Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

General information and discussion about cultivating fruit-bearing plants, trees, flowers and ornamental plants.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old March 18, 2008   #1
TomatoDon
Tomatovillian™
 
TomatoDon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MS
Posts: 1,521
Default Blueberries

Hi all,

I tried blueberries in the ground a few years without luck. This year I am trying them in large containers. I've read that a good soil mix is 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 shredded hardwood bark, and 1/3 potting soil. Then they say on some of the web sites to use a fertilizer for acid loving plants, but caution against some of those, but they don't mention names. So, I need to know what is a good recognizible name brand fertilizer that is good and safe for blueberries.

Thanks!

Don
__________________
Zone 7B, N. MS
TomatoDon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 19, 2008   #2
mresseguie
Tomatovillian™
 
mresseguie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Oregon
Posts: 159
Default

Hi, Don.

I went out to my shed to make sure what I actually have. I have two different fertilizers--one organic; one not. The non organic is Bayer brand. I believe I bought it at Home Depot two years ago. The other is from Down to Earth brand.

I really like Down to Earth's products. I suspect 1/2 to 2/3 of my fertilizer is from them. Here's a link to their acid mix:

http://www.downtoearthfertilizer.com/rhodimix.html

Good luck!

Michael in OR, zone 8.
__________________
Learning to speak tomato!
Got compost?
mresseguie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 19, 2008   #3
jungseed
Tomatovillian™
 
jungseed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Pardeeville, WI
Posts: 318
Default

Full-sun, loose well-drained soil. Blueberries do not like wet feet. Soil should be very acid a pH of 4.0 to 5.6. (best is no more than 5.0) Use Aluminum Sulphate at the rate of 1/4 to 1/2 pound per plant at planting time. To maintain soil acidity use Soil Sulfure at the rate of 1/2 to 1 cup per plant every 3 to 4 years.
If you would like the planting and pruning instructions PM me. I doubt everyone wants to read all that.
jungseed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 19, 2008   #4
TomatoDon
Tomatovillian™
 
TomatoDon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MS
Posts: 1,521
Default

Thanks Michael! I appreciate you checking on that for me. I'll look at HD and also appreciate the link.

And thanks jungseed (Ruth?)! I may have to pm you later for more advice. I'm starting over with my whole blueberry operation.

It's unbelieveable, but I ordered blueberries about 10 years ago. I grew them in medium size containers a few years and they produced lightly. Then I dug very big holes, added a half bale of peat to each, and planted in the ground. I can't remember picking a blueberry off them in at least five years. When I got them pulled up recently I noticed how wet the bottom of the planting holes were. This was on rolling pasture land, so I assumed the drainage was good, but something obviously was not right.

So, now I'm ready to re-pot in 24 gallon containers. It's hard to convince anyone that sees these plants, mostly about knee to waist high, that they are this old. I think I saved 10 of about 17. Some were still no bigger than what you would expect from a one gallon plant.

Oh well. Try, try again! I may pm you as I get this going again. Obviously I need a lot of advice on growing blueberries!

Thanks again!

Don
__________________
Zone 7B, N. MS
TomatoDon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 19, 2008   #5
Stoloniferous
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Massachusetts, USA
Posts: 7
Default

I’m a blueberry novice, but I hope to have a yard full of blueberry bushes in a few years. So far, I planted four highbrush blueberry bushes last summer on a hillock that gets a good bit of sun and drains well; they didn’t seem too perky by the end of the summer. I also tried starting lowbrush blueberry cuttings two weeks ago; to my surprise the buds are showing signs of growth! I’ve never grown anything from cuttings before, so this should be doubly interesting. Wish me luck!
Stoloniferous is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 20, 2008   #6
TomatoDon
Tomatovillian™
 
TomatoDon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MS
Posts: 1,521
Default

Thanks all. I found what I believe to be some good fertilizer, the Espoma Holly Tone. I asked around at some nurseries also and this is the one that kept coming up.

So now...go fertilize the blueberries!

Thanks again!

Don
__________________
Zone 7B, N. MS
TomatoDon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 20, 2008   #7
Tormato
Tomatovillian™
 
Tormato's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MA
Posts: 4,958
Default

Don,

asktheberryman.com

Tormato
Tormato is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 20, 2008   #8
coronabarb
Tomatoville® Recipe Keeper
 
coronabarb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Roseburg, Oregon - zone 7
Posts: 2,821
Default

I just purchased a Misty and an O'Neal plant to go with an unnamed one my aunt gave me last year. I bought peat moss, azalea potting soil and an organic sulfur product (I'd have to look for the name) to put in the planting holes. I covered over with fine wood chips.

I have very alkaline soil here (eight), so I hope these measures help, because I love blueberries, but not the prices down here. :-))
__________________
Corona~Barb
Now an Oregon gal

Last edited by coronabarb; March 22, 2008 at 12:34 PM. Reason: sp
coronabarb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 21, 2008   #9
TomatoDon
Tomatovillian™
 
TomatoDon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MS
Posts: 1,521
Default

Blueberry prices are...ridiculous. But the berries are one of the healthiest on the planet.

I potted around 17 today in 24 gallon containers. I used a mix of peat moss, shredded hardwood bark, and something like home made potting soil. I added Holly Tone and microbes and watered it all in good. I think I have 7 to go. All have lots of blooms, and in the containers, I can handle them better if the weather takes that crazy cold snap between now and May.

Thanks for all the great info!

Don
__________________
Zone 7B, N. MS
TomatoDon is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:32 AM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★