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silybum

Companion Planting

silybum
18 years ago

What would be good to plant in a blueberry bed?

Comments (10)

  • Belgianpup
    18 years ago

    I don't know, but blueberries are fairly shallow-rooted, so be careful in your choices.

    Sue

  • ksrogers
    18 years ago

    Thats about it. The roots are shallow and need a lot of acid, as mentioned. I tried growing 'bogless' cranberries, but they didn't do very well. Under, and around my blues are just lots of dead oak leaves to hold the moisture in, and keep out most weeds and grasses. If your preparing the area where blueberries were, but are not there now, then you need to bring the acid level back up to a normal pH, by using lime, before planting anything else in their place..

  • divaqs
    18 years ago

    I've been experimenting with growing alpine strawberries under my evergreen blueberry hedge row.

    Originally, it seemed that while the blueberrie bushes were still young that the alpine strawberries competed with them some on height. However as the blueberries grew in height I've found that the strawberries have spread to become an effective groundcover, choking out weeds and filling in under the blueberries.

    The nice thing about alpine strawberries is how tough they are. Due to spreading by root (not runner), they are very resilent to a wide range of tough environments.... and they spread themselves by re-seeding themselves too (any uneaten berries).

    I like the alpine strawberries more for flavoring in cooking (i.e. strawberry milkshakes) then for fresh eating... due to them being a bit smaller and a bit more intense in strawberry flavor.

    I haven't noticed any real difference in size between the evergreen blueberries I grew with alpine strawberries under and around them versus ones that had just bare dirt.

    My only concern is that some of the neighborhood dogs seem to have at times taken an interest in "fertilizing" some of my bushes in the front yard, with the alpine strawberries being much easier targets....

  • ksrogers
    18 years ago

    With strawberries under the blueberries, don't the blues suffer? They do need a very acidic soil, whereas the strawberries don't. I must assume an 'evergreen blueberry' is a different type compared to the more popular blueberry bush.

  • meeperx
    16 years ago

    Japanese Iris. Needs high acidity and lots of H20-just like blueberries.

  • rebjcksn_gmail_com
    12 years ago

    I'm looking for information on bogless cranberries and the plants themselves. Can't find them anywhere.

  • swordwright
    11 years ago

    Regarding "bogless cranberry," I believe that appellation could apply to the "highbush cranberry" species, Viburnum edule (AKA the Canadian highbush cranberry, the squashberry, or the mooseberry), V. opulus, the European highbush cranberry, or Viburnum opulus var. americanum, the American highbush cranberry (sometimes named as a separate species, Viburnum trilobum). Only the Canadian or the American varieties are really considered edible.

    According to the University of Maine Extension Service:
    "Considered a large and hardy deciduous shrub with a moderate growth rate of up to 3 ft. per year, the plant is typically 8 to 15 feet tall by 8 to 10 feet wide, with arching stems and a very dense, rounded form, making it a popular landscaping choice for use as a screening hedge [For a solid screen, plants should be spaced 2 to 3 ft. apart.]. It is noted for attracting wildlife, especially birds which benefit greatly from the fruit, which can remain on the branches well into mid winter. It is tolerant of frost, likes sun or semi-shade, and is successful in most soil types but does best in well-drained, moist soil that is rich and loamy. Established plants can tolerate drought, but they are helped by supplemental watering during such periods."

    All of these are members of the Honeysuckle family rather than the Heath family that true lowbush cranberry belongs to.

  • fruitmaven_wiz5
    11 years ago

    In my "Landscaping with Fruit" book by Lee Reich, someone planted lingonberries under their blueberry bushes. The effect was lovely, evergreen leaves and red berries under red blueberry fall color. They like the same acid soil, too.

  • georgeneschreiner
    11 years ago

    What a great idea! I will try Lingonberries under my blueberries and let you know!

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