Caring for your blueberries

[dj1701]

Hi Folks,

I have a bunch of blueberry bushes that I have had varying luck with over the years. Year before last the deer got to
the buds and I only got a handful of berries. Last year I was able to keep the deer away. I pruned the bushes just before the snow melted,
and gave them some of this before the ground thawed.

It was the biggest crop I have ever had. The branches were bent to the ground, and I harvested buckets of berries.

I had heard that blueberries don't need much fertilizer? Just wondering what you all do to make your plants better.

Thanks
Dave

 

[JPRambo]

I only have 4 bushes that are around 5 years old on my Georgia property. I have not pruned them yet. I have used the oak leave from the surrounding trees to insulate them during winter. And I used the same 'soil acidifier' on mine the last two years. I picked about a gallon from them last year, I'm hoping to get the same this year.

 

[RalphVa]

I've about a dozen. Best thing I ever did for them was to throw a mix of 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 blood meal, sulfur and sand on each of them last year somewhere about this time or maybe a bit later. Could do the same via sulfur sprinkling and then apply that 10/1 water/urine mix 2 or 3 times. Would be cheaper than buying the blood meal.

Before that, I just threw a couple handfuls of Azalea fertilizer at them. Didn't seem to do much.

I may go ahead and get the blood meal and sand.

Ralph

 

[/pine]

A topic that comes up in most blueberry threads is "how many canes" per bush...most of the experts recommend no more than 5...FWIW...

 

[RalphVa]

About right. Mainly prune out dead or dying and crossing branches.

Ralph

 

[dj1701]

One other thing I forgot.

I have this one bush that blooms, but never produces any berries.

I purchased it at the same time as the others and it had berries when I purchased it. The deer ate all the berries on that plant the first year.
Ever since, (7 years) it does not produce berries. It is the biggest plant I have and is doing great. I prune it just like the others, but nothing? :anyone:

Thanks
Dave

 

[dragoneggs]

As the OP pointed out, an acidifier is the ticket. We throw the ends of fir branches down in the fall partly as a mulch and to add some acidity.

 

[RalphVa]

I mulch with pine needles every fall when they fall enough to collect.

Ralph

 

[RNeumann]

I knew the blueberries likes the low PH. I thought you put your old coffee grounds around the base of the plant.

 

[txdon]

I used peat moss around the base of my blueberry bushes, it has a low PH (acidic).

 

[dragoneggs]

I used peat moss around the base of my blueberry bushes, it has a low PH (acidic).

I do that too... holds the moisture in which is also good. :thumbsup:

 

[dieselscout80]

Hi Folks,

I have a bunch of blueberry bushes that I have had varying luck with over the years. Year before last the deer got to
the buds and I only got a handful of berries. Last year I was able to keep the deer away. I pruned the bushes just before the snow melted,
and gave them some of this before the ground thawed.
View attachment 642971
It was the biggest crop I have ever had. The branches were bent to the ground, and I harvested buckets of berries.

I had heard that blueberries don't need much fertilizer? Just wondering what you all do to make your plants better.

Thanks
Dave

Do you put just this acid increases or do you also add a regular fertilizer like a 10/10/10?

 

[RalphVa]

For most of mine, I actually planted them into peat moss. Then put pine straw on about every fall. Plan to continue the 2 or 3 handfuls of blood meal (about 12-0-0), sulfur, sand (1/3, 1/3, 1/3) on every bush again this year. Gotta prune out some crossing and damaged stuff. **** hooved rat rubbed his antlers on one bush and almost destroyed it.

Ralph

 

[Stimw]

I had 15 bushes at my last property and in a good year I would get 15 gallons of berries!
They were big as a dime and when you made pancakes they stuck out of each side.
There was an old guy up the road that told me to fertilize with Azalea fertilizer and prune after the harvest and that will allow growth for next years crop.
The people that bought my old property MOWED THEM DOWN! Also cut down 3 red navel orange trees.
I would have dig all of them up and taken with me if I had known how stupid they were.

 

[dragoneggs]

I had 15 bushes at my last property and in a good year I would get 15 gallons of berries!
They were big as a dime and when you made pancakes they stuck out of each side.
There was an old guy up the road that told me to fertilize with Azalea fertilizer and prune after the harvest and that will allow growth for next years crop.
The people that bought my old property MOWED THEM DOWN! Also cut down 3 red navel orange trees.
I would have dig all of them up and taken with me if I had known how stupid they were.

That is criminal!

 

[skipperbrown]

Blueberries like a pH of 4 to 5 which is quite acidic.

 

[DarkBlack]

Blueberries like a pH of 4 to 5 which is quite acidic.

That is usually recommended but I get away with 6-6.5. and they do just fine.

 

[dragoneggs]

I picked up a rain barrel free from our local county conservation district. This thing is brand new with a hook up to a downspout and a brass faucet at the bottom. Currently my downspout drains into my blueberry patch. I am going to hook up a timer and soaker hose for gravity flow watering the plants during the summer!

 

[Alan W.]

Around here the soil is naturally acid which works well for my blueberries.
I try to mulch them in about a foot deep with oak leaves every year.
Usually put some triple 19 on them just before bloom and again when the berries are forming.