When you think organic matter, hopefully you think compost. I love compost, and I hope you do too. But this is a rare moment in the garden when using compost will actually be detrimental. Instead, Lee recommends using peat moss. Peat moss is long-lasting slow to break down and is low in nutrient value.
How much peat moss? Grab any bucket you have onhand, and fill that bucket with peat moss. The idea here is simply to incorporate a generous amount. Lee mixes the peat moss with the soil dug from the planting hole which further incorporates the sulfur too. Once the blueberry rootball is set in place, Lee backfills with the soil, peat moss and sulfur mixture.
The sulfur will work to lower the soil pH, and the peat moss will aerate the soil and provide a good dose of low-nutrient organic matter. Just take a look at this Garden-of-Eden-like cluster.
The shallow root systems of blueberries are susceptible to weed competition and to drying out in that soil near to the surface. By adding mulch, the soil is insulated against weed germination and dry air. The type of mulch you use is important. This is not the place for rubber mulch or lava rock.
Use sawdust, wood chips, leaves, pine needles — any organic material. That organic matter will break down over time and will continue to improve the soil and your blueberry bushes. The final step? Proper watering.
Providing enough — but not too much — water will get your blueberries off to a robust start. A good rule of thumb is to provide an inch of water during the course of a week. Drip irrigation is the best watering method for shrubs of all kinds. It will provide water at a slow and low rate, which allows for best absorption by plant roots. Maintaining a generous layer of organic mulch under blueberry bushes protects against weed encroachment and dry air.
The organic material will continue to break down and improve the soil. Aside from checking moisture levels periodically and maintaining a good layer of mulch, there are only a few other maintenance issues to plan for as your blueberry bushes grow. Soil pH maintenance First, perform a soil test every two years or so to know when to re-acidify your soil. An amendment of sulfur will lower pH temporarily, but as the months pass, your soil will begin to shift back to its native pH level.
Prune out any branches which are crossing rubbing against each other , are arching toward the ground, or which when in leaf will block out too much light from the center of the bush.
Blueberry bush stems have a limited production lifecycle. Stems which are 6 years old or more will produce fewer and fewer berries over time. Meanwhile, the bush will continue to produce new shoots from the base of the plant.
So for the healthiest plants and bountiful crops, prune out these older stems to make room for the new shoots. Once your bush is about 6 years old, look for any stems that are one inch or more in diameter. Prune those all the way to the ground, and add those branches to your compost pile. If the bush developed several young shoots during the previous growing season, select four to six of the sturdiest shoots, then prune out the remaining shoots.
When you manage plant growth, you encourage new growth and set the plant up for optimal health and production. Each growth flush ceases when the uppermost or apical bud aborts this is not a disease. Each shoot may experience several of these growth flushes during the season, and each flush may result in 6 to 10 inches of growth with adequate moisture and nutrition. Shoot growth usually stops in midsummer. Typically, five to eight flower buds can develop on a healthy shoot. Each flower bud can produce from five to 10 flowers that continue to develop inside the bud throughout the fall and early winter months.
Both vegetative and flower buds become dormant in winter. Flower buds open sequentially in the spring, with the flower buds on the tip of the cane opening first. The flowers inside a bud open up in a similar sequence with the flower nearest the tip opening first. Shoot thickness affects blooming sequence, with blossoms on thinner wood opening up earlier than buds on thicker wood. It is best to remove all flower buds in both the first and second years after planting to stimulate good shoot and root development.
Blueberry flowers and fruits sap considerable energy from the plant, and fruit yields in subsequent years can suffer because of poor plant development in the first two years of establishment.
In addition to removal of the flower buds, head-back the top one-third to one-half of all shoot growth on rabbiteyes at the time of transplanting. Blueberry fruit ripens over a two-month period after bloom. This will vary with the cultivar, weather conditions and plant vigor. Plants should produce about a half-pound per bush in the third year, and 1 to 2 pounds per bush in the fourth year.
With good care, mature Southern highbush plants can produce more than 8 pounds of fruit each year. Rabbiteye can produce 12 to 25 pounds. Soil pH Adjustment: Have a soil test taken in the fall before planting in late winter or early spring.
If the pH is above 6. If the soil pH is below 6. A very low soil pH caused by excess sulfur can be detrimental. Some soils in the Piedmont are very high in manganese. When growing blueberries on these soils, keep the pH above 5.
Any sulfur applications should be made at least three months prior to planting because it takes several months for sulfur to reduce the pH. Check the pH once or twice during the first growing season to determine if still more sulfur is required later in the season. Sometimes, the impatient home gardener will insist on planting without a soil test. In this case, mix 1 cubic foot of peat moss with an equal amount of sand.
It is important to use a sand that has not been limed or that does not contain a liming material. Soil Water Drainage: On a heavy clay soil or a soil that sometimes remains wet, apply the peat-sand mixture to the soil surface and plant. If the soil has good drainage, part of the peat-sand mixture can go in a hole or furrow several inches below the soil surface.
However, leave enough of the peat-sand mixture to form a mound for single plants or a ridge for a row of plants at least 6 inches above the surrounding soil surface. The mound or ridge will protect plants from excess water; however, with this method of planting, water thoroughly two to three times per week during dry spells in the summer and early fall. Logs, landscape timbers, stones, bricks or concrete blocks can be used to contain the soil mixture in the raised bed.
Preplant Additions of Organic Matter: Blueberries are naturally adapted to high organic matter soils where soils have 3 percent or more organic matter as opposed to most mineral soils with organic contents usually less than 1 percent. Organic materials such as peat moss, composted pine bark or rotted softwood sawdust should be incorporated in soils of less than 2 percent organic matter prior to planting to greatly improve blueberry plant survival and growth.
Hardwood sawdust is not as effective as softwood sawdust or peat moss for lowering soil pH. Undecomposed softwood sawdust should not be used. Follow this popular step-by-step pre-plant program to modify soils with less than 2 percent organic matter:. Begin by testing the soil then prepare the soil using your soil test results as a guide. For gardeners, soil testing labs provide the most accurate pH measurement of your soil, as well as baseline information on organic matter and nutrient levels.
Recommended blueberry cultivars It is recommended to select a combination of cultivars that can provide a continuous harvest from July through mid-September. Northern highbush listed in order of ripening Cultivar Notes Bluetta Short, compact bushes with medium vigor. Medium size, crack-resistant fruit with good flavor.
Bluejay Very vigorous bushes with mummy berry disease resistance. Large, firm, slightly tart berries. Fruit does not drop or crack.
Blueray Very productive and vigorous variety that performs well in hot climates. Large, high-quality berries. Bluecrop Leading variety; hardy and consistent with vigorous, upright canes. The fruit is large, firm, and crack-resistant. Coville Large, crack-resistant fruit holds well on canes. Very productive and upright canes. Late Blue Small, firm, flavorful fruit borne on erect, vigorous canes Elliott Very late and ornamental bush with red wood.
Small to medium-size fruit does not crack or drop. Southern highbush Cultivar Notes Ozarkblue Vigorous, upright plant with large firm fruit. Reveille Upright 6 ft. O'Neal Early, low-chill cultivar with large heat-tolerant fruit fruit Cape Fear Low chill, heat-tolerant cultivar that ripens mid-season.
Friday, March 22, Author s. Landscape and Greenhouse Field Specialist. Email: Emma. Erler unh. Email: answers unh. Show Economic Dev.
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