My blueberries taste too tart, could it be the soil?
User
9 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (9)
Bradybb WA-Zone8
9 years agofruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Blueberries - soil work, pest damage
Comments (6)I'm new to blueberries this year as well and mine are doing the leafy color change as well, the same as you show in the last pic. I'm in a heavy clay/alkaline soil area also, so I amended my soil with ammonium sulfate to instantly lower the PH as well as mixed in sulfur for it to take the 6 months or so it does to further work into the soil to help maintain acidity. The local soil is present along with thoroughbred compost and topsoil mix. I finished off my beds with pine bark mulch which is also said to be on the acidic side (ya gotta do everything ya can in a limestone region). I water my blueberry plants using ONLY rain water that I connect from the gutters on my house in the disappointedly few times it has rained all spring. The last 'good' rain lasted 25 minutes, but I filled over a dozen 4-gallon kitty litter containers, put on their lids and store under my back deck for everyday use. I noticed the leaves tend to crimp at the ends in a yellow-green area while the more mature leaves do the reddish border. I've witnessed these conditions periodically go away and come back. I suspect it may have to do with the amount of water I give to each plant because when it does rain (seemingly rarely, as it seems to miss my area relentlessly), the fresh rainwater will perk up the plants and the colors will go to a darker green (at least for awhile). As it tends to get dryer out, the newer leaves curl and the older ones get the red borders again. See if you notice the same pattern.....See MoreStrawberries are too tart!
Comments (9)Thanks so much Don -- this helps to hear. At least I know its nothing we did. And its good to know they freeze well, as we have lots of freezer space. The production on these 100 plants is unbelievable though... Any suggestions for what to *DO* with frozen strawberries (other than frozen strawberry margaritas? :-) ) On a positive note, I made some strawberry "agua fresca" with them today and it was fantastic. Basically -- fill a blender container half full with strawberries, then add water to about 3/4 full, along with a few Tbs of sugar. Blend, then strain, and have the most refreshing strawberry water ever! Emily...See MoreMaking acid soil for blueberries
Comments (68)I grow blueberries both in the ground in raised beds (5 plants in the ground for five years) and in sturdy black plastic plant containers (5 plants in 4 to 7 gallon containers)--that I picked up cheap from a local nursery. Two years ago, I harvested over four gallons of blueberries. Last summer the container plants were a bit of a bust as a late 90 plus heat wave after I'd cut the watering back resulted in the container plants having a very poor crop, but I still harvested nearly four gallons of berries from the plants in the raised beds. They are picked and put into gallon freezer bags and popped into the chest freezer. I don't even wash them, as I use no pesticides on them. I removed my clay soil in 2'x2'x15" deep sections and built the beds up to about six inches above ground level with a mix of 3 parts sphagnum peat moss, 1 part leaf compost my town produces, and 1 part of the clay topsoil. I reused the rest of the clay in another part of my garden. The container mix is simpler: 2 parts sphagnum peat, 1 part leaf compost. The beds have not needed additional soil or peat in five years. I mulch the beds with pine needles (not for the acidity as they don't actually contribute any, but for the fact they contain no weed seeds to speak of). I use bark mulch as a mulch in the containers--it stops squirrels from digging in them and weeds from growing. I use drip irrigation with city water at a pH of about 6.5 or so, and fertilize with Ammonium sulfate every spring, which also keeps the acidity level up. Fafard makes a sphagnum peat moss based acidic soil mix, so that's an option if you can get past the sphagnum peat moss issue. If you're only growing enough blueberries for you and your family, you are not really going to need a lot of the stuff. It's worth noting that for every person who thinks sphagnum peat moss is not a renewable resource, there's likely another who thinks the opposite is true. Here's what I know: In the US, our ubiquitous Canadian sphagnum peat moss comes from a country that has a lot of it and only harvests a small amount of it, and reseeds the harvested areas with ... sphagnum peat moss, which in the university greenhouse collection I help maintain grows quite quickly--I frequently have to cut it back to keep it from overwhelming our carnivorous plants that grow with it. In North American bogs, the moss grows several or more inches a year. The harvested bogs won't be replenished soon, but they aren't exactly turned into parking lots either. Then too, the harvesting process is not very carbon intensive in the scheme of things. You can read more about this perspective on the topic here: http://www.theecologist.org/blogs_and_comments/commentators/other_comments/1780209/the_truth_about_peat_moss.html and here: https://garden.org/urbangardening/?page=august_peat...See MoreCan alkaline soil make your tomatoes taste BLAND?
Comments (22)We've got very alkaline soil here (almost off the colour chart with those home kits), to the point where we actually have alkali flats spotted here and there around the countryside. This is the first year we've tried sulphering the garden and doing better with the spring ammendments. This is the most productive garden I think we've ever had! In my experience, no... alkaline soils most definitely do not contribute bland tomatoes. I'm not a lover of sweet toms; I like that super-zingy tomato flavour that starts hurting your tongue if you eat too many. The years where we've just been too busy and I haven't ammended (or had time to weed) the soil at all, we've had to burrow under weeds to find the tomatoes. While the plants and fruit were definitely smaller, the flavour... WOW! This year, we've been good with the water and ammendments, the plants are big and lush and the tomatoes are huge and plentiful, BUT I'm finding that my favourites are certainly not as zingy as in past years. I'm going to have to find a balance between flavour and production....See More
RedSun (Zone 6, NJ)
9 years agojohn222-gg
9 years agoUser
9 years agodrew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
9 years ago
clarkinks
9 years agodrew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
9 years ago
Related Stories
GARDENING GUIDESGreat Design Plant: Grow Blueberries for Their Fruit and More
Eastern gardeners should consider growing blueberry plants for their delicious fruits, bee-friendly spring blooms and brilliant fall foliage
Full Story
EDIBLE GARDENSSummer Crop: How to Grow Blueberries
Plant blueberries in spring or fall for garden beauty through three seasons — and a sweet superfood in summer
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESNew Ways to Think About All That Mulch in the Garden
Before you go making a mountain out of a mulch hill, learn the facts about what your plants and soil really want
Full Story
FARM YOUR YARDRemake Your Backyard Into a Mini Farm
You can get a taste of country life by line-drying your laundry, growing some produce or going whole hog with the critters
Full Story
EDIBLE GARDENSSummer Crops: How to Grow Tomatoes
Plant tomato seedlings in spring for one of the best tastes of summer, fresh from your backyard
Full Story
EDIBLE GARDENSHow to Grow 10 Favorite Fruit Trees at Home
Plant a mini orchard in fall, winter or early spring to enjoy fresh-off-the-tree fruit the following year
Full Story
EDIBLE GARDENSHow to Grow Your Own Cocktail Garden
Conceivably, anything edible could find its way into a cocktail. Why not make the route rather short?
Full Story
FARM YOUR YARD6 Things to Know Before You Start Growing Your Own Food
It takes time and practice, but growing edibles in the suburbs or city is possible with smart prep and patience
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESGreat Design Plant: Kumquats for a Juiced-Up Winter
Grow it for the edible fruit or its good looks alone. This citrus cousin will brighten any gray winter day
Full Story
EDIBLE GARDENSHow to Add an Apple Tree to Your Edible Garden
Readily available, beautiful and fragrant, apple trees offer four-season interest along with crisp, juicy fruit
Full Story
davidrt28 (zone 7)