TRUE BLUES
Perhaps in the past you made the decision to plant your own blueberry bushes, inspired by visions of steaming stacks of blueberry pancakes drizzled with homemade blueberry syrup. You probably picked what you thought was the perfect spot to plant, with rich soil and lots of sun. And you likely worked the soil well, mixing in lots of organic material and fertilizer. Then you brought your precious new plants home from the nursery, carefully planted them, and spent the winter dreaming of fresh berries. When spring finally arrived, you eagerly watched as your blueberries pushed out fresh green leaves — only to yellow, drop, and die.
If that outcome sounds all too familiar, you’re not alone. At one time, gardeners and horticulturists alike believed blueberries would never be domesticated. The berry that Native Americans considered a gift from the Great Spirit, that colonists came to rely on to add sweetness and variety to their diet, and that drew people into swampy barrens each summer consistently
