skip to main content

Fruit & Orchards

Planting strawberries under blueberry bushes

happygardener23

15 years ago

I planted a few new blueberries last weekend. Dug a nice little area for them. Amended with peat, topped with sulphur, mulched with dried leaves and pine needles. Since I don't expect much from the blueberries any time soon (they're just little twigs at the moment) can I plant strawberries in the same bed? From what I recall, strawberries and blueberries both like acidic soil and the blueberries won't cast shade given that they have almost nothing in the way of branches. So will it work ok? I'm planting Tribute and Ozark strawberries under Chandler, Jersey, and Blue Ray blueberries FWIW.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

greenmulberry
15 years ago
Did you do this? I planted some blueberry bushes recently, they are small and there is a lot of space between them.

So I just came in the from planting strawberries around them in the open spaces. I think it should work out good but it will be a long while before I know.
Karen Pease
15 years ago
I did the same thing... this year. Way too early to see how effective it will be, but I can't see why it wouldn't work.
Related Discussions
Under planting iris with strawberry plants
Q
Comments (2)
The usual advice for strawberries is full sun. If your irises grow like mine they will not leave enough light for the strawberries. That plus the tree you have there is going to add up to far too little light, and far too few berries to make it worth the bother. I have some strawberries in with my blueberry bushes, but they are basically on the border in an area which gets full sun all day. Scott
...See More
Plant 'mulches' under blueberries?
Q
Comments (6)
Glenn- How big do the lowbush cranberry get to be? Where do you find them? I'm mostly growing Chippewa blueberries (which get 3' to 4' tall, but I do have some bigger ones in another area. Tempskya- I grew strawberries under the Chippewa blueberries last year and they seemed very happy...just too many weeds in a new bed. This year, I'll add more strawberries and fill in with the alyssum. If you want more fruit, just keep the strawberries thinned out a little more (for more light) and let the ones further under the blueberries grow together and keep down the weeds. I don't add acid to my soil and my PH is about 6.5 to 7.0...depending on where I test it.
...See More
Plants associated with Blueberry Bushes?
Q
Comments (9)
Creeping Charlie in the compost? I have always heard that CC as well as Chick weed should not go there as it will sprout and spread when you use the compost. Many times you cannot get the temperature high enough to kill these roots. Some claim that a ground cover is good as it shades/cools the roots while others claim that ground covers rob moisture from the soil and therefore from the bushes. I wonder what I might do to control weeds and at the same time have more real estate to expand my flower gardens. This post was edited by Emerogork2 on Mon, Oct 6, 14 at 11:53
...See More
Blueberry & strawberry cultivars that do well in carolinas
Q
Comments (5)
The tastiest and most plentiful strawberry I grow is Sweet Charlie. This is the second year of my new bed since I tilled under the spent three year bed and I already have flowers and beginnings of fruit. On half of the plants I've removed the flowers to get a later and larger sized berry harvest. I believe it was bred in Florida for hotter and more humid weather conditions, which NC certainly has. I use the matted row method, having tried the others, and the only problem I ever had was with slugs. A little Sluggo or Escar-go cleared the problem. It is a must to sprinkle them with some lime in the Winter since our soil is so acidic from all the rain we get in the Spring. Nancy the nancedar
...See More
mudflapper
15 years ago
My thought is this, as long as the Strawberry is about 14 -16 inches away from the Blueberry then neither will compete with each other and Blueberries don't compete well because of the very shallow root system, competition will result in less plant vigor and fewer berries, JMT...just my thoughts.
happygardener23
Original Author
15 years ago
I did end up planting the strawberries in with the blueberries. I don't expect much of anything from the blueberries this year....they're just a couple of twigs per plant. That said, I will check tomorrow to be sure that I didn't plant the strawberries too closely to the blueberries. I wouldn't want to compromise root establishment.
PRO
Curb Appeal Fixers Landscaping
6 years ago
Strawberries and blueberries have similar root systems, they wouldn’t interact very well. (Try Yarrow or Bee Balm) they attract pollinators for your blueberry bushes.

Strawberries. Strawberries are the most popular fruit for the home garden. Blueberries and Lingonberries. These members of the genus vaccinium require acid soil (pH 4.5 to 5.5) to grow well. Raspberries and Blackberries. Rasberries benefit from supports that keep the canes upright. Currants and Gooseberries.

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

SPRING GARDENING Summer Crops: How to Grow Strawberries

By Marianne Lipanovich

Pluck your own sweet strawberries right from the garden vine for smoothies, salads or eating then and there

CONTAINER GARDENS Patio-Perfect Berry Bushes Like You’ve Never Seen

Small enough for pots but offering abundant fruit, these remarkable bred berries are a boon for gardeners short on space

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Calycanthus Floridus

By Falon Mihalic

This U.S. native plant — also called Eastern sweetshrub, Carolina allspice and strawberry shrub — is an aromatic and a visual treat

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?

HOLIDAYS Holiday Decorating: Natural Looks From Down Under

Native greens and craftsy touches give an Australian stylist's home festive flair with an organic feel

SPRING GARDENING Top 10 Scented Plants for Your Garden

By Carol Bucknell Garden Design

A palette of perfumed plants can transform even the smallest of gardens into a sensory delight

EARTH DAY Native Plants 101

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

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

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES 3 Ways Native Plants Make Gardening So Much Better

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

You probably know about the lower maintenance. But native plants' other benefits go far beyond a little less watering and weeding

Sponsored

More Discussions

Is there any treatment for this?

3

what is wrong with my indoor mango????

13

best cantaloupe for this area?

0

beginning fruit or new leaves

6

What's causing this strawberry problem?

2