Hello! I have a 4.5 x 9' raised garden bed that i'd like to plant blueberries in. I know about the type of soil and acidity needed, but i can't figure out a few things about picking the plants that I thought someone on here might be able to help with. I've googled this, but i just end up more confused.
I'm zone 4b, so i believe i need to plant half-high or northern highbush varieties. It looks as though planting a few varieties will increase yield due to pollination.
My questions:
1. Do the plants need to line up from early-mid-late cultivars? With apples, you want the trees to bloom at the same time to pollinate, and I'm not sure if that means that i shouldn't pick a blueberry cultivar that is early and match it with a late in case they also bloom early and late (that part isn't clear - do they all bloom in the spring, and some take longer? Or will they bloom later?).
2. How many plants should i squeeze into my 4.5 x 9 plot? I'm thinking i can get away with 6. Two rows of 3. I've read positive things about crowding fruit trees, and wondering if the same should be done for blueberries?
Thank you so much for the help!