Neta revay and terumot and ma'aserot for blueberry bushes on a balcony
Question
I purchased blueberry seedlings from Kibbutz El Rom, which are now growing on my second-floor balcony in flowerpots. One of the seedlings is from 5781 and is now a fourth-year bush. How can I eat the fruits (I am a member of Otzar Ha’aretz)? How do I redeem them? Do I need to redeem them if I don't bring the fruit inside and eat them on the balcony? What should I do when the blueberries ripen gradually? Should I redeem each time I pick a few blueberries, or can I redeem all the blueberries that will grow this year during the first harvest? Also, when the blueberry bush enters its fifth year, do I need to separate terumot and ma'aserot from individual fruits each time I pick a few blueberries, or should I separate them all at once? Do I need to recite a blessing for the separation?
Answer
1. Blueberries that grow detached from the ground are rabbinically obligated in the neta revay, whether neta revay follows the laws of orlah (according to most Rishonim) or those of ma'aser sheni (Rambam).
2. Fruit assumes the status of neta revay once harvested, unlike the laws of terumot and ma'aserot. Thus, its status applies even if the fruit is not brought into the house.
3. Neta revay cannot be redeemed while the fruits are still attached to the tree before harvest.
There are two possible options for saying the redemption formula in advance:
Pidyon neta revay at time of harvest
Say the following redemption formula below before harvesting the fruit for the redemption to take effect at the time of harvest of each fruit:
פֵּרוֹת הָרְבָעִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ כָּאן בְּתוֹסֶפֶת רֶבַע מֵעַרְכַן הֲרֵי הֵם מְחֻלָּלִים לִכְשֶׁיִּקָּטְפוּ בְּמַטְבֵּעַ הַמְיֹעֶדֶת לְכָךְ בִּשְׁבִילִי
"The fourth-year fruits here, plus a quarter of their value, are hereby redeemed once they are harvested onto my designated coin."
You mentioned that you are a member of Otzar Ha'aretz, so perutot are designated on your behalf for redemption. Note that non-members using this option need to ensure that enough perutot are available for each fruit they pick.
Pidyon neta revay at the end of the harvest that day
Alternatively, say this formula before harvesting, which states that redemption take effect after the completion of the harvest that day:
פֵּרוֹת הָרְבָעִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ כָּאן בְּתוֹסֶפֶת רֶבַע מֵעֶרְכָּן הֲרֵי הֵם מְחֻלָּלִים בְּסִיּוּם כָּל קָטִיף בְּמַטְבֵּעַ הַמְיֹעֶדֶת לְכָךְ בִּשְׁבִילִי
"The fourth-year fruits here, plus a quarter of their value, are hereby redeemed at the end of every harvest on my designated coin"
In this case, one peruta is sufficient for the redemption, but you should not eat any fruits until after the harvest is completed for the day.
4. Regarding the separation of terumot and ma'aserot, it is necessary to recite a blessing each time you separate terumot and ma'aserot.
It is also possible to separate terumot and ma'aserot in advance, using the formula. However, I do not recommend this method as it can cause many errors.