How to Plant and Grow Blueberries: Complete Guide for Beginners with Step-by-Step Demos
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- čas přidán 12. 07. 2024
- Are blueberries worth the hassle to grow at home? Let's find out. (Hint: The answer is OF COURSE THEY ARE.)
In today's video we'll cover everything you need to know about planting blueberries at home in the ground. They have special requirements but with a little planning, prep, and the right strategy - we can make it work!
Here's what we'll cover if you want to skip around:
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Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:34 Blueberry Soil Requirements
05:53 Acidifying Soil: What You Need to Know
10:39 Fertilizer at Planting Time
10:53 Blueberry Varieties
12:13 Selecting A Garden Location for Blueberries
13:12 Plant Spacing
13:44 Planting Instructions
17:00 Ongoing Care Tips
Materials You May Need
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Blueberry Plants: www.johnnyseeds.com/fruits/bl...
Soil Acidifier: www.amazon.com/Jobes-Organics...
Sphagnum Peat Moss: www.amazon.com/Hoffman-15503-...
Written version of this video (if you'd rather read than watch):
nextdoorhomestead.com/blog/ho...
Resources for Further Learning:
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- How Microbes Convert Elemental Sulfur to Sulfate in the Soil: kegriver.com/how-microbes-con... catalog.extension.oregonstate...
- ACIDIFYING SOIL for Blueberries and Ornamental Plants in the Yard and Garden:
- Suggested Blueberry Fertilization Timings and Rates: extension.uga.edu/publication...
- 'I know sulfur is used to make soils more acid. How much gypsum will that take?': www.hpj.com/opinion/i-know-su...
- Understanding Sulfur: www.earthsciencegrowing.com/e...
-SULFATE SULFUR VS. ELEMENTAL SULFUR PART I: THERE’S A DIFFERENCE: www.cropnutrition.com/resourc...
#gardening #homesteading #gardeningtips - Jak na to + styl
My go to for everything is horse manure or compost since we have 10 horses. My blueberries have been moved three times with us. Fortunately they have been in the same spot now for 35 years. Bushes are huge and berries luscious.
Wow, that must be an incredible patch! We use a lot of chicken manure and steer manure ourselves =)
1st video I've watched twice in a while!! ❤ packed with great info
Awesome! I'm so glad it was informational =)
Thanks for watching along!
Just ordered six blueberry plants and lots of Ericaceous soil and the correct feed so should all go good.i think it takes two years before i see berries but will enjoy the ride! Thanks for the knowledge sharing🤙🏻
Have so much fun with it! They're a great plant to have in the yard I swear. Even when they're struggling a bit, we still get some fruit from every plant =)
Appreciate the in-depth review of soil prep, planting steps, etc. So many people rush though the important parts.
Thanks Andrew! I really appreciate you saying that - I worried this one was a bit too dense 0_o
I appreciate all of the information, thanks!
No problem at all! Happy gardening =)
I have to blueberry bushes in fabrics “pots”. They didn’t do well the first 2 years. We are renovating our back yard so they’ve been put to the side, kinda in a more shady location pretty much neglected and guess what, full of blossoms and I’m going to assume I’ll get a pretty healthy harvest from the two. Some plants prefer to be forgotten about! Had an orchid that way too. We placed in the garage during a remodel, I went out after a couple weeks and I thought someone had placed a plastic flower in the pot. Nope, darn thing bloomed in the dark. Happy gardening!!
Hahaha it's so true! Hard to predict what's going to thrive and where. I hope your neglected blueberries produces an awesome harvest =)
HAPPY GARDENING!
@@NextdoorHomestead Me too! I really appreciated all the information.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom!!!
Thank you for watching!
Vastly underrated gardening channel, recently discovered and your knowledgeable tips are incredibly valuable. Liked and subscribed. Passionate fruit grower from zone 6b. Love all your content so far!!
This was such a wonderful comment to read! I'm so very glad to hear our videos have been valuable - thank you kindly =)
Thanks for a very informative post on this particular fruiting shrub. I have three shrubs I purchased late last fall and wintered over in my unheated garage for planting this season...so timely information for me.
Ah, exciting! I'm glad it was informative =)
More importantly, absolute best of luck with your blueberries this year!!!
Thanks for the super comprehensive information! This is my first time watching your channel but you've already earned yourself a new subscriber! I look forward to checking out what else you've put out. I really like that you go into the science so we can understand what's going on behind the scenes.
You're so welcome! Thank you for checking our stuff out =)
And I seriously love hearing that you liked this more in depth style video. I never know if people will want to sit through all the info 0_o
Cheers!
