The Tropical Fruit Forum

Temperate Fruit & Orchards => Temperate Fruit Discussion => Topic started by: zephian on March 25, 2019, 02:05:34 PM

Title: Blueberries
Post by: zephian on March 25, 2019, 02:05:34 PM

I have 3 blueberry bushes in 5 gallon pots with wood chip mulch that are doing great and blooming pretty heavily right now but I've heard they like acidic soil.
Should I be adding coffee grounds, or pine mulch on top of these or using an acidic fert?

thanks,

Title: Re: Blueberries
Post by: z_willus_d on March 25, 2019, 02:15:48 PM

Quote from: zephian on March 25, 2019, 02:05:34 PM

I have 3 blueberry bushes in 5 gallon pots with wood chip mulch that are doing great and blooming pretty heavily right now but I've heard they like acidic soil.
Should I be adding coffee grounds, or pine mulch on top of these or using an acidic fert?

thanks,

Kris, I use a mixture of all three on my blue berries (potted and in ground):
(1) Amend soil with sulfur and peat moss;
(2) mulch with pine-needles.
(3) Use Azalea fertilizer or cottonseed when I have it
(4) Measure from time to time with a good pH meter.

BTW, I've read that coffee-grinds only lower the soil pH (or is it acidity) temporarily, but maybe that's just because worms break it down into neutral castings.  It could also be the carbon sequestering ions, etc.

Your biggest challenge will probably be keeping the birds and other critters off the crop.  I'd like to snack on the berries off the shrubs over time, but that just gives them more time to assail the harvest.  Same goes for peaches!!!

Title: Re: Blueberries
Post by: zephian on March 25, 2019, 05:33:14 PM

Quote from: z_willus_d on March 25, 2019, 02:15:48 PM

Quote from: zephian on March 25, 2019, 02:05:34 PM

I have 3 blueberry bushes in 5 gallon pots with wood chip mulch that are doing great and blooming pretty heavily right now but I've heard they like acidic soil.
Should I be adding coffee grounds, or pine mulch on top of these or using an acidic fert?

thanks,

Kris, I use a mixture of all three on my blue berries (potted and in ground):
(1) Amend soil with sulfur and peat moss;
(2) mulch with pine-needles.
(3) Use Azalea fertilizer or cottonseed when I have it
(4) Measure from time to time with a good pH meter.

BTW, I've read that coffee-grinds only lower the soil pH (or is it acidity) temporarily, but maybe that's just because worms break it down into neutral castings.  It could also be the carbon sequestering ions, etc.

Your biggest challenge will probably be keeping the birds and other critters off the crop.  I'd like to snack on the berries off the shrubs over time, but that just gives them more time to assail the harvest.  Same goes for peaches!!!

My berry bushes are usually safe because I have a husky who never likes to go inside... My cherries are a different matter. Before I chopped my 27+ year old bing tree down last year the birds cleared it out in ONE day as soon as they turned red :(

Title: Re: Blueberries
Post by: Isaac-1 on April 05, 2019, 07:25:12 PM

I would suggest testing pH with a color match test strip or reagent instead of an electronic pH meter, unless you have a recently calibrated lab grade pH meter.

Title: Re: Blueberries
Post by: NateTheGreat on April 05, 2019, 07:31:37 PM

From what I've read used coffee grounds and brown pine needles won't actually acidify the soil. I put chicken manure and sulfur on mine.