Dan Finch

It can be done, says Bailey, North Carolina nurseryman Dan Finch.As owner of Finch Blueberry Nursery, the world's largest commercial purveyor of blueberry plants, Finch is devoted to an ambitious professional goal.

"I want to see blueberries in everyone's back yard," he relates.

Finch truly believes his goal is attainable.

"You can plant blueberries anywhere," Finch says.
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In full sun, Finch says, more watering is required and the blueberry plant will produce more fruit.The growth nodes will be closer together with a fuller and tighter plant.In full shade the nodes will be further apart, the plant will be more open and there will be less fruit.

"If the soil is amended the same as for azaleas and the root zone is not allowed to dry out or become over saturated, the blueberry plant should do well," Finch explains."Blueberry plants will not tolerate salt spray, as is the case with most other garden and house plants.This would only eliminate planting areas very close to the ocean."

Growing blueberries, there should be no problem that cannot be overcome with minimal preparation and care, Finch emphasizes."Amend the soil the same as if you were planting azaleas," he advises."Remember that most soils in beach areas are amended for almost all plantings.And neither azaleas nor blueberries will not grow in sand."

There is more air movement near areas of large bodies of water due to water and land temperature difference, Finch adds.
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"A blueberry plant can start producing berries the first season it's planted," Finch says.

And they'll produce more fruit if planted in full sun, says Dan Finch, owner of Finch Blueberry Nursery in Bailey, N.C.

Probably the trickiest part of the blueberry's requirements is providing that acidic soil.Actually, it's not that blueberries need acidic soil, says Finch: "Blueberries need iron but are very poor at taking it up, so they've adapted to acid soil â€" like that often found in wooded areas â€" which makes the iron more available to the plants."
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"The humus has natural tannic acids that acidify the soil," Finch says.Just avoid including manure or maple leaves, which raise pH.If you don't have access to humusy material, you can work moist sphagnum peat moss into your planting holes.

For each blueberry bush, prepare an area 2 to 3 feet wide and 12 to 18 inches deep.Remove the soil and mix it with an equal amount of leaf compost or moistened peat moss. (Finch suggests using about a half bushel of compost or peat per plant, as a general rule.) Backfill the hole with the soil and compost or peat mixture to form a mound.
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"Of the many outstanding rabbiteye varieties, my favorite is ‘Premier,'" Finch says.
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Compared to rabbiteyes, Southern highbush varieties bear earlier in the season, so "by planting both Southern highbush and rabbiteye varieties, gardeners can stretch their blueberry season from early May into September," Finch says.For home gardeners and beginning market growers, Finch suggests ‘O'Neal' and ‘Sharpblue' â€" both early-bearing varieties with big, delicious berries and ornamental plants."But they're all good, really," adds Finch.
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"If you happen to have a wooded area on your property, take a rake and gather some of the leaf litter to use as mulch," Finch says.

Dan Finch Workshop
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Dan Finch Pottery Workshop
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Call Dan Finch at 252-235-4664 or email danfinch@bbnp.com for further details. Visit the Finch Pottery Website www.danfinch.com/index.htm

"By having this open house and having all the studio potters here, it brought together all the resources," said Dan Finch, master potter at Finch Nursery and Pottery.
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"It covers a pretty large area, so if the weather's bad, visitors can be inside as well," Finch said.

Rocky Mount potter Bill Blakemore looks forward to the event every year.His raku pottery will be on display, including frogs and fish highlighted with handmade glass beads.
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Sunday's visitors, Finch said, will include those just looking to learn more about the craft and to study the wide variety of creativity and styles that are results of individual potters' personalities.

"The potters can take the option to become a production potter, or just dabble in it," he said.

Dan Finch Pottery Workshopceramicsculpture.com Live Web Cam

ceramicsculpture.com
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Dan Finch Workshop
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Dan Finch Pottery Workshop
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Dan Finch Pottery Workshop
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Call Dan Finch at 252-235-4664 or email danfinch@bbnp.com for further details.Visit the Finch Pottery Website www.danfinch.com/index.htm