@@NextdoorHomestead The depth is what makes it so great! There are probably hundreds of videos about growing blueberries and amending your soil, and the reason I keep watching more is that most of them don't actually give you all that much information. Please keep 'em coming!
So super helpful, thank you! I planted blueberry plants a few years ago and could never figure out why they just went doing super great. I'm definitely going to try these out.
No problem at all! I hope you get a better haul from 'em this year =)
At least they're pretty plants even when they don't fruit much!
Just wanted to say, I've only recently found you and have watched a few videos over the last couple of days, and you are quickly becoming one of my favorites!
I've been considering trying blueberries, but they sound like a complicated berry!😂 I'm a fairly new wanna be gardener. I'll give them a go later I think.
That is just so wonderful to hear! So glad to hear our videos are helpin' out =)
They definitely aren't the easiest. One option if you want to get a feel for them is buying a much cheaper boxed starter plant from say Tractor Supply or Home Depot or Lowes (depending on where you're located of course!). Those boxed seedlings can be much much cheaper so I like to grab some to decide if it's a plant I want to invest in later.
Happy gardening!
Thank you, learned a lot!
You are so welcome! Thanks for checking out the video and good luck with your blueberries =)
Love your videos. You are really good at explaining everything
Wow - thank you! This just made my day =)
I used to live in northwestern Wisconsin and had wild blueberries growing on a hill in the tall grass under a wild apple tree. I now have a new house and no blueberries, but I’m planning on planting some in my garden this summer. Thanks for the good information!
Blueberries growing in tall grass under a wild apple tree just sounds so idyllic and lovely =)
I hope you have a lot of success with them in your new house Ann!
धन्यवाद सर जी
Fantastic video. I have struggled with blueberries for years, but I'm determined to figure it out. Thank you for the excellent detail and instruction. I going to give it another try with these tips.
Thank you for saying so! Blueberries are a tricky one without a doubt. My next video is actually about a cool newer technique on how to grow them even when the soil acidity is all wrong.
Best of luck!
Sounds excruciating!
It's definitely a process if you don't have the right soil for them. But... blueberries! Worth it =)
I don't grow blueberries personally but one of my very small rural Thailand social groups does. He just posted a question yesterfay with crickets in the comments. Cheers for this.
Thanks for this vid, lots of tips!!
Yay! Glad you found it helpful =)
New sub...love the content! This is my 3rd year of gardening and I'm obsessed with growing my own food.
Welcome Denise! Thanks for watching =)
We're.... uh... a little obsessed ourselves!
Thanks!
Awesome video
Thank you kindly =)
I’m an impulse plant buyer as well, I ended up planting nine blueberries last year and they definitely struggled a bit. Definitely wish I’d seen this last March haha
Hahaha that's just a good learning experience right there! Everyone has their weaknesses I figure. Mine happens to be plants with cool names =)
Thanks
You're so welcome Linda!
Yep these are things I have been working on with my blueberries. Peat, soil acidifier, chips on top to retain moisture. I moved my first plant 3 yrs ago to a better drained spot, which helped. Last year I got a handful. Maybe someday.
It sounds like you're on a good path! Best of luck this year =) I hope your harvest improves!!!
Sounds like im going to the forest and just grabbing some soil from there for the blueberries, because my entire country is basically pine trees and sand and wild blueberries grow naturally quite well here :D
Great video-I used battery acid when living in the high desert. Works great-wonderful for fixing the, “hard water” problem that usually comes with areas of sweet soil. Affordable as well!
Thanks for watching! I'm watching your Meyer lemon video - I hope your replacement does beautifully =)
... I'm currently trying to nurse ours back to life and wondering if it's a lost cause.
Cheers!
WAIT! Where did you get a Sudachi?
If it was an online order, it would mean the world to me if you can share!
@@NextdoorHomestead unfortunately it was an in person purchase from a nursery in Seattle. Man, I just learned how easy it is to root citrus cuttings. I had no idea….all you need is a brach…I thought grafting was the only way. Doesn’t, “one green world” have them?
Your golden locks are mesmerizing
Uhhhhh.... Don't watch our newer videos then 0_o.
Well do, but forgive the haircut!
I am ready to work on the soil where I will plant my blueberries now that I have watched your video. My plants are in pots currently and one produced a total of 5 berries this season and the other still hasn’t gotten any flowers. I may need to look locally to find some more plants. I have been waiting to put them in the ground until they go into dormancy, but it seems I may be able to do it after Halloween when the heat stops. Assuming that they both make it that is! Gardening has really taught me to deal with loss like I never thought going into it! I think they should put a warning on the black plastic pots before you buy them regarding the excess heat and the need to keep them out of direct sun. Thanks again! This is my third video of yours I have watched and I have now subscribed.
