Drat those birds.
I planted two bearing bushes last year—I’m in Burlington County NJ where the blueberry was first cultivated commercially. I figured I’d lose some to birds but I’d still get most of them—that’s what always happened with our raspberries.
The birds ate every single one. Gonna have to do the netting like you said.
I’ve read different things about the pine needles—that they may not acidify the soil as was previously thought. The argument went that pines just tend to grow in naturally acidic soil. *shrug*. I don’t know myself. But I tend toward the natural, organic style of gardening so I’d rather mulch with pine needles than dump sulfur in my yard. I take it you had good success with pine mulch?
Yes.
I don’t know if it makes a difference or not, but I used the long pine needles. And Connecticut soil is rather acidic to begin with, so perhaps what you read is correct.
Too bad about the birds and your bushes.
I simply draped lightweight netting over the bushes after they were done flowering. The netting has to go to the ground and maybe place some weights on the ends to keep it from blowing around...don’t let the birds find a way in.