Blueberries

Does anyone know about raising Blueberries, I live in Spokane WA
my plants are 2 years old but have not grown any. I am wondering why they are not growing. Any help will be appreciated.

Blueberries like acid soil. What's your soil like? We tried growing blueberries for years without success, and finally tried putting them outside the garden, which had been limed and amended, and mulched them with pine needles, and they're doing well.

My soil has a PH of 7 and I know that it is not acid enough,
however I found a video on you tube about using pine needles
Did you put the needle in the hole you planted them in?
The video just had the needles on the top of the ground.

People love blueberries!

A soil pH of 4.5-5.0 is prefferable. Sooooo think peatmoss, compost, soil sulfer and years before you plant. I would see what your calcium carbonate, (CaCO3) levels are, if they are low, you might be able to get by with pine needles, compost & peatmoss! :)

However, there are dwarf varieties available that can be grown in pots, whiskey barrels or raised beds. Just get poting soil for acid loving plants such as azaela. Also look for fertilizers for azaellas and acid loving plants.

Most of us in the west just don't have the soil, (bogs or former bogs) suitable for blueberries. You will also need to keep mulching with pine needles.

I will say a prayer for you that the Lord keep you from madness in your pursuit. Have you thought about all the other berries? Raspberries, boysenberries, blackberries, gooseberries? I am not being fascetious. There are things I would love to grow, such as pluots but I am just out of range.

Good luck & keep us posted!

Sonny


This message was edited Apr 18, 2010 6:14 PM

If your soil has a pH of 7 Sonny's right; I'd get a dwarf variety and grow it in a pot where you can control its environment completely. We live in the Pine Barrens and even so, our amended garden soil was too sweet for them, as I mentioned.

Thank You but since I have 4 plants I will try to develop away to make them grow. I have 2 in large pots and 2 that need to be potted that are heeled in. I put them in Miracle-Gro® Potting Mix and thought that would work.

Check the pH of Miracle-Gro. Might be too sweet for them. What you want is peat moss and pine needles.

There is a product called Miracid by miracle grow.

Sonny

I went to a seminar on growing berries in Colorado. Our soil is alkaline and I guess even our water is about pH 8, and Blueberries supposedly won't grow here. The lecturer said that he grows Blueberries here - he plants them directly into bales of peatmoss. He had pictures of bales set down in holes/trenches still wrapped in plastic, and the bushes planted through slits in the plastic, two per bale. My Mom volunteered to try it, so I bought a bale & buried it for her today. I'm buying her a second Blueberry, I guess they aren't self-pollinating.

Back to the original question - Do the bushes that aren't growing look healthy otherwise? Or are they noticeably stressed and struggling? I would think Blueberries would grow in Spokane.

Brilliant!

Simply Brilliant!

I have 24- 3.8 cubic foot bales that I will be using for soil remediation. I will immeadiately divert two or three for blueberry productivity.

Absolutely so simple amazing! Like planting tomatoes in bags of compost.

I like it!

Sonny

Poke a few holes in the bottom for drainage - I used a pitch-fork. The lecturer said he buys from Hartmann's Plant Company. He waters with plain water most of the time, but does use Liquid fertilizer/acidifier once in a while.

Hooty Hoo, Blueberries on the western slope of Colorado?

Brilliant!

Give my heart felt appreciation to your insructor! My personal salute for innovation!

Sonny

Thanks for all the input I bought some Miracid but I have both kinds and the label came off so I don't know which one it is. The blueberries look good and healthy but are very small. A friend gave me some pine needles to use
so will try them it is also good for keeping the weeds out and the moisture in.