U-Pick

U-Pick Berries

September 18, 2022 U-PICK UPDATE

U-PICK? U-BET!

YES – WE ARE STILL DOING U-PICK!

We have blueberries, blackberries and raspberries available for you to go pick. Grab a bucket from the fruit stand (or ask inside for one) and go out and pick. When you’re done, come inside to the second register and we will get you weighed out and have you pay. (FIELDS ARE ONLY OPEN UNTIL 2:30.)

ARE WE STILL SELLING PRE-PICKED BLUEBERRIES BY THE LB?

NOPE. We’re officially “out.” You’ll have to go pick your own now. It’s still really easy pickin’ so don’t let that discourage you.

$3.50/lb U-PICK BLUEBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES & RASPBERRIES

$2.50/lb BLUEBERRIES Frozen in 5# bags

So, even though our fruit stand is officially “closed” for the season (we have no one to man it with the kids back in school) our staff inside would be happy to help you. JUST COME INSIDE TO THE SECOND REGISTER AND ASK! THANK YOU!

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2022 – U-PICK IS IN FULL SWING!

We started u-pick July 16, 2022, which is ridiculously late compared to all previous years. We typically start picking around July 1. We experienced a really cool spring, so all of the crops in the valley are late.

Our picking fields are open daily from 8-2:30. All pickers need to be out of the fields by then, please. Something to also keep in mind is that if temperatures reach over 100 degrees, it’s possible that we will close the fields and the u-pick stand early for safety concerns. Guys, it’s just too hot to be out there. If you’re coming out just to pick, please make sure to give us a call and ask for the fruit stand. They have the best idea of what’s going on out there.

$3.50/lb U-PICK
$4.00/lb Pre-Picked @ Fruit Stand
$2.50/lb Frozen in 5# bags

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U-PICK IS OVER FOR 2021

Our own freshly picked Golden Delicious apples are available here at the farm for only $1/lb. Just fill a sack out front and bring them into the second register and we’ll get you weighed out and on your way.

This year it went from June 27-September 4th. You are still welcome to stroll our beautiful fields with kids and dogs. Just pick up after both of ’em. 🙂

AUGUST 2021 FARM UPDATE:

BLUEBERRIES
Blueberries are getting a litttle scarce out there, folks. However, there are still lots of them that are still coming on. There are more ripe berries at the bottom of the rows (bottom of hill) because people pick a little bit at the top of the rows and then they leave. So a helpful hint – head to the bottom of the rows and work your way up.

RASPBERRIES
Our raspberries are everbearing, meaning they will continue coming on until they freeze out in the fall. We don’t have many rows of raspberries, and mostly the ones we do are pretty immature plants that don’t put out a whole lot of fruit. HOWEVER, there is a super secret half row of mature plants if you walk to the far right of the blackberries and go around them. There is a half row there. Shhh. Don’t tell anyone. 🙂 And remember to look under the leaves. They hide in there.

BLACKBERRIES:
We have gorgeous Hull Thornless Blackberries! They are big and really sweet and extremely easy to pick! Remember to look under the leaves for bigger success!

AVAILABLE AT FRUIT STAND:
Gramma’s Peaches

The Farm

Besides being a restaurant, Blueberry Hills Farm is a 20+ acre operating berry farm with 16 different blueberry varieties. We also grow raspberries, blackberries and peony flowers as part of our u-pick.

Season Wrap Up:

Upick started on June 27, 2021 and ended late August. It was a fast and furious season this year, as we had very extreme and unusual temperatures that reached 117 degrees for about a week. This burnt/boiled some of the berries on the bushes. We’re guessing we lost about 1/8 of the crop. It didn’t seem to matter in the end, as we must have had a really heavy crop. Our tonnage picked in the end were around avarage for other years.

2021 SPRING UPDATE

The bushes are just starting to come out of dormancy as spring has finally arrived in the Lake Chelan valley. At this point in time we are anticipating being right on schedule with the same picking dates as 2020 (listed below.) As we get closer to harvest, we will start updating on actual true harvest dates. So – please use the dates below as a GENERAL GUIDELINE, knowing we can not predict Mother Nature and we have to let her do her thing! 🙂

2021 U-PICK INFORMATION

Starting June 27, 2020: FIELDS ARE OPEN EVERY DAY FROM 8 am – 2:30 pm

U-PICK $2.50/lb. – Blueberries, Raspberries & Blackberries All U-PICK berries are the same price by the pound.

WE-PICK $4.00/lb. – Blueberries (only) are available pre-picked at the fruit stand.

FROZEN $2.50/LB – We have frozen blueberries available year-round. Packaged in 5# bags

We would like for you and your family to have a fun and memorable experience at Blueberry Hills! Please take a moment before you go out to pick explain to your kids on how to identify and pick only ripe fruit. A fully ripe blueberry will be uniform in color and should easily come loose from the plant. A reddish ring where the fruit is attached to the stem indicates that the berry is not ripe. Don’t pick those yet. They’re not perfect! 🙂

Let’s teach our kids to be good stewards of the land and that all plants are living things to be cared for. Horseplay is not allowed in the fields. If you have any questions, feel free to ask one of our friendly staff.

