I suggested raised beds frequently in the last few years, but I am now second guessing myself. I am also second guessing the use of 100% peat moss. The gentleman from Norman said a couple years ago that he had no use for peat moss since it was so hard to wet once dry and after the last two summers and the loss of 50% of my blueberries, I am starting to think along those lines also. The ONLY berries I have left that are healthy are ones I planted at grade.

I think beds with borders are great for blueberries, but I would replace the 8 inches under the beds with a mix of peat moss and smashed up pecan shells and a little soil, plant them at this level, and then put pecan shell mulch 4 inches think on top of that up to the height of the bed. The borders of the bed are now essentially just something to keep the mulch in place and keep water from running off when irrigating.

It was not possible for me the last two summers to keep the soil moist enough with plants that were growing above grade. I still have 15 very healthy plants left and another 15 trying to hold on. The other 30 died.

I am so sorry about your blueberries! It is heartbreaking! ((hug))

Where do you get pecan hulls? I never even seen that around here? So I gather if I dug 8" of soil and just removed it, then replaced the soil with a mix of peat, pecan, and a little soil. Can you get that acid enough for the berries? Do you have to amend for acidity further down than the 8"?

I just pulled up a few dead plants this morning. What I found and have found in the past is that the roots are shallow and never even get a foot down. Mostly the roots are in the top 6 inches and work their way up into new mulch as it decays. They go out about 24 inches to the sides and 10 inches down max.

If the soil mix is 50% to 70% peat moss I think it will wet more easily but still be acidic. I would limit soil to 25% and I would mix in some sulfur with this soil so as the peat breaks down the sulfur may have started helping. In my case I think the fact that on my newer plantings I had made a bowl in the original heavy soil and put in the bale of peat moss made the water not run off as quickly but also made the plants never stand in water after heavy rains.

If you have a place mear you that shells pecans you might be able to find pecan shells there. There are a couple of places here in Bixby that sell shells. They are expensive, though. Make sure it is the shells and not the shucks that you are getting.

What would you suggest instead of pecan shells? (in case I cannot find them)

In what part of the state are you located?

Midwest City

I don't know of any places within 30 miles of you that would have shells, although I'm sure there would be a few somewhere.

What I have used is pine bark mulch, but I am hesitant to suggest it because some of what I have used (bought in bulk) is as bad as peat moss with respect to keeping it moist. If you can find bags of fine pine bark or "soil conditioner" made from pine bark, that would work. I haven't looked at the Lowes types of places in a long time to see what they have though.

I was thinking about afternoon shade. I wonder if someone put those "moisture crystals" that can be found in lowes and stuff that puff up and stay puffed when you water. I wonder if that would be helpful...

Here is a link that might be useful: here is a link to what I am talking about...