Growing Blueberries

[Weedygarden]

Evidently blueberries are a difficult thing to grow, unless you have the right soil conditions, which I do not. I have always read that they need acidic soil, but I thought if I purchased some acidifier and added it and some sphagnum moss to the soil, they would be good. Nope. At least not in my area, where soil is very alkaline. I have tried to grow blueberries for a while now, and they have just been a failure for me. I have three new plants now, ready to put into the ground. I was going to add more sphagnum moss to the soil and plant them. Not now, after watching the video. Now I am going to increase the depth of my raised beds and fill them to the top with just sphagnum moss.

This video is long, and it is a video of a power point. I am going to post the link for the video in case any of you want to watch it. I am going to re-watch it and copy the major points of information because I am not going to watch an hour long video and then re-watch it to get the fine points.

Yes, this video is about growing blueberries in Colorado, but I'd bet that many of you have clay soil that is also alkaline and have rarely successfully grown blueberries.

Another point already, is that blueberries need to be heavily pruned in the summer after they are done producing.

 

[SLADE]

I have clay soil and do not heavily prune.
I have buckets of berries off 10 plants.
High bush blueberry.
Fertilize and acidify.

 

[Hooch]

I've had ok results with mine. I found out I need to prune better for a heavier yield.
Anyone ever plant honey berries? I have a few bushes..they are the first to give fruit. Pretty good berries..gotta beat the hens to them..

 

[Weedygarden]

Notes from the video

1. You really need two or more varieties planted in close proximity to each other to get the full potential yield.

2. Blueberries need to be properly protected in the winter so that they do not completely dry out, called desiccation. He suggests covering them with a double layer of burlap to help prevent that. Winter damage is big, not so much about temperature as moisture. Wind dries them out. They can be covered with old bed sheets or with large 32 gallon trash barrels. When it gets hot in the winter, you want to be aware that they might come out of dormancy, and you can take the trash barrels, or paint them white to reduce the heat absorption.

3. Sphagnum moss has the Ph level that blueberries need. That is why blueberries have always done well in areas where sphagnum moss is natural. Man making the video uses the 3.8 cubic foot bale. This is the most common size around, but if you find 3.0 cubec foot sized bales, they are okay to use as well.

4. There are two basic varieties of blueberries: low bush (Vaccinium Angustifolium), often referred to as wild blueberry, and high bush (Vaccinium corymbosa), which are the blueberries we usually see in grocery stores. High bush are larger and have great flavor.

5. There is a relatively new variety of blueberry called half-high blueberries. They are a hybrid between the low and high bush. Half high blueberries are self fertile, so do not need more than one variety to fertilize.

6. Blueberries are fairly similar to rhododendrons and azaleas, so their ph level needs are similar.

7. Planting blueberries directly into a bale of sphagnum moss is highly recommended. Cut the top of the bale open, plant the bushes. Then you can use the plastic and mostly cover the top again. You can bury a bale in a trench. Poke a dozen or so finger sized holes into the bottom of the bale so that they can properly drain.

8. Blueberries prefer to be consistently moist, not dry and wet cycle like other plants. Drip irrigation is very helpful for blueberries. Once the moss is dry, it is important to get it wet before planting. The moss does not readily and easily absorb moisture, so slowly getting them wet, is helpful, and where drip irrigation can be very helpful. Make sure they can drain.

9. Blueberries need a balanced fertilizer three times: early May, early June, early July. Use a water soluble fertilizer and mix according to directions. Adding some chelated iron into fertilizer, helps. Higher ph soils create issues with fertilizer absorption. Use one gallon of fertilizer mix per plant. Do not fertilize after July 31. It can create issues with your blueberries.

