Our plan is to plant 10-20 blue berry plants this spring. The biggest challenge we face is that our soils are alkaline, and as noted below, these plants love acidic soils. This will be a major challenge to change the soil pH around this growing area.
Growing preferences
Blueberries come from bushy plants that love boggy and wet areas. They do not want to be covered with water, but they do like to keep their roots moist. We have a wet area along the side of our field that we think would be ideal for our new blue berry plants.
They also like acidic soil, as is found in a bog. Your target pH is 4.5 to 5.5, and most soil will need amendments to assist in the lowering of the pH. Amend the soil to a depth of 14 inches by two feet wide. Pine needles, pine bark, elemental sulfur, ammomium sulfate and peat moss can lower the pH in your garden bed that will hold your blue berries. Canadian sphagnum peat moss has a pH of 3.0 to 4.5 making it an ideal amendment for blueberries. If necessary lower pH and supply nitrogen by adding 1 lb. of ammonium sulfate commercial fertilizer to 100 feet per inch depth of sawdust. Organic growers can use elemental sulfur and cottonseed meal or feather meal. It takes several months to a year for sulfur to lower the pH. Prepare blueberry planting site well in advance for best results.
Varieties
Follow this link for a beautiful chart of blueberry varieties. (web)
Elliott has one of the highest levels of antioxidants of
all blueberry varieties.
Once picked Elliott has a storage life of up to 12 weeks. (web)
Varieties we have planted in 2012, and updated in 2014 replacing a dead Bluecrop.
Duke x1
Bluecrop x9
Blue Ray x10
Earliblue x10
Ka-Bluey x5
Chandler x5
Planting and soil preparation
"Select a sunny location with well-drained soil that is free of weeds and is well-worked. It's best to locate your blueberry plants in an area where irrigation is readily available as best results will be achieved by keeping the root zone moist throughout the growing season.
"Blueberries prefer acidic soils. A fail-safe way to grow blueberries in almost any soil is to incorporate peat moss into the planting medium. For planting directly in the ground, work up a planting area approximately 2½ feet in diameter and 2 foot deep for each plant. Remove 1/3 to 1/2 of the soil. Add an equal amount of pre-moistened peat moss and mix well. (One 4 cubic foot compressed bale will usually be sufficient for 2-4 plants.)" (web)
Space your bushes from 4 to 6 feet apart with 7 to 10 feet between rows. Commercial farms space the rows 10 feet apart which is large enough for tractor access down the row. The home gardener can plant them 3 to 4 feet apart in any arrangement fitting the home landscape. Set at the same depth plants grew in container or ground. Planting too deeply will smother the roots. Little or no pruning is needed for the first two years except to remove broken or rubbing branches. Strip off all blossoms and fruits until the plant is well established (36 to 42 inches tall).
Mulch
Blueberries require mulch. For the first year mulch with fir, pine, or hemlock well rotted sawdust extending out 2 feet around plant to a depth of 3 inches so roots will not grow up into the mulch. After the first year increase mulch to a depth of 6 inches mounded around the crown. As plants mature extend the mulch out to the drip line. Mulch will gradually break down to help feed the plant and supply the high rate of organic matter blueberries need. More important, mulch provides a cool root run and conserves moisture, both requirements for blueberries. Other materials may be used as mulch such as composted pine needles or shredded leaves. General compost made from vegetable materials may be too high in pH for blueberries. Fresh grass clippings can heat up and damage surface roots. (web)
Planting History 2012
We ordered one Ka-Bluey plant online via a sale, and 4 more from another online site. The 30 other plants were picked up at a wholesaler, at a much better per unit price. The single Ka-Bluey came in the mail a week before we had scheduled to get the other plants from the wholesaler, so we put it in the ground on April 2. We were gone to a retreat for the next week, and there were some cold nights while we were gone. We watered well, and a friend also watered the plant, but when we returned, the once green leaves were brown red. I thought it was dying. Looking this up on the Internet, I see this is common for plants that were used to the warm, being transplanted into the cold of early spring to have the leaves turn red. This is the normal coinsurance in the fall due to cold temps. I hope the plant pulls through. Since we have been back to the homestead, I have protected the plant by covering it with an overturned bucket on the nights of frost danger.
We have waited to plant any additional plants till the 10 day forecast does not include the chance of frost. Hopefully we will plant the rest of the blueberry plants this Friday, April 13. Since our soil is alkaline, I wanted to dig a large hole and amend the soil with ag sulfur deeply. With the backhoe, I dug a trench 2 feet wide and about 3 feet deep. I will mix peat, ag sulfur, and compost and return the soil to the trench, and then will plant the blueberries with a generous amount of peat around its roots (say 2 shovels full).
We are planting the blueberries in 2 rows of 20 plants. We are setting our plants 4 feet apart within the row, and the rows 7 feet apart. We are not planning to need to drive the tractor down the row, and can therefore save the space, and have the rows closer together.
