blueberries

[seedcorn]

They are everywhere in NE Indiana on muck fields. Don't have muck, in fact, just the opposite. So how about taking a tire, filling it w/composted manure, top it off w/top soil. Will the blueberries have a chance to do well?

 

[momofdrew]

blueberries like acid soil I dont know if they would do well in regular top soil...you might want to try potting soil for azalias

 

[setter4]

This week in gardening class we talked about blueberries.
They do well in raised beds because it gives them good drainage. They need good irrigation and soil Ph around 4.2 - 4.5. You can use sulpher to lower the Ph but you need to know what it is first so you need a soil test. Probably best to amend soil this year and get it ready to plant next year.

 

[kellygirrl]

I'm doing a blueberry bed right now. The bad news is I can't put in big bushes b/c it's a corner-streetlight planting, so it has to be lowbush and a few half highs that won't obstruct traffic visibility. The good news is that I won't have to dig as deep to replace the soil. I'm going with 50% or more peat, as that percentage puts the soil to acid, and it worked well for a friend of mine. On another site, someone said that she used sulphar, but her blueberries never did well until she replaced half the soil w/ peat. For the rest, I'll use Turface mvp to improve drainage yet hold moisture accessible, and compost. My partner and I are arguing about whether to also use sand; I feel Turface is more functional, and I should just use that. We (the "royal we" so far ) are digging a good foot down--I hope that's deep enough, then I want to double dig (fork down) another foot and encourage peat into it. I'll also have some 4" Pilgrim cranberries around a few stepping stones, and the street-side edge will have uva ursi/bearberry plants spilling over it-- they survive my front "yard" but never fruit, I realize now b/c they want acid. Anyway, I'm excited. They are described as having beautiful fall colors, flowers in the spring, and berries in b/n somewhere, so hopefully they will be appreciated by passersby.

I was toying with the idea of adding a few (acid-loving) flowers, if anyone has suggestions.