Blueberry Containers & Soil
khabibul35
18 years ago
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khabibul35
18 years agogonebananas_gw
18 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 Moreadvice on particular soil mix for blueberry containers?
Comments (9)my concern was that the coir/peat/perlite mix may be too clumpy/muddy - i was hoping the perlite would break it up some. i thought of throwing in some humus and compost. thoughts on this? The trick is a mix that is always moist, but also supports good aeration. I think that the peat/coir/perlite will probably achieve that, but not for more than a season as they will begin decomposing and breaking into smaller sizes quickly. As this occurs the water retentiveness of the mix increases, but at the expense of air holding capacity of the mix. Compost and humus would likely make the problem worse. I don't know what humus is in this sense as the stuff sold in bags isn't what I consider humus, it's often sawdust like stuff from what I have seen, but haven't looked in a few years. Compost will also break down very quickly. What many growers use is pine bark as the basis of the mix. It also breaks down, but more slowly and it starts at an appropriate pH. Filix has reported good success with his blueberries in Al's 5:1:1 mix (5 parts pine bark fines, 1 part peat, 1 part perlite). If you are concerned about the suitability of any mix you can test it in a clear cup. Fill the cup with mix, saturate it with water and then poke a hole in the cup so the water can drain. After no more water is draining, look to see if there is a water layer on the bottom. This would be the perched water table and blueberries aren't going to like it. If you just have an inch or less and you are using a reasonably tall container it's likely not going to be an issue, but if you have much more than that you are taking a risk with the shrubs. Keep in mind the organic component of any mix is going to break down over the season and the PWT will increase in height as it does. Some materials break down quickly, others more slowly. so, justa, i've read many of your responses to BB/soil pH, and i welcome the difference of opinion that you and i seem to share - i find soil pH paramount, you don't seem to, rather you attain it via watering and fertilizers. It isn't that I consider pH unimportant, but rather it's next to impossible to control without continual monitoring. As you saw from the link you posted the pH of the mixes shifted throughout the test. With a quality fertilizer intended for hydro or container use many nutrients will be chelated and available to the plant even when the pH is out of normal bounds. Unless one has testing equipment and is willing/able to respond appropriately to control pH swings (occur quickly and are short lived) and shifts (a longer term movement) it's not really worth fussing over, in my opinion. Rather, by building a mix that starts out with an appropriate pH range, and neutralizing the alkalinity of the irrigation water via vinegar or using rainwater when practical there should never be a problem. Something to keep in mind is that the plants are getting nutrients from the water and whatever nutrients are dissolved in it, not (so much) from the growing media. If the pH of the water/solution around the roots is good, then the plant is happy too ;) BTW, are you a veterinarian? Just wondering due to your handle/name/alias ;)...See MoreBlueberries in containers. Which soil
Comments (13)I won't repot. Just use something else going forward. Ammonium sulfate in small doses is a good acidifier and nitrogen source. Sulfur is a good long term acidifier. There are organic alternatives. Holly Tone for acid loving plants and organic cottonseed meal are two examples. One way to really push growth on blueberries is by dissolving one tablespoon of ammonium sulfate, 21-0-0, in about 2.5 gal water. Apply enough once a week so that excess runs out the bottom. This will boost growth and lower soil pH. If your soil is already pH 4.5 or below, urea is a good substitute....See Morecontainer blueberry soil
Comments (1)If you need to use store bought potting soil, look for Azalea mix. It would be hard to grow in regular potting soil. The soli acidifier depends on bacteria, and it's hard to keep bacteria in pots. I do it with compost, and adding the bacteria monthly. But compost is neutral and I use a peat moss compost for blueberries. It is more acidic than most composts. Vinegar works, but you must flush the carbonates out. Vinegar breaks down via bacteria and the carbonates become free. But if you water it heavy you can actually flush the carbonates out. I use battery acid which is perfectly safe to use. Well for the plant, it is always dangerous to work with acid. Many myths surround battery acid. It must be pure acid else your batteries could explode. No lead or other heavy metals are in it. It's 30% Sulfuric acid, and safer than pure sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid turns carbonates to gypsum which removes them permanently. Gypsum is very stable and neutral. I have Southmoon too, and another 6 cultivars. It's best to have other cultivars as they are somewhat self fertile though they will bear more fruit with pollinators around. Yes, you can add the soil acidifier, I do too. It's hard to keep the PH down, so I use all tools available. You also need to use an acidic fertilizer....See Moreericwi
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