10. Synthetic fertilizer recommendation: Jack's Classic Acid Special (17-6-60, 2 teaspoons per gallon. There may be others that are equally as good.
Organic fertilizer recommendations: (much more of a challenge to use) Use all three of the following:
--Alaska fish emulsion (5-1-1) 2 tablespoons per gallon plus
--Alaska mor bloom (0-10-0), 1 tablespoon per gallon plus
--Distilled white vinegar until the pH value is between 5.0 and 6.0
Mix up the first two and keep adding vinegar until you reach the pH balance. You can do this the first time, and keep adding vinegar until you reach the desired pH level. Keep track of how much vinegar you use and then use this amount in future fertilizers.

You can use automated fertilizers.

11. Blueberries are known to be long term plants. They can live up to 100 years. They can be neglected for a while, and then pruned and given attention and come back to production again.

12. Bird protection: You can start with bird nets, but eventually you may want a cage that you throw bird nets over.

13. Winter watering: Blueberries need to be monitored and watering at least twice during the winter is very helpful. A gallon or two per bale is very helpful.

14. Blueberries can be grown in containers, and can be moved into a place where they can be protected. It is all about keeping the wind away. The sun in the winter is not as important as protection from the wind.

15. Keep another plant within 15 feet to increase yield, in high bush bushes.

16. Pruning them is helpful. Blueberries grow canes. The first few years, pruning is not as important or necessary, but after 5, 6, or 7 years will change. One large cane, called a bull cane, can be removed before the 5, 6, or 7 years. Age of canes is important to watch. Older canes (5 to 6 years) are the most productive. Once they get older than that, they lose productivity. It is worth reading and learning more about pruning blueberries.

17. Varieties: There are many varieties of blueberries out there.
Man making the video has successfully grown the following varieties. Asterisks indicate the ones that he has had the most success with:
Northern High bush:
BlueRay** (big fruits, good flavor)
Elizabeth** (man's favorite variety)
Reka** (earliest fruit, late June, early July)
Blue Crop
Blue Gold

Half High--seem to have better winter bud hardiness
Little Giant**
North Sky
NorthBlue
North Country
Northland

18. Other mediums that may be good for growing blueberries: spent coffee grounds and ground up beetle killed pine. This is purely experimental.

19. Fall bearing blueberry varieties are being developed.

 

[BBLife]

I'm in the process of prepping my site for 4000 bushes. I chose Blueberries as a crop simply because the soil is already perfect and natural springs allow me to control moisture at zero cost. Pruning will be done in February vs. after harvest. I've been testing a number of "fertilizer" techniques and have one that I do that really is not discussed in any Blueberry forums or schools I've attended. My method is all about creating a blueberry with optimal sugars and a firmness that gives it a "crunch" like a good crisp apple as I don't like mushy ones with no taste. I'm doing a variety to spread out harvest times but also doing about half of the farm with wild blueberries and evergreen huckleberries.

 

[Weedygarden]

I'm in the process of prepping my site for 4000 bushes. I chose Blueberries as a crop simply because the soil is already perfect and natural springs allow me to control moisture at zero cost. Pruning will be done in February vs. after harvest. I've been testing a number of "fertilizer" techniques and have one that I do that really is not discussed in any Blueberry forums or schools I've attended. My method is all about creating a blueberry with optimal sugars and a firmness that gives it a "crunch" like a good crisp apple as I don't like mushy ones with no taste. I'm doing a variety to spread out harvest times but also doing about half of the farm with wild blueberries and evergreen huckleberries.

Do you have experience with growing blueberries? A friend of mine grew up on Long Island. His family has had a blueberry farm there for many years, now run by his brother. It is a self pick garden. Go there, pick your own blueberries.

New England seems to be an ideal place to grow blueberries and they are probably more native there. Towards the end of the long video, he talks about people wanting to start blueberry farms and gives some tips about what to do and what not to do. I think I heard him say that blueberries can send out runner roots, so they can spread in the right conditions.

 

[dademoss]

I tried a few times with blueberries, different varieties, and they all flipped me off . I'm back to raspberries and strawberries, they are cooperative, but the raspberries like to move around the yard.

I don't fight Mother Nature.

