You may want to make some notation on the original thread for continuity. Also to let the OP know about this thread, because now they will no longer be notified of additions to their topic.

Dablaw was the OP.

Quick recap:

Dablaw grew some blueberry plants in pots, used a certain brand of fertilizer, and got some incredible results. Many doubting/flaming words were then issued, which were then taken back as Dablaw calmly explained his methods and showed pictures. His methods were then discussed, alternative brands were mentioned, the effects of nitrate on blueberries was touched upon, and that's pretty much where it left off.

Just use balanced fertilizer 10-10-10 if you can not find that use 10-20-10. Make sure the PH is under 5. Don't be stingy with water especially if it does not rain. Make sure your soil drain good. You will get good crop I did

"Many doubting/flaming words were then issued"

I object to the characterization "flaming words" as that would make me the flame flower. Can't we just say his claims of very unusual vigor were met with intense skepticism- some of which was never addressed, by the way.

We still don't know if Dave would have gotten the same results with similar fertilzers. The secret to the success may have been careful watering and unusually large pots in a good potting mix. Did you ever test your fertilizer against other products, Dave?

I'd really like to know how important was the size of the pots in this production method- that would be very useful info. It might suggest that home growers and even commercial producers could benefit from sizing up plants in 3 gallon pots for a season before putting in the ground.

Dave's extremely high endorsement of his brand had as much to do with my skepticism as anything, although Dave turned out to be completely honest. I do still doubt that Florikan's formula is quite all that. Dave himself agreed that he wasn't sure that he couldn't get similar results from similar products suggesting he'd do a comparison in the future (didya Dave, didya?).

I agree with harvestman. There's intense skepticism and it's healthy to get independent opinions from different angles.

Now I want to discuss further regarding the following info provided by Dave.

"I applied low and medium rates on all 13 varieties we grow.

The low rates were not enough to sustain the plants and 30-45 days after applied, the plants started showing signs of nitrogen deficiency. The medium rate application stayed with the plants and is still making them perform well. Good green foliage, pleanty of new growth, and were able to thrive during peak berry production periods and still maintain a healthy plant.."

So at low rate, the SRF ran out of nutrients after a month. In theory, shouldn't a good SRF in this case provide the nutrients equivalent to the low rate at the beginning, but equivalent to the medium rate after a month? Seems to be me the SRF Dave used is still front loaded? Maybe it's just that at the medium rate, there is still enough nutrients already in the soil to carry the plants after a month?

Some of the publications I read before regarding commercial blueberry growing call for only 1 application of fertilizers at the beginning of the season anyway.

Let's hear other people's interpretations/opinions.

Doing some youtube searches it appears that Urea 46-0-0 is pretty commonly used for blueberry fertilizing. I take it AN 34-0-0 is not good for them?
Both AN 34-0-0 and Urea 46-0-0 have pretty good results for me on crops I applied them too in the past....both of these are relatively quicker absorbing(same time) vs. ammonium sulphate.

I agree with Harvestman..Was just some good spirited debating..Doesn't bother me a bit..There was no name calling or anything like that..Just good debating. That's all about that..Let it die...

I never did try another fertilizer..I guess you use what you got you know..

I do agree that the 3 gallon pot size and DAILY watering had to have helped. And having the proper mix. Florikans fertilizers are a very good product and no one is doubting that..There are probably some others that will give similar results, but I just havent tried yet..Just a convienience thing..

Now as far as the rates I tested..There were alot more details but the long and short of it was that the lower rate jus did not provide enough to maintain them..It wasn't that there wasn't enough of this or that it was that there was not enough volume of the fertilizer..

The medium rate was enough to maintain them and show similar vigorous growth like I witnessed in pots, but not as much as a whole...

Harvestman was correct that I would not get the same growth as in pots once planted and I didn't but they really did well..Except for the 3 varieties mentioned before..

The one biggest thing I like about using this fertilizer is that it is not affected by moisture..So now i can fertilize in mid winter and it wont activate until spring as the temp warms to 75 degrees..Thats the best thing for me as I get so busy in the spring..

Carry on and debate away..I'll watch for more q and a.

Dave, my definition of the perfect SRF will be the one that provides only as much as your low rate at the beginning since that's good enough at that point, but is also able to maintain the supply of the nutrients over the time period specified. Unfortunately, I haven't seen one yet and that may very well be impossible considering the release mechanism is controlled by weather (temperature, sunlight, moisture, etc) instead of time itself.

Now a different question. In term of oz/plant, What's the low/medium/high rates you used in pot last year, currently in field, and when they are fully grown in the future? I just like to get another set of data points. Thanks.

"Dablaw was the OP."

Homertherat,

So you mean Chasgh changed his/her name to Dablaw? Chasgh was the OP.

You're right, brandon. I thought it was Dablaw because the majority of discussion included his plants/practices. I honestly don't remember reading that first post...

Harvestman,

I did say that the flaming comments were taken back, just so you are aware. I wasn't calling anybody a flame thrower.

