Yes, Lou, please repeat where you got those barrels, I'm too lazy to search it.
I got ONE blueberry this year. Two of our bushes never produced, the other two did but something got them. They didn't produce heavily this year, though.
I wonder if the farmers had a low crop, too? I know that the blueberry festival in May couldn't have possibly been selling local berries, they were late coming. Unless someone has some different facts about it?

Lonnnnnnnng thread about blueberries. Lots of Lou in it. :)

Carol in Jacksonville

Here is a link that might be useful: Blueberry lovers

You're right Carol! Lou and Bamboo Rabbit know blueberries. I printed that thread off and it has become my "blueberry bible".

Papa Jim

Sorry for my late reply as I've been busy building my wooden greenhouse for the Aquaponics.
The blue barrel 55 gallon drums can be found on State Highway 41 in Inverness just north of Floral City. It is a junk yard (with a mock up ICBM missile out front) on the right side when heading north. They are only open for business Fri & Sat 9:00Am til 2:00PM last I was there. The blue barrels are $10 each.
Papa, I don't have squirrel problems because I have many feral cats to keep the squirrels, roof rats, and moles in check. The birds take a few berries but with around 80 plants there's plenty of berries left for me. The bushes have been very prolific for me this year yielding gallons of berries and my rabbit eye bushes are now ripening to extend the berry picking. I grow blackberries, raspberries, and grapes without squirrel problems thanks to all the feral cats roaming my 10 acres.

Lou, I am glad to know that you are fine and busy, I miss your postings, knowledge and sense of humor. And you must be enjoying your harvests, berries are good for us! I don't have squirrels either, my 4 dogs keep them in check.:)

Papa Jim and Rita, I am enjoying my blueberries today and I have been eating them since May. For me, to have the amount of blueberries that I use, I would have to plant a lot more than what I have now. I picked large buckets in May from the farm that had the early kind and yesterday I picked from the other farm that had the late varieties. I make jams, muffins, pies, eat them fresh, freeze them, very versatile.
After sampling so many varieties, I can tell you that every variety tastes different, before picking I taste and if I like them, they get picked, yesterday I only found one variety a little sour that was not very good. The two farms that I went got no problems with birds, squirrels and didn't even see bugs when I was picking.

Silvia

I knew I remembered talking about that before and locating that missile on Google Street View! Thanks for the reminder, Lou.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Previous Discussion - Rain Barrels

May blueberries

Today's blueberries and we had company.:)

Silvia