 

[BBLife]

Do you have experience with growing blueberries? A friend of mine grew up on Long Island. His family has had a blueberry farm there for many years, now run by his brother. It is a self pick garden. Go there, pick your own blueberries.

New England seems to be an ideal place to grow blueberries and they are probably more native there. Towards the end of the long video, he talks about people wanting to start blueberry farms and gives some tips about what to do and what not to do. I think I heard him say that blueberries can send out runner roots, so they can spread in the right conditions.

I've grown a number of varieties in smaller quantities for the last 35 years for personal use. The property I purchased has wild blueberries growing in a number of places and a previous owner of the land had planted a number of them that had gotten overgrown. I cut things back last year and trimmed them up a little but didn't mess with them much just to see how they would do as is. This year they are covered with buds. I'm planning to root from those to get replacements ready in years to come and plan to dig and separate out the runners as I'll get around 200 bushes from them as they have spread over about 45 feet and are thick. There are wild huckleberries growing in many places as well but they are the variety that only get about 18 to 24" tall. I'm planting on a hillside that is getting ridges cut and the bushes will be planted on the inside and outside of each ridge so that they can spread up or down but I'll keep them cut back from the middle for machinery. Been planning out the farm for about 2 years with a ton of research. My biggest battle will be deer until the bushes are big enough to handle a little grazing. Planting 4000 bushes because I only need 1000 to get the side income I would care about. So, 75% loss to birds or deer is fine. Getting the appropriate dog(s) to keep deer at bay as well and was joking about getting some falcons just the other night to run off birds.

 

[Sourdough]

Sure no reason to garden or farm Blueberries here. Mountains of them in the creek bottoms most thickly.

 

[Weedygarden]

Sure no reason to garden or farm Blueberries here. Mountains of them in the creek bottoms most thickly.

That must be great! You can harvest them and dehydrate, freeze, make jam, or eat them fresh. From my research, there is no wonder I have failed in trying to grow them.

I tried a few times with blueberries, different varieties, and they all flipped me off . I'm back to raspberries and strawberries, they are cooperative, but the raspberries like to move around the yard.

I don't fight Mother Nature.

How acidic is the soil in your area? That is a big challenge for my area.

 

[ButtercupKid]

I have never had good luck with blueberries. I am going to try honey berries this year. Ordered 4 plants. Sounds like easy to grow. Taste something like a blueberry...from what I hear.

 

[Weedygarden]

I have never had good luck with blueberries. I am going to try honey berries this year. Ordered 4 plants. Sounds like easy to grow. Taste something like a blueberry...from what I hear.

How acidic is your soil? Do you use pure sphagnum moss to grow them as recommended in the video? I never have, and that is going to be my new strategy. Whenever I have a failure, I try to figure out what it was about and try to make an improvement. This year it is going to be the moss.

 

[ButtercupKid]

I have never had good luck with blueberries. I am going to try honey berries this year. Ordered 4 plants. Sounds like easy to grow. Taste someyhing like a blueberry...from what I hear.

 

[ButtercupKid]

I haven't done any of that and our soil is very sandy...I will be watching how yours do with following that video.... Maybe I will give a try again if it works out for you.

 

[Weedygarden]

I haven't done any of that and our soil is very sandy...I will be watching how yours do with following that video.... Maybe I will give a try again if it works out for you.

I am always trying to see if something like that helps. It might even be worth a science experiment. Plant one plant in pure moss, and another the way you would have previously.

 

[Wingnut]

Maybe I should try a blueberry bush here... I already have a blackberry vine or bush in the yard, and it survived the winter, so I'm hoping it flourishes this spring. Probably need soil amendment for the blueberry bush, but that's okay, just about everything needs soil amendment here.

 

[sonya123]

We have some gigantic blueberry bushes that have lots of large berries on them most years, but they were here when we got here. I put sulfur on them once a year ( acid) and fertilize. I also add some composted barn manure stuff sometimes.