WHAT TO BRING

Bring sunscreen, and plenty of liquids to drink. We also have bottled water available at the fruit stand. (Please remember to leave no trace and pack your garbage out of field.)

We do provide buckets for picking but NOT for taking your fruit home. We do tend to run out of buckets during heightened activity, so you are always welcome to bring your own. Wearing a belt around your waist to hang your bucket from is helpful if you’re looking to use both hands.

Clothing: If it’s hot, we encourage folks to wear a WHITE, loose fitting, lightweight, long sleeved cotton shirt. This will keep the sun off your skin and keep you significantly cooler. Practical footwear is a must, and don’t forget to bring a hat also to protect you from the summer sun. We encourage folks to come early on hot summer days. Our fruit stand and fields are open from 8-2:30 daily.

ESTIMATED PICKING DATES

Blueberries – June 27, 2021 – end of August (or later – weather dependent. We’ve had blueberries in the fields until October, however the volume ends around the end of August.)
Raspberries – June 27, 2020 – late fall when they freeze out
Blackberries – Mid-August – late fall when they freeze out

Please check for more updates on our Facebook page.

Blueberry Hills Recommendations

2021 UPDATE: BUYING BLUEBERRY PLANTS AT BBH
Blueberry Hills typically sells our very own propogated nursey plants from our own cuttings in the spring. Unfortunately, this year we will not have nursey plants for sale. However, in Spring of 2022 we will have 2 kinds of gorgeous nursey plants for sale in the Spring: Darrow & Chandler. We will keep you posted next spring when they will be available to buy here at the farm.

PLANTING & CARING FOR BLUEBERRY BUSHES
SITE SELECTION AND PREPARATION Select a sunny location in well-drained soil free of weeds and well worked. (Fer you’n me, Buddy, that’d be a spot yer not doin’ nuthin’ with that’s close to a hose.) Locate in an area where irrigation water is available, as best results will be obtained by keeping the root zone moist throughout the growing season. Where the soil is poor or marginally drained, raised beds 3-4 feet wide and 8-12″ high work very well for blueberries. (Otherwise, the flat & lazy kind’a plantin’s best.)

A fail-safe way to grow blueberries in almost any soil is to incorporate peat moss into the planting medium. For planting directly in the ground, work up a planting area approximately 2-1/2 feet in diameter and one foot deep. Remove 1/3 to 1/2 of the soil. Add an equal amount of pre-moistened peat moss and mix well. One 4 cubic foot compressed bale will usually be sufficient for 4-5 plants. For raised beds, mix equal volumes peat moss with acid compost or planting mix. Blueberries thrive in acidic soils – between 4.5 –5.5. You will very likely need to amend your soil! DAD SAYS – IF YOU DON’T TEST AND AMEND YOUR SOIL – DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON BLUEBERRY PLANTS! THEY WILL NOT THRIVE – NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO IF YOUR PH ISN’T RIGHT! Your garden center representative can recommend a soil acidifier if necessary for your area.

SPACING Blueberries can be planted as close as 2-1/2 feet apart to form solid hedgerows or spaced up to 6 feet apart and grown as individual specimens. If planted in rows, allow 8 to 10 feet between the rows depending on equipment used for mowing or cultivating.

PLANTING For container stock, remove from pot and lightly roughen up the outside surface of the rootball. Set the top soil line of the plant about 1-2 inches higher than the existing ground and firm around rootball. Mound soil up along sides of exposed root mass. Water in well.

MULCHING Blueberries do best with a 2-4″ mulch over the roots to conserve moisture, prevent weeds and acid organic matter. Bark mulch, acid compost, sawdust, grass clippings, etc. all work well. Repeat every other year.

PRUNING Blueberries should be pretty heavily pruned (ABOUT 1/3 OF THE PLANT) each year to avoid over-fruiting which will result in small fruit or poor growth. Follow these steps after the leaves have dropped:

4. Remove low growth around the base. If it doesn’t grow up, it gets pruned out!

5. Remove the dead wood, and non-vigorous twiggy wood. Select for bright-colored wood with long (at least 3 inch) laterals. Remove blotchy-colored short growth.

6. If 1/3 to 1/2 of the wood has not been removed by the above steps, thin out the fruiting laterals and small branches until this balance has been obtained.

FERTILIZING Blueberries like acid fertilizers such as Rhododendron or Azalea formulations. For newly planted stock, use 2 tablespoons (OR LESS!) of 10-20-10 (or similar fertilizer) in late spring or once plants are established. (Be very careful! Blueberries are very sensitive to over fertilization! Less is always more!) For subsequent years, use 1 ounce of fertilizer for each year from planting to a total of 8 ounces per plant. Apply in early spring and again in late spring for best results. Always water well after fertilizing. DO NOT to fertilize after the 4th of July – as your bushes need time to go dormant before the fall. For organic fertilizers, blood meal and cottonseed meal work well. Avoid using fresh manure as it will burn the plants and, well, it smells like fresh manure. ;/

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SHOPPING LIST

Blueberry Plants (2 per family member) Peat Moss (4-5 plants per bale) Soil Test Kit

Mulch (1 cu. ft. per plant) Fertilizer (details above) Soil Acidifier