Blueberry pancakes.....or so I thought
eld6161
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
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Thoughts on Blueberry Growing Medium?
Comments (4)If I am understanding you correctly your Sunshine's did well in the gritty mix, but the berries withered over the summer? If that is the case, it's not abnormal. Lack of adequate pollination can result in flowers aborting or even fruits starting and not getting far before aborting. Likewise, fruits left on the plant past ripe will rot/wither. Since your other BBs seemed to perform better in the 5-1-1 than the gritty mix for you I would suggest using the 5-1-1 until you feel you have grasped an understanding of why one thing works the way you want and the other does not. It is true that in nature BB are adapated to grow with mycorrhizae, but in a container these guys won't readily establish and even if they did it's questionable what value they would add within a container. Symbiotic fungi can protect roots against pathogenic root pests, can grow into soil areas roots can't and can thus provide water and nutrients from areas roots can't grow. I can't think of any case where BB in a container would need this to do well. If you are having difficulty keeping up with watering with the 5-1-1 mix then a 3-1 bark/turface mix may help a bit, but so would choosing a larger pot which will hold more mix and thus more water without being excessively water retentive....See Morehow can I tell which blueberry variety I have?
Comments (6)Unless you get a DNA test, there's absolutely no way you'll ever figure out what you have. Sure, I can tell a Bluecrop from a Blueray (if they're planted beside each other and I know those are my two choices), but there are so many varieties of blueberries it's just not easy to look at a bush and name the variety. Well, Star, a southern highbush variety, has a very distinctive calyx end on the fruit, thus the name Star. Even though one sees a lot of posts on these forums about blueberries doing better with cross pollination, it's not necessary for good producion. The great majority of commercial plantings are in large (10+ acre) blocks of single varieties. Research shows that not all varieties even benefit from cross pollination. Even those that do benefit from cross pollination still produce adequate crops. Your problem is likely due to an environmental factor (too high pH, not enough water, etc) as Don suggested. Also, Don's question of whether the problem is that they're not blooming or not setting fruit is important. It may just be that you have very low bee populations in your area. Blueberries do require bees for pollination. If you post some pictures of your plants, we might be able to help more! Also, blueberries need a lot more water than other plants. They have extremely shallow root systems (often all of the roots are in the upper 12") and no root hairs, so are not very good at taking up water....See MoreSo... did I kill my blueberries, or what?
Comments (7)Yay! Sorry took me so long to respond... lost my internet connection for a bit, and was too busy outside to mess with that. But, I got all your great advice, and have been a busy little bee since then... They are starting to 'bud out' now... so it can't be all that bad. I Took some pictures for you guys, and set up a blueberry album in photobucket, in case you want to see these blueberry babies... they are such cute little guys. I've promised myself that if I can keep them alive through next winter... I can buy myself a third variety next spring. (Keeping fingers crossed) So, after hearing what you guys had to say... I've moved all six blueberry plants; and buried their pots in the ground today. Glad to hear they will tolerate staying in pots for now, but I'm still hoping this is just temporary. Will stop using the garden Sulfur... but it's already been a couple months since I started putting it in those new beds. I really didn't think it would take that long, but I'm such a darn newbie in this area... what the hek do I know. Also... will stop adding vinegar to their drinking water. Incidentally, they started budding out the day after I did those 'emergency' vinegar baths. Coincidence? (My tap water is super alkaline...around 7.6, or so. I'm sure they don't like it) One more question if you don't mind... My "Jack's classic" fertilizers arrived today and I've got special blueberry food in the house. Since these guys are starting to bud out now... can I give them a tad of fertilizer for acid lovers?(17-6-6) That is, if I promise not to over do it. I'm so excited about having blueberries... thank's for all the replies, and especially for the great advice too. I'll be back... Leslie in CO Here is a link that might be useful: Pictures of my blueberry babies......See MoreHow often do I need to acidify the soil of my blueberry bushes?
Comments (8)Hello TGibson, Sulfite,is that Sulfur?If it is Sulfur,a yellowish powder or granule,it can be put on about once a year,about a couple tablespoons per plant,mixed gently into the soil surface.It may take about that long to see results though,as the microbes change it to Sulfuric acid. It is a good idea to see what the actual soil pH is,by way of a soil test or an accurate meter. It will probably make a difference to pull the berries off the first couple of years,so that the plant can grow more in roots and leaves.Not so much fun on our part. Bumblebees are usually the most common pollinators of Blueberries and they will fly a good distance between plants. Strawberries also like an acid soil.I'm not sure about Raspberries. I also have a Pink Lemonade Blueberry plant,that I picked up early this Spring and it is growing like a weed.It only has a few berries though,which I'm eager to try. What is your soil amended with?I use Pine bark mulch and Moss Peat.About 70/30 mix. I'm going to close with the words that the man who welcomed me on this forum a little over a year ago, when I announced my intentions to grow them."Blueberries are the easiest things to grow until their not".Have fun and I hope they do really well. Brady...See Moreeld6161
4 years ago
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