I'm so glad our videos are proving helpful =)
And I couldn't agree more about the warning - "full sun" can be a dangerous term depending on where you live. I've seen a lot of plants cook when I bring them home and forget how the nursery had them under shade cloth / in a greenhouse =)
Best of luck with your plants! I hope they turn a corner and thrive!
Love from india 👌....
I have biloxi variety blue berry... Thank you for your information
Love from the USA!
You are most welcome =)
Great guide. I didn't consider the aluminate sulfate being toxic when I ordered some 10 minutes before watching this video. I also didn't quite understand the cross pollinating of blueberries either. I had rabbiteye and highbush. I was able to cancel the rabbiteye and get another highbush. Thanks. I failed the first time I tried blueberries, hopefully I will have better luck . Gonna try stawberries also so I will be watching that one. I failed on them too.
Best of luck with your next round! Our strawberries got decimated when the chickens got out this year but it's always fun to plant them in the Spring =)
Great video; do what the man says. I put about 35 or so in this month, and this follows a few test plants I put in a few years back. I have sandy soil and added in some rotted wood chips to loosen things up, plus a healthy dose of sphagnum peat moss and some acidifier. So basically what he did here. Bushes I set a few weeks ago perked right up, grew, flowered and are trying to set a surprising number of fruit (which we are almost entirely pinching off this year). So I guess they like whatever we did.
They absolutely need a lot of water, so be sure to set up an irrigation system. I killed about ten of these a few years back when I went on vacation for two weeks in July. It even rained during that trip, but not frequently enough. New plants need a good soaking every few days. Don't skimp.
Thank you Patrick! I'd just like to +1 Patrick's comment about irrigation - I wish I'd emphasized that a bit more. Irrigation has made a very positive difference to our blueberry plants.
I live on the coast of North Carolina. My blueberries I dug up from the woods behind my house! There are blueberry farms everywhere here, I guess the soil is perfect for them.
Ok, that is so cool! I wonder if they're a wild variety or some hybrid left over from a farm.
Thank you for sharing =)
My blueberries hit every wrong note . My soil is clay, not amended and my plants are too close together (maybe about a foot). I planted them maybe 6-7 years ago and just last year I finally got a meager crop. I'm still learning and I'm determined (and patient). I just pruned them and was wondering about fertilizing so based on your recommendation I will fertilize when they start blooming, then a month later. Oh, and I definitely need to mulch!
Best of luck Sheri! It might be worth grabbing an acidifier of some sort too. It can scratched into the surface soil around the plants and still work - just takes a bit longer.
Watch David the Good for pruning fruit trees!
@@dfreak01 You're like the tenth person to mention that channel! I've gotta check it out...
I planted ours at least 6-7 years ago and have 7 plants. There are 3 types among the 7. You should have at least two types. I use the Epsoma acidifier. I cup per plant really made a difference. I have sandy soil in upper midwest zone 4. In late winter (early March here) I pruned them for the first time. This is the FIRST TIME the plants have done anything close to satisfactory fruiting or at least worth growing them and I think this is what did the magic. Those bushes are loaded with berries right now like never before. Last fall I heavily mulched them with woodchips, leaves and pine needles. Not sure how many I’ll get but they are pretty full and canes/branches are drooping from the weight. Now I have them netted with a fine mesh row cover I can also use as a shade cloth somewhere else (I no longer use a bird netting bc the birds get caught in them and I dont want to lose any birds. Mostly I let the birds have them before because I barely harvested 4 cups a year but not this year. So this winter I plan to cut out the old canes to refresh the plants. I wish they would grow like my raspberries which go crazy and my 30’ row gives me about 17 lbs of raspberries every other year with little care or watering. Ill be busy this year for sure!!! Try mulching with pine needles leaves and woodchips. They will break down and help change your soil for you. Keep doing this every year. A little compost will surely help and all these layers (dont mix) will create a beautiful soil. Watering will help the microbes break you layers down. You might also stick a garden fork around the edges of your plants and open up that soil a bit before layering on your amendments. And of course acidifier first, water, then layer the pine needles, leaves and woodchips. You’ll do this every year. At least this is what works for us. good luck!!
@@AcornHillHomestead Thanks! I will try the acidifier and mulch. I do have 2 varieties and also acidic soil. I'm in the Pacific Northwest so our soil is normally acidic though I haven't tested it. I did the acidifier once this year and am getting a slightly better crop this year so I will try 2x next year. The bush next to the raspberry surprisingly produced a couple of blueberries but I need to move the raspberry. Thanks for sharing what works for you.
😂 Drama Queens! I love it! We bought lots of berries. I hope they tone down the hand in my face and just grow and make everyone happy.