Pruning
"One of the biggest mistakes home gardeners make with their blueberries is lack of pruning. Aggressive, annual pruning will result in healthier, more vigorous plants and more prolific fruit production. Here are some simple tips:
Propagation
When you prune your blueberry plants, remember to save your clippings to start new plants. Clip the root end of the swig at an angle, and the top cut flat. Dip the angle cut end in rooting hormone, and plant in growth medium, and keep the atmosphere moist.
When roots have developed, plant in a location where you can protect it through the first winter. Some suggest building a mimi-greenhouse of plastic, straw and more plastic. This would sandwich the straw between the plastic to keep the straw warm, and preserve the thermal blanket effect.
Resources
Varieties we have planted in 2012, and updated in 2014 replacing a dead Bluecrop.
Duke x1
Bluecrop x9
Blue Ray x10
Earliblue x10
Ka-Bluey x5
Chandler x5
Planting and soil preparation
"Select a sunny location with well-drained soil that is free of weeds and is well-worked. It's best to locate your blueberry plants in an area where irrigation is readily available as best results will be achieved by keeping the root zone moist throughout the growing season.
"Blueberries prefer acidic soils. A fail-safe way to grow blueberries in almost any soil is to incorporate peat moss into the planting medium. For planting directly in the ground, work up a planting area approximately 2½ feet in diameter and 2 foot deep for each plant. Remove 1/3 to 1/2 of the soil. Add an equal amount of pre-moistened peat moss and mix well. (One 4 cubic foot compressed bale will usually be sufficient for 2-4 plants.)" (web)
Space your bushes from 4 to 6 feet apart with 7 to 10 feet between rows. Commercial farms space the rows 10 feet apart which is large enough for tractor access down the row. The home gardener can plant them 3 to 4 feet apart in any arrangement fitting the home landscape. Set at the same depth plants grew in container or ground. Planting too deeply will smother the roots. Little or no pruning is needed for the first two years except to remove broken or rubbing branches. Strip off all blossoms and fruits until the plant is well established (36 to 42 inches tall).
Mulch
Blueberries require mulch. For the first year mulch with fir, pine, or hemlock well rotted sawdust extending out 2 feet around plant to a depth of 3 inches so roots will not grow up into the mulch. After the first year increase mulch to a depth of 6 inches mounded around the crown. As plants mature extend the mulch out to the drip line. Mulch will gradually break down to help feed the plant and supply the high rate of organic matter blueberries need. More important, mulch provides a cool root run and conserves moisture, both requirements for blueberries. Other materials may be used as mulch such as composted pine needles or shredded leaves. General compost made from vegetable materials may be too high in pH for blueberries. Fresh grass clippings can heat up and damage surface roots. (web)
Planting History 2012
We ordered one Ka-Bluey plant online via a sale, and 4 more from another online site. The 30 other plants were picked up at a wholesaler, at a much better per unit price. The single Ka-Bluey came in the mail a week before we had scheduled to get the other plants from the wholesaler, so we put it in the ground on April 2. We were gone to a retreat for the next week, and there were some cold nights while we were gone. We watered well, and a friend also watered the plant, but when we returned, the once green leaves were brown red. I thought it was dying. Looking this up on the Internet, I see this is common for plants that were used to the warm, being transplanted into the cold of early spring to have the leaves turn red. This is the normal coinsurance in the fall due to cold temps. I hope the plant pulls through. Since we have been back to the homestead, I have protected the plant by covering it with an overturned bucket on the nights of frost danger.
.JPG) |
| 10 Bluecrop ready for planting |
We are planting the blueberries in 2 rows of 20 plants. We are setting our plants 4 feet apart within the row, and the rows 7 feet apart. We are not planning to need to drive the tractor down the row, and can therefore save the space, and have the rows closer together.
Pruning
"One of the biggest mistakes home gardeners make with their blueberries is lack of pruning. Aggressive, annual pruning will result in healthier, more vigorous plants and more prolific fruit production. Here are some simple tips:
- Pruning is best done in the spring before the leaves come out.
- Remove low growth around the base.
- Remove the dead wood, leaving bright colored lateral branches. Cut out any short, discolored branches.
- Continue pruning until you have removed 1/3 to 1/2 of the wood out your plants each year. Remember, this will promote growth and berry production so prune away!" (web)
Propagation
When you prune your blueberry plants, remember to save your clippings to start new plants. Clip the root end of the swig at an angle, and the top cut flat. Dip the angle cut end in rooting hormone, and plant in growth medium, and keep the atmosphere moist.
When roots have developed, plant in a location where you can protect it through the first winter. Some suggest building a mimi-greenhouse of plastic, straw and more plastic. This would sandwich the straw between the plastic to keep the straw warm, and preserve the thermal blanket effect.
Resources
No comments:
Post a Comment