In 2017 a Barren County farmer new to blueberry growing. planted 5,000 plants, valued at about $20,000. There were some mistakes in the planting process – he had not consulted with the University of Kentucky prior to planting. I was able to make several suggestions to help these plants survive, and by next year, we will be able to see how much of his investment – totaling close to $30,000 – will be saved. He intends to plant another 7,000 plants in 2018, so the potential savings in plant costs and labor could easily save him another $30,000.