You and me both!!! We're upping our berry patches this year too =)
Best of luck!
4 years of failing with blueberries (dead after 1-2 years). I am willing to give it a try again. This time with Jobes or similar product. Thanks!
Best of luck Darren! I hope this year is your year =)
nice tips,I have about 10 early, mid and late fruiting blueberries and one pink blueberry which is weird to say. it's called pink lemonade and so far the birds don't trust the pink berries, nice and sweet too. I have very sticky clay too and also need to add proper amendments, but they're so worth it, no irrigation but I have a canal or creek at the end of the back yard
I wanted to pick up a pink lemonade so badly! I'm not sure they'd tolerate our summers though.
They are 100% worth the hassle, I couldn't agree more.
I have 3 year old blueberries in it's own raised bed, did most of what you suggested and 3 different types for my climate and have fantastic looking plants with tons of deep green leaves but no flowers. I did appreciate the detailed discussion on making soil acid and to stay away from aluminum sulfate, which I put on along with the Jobes soil accidifier. If nothing happens next year, I will give up, I do have an organic blueberry farm about 20 miles away that I pick 3 gallons a year but really wanted to pick some fresh on my own garden for breakfast, oh well.
If they're getting good sun and there is decent pollinator activity, good chance the issue is soil pH. So hopefully the amendments you're working in do their job and give you some fruit this year!
Calcium and acid, but not too much acid. Get a soil test. Also too much fertilizer will cause the bush to go lush, but the fruit to not come in. That's pretty standard with most berry plants. When in doubt, get a good test of a few spots near the plants. Your answers are there.
Try adding coffee grounds and pine needle mulch around your blue berry bushes, it helps acidify the soil. My biggest problem was slugs eating the leafs and flowers.
Appreciate your clear and thorough instruction on gardening. Thank you. I’m wondering where you are though. I’m on the BC coast
You are so welcome and thank you for the kind words! My family and I have decided not to share our exact location, but we're in zone 9 with hot/dry summers and mild winters.
Good info. Been growing a dozen yrs. more haphazardly, a few have made it worth the high mortality I've had with Bberries. (9a, low inland farther N. Commifornia, endless loam)
A few struggling, few growing decent and producing, one relatively thriving for unknown reasons, 4' high, 5' wide offering small bucket of fruit yearly, raised it mostly w coffee grounds for acid, if that even works, lol.
Killed most in black plastic pots in triple digit F summer days even w somewhat shaded pot, getting in the ground crucial for me and then it's a thrill if they just look good and grow modestly.
(bury pot temporarily in ground if not ready to plant permanent, significantly damps temp swings, heavy mulch as always)
ALL reliably fruit even if only a little to match their size n strength.
Thanks for sharing Bo - I love these kinds of comments. We get in the triple digits quite a lot too and it's super tough on these guys.
Have you thought about taking cuttings of the one that's thriving? Might be interesting to see if it thrives elsewhere or if the spot is special =)
@@NextdoorHomestead Thanks for vid and comment. Yes thought about cuttings from best bush. (so much else to do now that rain ended an temps picking up, repair automatic watering systems, vegi beds, etc) Eventually try to reproduce it.
Happy most of my 8 or so Bberries looking pretty good to excellent (slightly contradicting prior comment but after spending couple hours w them reassessed) with only one exception so small it get's overlooked in the back, struggling but won't be missed too much if it dies tho giving it special attention. Your sort of advice HELPS!
Been better about acid and so on in recent months and it shows. All are located way outback in my yard which can lead to neglect. (due for another truckload or 2 of wood chips, keep an ear out for the grinders nearby)
In the ground I haven't noticed too much stress from our dry heat as long as well watered. Experimenting with partial late day shade anyway.
Great vid. If you want to get rid of that stump, cut it down as close as you can to the soil, drill a bunch of 1/2" holes in it, and fill the holes with compost. It will drastically speed up decomposition. After a year or so you can chunk it out with a mattock
Thank you! I have a couple I've been eyeing to remove (including that one) and haven't gotten around to yet. Appreciate it Bob!
That works, but not as fast as a rented stump grinder. You might even find one at the local Homeowners Despot...
I planted 3 blueberries knowing nothing. They produced and produced and produced for over 20 years when I moved from the property. I never fertilized them. I guess I was blessed. I know I was ignorant of the best practices back then. Ha!
Love it! There are at least a few comments of folks with similar stories in here. It sure can be easy to grow in the right spots.... I wish my yard was one of them :)
@Nextdoor Homestead I live in Georgia with naturally acidic clay based soil. Blueberries seem to love it here! I have several to plant at my new to me home. Figs and blackberries do well here too. Good luck with your berries. They are certainly worth the work.
