plant 48 community blueberry bushes in Forest Heights. Combined with 23 bushes planted by eight volunteers in Newtown, the project resulted in a total of 71 bushes and dozens of new community connections in the two neighborhoods.
In particular, we want to thank Max van Wagtendonk, Andy Trawick and Susan Brooks in Forest Heights for putting in lots of volunteer hours across two separate days, as well as Joe Ornstein in Newtown.
For each blueberry patch we tilled a few cubic yards of pine chips and peat moss into the soil to create well draining, sightly acidic soil. We also installed drip irrigation, deer cages and a thick mulch. The patches won’t produce a significant harvest this summer, according to Clyde Yates of Hungry Gnome Gardenscapes, who led the planting. But they should begin producing in the summer of 2022, with larger harvests in following years and total productive life of about 20 years.
In the weeks ahead, we’ll share watering and care information with the homeowners hosting the patches. We’ll also be looking for community members who want to help keep an eye on the plants, and in the spring we may install perennial flowering plants in the patches as well to help attract pollinators.
Soon, we’ll also update the project page with links to the full accounting of how project donations were spent on materials. Thanks so much to everyone who has encouraged this project. I hope it will be the first of many in the years to come!
