New blueberry bush...needs?

15 years ago

I bought a Top Hat Blueberry bush from Spring Hill. It came with the soil, pot and bush. I will be keeping it in a container. I planted it and it looks good, it even has berries. What should I add to the soil, either now or in the future? Thank you

Beth

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Comments (4)

hortsense
15 years ago
Blueberries like rich, well-drained soil that is acidic. If you treat them like a rhododendron, the usually do well. Oak bark mulch, pine straw, peat moss,composted horse manure...I have used all of these at one time or another. Iron and sulfur can also be used around blueberries in the cool wet seasons. They like the iron and the sulfur acidifies the soil. A good layer of mulch on top of the soil is helpful with water retention in the root area. Just do NOT pile mulch up around the base of the trunk(s).

IF you have to grow it in a pot, recognize that the roots will be hotter (and no doubt dryer) than they would prefer to be. Pots dry out quickly. Do NOT set the pot on a sunny patio (it will bake). Pots also freeze and thaw easily which will cause winter damage as the plant will often start budding on a warm winter day if left outside in the pot. Then WHAM, back to winter. Best to put the entire pot into the ground for the winter if you MUST leave it in the pot.

All things being equal, it'd be best to plant it somewhere...
fruitgirl
15 years ago
First, get rid of the berries.

Second, do a search on this forum with "blueberries" and "pots" and you'll get a lot of good info.
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A practical answer for Nancy the OP: Mix your blueberries up some soil with plenty of organic matter. Oak leaves, compost, pine needles, etc. would all be excellent choices. Then get an inexpensive pH test. You'd like your pH to be around 5. If it's higher, buy some elemental sulfur (quite cheap) and add it according to the Purdue Extension instructions. This will bring the soil down slowly over time and keep it low for years. Your blueberries will be happy campers in their new homes, and you won't have to be nervous around acid. A defense of sulfuric acid for others: Sulfuric acid can be easily and cheaply purchased in varying purities from places like Amazon. The effects are long-lasting, because carbonates get permanently converted to gypsum. Of course, if your soil includes lime, then more of this may dissolve over time, re-raising your pH. Also if you water with alkaline city water, this will also re-raise your pH. Using it is simple. It takes no time at all to throw on gloves and goggles and measure a couple drops into a watering bucket. Obviously you store it in a cool dry place out of the reach of children, just like you would antifreeze, paint thinner, bleach, and many other substances in your home. It's easy, carries minimal risks, and has instant benefits! In a very short time my blueberries have greened up and are looking much healthier. This post was edited by powerofpi on Mon, Jun 16, 14 at 9:33
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I am in Ireland where the climate is mild , moist ,very changeable (you can experience the four seasons in a single day) with plenty of rain. The temperature so far this winter have been between 50 and 29. I am growing in pots and raised beds filled with a mix of moss peat , ericaceous compost and bark chips. So far I have all NH cultivars , Berkeley , Bluecrop, Elliot, Duke , Goldtraube and Northland and last November I added Patriot and Early Blue.
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More will grow but I've never seen the need for much pruning on new plants. Let them grow a yr. Right now just take out dead or rubbing branches.
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Here is a good article on blueberries in containers. I have 13 different varieties in containers for the past 5 years. https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/planting-blueberries-containers#:~:text=Mature%20blueberries%20need%20a%20container,harvest%20blueberries%20the%20first%20year.
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jellyman
15 years ago
Beth:

I would like to associate myself with Fruitgirl's remark "Get rid of the berries". That is the single, most important thing you can do for your plant now, so it will grow well and you can enjoy a few berries next season.

The principle here is deferred gratification to achieve a worthy, long-term goal. Take off all the berries the first season. I know it is hard, but you will be glad you did.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA
glenn_russell
15 years ago
Hi Jellyman- The Brunswick lowbush blueberries that I got from the nursery (in a pot), have quite a few little blueberry on them. I've already pulled the berries off my bare-root plants this year. I pulled the berries off the other Brunswicks that I got early in the year. But, these, the berries seem mostly formed. Since they were in a container, and not BR, and the berries are mostly formed, it makes more sense to keep 'em, no? Thanks, -Glenn

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New blueberry bush...needs?

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hortsense

fruitgirl

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jellyman

glenn_russell

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