Interesting. I'm in western Oregon and have 4 blueberry plants in my yard. We moved in last year and started planting tons of stuff. One of my blueberries had been in the same pot for 15 years or so. It's actually really happy now. The others are ok. They're kind of near a Douglas fir. My elderberries are a year old and finally about a foot tall. I didn't have time to research. I bought hundreds of things and got them in the ground. Heh. My currants are happy. I thought they died but they're better now. We have heavy clay ROCKY soil.
I've also been pouring leftover coffee(not grounds) on my huckleberries, blueberries, rose, etc.
What a fun mix! I can't help but impulse buy sometimes, but with a small, suburban plot I haven't been able to experiment with as many berries as I'd like. Just cleared a little spot from some overgrown rose bushes yesterday though - planning to get some container berries going in there =)
@@NextdoorHomestead I want to know why my Elderberry bushes are still tiny after a year! They were super small when we bought them but they're close to 12 inches tall a year later. 🤔
I tried growing blueberries in pots to better control the soil and it’s pH. I wound up adding much-diluted vinegar water to try to lower the pH quickly, as they just weren’t thriving. That killed them, and it turns out my pH meter hadn’t been working so I probably overdid the acid! I haven’t tried again, though. Might as well focus on plants like pomegranates, figs and mulberries that LIKE growing here in my So Cal high desert (zone 8b) alkaline soils! 😉 Your video just confirms that they are too darn difficult. Experimenting with other berries; boysenberries are doing well for me and blackberries are hanging in there but not great tasting (might need acidification to improve their taste?). But apparently raspberries just don’t like the conditions in my yard.
If it helps, I spent a lot of time trying to get the vinegar hack to work and it never did for me either! We love poms, figs and mulberries too (the mulberries are a new addition this year!).
I apologize for giving unasked for advice - but just in case it's helpful - you might want to look for the blackberry variety black satin. It's bred for hot areas and seems to do better for us in our intense summers. And I love my container raspberries FWIW =)
Anyhow, thank you very much for sharing your experiences!
I tried blueberries last year. In containers. In partial shade. In organic soil with black cow, and used berry tone fertilizer. They rusted out, and even though there were 5 berries between the two plants, they never had a chance lol. I am not that dedicated to try again, but at least this video showed what I should NOT do for them lol.
They're.... not forgiving are they? Always something else out there worth trying instead =)
I'll tell my wife she's getting strawberries. 😂
Ok, I have done a HUNDRED hours of research! I was having a ton of problems finding what to use to reduce soil pH fast and effective. Maybe it was just good timing for me and clarified all the information that I have learned. Thank you so much!
Yay! That just makes me so happy to hear. Blueberries are a fun topic so I think I'll make a somewhat simpler video on how to grow them in containers too =)
Thanks for watching and leaving your thoughts!
I grow my rabbit eye blueberries in 25 gallon pots with pine bark with just a little miracle grow potting soil poured over the top
I wonder if I should make a container blueberry video. They sure do have some strange potting mix preferences. Thank you for sharing your experience!
I made a cone of pine bark I set the 1 gallon plant on it poured pine bark around it and added a 2 to 3 inches of miracle grow potting soil and water it in. Then covered it with mulch
😅 Awww! REALLY appreciate you and your presentation 👍 Even with the caveat,
"Better to do it way, way ahead of time..." Well, Spotted plants that were on clearance, so grabbed 'em. So, Nope, not doing more than a few HOURS ahead of time 😬
Thank you!
I may have also grabbed two new blueberry plants (new varieties too!) on clearance last week with no prepped planting site in place. Better to plant imperfectly than not at all right? =)
Love the channel, glad I found it. Seems like sometimes you need a new voice to motivate you, even if it’s nearly the same information. Super jealous of that hair though, lucky!
Haha thank you! Glad you like the hair and channel! ;)
Best of luck in the garden this year - I'm sure it will be a good one =)
Thank you for this video. I too do not want to wait 6 months to plant my blueberries, but have clay soil. I will take the steps you recommend, but I am wondering if you would also spread the appropriate amount of Sulphur granules as well, so that eventually it will amend the soil? Are you doing soil tests at all during the season? TIA!
No problem! I am not running soil tests as it would be cost-prohibitive at a certain point. We just have too many types of plants growing in too many spots around the house =)
I only use the soil acidifier product + the sphagnum peat moss for now. Appropriate Sulphur usage would work too though!