 

[dademoss]

That must be great! You can harvest them and dehydrate, freeze, make jam, or eat them fresh. From my research, there is no wonder I have failed in trying to grow them.


How acidic is the soil in your area? That is a big challenge for my area.

Soil? Ha, my stuff is unfired pottery. I worked 30 years on amending it, it's still a bad ashtray from a 5th grader.

 

[Weedygarden]

Soil? Ha, my stuff is unfired pottery. I worked 30 years on amending it, it's still a bad ashtray from a 5th grader.

My soil is the same and I keep amending it as well: sphagnum moss, compost, aged manure, dead leaves. I think the soil here could almost be used for pottery as well, before it is amended. I never plant anything without adding amendments to the soil.

 

[Neb]

Sand maybe?

Changes the structure of clay soil.

Ben

 

[joel]

I was on a garden site with a gentleman who kelp his blueberries in fifteen gallon pots.
That is the only way I know to change the pH from 7.00 to 5.5 & it stay at 5.5.
You might be able to use a raised bed, which is a large container with no bottom in it.
My hundred blueberry plants are in full bloom & one freeze will wipe out all my fruit.
All my plants are in the ground, my soil is about 5.5pH, so I do not have this problem & yes I am guessing.

 

[Weedygarden]

https://www.almanac.com/content/3-simple-diy-soil-tests

Testing Soil pH and Soil Health!​

Robin Sweetser
November 11, 2022

Success in the garden starts with healthy soil. Soil—as much as water and sunlight—determines whether plants thrive or die. Getting a soil test is the best way to find out your soil pH and soil health. Learn more about how to get a soil test—plus, learn three DIY soil tests.

Soil Acidity or Alkalinity: The Pantry Soil pH Test

1. Place 2 tablespoons of soil in a bowl and add ½ cup vinegar. If the mixture fizzes, you have alkaline soil.
2. Place 2 tablespoons of soil in a bowl and moisten it with distilled water. Add ½ cup baking soda. If the mixture fizzes, you have acidic soil.

Why Get a Soil Test?​

Your soil needs to be able to provide nutrients to plants. Otherwise, your plants just won’t grow well. Having the right soil pH (level of acidity) means your plants can take up the necessary nutrients in the soil. If your pH is too high, many nutrients such as phosphorus and iron may become less available; if your soil pH is too low, it can be toxic to plants. Without healthy soil, it is very difficult to have a successful garden.

Another reason we test the soil is because we won’t need to rely on fertilizing the soil too much. If you start with healthy soil, you won’t need so much “fixing.” Before you start dumping on the lime and fertilizers, your first step should be taking a soil sample to send off for testing.

What Will a Soil Test Measure?​

A good soil test will evaluate the basic texture of your soil—sand, silt, or clay—and determine its acidity—the pH level. The available amounts of nutrients, including magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium, will be calculated and recommendations will be made for raising each to the correct levels for optimum plant growth. Armed with this knowledge, you can make the proper improvements. Too much of a good thing can be just as harmful as too little so let your soil test be your guide.

How Often Do You Do a Soil Test?​

For optimum plant growth, it is recommended to test your soil pH and nutrient status every 3 to 5 years. You can take soil samples at any time of the year, with fall being preferable. That way, you can get your results and make any fixes in time for spring.

Where to Get a Soil Test​

Home test kits are available at gardening centers; they are not as accurate or thorough as professional testing through your local county extension office. And the good news is that your county extension soil test is usually free or low cost. Here’s a list of cooperative extension services by state.

How To Take a Soil Test​

• To take a representative sample, scrape away any surface litter, plant residues, leaves, etc.
• Avoid sampling in a spot where ashes have been dumped, manure or compost stored, or brush burned.
• Cut straight into the soil with a shovel or trowel 6 to 8 inches deep making a V-shaped hole.
• Cut a 1 inch wide slice of soil the length of the hole from one side. Take a 1 inch strip from the center of this slice to use