http://www.durgan.org/URL/?HXFUL 26 April 2012 Changing pH for Blueberry Bushes
Some sulphur was applied to the blueberry bushes to eventually lower the pH to around 5.5. The mulch was removed from around each plant and sulphur applied. The sulphur was worked into the soil, and the mulch (conifer) was re-applied. The current pH is about 6.5. Pictures depict the process.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?OAYTJ 10 April 2011 Blueberry Planted. Bluecrop and Patriot.
Six mature blueberry bushes were planted. Three Blue crop and three Patriot. A farmer was selling plants ($10.00) about 40 km from my location, so I went out and dug them up. The farmer had about 5 acres, replacing tobacco, but he found that the birds (robins) caused so much damage that the fields were not profitable. I expected some small bushes and was amazed at the size, which pleased me greatly. The spacing is about three feet between plants. Some pruning is required, which will be completed later. Some aluminium sulphate was added to get a low pH 4 to 5. Eventually a pH meter will be obtained to confirm the pH
Changing pH for Blueberry Bushes
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- Barbara Good
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Re: Changing pH for Blueberry Bushes
Durgan, is it pine needles you use as mulch?
Re: Changing pH for Blueberry Bushes
Pine needles plus the wood. It is mostly cut up evergreen Christmas trees. How much it changes the pH is problematic, but it can't hurt. Actually I measured the pH under an evergreen tree of about ten years, which I cut down and the pH was around 5.5. The space still had roots and was convenient as to position or I would have used it to plant my six blueberry bushes. My area is not really wild blueberry country, which probably indicates that the soil is generally not acidic. There are some excellent pick your own commercial blueberry sites around, but I never really talked to anyone about what they are doing to the soil.julie_lanteri wrote:Durgan, is it pine needles you use as mulch?
Incidentally, Newfoundland is one mass wild blueberry patch, but they are the type that grows about three inches high and one has to crawl around picking them and they are small berries. My experience has been around St. Johns. The best blueberries that I ever saw where in Vancouver at the delta formed by the Fraser River. They were about 10 feet tall and absolutely loaded with quality berries. Picked by laying a stretcher on the ground and banging the stem with a cardboard roll sort of like inside a paper towel roll.
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- Barbara Good
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- Location: Glossop, Derbyshire. UK
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Re: Changing pH for Blueberry Bushes
The cut up branches from Christmas trees should help lower the Ph of the soil along with the sulphur added in. This isn't a problem for us in either the garden or at the allotment. Blueberries, billberies (ie low growing native wild blueberries) heather etc grow very well. Raising the Ph of what we've got is the harder task.
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- Barbara Good
- Posts: 138
- Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2010 4:59 pm
Re: Changing pH for Blueberry Bushes
thanks for the details.
very conveniently, there are a few very ugly 1m high conifers things in the garden that I'm killing one by one (I guess the previous owners thought they were topiary masters...)
I'm going to shred the branches and will use it next winter.
very conveniently, there are a few very ugly 1m high conifers things in the garden that I'm killing one by one (I guess the previous owners thought they were topiary masters...)
I'm going to shred the branches and will use it next winter.