Right about pine needles, which are not acidic, but it is well established (from what I've read and seen) that Pine Bark Mulch is much better for BBs because it is acidic. Hardwood chips is alkaline. Sphagnum peat moss is not renewable and not sustainable (Cf. Epic Gardening video on peat moss vs coconut coir (which is also not sustainable). Pumice is very good for drainage, which is important for BBs (Perlite is not sustainable). Espoma is also composed of elemental sulfur and gypsum. Gypsum is pH neutral, because the calcium's alkalinity balances the sulfate's acidity. Whether any of gypsum's sulfate is available as sulfate to the plant I have not found out yet. I hope so. Medium high BBs, a hybrid of low bush and high bush, is often considered a 5th major type of BB. Many experts say BBs are the only garden plants that do better in containers, because there is much more control over the acidity, drainage, and sunlight (pots can be moved). Ot at least container beds.
I'm a fan of pumice and pine bark mulch for potting mix ingredients! No arguments there. And yep, I agree they're easier to grow in a container (even if I've elected to plant an in-ground patch =)
Cheers!
@@NextdoorHomestead OK Thanks much
You are such a cool person. I just bought some more blueberries 🫐 and I will listen to your advice. Our other blueberries died a few years ago but we had them in 5 gallon buckets. Ty for sharing your knowledge! New sub! 💜🌱
THANK YOU! What a nice comments.
Best of luck on your blueberry patch! I hope it's amazing.
I have an abundance of small cedar wood chips from a local wood art guy, cedar is a bit more on the acidic side, can I use that in my soil mic and top dress with the cedar mulch?
Hmmm, I don't want to pretend to be an expert on cedar mulch but I think I would personally think twice. Cedar is such a lovely wood (one of my favorites) but it might be *too* effective at repelling insects / microbes for this purpose. It can also purportedly damage plants via compounds released as it breaks down and oxidizes.
It's also such a tough wood that it would break down slower than I'd personally want. So, if it was me, I'd probably use it but for mulching a more ornamental area.
Cheers,
I did not get my soil ready ahead of time either. I paid a lot for my blueberry bushes, and I just hope I can keep them alive in my pots until I get the soil right. Our soil has a ph of 7-8. I have added sand, sphagnum Peat moss, the acid reducer. I added the emulsifier pellets, but if I understand you, they won’t work until the soil is very warm. Soil is still at a Ph of 7.
My question is, will they survive in this mixture until I get the ph down to 5-4?
Ahhh, I actually have a video coming out soon to address this scenario. The short of it is to read this really cool study on another strategy to try in the meantime: www.frontiersin.org/news/2019/03/14/grass-intercropping-for-sustainable-healthy-blueberry-farming/
In my experience, they will survive the transition period but not be happy about it.
How would you recommend amending the soil to an already planted crop? Say we planted them 2 years ago in the garden on a whim and finally tested the pH of the soil and found it to be around 7.
I would side dress the plant with that same soil acidifier product (or one like it - take your pick!) I showed in this video. There should be instructions, including how much to use, on the bag for your exact scenario.
Cheers!
Youre looking really healthy Macaulay, glad ya got out of hollyweird and found gardening mate! Thanks for the gardening tips too you got a new sub thats for sure
Bahaha that's a new one for me! I'll take it =)
Thanks for joining up and no problem at all!
@@NextdoorHomestead hahaha woooo first!
great channel mate seriously... so hard to find lads who dont talk all fake excited like a 1990's gardening australia knock off so keep up the good work acting like a normal human being hahaha
Evweyone mentions sulphur but never mentions iron sulphate, the stuff is also good for acidifying your soil 👍
Thanks for the tip - will look into it more!
any suggestions on making berries sweet, several of our plants have produced a sour berry.
Heya! Are they blueberries? How much sun are they getting?
@@NextdoorHomestead yes 4 different varieties of blue berries which are getting 8 hours of good sunlight daily
What if I put a bucket of soil with elemental sulfar on a heat mat in a greenhouse? Would that help microbial activity at all?
My blueberry often gets bown on the tips of leaves I call it death disease, cos if that brown but touches another leaf, it starts to die too at the point where it is touched. I think it originally starts from lack of water, but I am not certain. I have to stop all them leaves and this can leave it looking rather naked and I am sure this affects it's fruiting ability. What is this, and how do you think i can stop/ treat it?
I've experience tip discoloration as well and can tell you what I *think* caused mine: high pH! More specifically, I believe the high pH was preventing the plants from properly drawing up nutrients like phosphorus.
@@NextdoorHomestead I don't even know what my soil is. I guess it would be a good idea for me to read up all about that so I can figure out what my soil is doing.
High PH doesnt let the plant use iron. And that is death
would Espoma Organic Soil Acidifier All Natural Plant Food be similiare to Jobes? I don't want to put anything harmful in the soil. Thanks!
