Container blueberries were growing great...
doomahx
9 years ago
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Comments (18)
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
9 years agoRelated Discussions
container blueberry
Comments (9)Hi, Groem - neat forum name. ;o) Lots of people have grown BBs in the 5:1:1 mix, and it does work very well. BBs are like potatoes - they like lots of moisture, but don't tolerate wet feet. I would probably use the gritty mix and plant them in very large containers, but that's just my personal preference. If you wanted to change it up to benefit your plants more, you could use a 5:2:1 mix of PBFs:Turface:peat, which would offer better water retention with no sacrifice in aeration/drainage or the ht of the PWT. The gaps in the boards won't do much to help drainage or aeration, but it won't hurt anything, either. It might be a good idea if you didn't let the roots escape into the surrounding soil through the container bottoms because it SOUNDS like there would prolly be some significant pH issues involved if that occurs, in your area. I've never heard that BBs don't like their roots being mauled. I don't grow them, but I have a lot of friends that do, and I've helped them (and a lot of others) manage their bushes. To date, it's the first time I heard that comment. *Root pruning is what it is, and WHAT it is, is a way for you to eliminate the crowded conditions and root problems that reduce growth/vitality/yields in your plants. There is no such thing as 'going to a bigger pot so I don't have to root prune". You HAVE to root prune to maintain plant health/growth in containers. There is no way around it, unless you ALWAYS pot up before roots get so tight the root mass & soil can be lifted from the container intact. Mess up once & ignore potting up, letting roots get tight beyond that point, & you need to go back to the asterisk above & reread. ;o) Here's how I would manage the Ca/Mg thing. Add gypsum when you make the soil. Then, include 1/2 tsp Epsom salts to the fertilizer solution each time you fertigate. If you leave the plants in the same soil for more than 2 years, reapply 1 tsp gypsum per gallon of soil in each subsequent year & keep using the Epsom salts. I would also get a pH test kit and determine how much vinegar or citric acid it takes to lower your tap water to a pH of about 4.5. Don't worry, as the water gives up it's CO2, the pH will rise by about .5 to around 5.0. You'll have really nice plants then. The 30-10-10 is much higher in N than it needs to be, so you might consider reducing your application rate & adding in a K supplement like Pro-TeKt 0-0-3, essentially turning your 3:1:1 fertilizer into a 3:1:2 ratio. Alternately, just use 24-8-16. The acid reaction in Miracid or azalea fertilizer (30-10-10) comes from the fact that the N source is urea. As urea breaks down, it releases H gas (the 'H' in pH) which lowers the pH of the soil solution and soil. 24-8-16 is ALSO an acid-forming fertilizer - they just don't put it on the label because they want you to think that 30-10-10 is essential to plants that do best at lower pHs - the dirty tricksters. Don't use fertilizers that get their N from nitrate sources, including FP fertilizers, (I hope our fertilizer watchdog heard that) and please don't add fertilizers that contain urea at mean temps below 55* - to guard against ammonium toxicity. Lol I don't particularly like adding S to container media to reduce pH because there is already enough S in the soil. All proteins contain SOME S, many fertilizers contain sulfates, and acid rain also provides it. You'll probably be using MgSO4 (Epsom salts) which also supplies sulfate. Sulfur under anaerobic conditions produces H2S (hydrogen sulfide) gas that is toxic to plants. It's better to manage pH by managing the pH of the soil solution - which is the most important consideration for container culture. Ruth - the soil (gritty mix) will assuredly hold up for 3 years or longer. Let root congestion be your guide to when repotting is appropriate. Click me to go to another good thread about blueberries. .... and if you're still interested, you can click on me, too. Al...See MoreHow to pre-moisten peat moss for planting blueberry in container
Comments (13)If you can use Holly Tone, and cut down on the Miracid using only 1/4 dose a week. Stop using it August 1st. Weak growth is kinda common for blueberries. They need as much sun as possible. I would not blame the soil. My guess is too much fertilizer, and/or not enough light. If you can fine spray the peat with water, it will absorb better. I myself have never really had much of a problem, as a good soaking after planting seemed to be enough. I use it dry myself. I like to add Diatomaceous earth. I make my own soil.At this point I'm leaning towards more pine bark than peat. But basically use a 4-2-1 mix at this point. 4 parts pine 2 parts peat and 1 part DE, particle size like perlite, not the food grade. I use Optisorb. It's an oil absorbent that is 100% DE. In this photo of my pots you can clearly see the DE. I have been adjusting this mix all year, and feel this is best at this point. Sometimes I add one part Fafard mix also. I add a lot of other stuff too, I add azomite, rock phosphate, worm castings, organic fertilizer, dry molasses, mycorrhizal fungal spores , and alfalfa. I also at some point water with Biota Max to add beneficial bacteria. This blueberry plant is 2 years old...See MoreAnyone Grow Blueberries in Containers?
