cover is made, trellis is up

Here is my strawberry box.
The nice, big plants in the back are Sequoia and the new ones planted today are called Itasca. Sooooo excited for fresh strawberries!

Finally have the trellis netting up and ready....but my peas aren't.

And I planted 3 blueberry bushes today!!! 2 Northcountry and 1 Northblue.
I must've nailed the soil prep, because there are already leaves opening up on these guys! They are gorgeous.....my new favorite. We'll see if the payoff is good on them - this is my first yr.
Is anyone into bluberries as I have some questions for someone with experience.

Look at this beauty:

Ooooo! Nice!

Claire

Nice looking set up. My strawberries (planted in my SFG last year) are LOADED with new fruit. I'll be buying a vat of Cool Whip in the near future!

I mulch my blueberry plants with evergreen droppings. I gather up the soil and needles from the ground under a big evergreen tree and apply it liberally around them. So far so good, although mine are in the ground, not in mel's mix. I have had them for a couple years now.

Tim, puleeze! Just Say No to Cool Whip! I'll mail you some whipped cream!

Now, back on topic - last year was my first with blueberries, so all I know so far this year is that they survived the winter!

Do you think that maybe the PVC/conduit combo might work for me for an entire bed of vining plants? It looks like a great idea! I just need to come up with something that will support my crops.

I have the PVCs like in the photo, with row cover (the little covered wagon look). I am not clear as to how to trelis things and still be able to close the lid. Any ideas? Is the idea to stop closing the lid at some point (when the trelising is most necessary)? Or is it possible to cage climbers like cucumbers and squash?

Queenjo -
the trellis is made of electrical conduit sold in 10' sections. I got the idea from Mel's book.
You buy angle/elbow pieces to connect the top and side pieces, and it is very easy to screw together. Then you simply tie the netting on. Oh yah......the conduit poles are held up by sliding them over rebar that has been pounded halfway into the ground. Now in winter, I'll just slip the poles off and store my trellis in the garage.
Yes, this would easily work for your vining crops.

Desertgirl -
The PVC cover was made as a "just in case" type deal. I was scared that my seeds would wash out if we got heavy rains, so I put plastic over the bed to protect it. I have to slip it thru the netting in on the 2 sides. So, once the veggies grow big and are climbing, I will not be using the pvc cover.

Martha and auntiemommy -
I read in a few different sources that one should pick all of the flowers from your blueberry bush the first yr to encourage strong root and branch growth, ensuring a heavy crop the following yrs........ Yikes! I don't think I can bring myself to do that- -it'll kill me!! Is that necessary?!?!?

The trellis looks good! About your PVC tunnel though, will you also hang plastic on the sides, just in case, or just over the top?

I haven't heard about plucking the flowers the first year, but I was told that they do need a few years to establish before pruning them back. I also heard that they love acidic soil.

@AUNTIEMOMMY: Is this why you use evergreen "droppings" around your blueberry bushes? Do the needles provide the necessary acid?

TRUKREBEW --- I have a huge 6mil plastic piece (must be about 15' x 15') that hangs all the way over the whole thing. I put bricks and rocks around the bottom to prevent the plastic from flying around. We had our first spring storm a few days ago - very high winds and it held up just fine.

About my blueberry bushes....yes they NEED acidic soil. I mixed a 1:1:1 ratio of humus, peat, and fine pines (shredded pine bark). I even threw some vermiculite in there since it's supossed to help retain water...hope that was a smart move...we'll see.
Then I mulched around the top with 2" of the pine bark.
I think that the thing I may need to remember is to feed the bushes (acid fertilizer) more often since they are in containers. The soil may be depleted faster than if the bushes were placed directly into the ground.
Also being in MN, I have to take extra care of them in the winter. They are very hardy little guys, but they may freeze easier in the container. I plan on brining them into my garage and placing them close to an inside wall. Any other hints out there?