Hello, this is my first post too. I have just planted 6 blueberry plants on our new property so I'm new to them but have read that they love a bunch of organic matter and peat moss. To correct the soil I am using some of Espoma Garden Sulfar, it ishere at the bottom of the page. So far all of mine are doing well. Since I want them to establish their roots this year, I am also picking off all the flowers. Hope that helps.
Blueberries, Raspberries, and Blackberries
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tertiary01
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I live in 9a and have approximately 150 blueberries plants of all the types some of which have been growing here for 30 years. I have experimented with all the recommended types of soils and planting techniques. What WORKS THE BEST FOR ME is to dig at least a 3 foot by 3 foot hole, 18 -24 inches deep and pack it as tightly as possible with pine bark and coarse pine shavings. You can add needles, but the more bark the better. I have also supplemented with some Eucalyptus bark with no problem. I do NOT use Cedar, it inhibits the soil fungus that blueberries need to survive.
I then add a small handful of sulfur or ammonium sulfate and mix in well. Stomp down mixture and add more bark if needed to make it rounded above soil level. Dig hole in it and plant blueberry, then water well and give at least an inch of water every week during growing season unless temps get above 90 then give at least 2 inches, as I have a well draining pumicy type of soil. I add mulch as top dressing, and each year add some more pine bark to the area around the plant as it subsides plus a little sulfur. If your water is a bit alkaline, you might have to add more.
Growing a blueberry cultivar that is appropriate for your zone works best, but I have all types and some for the colder zones do real well here with care.
I then add a small handful of sulfur or ammonium sulfate and mix in well. Stomp down mixture and add more bark if needed to make it rounded above soil level. Dig hole in it and plant blueberry, then water well and give at least an inch of water every week during growing season unless temps get above 90 then give at least 2 inches, as I have a well draining pumicy type of soil. I add mulch as top dressing, and each year add some more pine bark to the area around the plant as it subsides plus a little sulfur. If your water is a bit alkaline, you might have to add more.
Growing a blueberry cultivar that is appropriate for your zone works best, but I have all types and some for the colder zones do real well here with care.
nightshade
Garden Ornament
Both-
pine needles- they have a great acidity rate and decomp really well. Use them for mulch around all your berries. They keep the soil moist and the weeds down, as the decomp they will raise your soils acid rate. They do not like weeds! for good berries you want to keep them as weed or grass free as you can for about a foot or more around them. Newspaper with a topping of pineneedles makes a great weedguard/ mulch for berries. And decomps nicely. you can til it right in if you need the following spring and lay down new.
Rasps and blacks -
You should trim your raspberries and blackberries down to the ground or a few inches above every fall. Or if you feel more comfortable wait til the next spring and the new shoots have started coming out of the ground, then trim off last years stalks. They will only produce fruits on "this" years stalks. Make sure you stake them somehow. They will get heavy and fall over. Not good, it ruins the fruit. But if you want the them to spread you will have to let some of the stalks touch the ground. They don't really spread from seed they do it by fallen or bent stalks growing into the ground and coming back up as a new plant. These should be dug up and cut off of the "mother" plant. And either discarded or if you are like me replanted in their own place.
Blueberries.-
Make sure you have atleast 2 kinds. They need 2 different kinds for proper pollination. They also like water. Not swamp (unless you have something like north american swamp buleberries) But they like to be alittle moist. I found a soaker hose is a great thing with blueberries. Hook it to a rainbarrel if you have that option and use tree rings soakers for them or simply weave the soaker around them. Open it up for an hour or two every day to give them a good soak when it is sunny out. Soakers also keep the water off the leaves and fruit so you have less chance of developing fungus problems but still keep good moisture. And they waste less water cause it is on the ground where it belongs not every where else.
Hope this helps and good luck with your berries
pine needles- they have a great acidity rate and decomp really well. Use them for mulch around all your berries. They keep the soil moist and the weeds down, as the decomp they will raise your soils acid rate. They do not like weeds! for good berries you want to keep them as weed or grass free as you can for about a foot or more around them. Newspaper with a topping of pineneedles makes a great weedguard/ mulch for berries. And decomps nicely. you can til it right in if you need the following spring and lay down new.
Rasps and blacks -
You should trim your raspberries and blackberries down to the ground or a few inches above every fall. Or if you feel more comfortable wait til the next spring and the new shoots have started coming out of the ground, then trim off last years stalks. They will only produce fruits on "this" years stalks. Make sure you stake them somehow. They will get heavy and fall over. Not good, it ruins the fruit. But if you want the them to spread you will have to let some of the stalks touch the ground. They don't really spread from seed they do it by fallen or bent stalks growing into the ground and coming back up as a new plant. These should be dug up and cut off of the "mother" plant. And either discarded or if you are like me replanted in their own place.
Blueberries.-
Make sure you have atleast 2 kinds. They need 2 different kinds for proper pollination. They also like water. Not swamp (unless you have something like north american swamp buleberries) But they like to be alittle moist. I found a soaker hose is a great thing with blueberries. Hook it to a rainbarrel if you have that option and use tree rings soakers for them or simply weave the soaker around them. Open it up for an hour or two every day to give them a good soak when it is sunny out. Soakers also keep the water off the leaves and fruit so you have less chance of developing fungus problems but still keep good moisture. And they waste less water cause it is on the ground where it belongs not every where else.
Hope this helps and good luck with your berries
nightshade
Garden Ornament
Yup that will help get more of their energy to their roots for the first vital establishment year. Inturn this will increase your chances of them making it and making it well from the first into second year. By their second season in thier new home you should be fine for letting them go to fruit.Morgaine said:
Thanks to everyone who responded to my blueberry questions. I have amended to my soil to make it more acidic after testing it to find it was very alkaline. I just purchased several more blueberry plants and hope to have better results this year!
897tgigvib
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I'm growing one thornless blackberry, and one wild forest caneberry of some kind that I never see fruit or flower. Gotta try it! Oh, there are so many cabe berries I want to add to my garden!