I'm not really offended, I just want it said that the discussion was relatively civil. I do get a bit emotional when confronted with claims that seem preposterous but I have learned not to call people idiots just because their claims seems incredible.

It turned out that Dave's observations were very interesting, well documented and extremely useful to anyone starting a blueberry planting even if the science isn't all worked out.

I'm almost tempted to start growing BB's in my nursery again. Unfortunately they just take too much water to be worth the effort. If I did, I'd put them on a timed watering system and have them in "oversized" pots like Dave. I already use the type of fertilizer Dave recommends, if not the brand.

I think it may be easier and quicker for the home grower to size up their plants in pots the first year rather than put them straight in the ground. If you put the pots in the ground for insulation it would work very well as the roots would mostly stay right in the pots. Blueberries may be the only fruit plants that would benefit from such a system as long as you don't let the potting soil ever dry out (not even once).

Well here we are again....Out of the 13 varieties I originally planted...10 of them are doing exceptionally well...They look like snow on them right now there are so many blooms...
The ones that bit the dust are Bonus,Patriot,and a high percentage of the bluecrops...I'm going to replace the Bluecrops with the plants I did from cuttings last year...all the Bonus died, and 80%+ of the Patriots passed on....
The biggest winners are Hannah's Choice,Draper,Blueray,Bluejay,Jersey,Duke,Northland,Chandler and Aurora. Collins is so-so with only a couple that died..
I can't say enough about the 10 that are doing so well...Northland is amazing,Hannah's Choice and Draper are 5 feet now and LOADED with blooms...Aurora...small in staure for now but not a plant lost..Same with the Chandler..They were in the row right beside the Bonus that the whole row died..
Very Excited about this season if the weather doesn't get me...Have no control over that though...Already put fertililzer down for the year...Same as last year...Took a few hundred cuttings and they are doing well to...
Well guys lets liven this post back up...What's going on with everyone???

I didn't get in on the posts about fertilizing blueberries part 1 and I'm not sure about the part 2, but I'd really like to know a brand name for a good blueberry fertilizer. Florican was recommended to me by a blueberry grower I got Sunshine Blues from and the nurseries here recommended MirAcid. Several nursery people didn't know about not giving nitrate fertilizers for blueberries and I'm now more confused because it looks like there was a debate where people were saying it's all right to use nitrate fertilizers. My poor newbie head is spinning now.

So, what is the right fertilizer for blueberries. I have only Southern varieties, since I live in Louisiana. The Sunshine Blues are in pots. I didn't kill them yet and what growth they have done so far looks healthy.

Does MirAcid provide nitrogen, or just acid? What's wrong with Florican? I just want to feed my blueberries the right fertilizer so they will thrive.

I would like the name of a good slow release fertilzer for blueberries. I do like slow release types of fertilizers.

Thanks,

Vivian

Osmocote is the most available name of these hi-tec slow release formulas. They may have one especially for acid-lovers now- someone here mentioned it. They put sulfur in the formula so if your water source is alkaline it will counter that.

dablaw how long did you keep the blueberries in pots? I'm planning one 5 gal pots for my replacements. Will move them inside in winter. My cuttings did not root! Next year I will try them in closed containers with high humidity. Seemed to work well with cuttings of figs, grape and mulberry. Dan

Harvestman,

Thanks for the information on the Osmocote for acid-lovers. But what about a regular fertilizer for them, as well? I would really appreciate the name(s) of good ones for my BBs. I really want them to do well.

Dablaw,

What varieties of BBs did you have in pots? I have Sunshine Blues in pots, six plants. Can you also keep larger BB varieties in pots? I have three regular plants, Brightwell, Premier and Climax. They are still in their nursery pots and I need to pot them up, if I can grow them in pots.

Thanks so much,

Vivian

noss, blueberries are acid lovers but if don't want the sufur try another formula. In a home situation you don't have to be too particular but go for something that lasts 6 months.

Dave has done the research on specific formulations if you want to go back to his first post and you can try to match it up with that.

We potted the plants in April I believe that year and planted them that fall in October if my memory serves me well..It's all in the post somewhere...I would think that any blueberry plants can be potted..3 gallon pots is what I used and they did well..
I use the Florikan 16-4-9 270 day release SNR..But many on here have had good sucesss with Osmocote and other slow releases as well..I'm not getting sucked into that conversation again...lol...all in good fun though...The thing I like best about the Florikan is that I can apply it in late winter/early spring, when I have a little slower time on my hands(Yeah right)...It will not activate until there is a average temp of 75 degrees...Rain and water has no affect on activating it, and it does not dump all at once...
Again I haven't tried any others and Harvestman has had sucess with Osmocote I beleive, s it's up to individual preference...Kinda like a auto preference ya know...
All my cuttings are doing well and putting on growth...I don't do anything special...no misting, bagging, or anything other than water them once or twice a day...The thing with blueberry cuttings is to take your cutting right before bud burst...I have alot better sucess than any taken later...
I know I have said it before but Hannah's Choice and Draper are a superb variety to grow here in my climate in west Ky...Several others are too but those two are the bomb!!!
I strongly recommend everyone taking the time to read Blueberry Fertilizing Part 1 and Part 2..Most of your questions will be answered...It's a good read and since we all took alot of our time to debate it and post it all, the least you can do is read it....lol...Lots of good info in there...

