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I have a young blueberry bush that has been living in a pot for the past year. I cleared 12 square feet of space and ordered two more. Any tips for planting these in the ground?
I know yields increase through the years. Any tips for ensuring I have a decent crop this year? How can I prevent the neighborhood's wild bunny population from devouring all my berries?
I don't think the rabbits will bother them, but the birds will. Use a net held up by posts. Putting up a good net is the hardest part of growing blueberries. If you leave any openings at all, birds will find them, and you will either have to let birds out of the enclosure each morning, or you will have dead birds.
Don't expect a decent crop this first year. In fact, it's recommended that you remove the blooms and don't allow any fruit the first year. Let the plants get established first.
Blueberries need frequent water but also excellent drainage. They also don't want the soil to be too rich, but it does need to be acidic. You can mix peat moss in with your soil to achieve the acidity.
Clear additional space if you only have 12 square feet. (If you have 12 feet squared, or 12 by 12, that's fine.)
Location: Was Midvalley Oregon; Now Eastside Seattle area
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Mix a cup of powdered sulfur into the soil. You cannot use too much sulfur. We use flaked sulfur. Have used powdered.
Blueberries are a forest shrub and like the acidity and a moist, well drained, high humus soil.
Mulch well. Very well. Blueberries have shallow, generous fiberous roots, which will grown into the mulch.
Fertilize lightly. The mulch will provide most if all the PKN needs.
Limed and basic ph soils is a quick way to kill your plant.
Use a copper or sulfur fungicide prior to flowering, fall and winter.
Avoid insecticides especially Bayer 3n1 BC you will kill the bees that will pollinate your blueberries.
Know your soils. Acidified soils could dissolve undesired minerals.
YMMV
I link things I plant to songs in my mind (well I pretty much link everything to songs). The theme song for blueberries is "Another one Bites the Dust"
We have tried and tried for ten years. Never had one live more then three or four years. They sure are tasty right off the bush in the morning though.
When I try again, I will use some of the ideas here. Thanks. Not real optimistic though.
Mix a cup of powdered sulfur into the soil. You cannot use too much sulfur. We use flaked sulfur. Have used powdered.
Blueberries are a forest shrub and like the acidity and a moist, well drained, high humus soil.
Mulch well. Very well. Blueberries have shallow, generous fiberous roots, which will grown into the mulch.
Fertilize lightly. The mulch will provide most if all the PKN needs.
Limed and basic ph soils is a quick way to kill your plant.
Use a copper or sulfur fungicide prior to flowering, fall and winter.
Avoid insecticides especially Bayer 3n1 BC you will kill the bees that will pollinate your blueberries.
Know your soils. Acidified soils could dissolve undesired minerals.
YMMV
First, don't try to get any blueberries this year. Pinch off most or all of the buds. Give it at least a year, or even better two years in the ground before expecting a harvest. Second, it sounds like you haven't seen a mature blueberry bush before. One plant will fil up the full twelve square feet and then some. Not only will the berries be too high for the bunnies, you might not even be able to reach them all. Third, use lots of mulch. Blueberry roots need consistent moisture. When I planted mine I did 4 inches of saw dust then another 6 inches of hardwood mulch. Finally, the PH of the soil is very important. Don't give them city water because it is too basic. Either use water from barrels or a stream/spring. Also, lots and lots of sulfur powder is key.
I have a young blueberry bush that has been living in a pot for the past year. I cleared 12 square feet of space and ordered two more. Any tips for planting these in the ground?
I know yields increase through the years. Any tips for ensuring I have a decent crop this year? How can I prevent the neighborhood's wild bunny population from devouring all my berries?
Know your soil. Proper pH and drainage is paramount here in southern NJ. Lots of blueberry farms here.
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