Comments (11)franktank, there's no way those containers are going to be big enough. You'll definitely need to replant. just me, I don't grow blueberries in containers, but I'll try to answer your questions anyway. 1. Should I have bought two of this particular variety for better pollination? Two of the same variety will not increase pollination. With some varieties (more so on Southern Highbush and Rabbiteye) you may get better pollination with two different varieties, but the jury's really still out on that one. Two different varieties certainly isn't necessary for good fruit set. Also, if you do have two varieties, you'll need to make sure the bloom time overlaps. 2. What size container would be good for a Blue Jay blueberry plant? The bigger the better, most likely. 3. Is a plastic pot okay? Should be. 4. I live in Zone 6. Will the plant(s) be okay in the winter if I'm growing in a container? Probably not, given the temperature difference between soil in a pot and the soil in the ground. I'm afraid that would kill the roots. They'd be ok in an unheated garage. 5. I'm short of 'full sun' areas in my yard. How would this plant do in dappled shade? You won't get as much fruit as you would in full sun. Give them as much as possible. 6. Any suggestions for another variety I can grow so my berry harvest will be staggered? (a variety that would be good to eat right off the bush Fall Creek nursery has a great website with variety descriptions. Take a look there (just google it) for tons of info....See MoreBlueberries in containers?
Comments (8)If it were me, personally, I would definitely containerize my blueberries at least this year. #1 you don't know what exposure you will have in the side yard after the house next to you is constructed; #2 the construction of a fence could affect the shallow roots detrimentally. Blueberry roots are very shallow and grow horizontally from the plant's crown rather than vertically, as pointed out in another thread. They can easily be damaged by the foot traffic, digging, etc., that will go on during installation of a fence. But, if they install a privacy fence, it sounds like, based on the size of your side yard, it could also affect how much sun the area gets, and fences can create a "dry line" within a foot or so out from the fenceline. Blueberries like moist soil - not a bog, but consistently moist. I wouldn't risk planting them in that location until the house and fence are finished and you can see if you'll have enough sun and space to plant them in-ground there. The size of container will be dependent on whether you get a 1 year old or 2 year old plant, and whether you get a dwarf variety, like Top Hat, for example, or not. I wouldn't plant up a 1 year old plant into anything more than a 2 or 3 gallon container, but some may disagree with me on that. Mine are regular Northern highbush varieties - Blue Crop and Elliott, and I potted mine up at the end of their first summer (2 year old BBs when I bought them) into approx. 10 gal. pots. They do fine in those so far, and they are entering their 4th year now. I don't think the dwarfs need a pollinator, and in all honesty, neither do the others since blueberries have both male and female flowers on the same plant (monoecious). However, if you want a better harvest, it is necessary to have 2 varieties for best crop production. You don't "have" to, but you won't get as many blueberries if you don't. Your blueberries can grow in containers and be planted out eventually. Just be careful handling the roots as they can be easily damaged. I just carefully removed mine from the original container and put them in the new ones without touching the roots. Probably too careful, but that's me. My blueberries have been in approx. 10 gal. containers and I would like to repot them into 20 gal. containers that are squatter with less depth and more surface area than the ones they're in now. They've been in the 10 gal. for a couple of years now, and were originally in 1 gal. pots. The first 2 years I removed the emerging berries, per Scott's direction. Well, last year I didn't have to prune them off because the hail we had did that for me. There were just a few left hanging, but my Cardinals "pruned" them. They did love those berries! I may have to fight them this year for my share. I hope this helps and Scott will probably come in and correct any info that is not accurate and add his own special expertise. He is our resident Blueberry Guru. Susan...See More
Ernie
9 years agoErnie
9 years agodoomahx
9 years agoErnie
9 years agodoomahx
9 years agogreentiger87
9 years agodoomahx
9 years agogreenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
9 years agocharina
9 years agodoomahx
9 years agogreenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
9 years agodoomahx
9 years agodoomahx
9 years agodoomahx
9 years agoJust wanted to post an update. My bushes seem to be thriving now that i've started adding miracid. I've also started spraying the top of the soil more often to keep the top roots moist while doing a deep watering once a week.
Check out all of that vibrant new growth!
This post was edited by doomahx on Thu, Jul 31, 14 at 7:05
BahamaDan Zone 12b Subtropics
9 years agodoomahx
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
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doomahxOriginal Author