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sqftgarden_in_wnc

Blueberry soil preparation?

sqftgarden_in_wnc
17 years ago

What is recommended? I plan on digging down and adding what is needed. Would the following be OK:

1/4 organic humus ("soil conditioner" at Lowe's, I think)

1/6 Azalea Mix (nutrients and acidifier)

1/6 Perlite (Moisture retention/better drainage)

1/6 Small Bark Mulch (Moisture retention/better drainage)

1/4 organic soil

Got this off the Fruit and Orchards forum. Do you think this is a good mix? Would like to plant 2-3 plants this spring (late Feb or sometime in March).

I have heard bad things about too much peat and I am wondering what I should do....

Comments (5)

  • Dibbit
    17 years ago

    It sounds like a good mix to me, although maybe more work than really needed. I have just planted my last few into red clay, on the side of a hill, fed them with Holly Tone (which is also for acid loving plants), and mulched well with double-ground wood mulch. I laid down about 3 inches of mulch over cardboard in the area I was going to plant a few months beforehand, so the grass was dead and composted. I did till in an inch of compost for the first ones, 4 years ago, but couldn't do it for the last ones - so far, they seem to be fine. They might do a LOT better if I were able to do what you plan, though, so go ahead.

    After all, the books and experts all say that good soil preparation is the key to good growth... I might leave out the perlite, as the other things will give pretty good drainage, and it is "manufactured", if from natural products. If you are really worried about drainage, then leaving more of the "native" soil and digging in all the rest will allow you to make slightly raised beds - planting the rootball slightly high, and mulching well will give a drainage assist. And I don't know if you really need to add the organic top soil, as, unless things have been done to it, the native soil is probably organic, by definition. The soil conditioner, fine bark and the azalea mix will probably add in enough organic matter. You don't want to make the planting mix too different from the surrounding soil, or the blueberry roots won't 'want' to grow out of it into the surrounding soil, which I assume is clay. If it's sand, then add as much as you can, and then keep adding annually, sand needs all it can get. Well, clay does too, but not AS much. I do replenish the mulch every year, to try to keep weeds down to a dull roar.

    My understanding is that blueberries do like fairly good drainage, which is why the side of a hill for mine. They get some morning shade from a tulip poplar tree, and then sun the rest of the day, and I put up a deer fence to stop the so-and-sos from pruning them for me and then coming back to eat the few berries that managed to come after the tips of the shoots were eaten - now I only have to fight off the birds.

  • chalstonsc
    17 years ago

    sqft-
    "The Berry Grower's Companion", a book by Barbara Bowling covers this for blueberries(and raspberries).

  • Ralph Whisnant
    17 years ago

    Dr. Ballington, the N. C. State Horticulturist responsible for breeding new varieties of blueberries and strawberries, recommemded adding compost, ground pine bark or aged sawdust or leaf mold to the soil, and mulching with 4-inches of pine (not hardwood) bark. The pine bark is very acidic and also will help with weed control. The following website from Geogia may be of interest.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Blueberries for the Home Garden

  • sqftgarden_in_wnc
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Prepared my bed Sunday afternoon. Hope it turns out okay. Thanks for the help!

  • keybeeper
    14 years ago

    Here's an updated link the Georgia Extension service blueberry page.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Home Garden Blueberry