[mresseguie]

Youngneg,

Starting out with your 40%-40%-20% mixture is pretty good. Personally, I'd toss in some leaf mold (fresh compost if you lack leaf mold) and a couple scoops of worm castings to liven things up a bit (microbes, bacteria, nematodes, etc.). Always maintain approximately 2" of mulch to protect the roots. Keep an eye on the acidity through the years.

Whiskey barrel sides should be lined with plastic, Tyvek, or something similar to aid in retention of water.

I have blueberries in the ground, in a 20 gallon pot, and in a whiskey barrel. The plants in the ground do the best. The whiskey barrel plant almost died last year. I'm still unsure of the reason-likely a combination of getting too dry in August and my mixing in <far> too many coffee grounds to begin with. (Too many uncomposted grounds lead to poor root development.)

Someone else mentioned it already, but make darned sure you pinch off all the blossoms this year. I know. It pained me the first time too, but it really does promote stronger, healthier root systems, and you'll get better yields in the following years. Just think of it as an ornamental this year.

I've probably forgotten a couple varieties, but these are what I have:

Bluecrop, Blueray, Earliblue, Duke, Berkley, Chandler, Spartan(?), and 7 rescues (unknowns) last month for $21(!).

Good luck, and have fun!

Michael in OR.