skip to main content

Fruit & Orchards

Blueberry planting area

12 years ago

I asked a few questions here before and received some great advice, thank you.

We have consulted the local ext office for info regarding growing Blueberries and were told that we should only use containers to grow them as the soil is too alkaline. I asked about lining the planting row with plastic (leaving the bottom open for drainage) this was thought to be like planting a container. I don't care to use containers as I have nowhere to put it over winter, so in the ground would be best. I have access to old silo bags, which are very heavy plastic. The thought is this would work to form a the basis of a pot and to keep weeds at bay? Would lining with the plastic hurt the drainage? We have very sandy soil (Boyers sandy loam) The trench is dug and is 4 feet wide and 12-16 inches deep. I have peat and pine bark to mix 50/50, this was recommended by the ext and the grower that the BB are coming from. Just wondering about the plastic. Any other advice would be appreciated. We are gathering lots of info, hopefully this will all benefit the BB survival :-)

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

User
12 years ago
Mary,

I think your plan is a good one and very workable. You are basically making a large pot out of the plastic.
Bradybb WA-Zone8
12 years ago
It seems like she'd need to poke holes in the bottom of the plastic so the water doesn't sit there. Brady
Related Discussions
want: blueberry plant or any fruit plant.
Q
Comments (2)
Hi, I have a few plants from your wanted list. You mention "walking stick" is that a rooted Harry Lauder's walking stick (Contorted Filbert) by any chance? PLMK Karyn
...See More
When to plant store bought blueberry plants
Q
Comments (3)
I planted 3 blueberry plants (2 rabbiteye and 1 SHB) in January and the temperatures were in the 20s. They are growing fine now. With that said, they came in cold dirt and I planted them in cold dirt. You may want to acclimate them to the outdoors before planting them. When you do plant them, water them well. Better too much water than too little water IMHO.
...See More
Blueberries for my area
Q
Comments (3)
Thr2011, I've been very impressed with Duke, Bluecrop, and Elliot. They are hassle free, disease resistant and will prduce berries from july thru september for us here along lake mi. Try craigslist for those types if you're in a blueberry nursery zone. I look for production overages and buy them up. I also have Draper and some blue jay. My 12" elliots that I bought at 2" last year were so absolutely covered with blooms I had to individually prune them to get 1 more year of growth before going into the ground. I used fresh dilute chickenchit with kelp and kept up with wateing 2x a week. I buy 100's at a time and pay no more than $1-$1.50 a plant. You can also sell them if you don't know where to plant them. I get $5 all day, and I better plant mine or I won't have any left!
...See More
Best varieties of blueberry bushes for this area
Q
Comments (6)
I got some blueray and patriot from nourse farms. I just got them this spring so they're too small to fruit. Iwas very pleased w/ my order. I've heard good things about dan finch's blueberries and am planning on making an order from him this fall. http://www.noursefarms.com/ http://www.danfinch.com/zonehome.htm I also have ordered other plants from burnt ridge nursery and thought they were good quality. They have blueberries too. www.burntridgenursery.com It always helps to check garden watchdog for reviews of the company. http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/
...See More
User
12 years ago
From my reading of it the plastic will just be on the sides with the bottom open?
mary614
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you for the replies. The bottom is open, we laid in plastic it goes down the sides and maybe four inches in at some points. There is at least three feet of open (non covered) ground in the center bottom of the hole... I guess my digging isn't perfectly square ;-))

Should I try to trim the additional plastic that goes onto the bottom? The most plastic curving down the side onto the bottom is 4 inches most of the length of the hole has less than that. Average being the bottom has 3.5 to the full 4 feet of soil visible (open) on the bottom of the hole.

Thank you,
Mary
User
12 years ago
Nope it will be fine as it is.

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Grow Blueberries for Their Fruit and More

By Ellen Sousa/Turkey Hill Brook Farm

Eastern gardeners should consider growing blueberry plants for their delicious fruits, bee-friendly spring blooms and brilliant fall foliage

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crop: How to Grow Blueberries

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant blueberries in spring or fall for garden beauty through three seasons — and a sweet superfood in summer

GARDENING GUIDES Invite Mining Bees to Your Garden by Planting Their Favorite Plants

By Pollination Press LLC

Look for mining bees (Andrena) pollinating woodland wildflowers in U.S. gardens this spring

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Foamflower Cushions Shady Garden Areas

By Curtis Adams

Try evergreen ground cover Tiarella cordifolia for a soft look all year — one the rabbits and deer won’t mess with

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Desert Marigold Cheers Up Hot, Dry Areas

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Sunny but tough, this perennial thrives with little water and lots of sun

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Carex Brevior

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

This mounding sedge native to many U.S. states is tough as nails and can replace the traditional lawn in low-traffic areas

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Comptonia Peregrina

By Curtis Adams

Though not a fern, sweet fern sure smells sweet and thrives in tough spots where many shrubs and ferns cannot

GARDENING GUIDES We Bust 4 More Native Plant Myths

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Have you been taken in by these fallacies about gardening with native plants?

GARDENING GUIDES Top 10 Native Plants for the Northeast

By Ellen Sousa/Turkey Hill Brook Farm

For a low-maintenance, wildlife-friendly landscape, use native plants adapted to the climate and range of soils in the Northeast

EARTH DAY Native Plants 101

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Learn what they are, where they are and why we need them

Sponsored

More Discussions

beginning fruit or new leaves

6

Peach Tree Leaf Curl

10

What's causing this strawberry problem?

2

Health Issue with a cherry plum tree

3

Is this a crabapple?

8