Blueberries in neutral soil??

[Bluemchen]

I've got 6 plants that need planting on my allotment this winter. I'm reluctant to put them in pots, as they do like their feet wet and it is a real tie to have pots needing watering daily, or more down at my allotment.

I understand they like acid soil, and so my plan is as follows:dig a big hole and fill it with ericaceous compost and sand (50:50 mix), then plant them in there. I thought I would use flowers of sulphur (or an organic equivalent) to scatter around the soil area surrounding the holes I've dug, so the surrounding area will acidify gradually too. I was going to mulch with pine bark and water with rainwater.

Is this stupidity itself? Has anyone any experience or ideas for me??

Many thanks.
Bluemchen

[adrian901]

Here is a link to a really good post on blueberry cultivation and how to grow blueberries

However as a rule you it is easier to keep the soil acid in a raised bed

Good luck

Ade

[beridor]

Hi,

I just wondered how you got on over the last two years - I've just planted up six plant smyself in the same way that you described, I think that I need to throw something on it to make it more acidic and wondered whent you found to be the best in the end.

Cheers

Dave

[FB.]

There are a few options:

Plant in open ground, but use ericaceous or acid mulches to lower the pH.

Plant the (large) pots in the ground - they don't dry out as quickly as when they sit on your patio because they are cooler and the soil deep down (just below the pots) still retains moisture, which slows the drainage from the pots.

Dig a pit, line with old plastic sacks, but leave the sacks a few inches below ground level so that the top few inches of soil can drain, while the deeper soil is almost like pond sludge; really soggy. My blueberries loved this method.


...................

Planting in open ground can mean too much soil moisture variation.

Planting in a sack-lined pit has been my best method so far.

I am re-testing them planted in 10/12 litre pots set in the ground this year.

[BUFFS]

I've got 6 plants that need planting on my allotment this winter. I'm reluctant to put them in pots, as they do like their feet wet and it is a real tie to have pots needing watering daily, or more down at my allotment.

I understand they like acid soil, and so my plan is as follows:dig a big hole and fill it with ericaceous compost and sand (50:50 mix), then plant them in there. I thought I would use flowers of sulphur (or an organic equivalent) to scatter around the soil area surrounding the holes I've dug, so the surrounding area will acidify gradually too. I was going to mulch with pine bark and water with rainwater.

Is this stupidity itself? Has anyone any experience or ideas for me??

Many thanks.
Bluemchen

you could use compost thats been rotted down with a high percentage of citric fruit peel (shred it to speed it up),i have used it for 3 years now and it makes a hell of a difference in my neutral/slightly acid soil ,and as we like plenty of oranges and maybe a few lemons on pancake day, it really is a win win solution for us, as blueberries are so fussy,i originally did it for my bonsai,the fruit side is a bonus,but what a bonus......

[Norm]

If you can get your hands on fresh chicken muck (not the pelleted stuff), leave it to compost for 3 or 4 months, then dig that in around your plants, that'll keep the soil acidic. Don't use it fresh, or it'll burn the roots off. Keeping peat based compost wet is pretty acidic too.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I obtained my first blue berry last year and loved the small amount of fruit we got.

I have read somewhere that I should have two plants to aid pollination could someone confirm this please and also should they be the same variety or different.

Many thanks Colin

[BUFFS]

better with a different variety,bit like apples i suppose..

[FB.]

I obtained my first blue berry last year and loved the small amount of fruit we got.

I have read somewhere that I should have two plants to aid pollination could someone confirm this please and also should they be the same variety or different.

Many thanks Colin

Pollination can increase cropping if there is more than one variety present that flowers at the same time. However, a reasonable crop of plants such as blueberries will often be produced without a pollinator. If a nearby garden has a blueberry, it may pollinate yours.

The varieties for pollination must be different. The whole process of pollination is intended to prevent inbreeding. Therefore, if you have two of the same type, they are from the same "mother" plant and therefore are clones that are identical in every way, so will reject each others pollen, thinking that it is their own pollen.

The same applies to many fruit trees or bushes. Two Golden Delicious apples will not pollinate each other. However, a Spartan and Golden Delicious apple would make excellent pollination partners - being completely unrelated and flowering at a similar time. The unrelated parents would have a better chance of producing healthy offspring.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Thankyou both and FB's explanation why makes all clear.

Monday will see a new bush ordered just got to work out which one.

Colin

[FB.]

Thankyou both and FB's explanation why makes all clear.

Monday will see a new bush ordered just got to work out which one.

Colin

You might be OK with just one blueberry bush.

I have three blueberries (Darrow, GoldtrauBe and Patriot - I think), but they often don't flower at the same time (and I rarely see any insects/bees on them anyway), so I don't know how much cross-pollination actually occurs. They seem to give good, regular crops, as long as the soil remains damp at all times - preferably rainwater.
Blueberry flowers also look quite small, enclosed and difficult for insects to enter.

With some plants, there can be such a thing as too much pollination. In some cases the plant will drop excess fruits, but in others it tries to mature them all. In fruits such as apple or plum, it can result in biennial cropping (i.e. a bumper crop every second year but only a small crop in the "off" years).
In plants that aren't biennial (I don't recall any biennial tendency in my blueberries) it can result in so many well-pollinated fruits that the tree/bush struggles to feed them all, so the fruits can end up rather small, unless thinned.

[Potstubsdustbins]

FB thanks for all your help I will still be ordering another bush if for no other reason than they were delicious last year.

I think we might be a bit short of rain in Notts this year as I have just installed a water butt for the blueberries.

Colin

[FB.]

Water butts are very useful for blueberry water supplies.

I also partially impede the drainage under my blueberries to keep soil moist for longer, with a partial plastic sack lining of their planting pit, or by planting in big pots and inserting the pots deep into the ground.

[chris]

I've found two bathtubs on my plot - I'm thjinking of burying one (at least) for my blueberries.. thought this would be a good place to post.

Should I mix the soil I dig out with the acidic compost, or jsut use the compost (worried about it drying out if it's just the compost).

I'll take the plugs out - but do yo think that'll be enough drainage for them? Should I line the pit I dig with gravel around the plug hole before I back fill it? Would 1 bathtub be large enough for 3 blueberry plants? I've three at home, they seem quite hardy, so I'd like to think I can just leave them to get on with it - I'm guessing as I didn't keep them damp last year is why we only had a couple fruit off each plant?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Chris,

Personally I would stick with just ericaceous compost and cover with a acidic mulch to keep the water in.

As to the bath if it is cast iron you will need to plant it with a fall to the plug hole end to get proper drainage. If its plastic you can plant it level as these have a built in fall to the plug hole. You will most certainly need some form of soak away below the plug hole or this will get blocked.

Hope this helps Colin