2008 Berries are now ripening I just got back in from mowing the grass between the rows of berries and was able to take a good close look at this summer's berries.  They are coming along nicely and we will have a very good picking year.  The Blue Crop bushes, our early variety, are loaded down with berries the size of peas now and they are turning pink.  They should be ready for picking about mid-July if the weather continues hot and sunny.  Check back as we get a little closer to picking time for our opening date. The Berkely variety is also doing well, except for parts of two short rows where the bushes are shy of many berries.  The Jerseys are so loaded with berries that the bushes are meeting in the middle of the 10 foot rows and I couldn't get my mower down many of them.  The Elliotts still have small, green and sour berries, but they will produce well this year as well.  Even the new Little Giants are going to have a nice, although modest, crop of berries. We've put out the picnic tables and are going to stock the berry shed this week.  All the bushes have been pruned and came through the winter in good shape, although with a little branch breaking from the weight of the snow on them.  Nothing major though.  We've fertilized once so far this spring.  I've a few row signs to replace and some repairs to make to the irrigation system on a few rows, but all is looking good for a very productive blueberry picking season.

2008 - Status of Varieties Blue Crop - Ripening Berkeley - Ripening Jersey - Ripening Elliott - Ripening Little Giant - Planted 2006 Blue Gold - Planted 2006 Marilea Bannon (r) and Amanda Robson were the "First Ton Picked" winners for 2007. They are pictured here with Colby, the official blueberry greeter dog for Crabtree's Pick Your Own Blueberries. On Saturday, August 11, our pick-your-own customers collectively passed the first "ton of blueberries picked" milestone this season. The lucky pickers who pushed the total over 2,000 pounds were Marilea Bannon and Amanda Robson, a mother and daughter team from Sandy Creek, South Bridgton. For being at the right place at the right time they received their berries free as well as several gifts from the blueberry stand. Marilea (r) and Amanda (l) are pictured here with Colby, the official blueberry greeter dog for Crabtree's Pick Your Own Blueberries. 2007 was the best year we ever saw for our Blue Crop variety, but 2008 should be as good Several groups have brought picnic lunches to make the picking a true summer family outing

Blueberries and Old Books?

We added a new feature to our Crabtree's Collection Old Books website in 2001 and every summer offer Pick-Your-Own Blueberries at our Maine Farmhouse. Stories about of our blueberry operation are linked to this page below. Check out the pictures of our place.

The first varieties of our highbush blueberries ripen around mid-July, and we then open our Pick-Your-Own Blueberry (PYO) operation to the public for the picking season. If you have been following the Maine Farmhouse Journals you know how pleased and proud we are of our old place here (see Bears in the Blueberry Bushes), and the PYO Blueberry operation gives us a chance to share a part of our experience with all of you.

Click on these links to get directions to the farm, our hours of operation and prices, information about the history of blueberries, and tips on picking and storing blueberries as well as links to several blueberry recipe websites. Getting Ready for Blueberry Season tells about some of the work that goes into having big, juicy blueberries for picking. We also have pictures showing what the blueberry patch looks like during the Quiet Seasons of autumn and winter.

Large, juicy blueberries hang in big bunches for easy picking

When we purchased the Farmhouse in August 1998, one of the bonus features was the extensive mature plantings of highbush blueberries in the side field. The former owner, Dot, had planted and nurtured hundreds of highbush blueberry bushes. They are now 25 years old, and bear sweet, juicy blueberries the size of your thumb. The chest-high bushes almost bend over under the weight of clusters of berries.

Since 1998 we have doubled the size of the berry patch with new plantings and usually add new bushes every year. We have also installed a drip irrigation system and pamper the bushes with annual pruning, fertilizer twice a year, and regular weeding and mowing. We don't use any pesticides on our bushes and encourage people to each the berries right from the bushes to add to their experience.

We opened the berry patch as a Pick-your-own operation in 2001 and it has become a wonderful experience for hundreds of families every summer. The picking is easy, and the berries are wonderful. There are several different varieties that ripen at different times during the summer, so there are blueberries to pick from mid-July until September most years. We look forward to seeing you during the summer picking season - watch this page to see when the different varieties of highbush blueberries are ripe and ready to pick!

Please call us if you have any questions or suggestions, and we hope to see you at Crabtree's PYO Highbush Blueberries.

We are listed with the State of Maine "Get Real Maine" for PYO Blueberries in Cumberland County.

We are also listed on under Regional Attractions - "Maine Lakes and Mountains Region".

[Blueberry Home Page] [Directions] [Hours and Prices] [About Blueberries] [Blueberry Recipes] [Getting Ready for Blueberry Season] [Colby's Letter to Camp Laurel] [ PYO Blueberries] [Water for the Blueberries] [The Quiet Seasons] [E-mail ] [Crabtree's Collection Home Page]

Maine Blueberry banner and Sebago Map created by Allen F. Crabtree IV

This page was last updated June 24, 2008.

Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 by Allen Crabtree