Referring to this product Emily? www.amazon.com/Espoma-Organic-Soil-Acidifier-Lb/dp/B07PZW4KQ8
If so, yes! Very similar =)
@@NextdoorHomestead thank you!
Great info! I put down some peat moss and elemental sulphur late last summer on my struggling blueberry plants, good to know I wasn’t off track. Sadly I could only work it in to the top layer of soil, so hopefully it makes it’s way down. How often would you apply these amendments?
Wish I could purchase that Jobes or espoma organic soil acidifier for a reasonable price in Canada! Keep up the informative videos!
Thank you so much Anna - appreciate the kind words =)
So, I personally would not bother much with surface level peat moss but the elemental sulfur should certainly work over time. Do you have any idea how *much* you need to lower your pH at this point?
You can apply multiple small doses times every few months throughout the season in year one and then reduce down to yearly or 2x yearly in subsequent years, but you want to monitor to make sure you aren't overshooting.
If my dog takes a leak on the blueberry plants, will that help
Sure, take the like and subscribe.
I’m hoping to grow some in containers.
Definitely a more straightforward option! They are a great container plant =)
@@NextdoorHomestead are the requirements different for containers?
@@trae74 Good question! It can be simpler because you can either mix up some acidic soilless potting mix (say sphagnum peat moss and pine bark nuggets) or just buy an "acid lover" style premade potting mix.
Whereas with planting in the ground you're generally trying to gradually (and continuously) amend the existing soil.
@@NextdoorHomestead thanks! That sounds like a more feasible option for me.
I got some free mineral buckets from a cattle farmer. That's what I'm using as my container. A year ago or so I mixed peat moss and sawdust for my chickens to dust bathe in. I filled the buckets halfway up with that. The top half I put compost from my chicken run. 3 weeks ago I started 5 seedlings I got from Tractor Supply, three of one variety and two of another. They've put on lots of new leaves just in that short amount of time. They seem to be doing fabulous.
Once you realise blueberries were originally discovered growing in swamps...everything makes sense.
I wish elemental sulfur was reasonably priced.
It's frustrating. I feel like I can't recommend any gardening amendments anymore without a warning that the prices are out of control. I just try to wait for the huge sales in the off season and load up and the various things we need.
I wish it was all more reasonably priced too Terry.
🔥👍⚡👍🔥👍🔥👍🔥👍🔥👍
I thought peat was a huge environmental no no .... if I'm wrong let me know - and if right - is there another option ?
Heya! I want to be 100% transparent - I haven't reached a firm conclusion on the use of peat moss. Certainly it *can* and *has* been harvested in a horrific, unsustainable manner but that may not be true of the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss industry that is much more regulated.
I have tried without success to find a suitable replacement that is conclusively better for the environment. My approach now is to just use it as little as I can - you don't need much or any for some potting mixes. For blueberries, I'm not sure there's a reasonable substitute but I'd love to be wrong.
@@NextdoorHomestead cool - thanks for that .... :)
I used wood ash to acidify my blueberries. One of my plants has taken off really well but the other didnt so maybe it's just a fluke
Heya! Can I ask why the wood ash? Might be a tough amendment to make work with blueberries.
Thanks. Stay focused. You got tons of extra stuffs unrelated.
No problem! What do you mean by extra stuffs?
Who would have thought that Macaulay Culkin is into gardening?
That makes 3 references to me looking like an ABSOLUTE LEGEND! I'll take it ;)
Я Случайно удалил предыдущий комментарий. 🤦недавно смотрел одного блогера. Он рассказывал, как правильно подготовить посадочную яму для посадки голубики. Ода из рекомендаций была, что если вы изначально неправильно посадили не так как она рекомендует, то лучше пересадить на новое место😂😂😂.в целом её посыл был такой, что если высаживать в чернозем то обязательно эту яму нужно сбоку и снизу застелить Геомембраной.Так как она не будет пропускать через себя грунтовые воды с Щелочной реакцией. Ещё она почему-то сказала, что нельзя подкислять голубику серой (Сульфатом) так как он негативно влияет на микроорганизмы. А слабые кислоты не подкисляют (уксус, лимонная кислота и тому подобное.). В общем, если неправильно посадил, лучше выкопай и пересади на новое место по ее технологии.😂 Сам питательный субстрат выглядел у неё как торф и земля из хвойного лесатак как эта земля является кислой реакцией. Ну доказатель никаких не перевела, что она кислая. Если все начнут по её технологии голубику высаживать то Хвойные леса Перестану существовать, так всю землю заберут фермеры на свои плантации. 😂😂😂
Great video just drop the annoying background music! Thanks 🙏
Thank you for watching and thank you for the feedback!