Dave, am I understanding you correctly in that you used the Florikan on both the potted plants and again when the plants were put in the ground?

How much did you use for each pot?

How much did you apply to each plant in the ground?

Is it too late in the year to apply this fertilizer now?

I have about 20 plants and would like to try it on a few of them to see if it helps growth.

Thank you.

RM

I've never tried Florikan and I've never gotten anything approaching Dave's results. Dave's never tried Osmocote.

I suspect both are designed after Osmocote's original formulation and can really think of no logical reason one product would vastly out perform the other. Until someone does an evaluation of the products either in terms of whether they're basically the same thing (engineered with nearly identical processes and formulations) or compare them side by side we can only speculate. If I could purchase either-or in the quantities I want for similar price I'd run with Florikan because Dave's results are so spetacular but I wouldn't worry too much about using a similar product instead.

Sorry, Dave, it's your topic and you said you didn't want to go here again but I had to throw in my way over verbalized interpretation of that whole debate.

Riverman1...

Yes I use in pots and in the ground.

Use 45 grams per 3 gallon pot which is 3 tablespoons.

I use 60 grams per plant in the ground which is 4 tablespoons.

You can appy it any time of year..I choose to do it in late winter because it's a slower time of year for me.

Good luck...

Harvestman...lol..Man we have beat it to death haven't we....Osmocote or any other product may work equally as well..I have no idea...If I had the time to do a comparison I would but I don't and I'm having good results with what I'm using...I feel that the daily watering probably has alot to do with it as well...

The 4 things I gave them was peat with double ground pine bark so the PH was correct.

Watered them daily unless it rained..I mean every day..not almost every day.

Gave them a good balanced fertilizer..

And potted them in a 3 gallon pot to give them the room they need to grow.

Follw these basic principles and anyone should have great sucess growing blueberries on pots or in the ground..

I did research for a year while I was getting my PH right in the field..And used all the info I could get to make the best decision that was right for me...
I regret planting so many varieties, but I had to find out which ones would do good here in my climate and microclimate...Was a heck of a change from growing daylilies where you just plop em in the ground and forget about them...

I did some checking this evening and I can't find the specific fertilizer that Dave is using. I can find one very close that they call Dynamite (made by Florikan) all purpose which is 15-5-9 and a 270 day breakdown.

RM

Go to Florikan's site and on the tools bar a labels tab will show up..Click on that.

I'm on the edge of zones 3 & 4 in north central Minnesota. Because of the climate I have gone with St Cloud, Chippewa, Polaris, Friendship,and Superior. All half-highs. They were purchased from St. Lawrence Nurseries in Potsdam, N.Y. I would like to use a slow release fertilizer on these but the nursery is recommending no fertilizers after mid June, for my climate, so the plants won't have much new growth going into winter (harding off). I've followed this recommendation so far and haven't had much winter kill on the tips. Even with short periods of 30 below winter temps. However, the growth rate has been painfully slow. Are the "slow release" heavier at the begining then tapering off? Do I need to just stay away from them?

I was going to try some Florikan on a couple plants this summer but can't seem to find it.

I called Florikan, they said they are only a distributor and to call Sun Gro. I called Sun Gro and they tell me they don't know anything about that fertilizer and to call some guy named Justin. I call Justin, no answer.

I then google "florikan" and come up with a website saying they sell "dynamite" brand fertilizers. I write Florikan and they say they don't sell "dynamite" anymore, they sold it. I have no idea if they "dynamite" line of fertilizers have the same release technology as the nutricote products.

Might just buy some Osmocote, lol.

RM

Northernmn....

Florikan has as low as 70 to as high as 360 day release times, so you should be ok with a release time of say 70-90 days although I owuld think you would be ok with a 120 day without any issues...The nitrogen is nearly non existent towards the later part of the relase days so your plants have that hardening off time...Go to there site and do some reading...

Riverman1...

You will have to order Florikan brands through a distributor such as BWI in the south, or possibly a local farm store or co-op...Dynamite was sold off if I remember correctly...

I have 8 sucker off Blueberry plants(no name, owner/ planter is deceased).I have 6 suckers from another grower, he gave no name just plants.
I picked a plant up at a big box store, think it is a blue ray. I have had these for 3-4 years.
I planted a southern high bush in my Father backyard 25 years ago. I watered it thought the first summer & no one has touched it, but to picked the ripe fruit every year.
I will try your Florikan, if I can find it or Osmocote.

My recent post shows blueberry growth after one year using Osmocote vs 21-0-0. My estimate is that weekly 21-0-0 at 1 tablespoon per 2.5 gallons water grew ~20% more than the controlled release. But both grew very well.

Here is a link that might be useful: blueberry fertilizer study