Blueberry first outdoor grow

I have prepped the 11 gallon 1/3 whiskey barrel outside to eventually house this little blueberry girl and located a spot in the yard that gets full sun from dawn 'til dusk. I also bought a 42" tomato cage to help hold it up when she gets taller. I hope it doesn't become a spider trap. Additionally, I picked up some concentrated neem oil and a sprayer to be ready for the mites and mildew. Added diatomaceous earth to the top of the soil and covered it with a 1/2 inch of coco to keep any bugs from making their way into the soil. I'm sure I am forgetting some preventative measure but will figure it out as I go. Oh yeah, also got deer/rabbit repellant spray to spray around the base of the barrel when the time comes. My brother once grew a colossal plant about 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide. He came home from work one day, about a week before harvest, and found a family of deer eating it down to a foot tall. Poor kid. That's not going to be me. No sir!