All that blueberries want is peat. They grow much better in large pots 20+ gallons but will not live as long as in ground. It only takes a year in pots for them to deliver excellent crops. I use peat and pumice and leave a few inches on top for fertilizer. You should not mix compost in the hole for trees of bushes. That is bad advice and old incorrect advice. Organic matter and fertilizer should be added on top after planting as they are in nature. They need more care when in ground for good crops unless you add so much peat that they are basically not touching much soil. The way the holes were built will be a major issue with significant rain as they will become sinks for water that will not be absorbed quickly into the clay.
Or you can just grow honeyberries and not have to worry about soil PH etc.
I need to go back and look at why we didn't pick up honeyberries. I very nearly did - had some in the cart actually. Maybe it's time to revisit.
Anyhow, we do grow some "alternative" berries too I'd love to make videos on this year =)
@@NextdoorHomestead The newer varieties taste better than blueberries. Aurora, Blue Banana, Blue Drops and Blue Diamond are excellent and super easy to grow.
@@DougNance I'm not exactly hard to sell on new plants but you've sure sold me. I'll see if I can find some of these. Thanks!
Blueberries dont want soil at all, they want a bed of pine needles and leaves and moss... just like the woods they grow in.
This explains why my plant died.
Sorry to hear that =(
Hope you have better luck in the future!
@@NextdoorHomestead hopefully now that I've watched your video:)
Theu really are drama queens. I bought 8 variants. 3 died, i think it's because someone thought it would be a good idea fertilize them with pee 😢
These fancy ladies died from the shock i believe
Oh no! That sounds beyond frustrating. One more good reason to propagate them I guess - takes the sting out of losing plants when you didn't pay anything for them... A little.
Good luck with the rest of them!
Yeah, aluminum is bad for humans. Its a neurotoxin. I dont even use it in cookware. Thanks for sharing that!
This is way too complicated. I'm sure you just put everyone off growing blueberries. Just buy some acidic soil, put the plant in and mulch with bark. Works fine.
wrong! add water because the peat must not remain dry! the peat must be completely wet or it will never get wet, and the blueberries will die.
Heya! That's certainly true - peat can be hydrophobic when totally dry. What part of the video are you wanting to correct though?
@@NextdoorHomestead peat should be soaked when mixed with humus. it is best to leave everything in the wheelbarrow for an hour to soak well and then stuff it into the holes.
This dude obviously does acid .
A blueberry pun?! I dig it.
I’m new to gardening/planting and know very little. I bought a Sunshine Blue Southern Highbush from my local nursery this past March as well as bought specific berry soil to replant in a super large container but have had very little success/growth. Not sure what I’m doing wrong. I’ve been watering daily except on days that rain. 🥹
Heya Renae - what was the name of the berry soil?
@@NextdoorHomestead
One of the nursery workers advised me to purchase a 40 lb bag of
“FRUIT, BERRY & CITRUS MIX” by Heirloom Soils of Texas
Ingredients: Leaf mold compost, aged pine bark, expanded shale, fungal compost, composted soil fines, cured coco coir, torpedo sand, granite sand and a mycorrhizal (fungi) inoculant.
Hmmm, it's of course hard to say without looking at the plant - but that would not be my first choice of soil for a blueberry. Given that the constituent ingredients are aged or composted, I would have to guess the pH is close to neutral. Entirely possible the nursery stuff has used it and knows it works for blueberries but it doesn't seem like a good fit to me. Try to look up signs of blueberries suffering from high pH soil looks like - you may need to start adding an acidification agent.
Otherwise, it hasn't been in the ground for very long and may be just waiting to get over transplant shock and for warmer weather! Two months is nothing for a long-lived perennial =)
You didn’t mention inoculating with ericoid mycorrhizal fungi. Vital imo. Such a comprehensive video. Where BB are found in the wild they are in association with emf. My bb patch is going into year three and is thriving.. I feel it’s due to this.. I companion planted Heather and other acidic loving plants too. Hope this is helpful. 😊🌱💚🙏✨🫐🍄🔥
Thanks for this comment! Just sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole. I'm not typically a fan of commercial fungal inoculants as they are not generally proven useful but this combination may be a real exception. This was a good read: journals.ashs.org/downloadpdf/journals/hortsci/40/3/article-p786.xml#:~:text=Ericoid%20mycorrhizal%20fungi%20(EMF)%20form,nutrients%20(Read%2C%201996).
I might need to try this out myself!
@@NextdoorHomestead thank you! Sourcing our own from areas where multiple strains are active I feel works best but It’s just a feeling. 😊🌱💚🙏✨🫐🍄☘️
@@NextdoorHomestead I’ve read this already but thank you 🙏