Feeding: Broccoli pumpkin, blueberrries and herbs

[flowerbug]

Interesting that you say "full sun" but that cedar trees thrive, @flowerbug .

there is distance between the cedar trees and the gardens or where i would daydream of planting blueberry bushes. also a good chance some of the cedar trees would be thinned out if needed.

 

[flowerbug]

Steve, I heard a master gardener say that pine needles will pull nitrogen from the soil until they are fully broken down, therefore NOT a good mulch when simply raked up.
So, I think, "no."
So, you would need to pile them up, turn them, and REALLY let them decompose first.
When it comes down to it, the best mulch is really, leaves.

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uh, there are no miracles that happen through the mid-air with pine needles, the only nitrogen draw is where the surface of the soil is in contact with the needles. if you don't mix them in they're very minimal in impact on the nitrogen and as they are breakding down they're also giving back whatever nitrogen they've used.

the same thing with wood chips, straw or many other mulches. as long as they are not mixed in they are not a major issue. if the plants like cooler and moister soil and that is all i have then that gets used. perennials tend to do well with woody mulches, vegetables here pretty much do not get mulched because i never have enough of it anyways and Mom thinks it looks untidy so i have to hide it.

 

[Dirtmechanic]

there is distance between the cedar trees and the gardens or where i would daydream of planting blueberry bushes. also a good chance some of the cedar trees would be thinned out if needed.

My blueberries are in between cedars, a big spruce and some lelands.

 

[heirloomgal]

Maybe someone in "blueberry country" could tell us: What companion tree does the blueberry like?

I live in a literal 'blueberryville', where they are called 'blue gold'. Ours are the low growing species, but I suspect to a certain extent they are all similar in culture. They are companion plants with white birch, and grow well in poor quality soil here. 4.6 to 5.2 is their pH range. They also do well with conifers. When I pick in huge expanses of them I always have thick pine needle matting underfoot as well.

 

[ducks4you]

H

uh, there are no miracles that happen through the mid-air with pine needles, the only nitrogen draw is where the surface of the soil is in contact with the needles. if you don't mix them in they're very minimal in impact on the nitrogen and as they are breakding down they're also giving back whatever nitrogen they've used.

the same thing with wood chips, straw or many other mulches. as long as they are not mixed in they are not a major issue. if the plants like cooler and moister soil and that is all i have then that gets used. perennials tend to do well with woody mulches, vegetables here pretty much do not get mulched because i never have enough of it anyways and Mom thinks it looks untidy so i have to hide it.

Here is the horticulturist who claimed that pine needles are not fully usable as mulch right after you rake them up.

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[flowerbug]

My blueberries are in between cedars, a big spruce and some lelands.

there's a lot of difference between the south and the north.

 

[flowerbug]

H

Here is the horticulturist who claimed that pine needles are not fully usable as mulch right after you rake them up.

Brie Grows: Practical Gardening Advice

Author, professional horticulturist and lifelong gardener, Brie Arthur is on a mission to cultivate green thumb confidence by sharing practical advice about growing all of your favorite plants. Offering practical gardening advice, no matter your experience level, Brie shares innovative ideas fo

www.briegrows.com

the link points to nothing that talks about pine needles.

the other point to consider is that are often more than one use for a mulch.

with pine needles they don't mat down. there is often air space in the layers of pine needles so that they don't rot quickly. that means like i pointed out above that the pine needles are not a huge contact surface with the soil as compared to something like leaves which do mat down and will often rot faster (depends upon soil mosture, dewfall, worms and other detritovores or things that might disturb the fallen or applied materials).

 

[Dirtmechanic]

the link points to nothing that talks about pine needles.

the other point to consider is that are often more than one use for a mulch.

with pine needles they don't mat down. there is often air space in the layers of pine needles so that they don't rot quickly. that means like i pointed out above that the pine needles are not a huge contact surface with the soil as compared to something like leaves which do mat down and will often rot faster (depends upon soil mosture, dewfall, worms and other detritovores or things that might disturb the fallen or applied materials).

The ability for air and water to penetrate mulch is one of the defining things that for me actually defines what a mulch is by function. That, and protection from radiation like uv, or providing a low to ground shade.

 

[Marie2020]

Before planting I composted heavily for good drainage. Blueberries have a shallow root system so they can drown if the ground doesn't drain well. They don't have deep roots to go get water so they can dry out if the rain fails. I carried a lot of water to my blueberries in summer. I save my sawdust from untreated wood and use that to mulch the blueberries. As that rots it adds compost. That's all I fed them, no fertilizers.

Blueberries want a very acidic soil. I use sulfur to bring the pH down to around 5.0. It takes a while (months, maybe a year) for the sulfur to work. Most garden plants want you to be between 6.0 and 6.5 pH so blueberries want it pretty acidic. If you can I suggest you get a soils analysis or at least a pH test to see where you stand on pH.



I consider broccoli and pumpkins general garden plants and don't feed them specially. I get a soils analysis every couple of years so I know what nutrients are missing. Usually with my soil it's only nitrogen. I use a lot of compost which I think helps a lot. My pH is naturally in the low 6's which helps a lot. Before you add either lime or sulfur to adjust pH I suggest you at least find out what you are wiring with. If your pH is high adding lime is not the answer.


When I was in Northwest Arkansas my chives survived in the garden. They'd die down in the winter and come back strong each spring. Your winters probably aren't as harsh as mine, the coldest I ever got was -22 C, (-8 F). They'd grow in a clump that was so thick weeding wasn't a problem as long as I kept the grass out. Bermuda grass may be a great lawn and pasture grass but it's horrible in a garden. The chives clump would keep growing so every 3 or 4 years I'd take a half dozen bulbs and start a new clump. When that was established I'd take out the old one.

My chives formed scapes, a flower. I used those on salads. Some people like the flavor, some don't, can be kind of strong. I kept the flowers cut off so it never went to seed. That clump would continue to grow as new bulbs are formed but I never considered it invasive.

Thank you for your direction

 

[Marie2020]

there is distance between the cedar trees and the gardens or where i would daydream of planting blueberry bushes. also a good chance some of the cedar trees would be thinned out if needed.

Sadly we are not permitted trees I our gardens