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  • From: Michael Dossett <phainopepla@yahoo.com>
  • To: nafex mailing list at ibiblio <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [nafex] mulching blueberries with woodchips
  • Date: Mon, 24 Dec 2012 10:41:44 -0800 (PST)

Alan,
 
Telling the difference between a chlorosis derived from excessive pH and one
caused by poor drainage is actually fairly straight forward.  A combination
of leaf tissue nutrient analysis and soil pH testing, in this case, was
enough to confirm what was going on and verified the site history.  Overall,
leaf tissue nutrient analysis is a great way to monitor what is going on and
tells you far more than a simple soil test for nutrient analysis.
 
I noticed two things about your links to land grant university guidelines
about wood chips that are worth pointing out.  One is that they are for the
upper Midwest and the SE.  I already mentioned that pine-bark substrates and
mulches were the rule of thumb for production in the SE.  This fits very well
with their production systems and conditions.  The other thing I noticed 
about your links is that the actual guidelines (not the project report from
the grant, which only compared woodchips to no mulch and did not compare to
sawdust nor did it give actual guidelines) also recommended sawdust.  If you
read my email, I noted that in the Pacific Northwest, the conventional
treatment is sawdust, with or without compost underneath.  I'm not saying
that woodchips won't work, but if you read what I wrote, where wood chips or
hog fuel were used in side-by-side treatments under the same growing
conditions as compared to sawdust with and without compost,
sawdust performed better, therefor I would not recommend wood chips in this
area.  This is based on observations from grower's experimenting on their
own, as well as grower-managed replicated research plots and
university-managed trials. The links you provided are not at all
contradictory to the argument I was making, but don't provide enough
information for people to decide which of these was better, only that either
can be used as a mulch and that wood chips is better than no mulch at all. 
Aside from potential differences in the types of wood and trees that chips
may come from, wood chips and sawdust break-down differently and do different
things for the soil and at different rates.  They tie-up nitrogen differently
so that fertilization regimes will have to be adjusted, they need to be
replenished at different rates, they alter C/N ratio of the soil differently,
and in many areas where incorporation of sawdust is recommended,
incorporating wood
chips would also change porosity and drainage differently in addition to
magnifying the effects already mentioned.  These all go into adjusting the
production system, rather than merely one aspect and are likely to change
with different growing climates.
 
Oregon State University currently has a project for organic blueberry
production using weed mat as a weed control.  This is in various combinations
with sawdust and compost mulches on their own as well, as above and below the
weed mat.  One thing that has come out of the preliminary results, so far, is
an effect on soil temperature and canopy temperature that is changing the
rate of water use in the plants and also a change in the rate of loss of soil
organic matter.  Not to mention the fact that voles loved the weed mat and
the researchers found the need to bait under the mat to control them.  This
is the sort of project that will be able to provide real recomendations for
organic blueberry production down the road as it takes into account all
aspects of the production system including fertility, irrigation, and soil
management in addition to growth and yield.
 
Michael 

Michael Dossett
Mission, British Columbia
www.Mdossettphoto.com
phainopepla@yahoo.com

From: Alan Haigh <alandhaigh@gmail.com>
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2012 1:17 PM
Subject: [nafex] mulching blueberries with woodchips

Michael, how can you tell the difference from a chlorosis derived from
excessive pH from one caused by poor drainage?.  I'm a little suspicious
that those low points may have been like low points in many fields-
possessing poor drainage.  Of course this is an obvious observation that
was probably explored.

Here in the northeast woodchips are often used to mulch blueberries in home
orchard settings, which is all I'm knowledgeable about and I fail to see
why they should ever create problems- relatives like rhododendrons are
routinely mulched with shredded wood as well and these plants thrive under
this treatment at scores of estates I've seen. .  The only trouble I've
had  with shredded wood is that it sometimes mats up and excludes rain
water- it just runs off the surface.

I don't completely trust the kind of anecdotal examples you supply (not
that I'm not offering the same thing with much smaller scale examples).
I'd need a lot more info about how mulch was applied and what the weather
and soil issues were- actually I'd need to see the site myself to be
satisfied.  Always the problem with contradicting anecdotes.

Here are several mostly landgrant university guidlines that do recommend
mulching blueberries with woodchips.  I'd be interested in any research
based info you have on the affects of mulching blueberries with woodchips
as I couldn't find any actual research on the subject.

http://mysare.sare.org/mySARE/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewRept&pn=FNC97-193&y=1998&t=1

http://mysare.sare.org/mySARE/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewRept&pn=FNC97-193&y=1998&t=1

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/hil/hil-8207.html

http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/2001/3-23-2001/blueberries.html


>
>I have no doubt that what you say about humic acid production and mulching
blueberries may be true, but there are a lot of >variables at play, such as
what kind of mulch, or what kind of wood chips, and where the trees grew
etc.? Just as there are exceptions to every rule, there are circumstances
in which blueberries can be successfully grown in soils with a pH range
higher than the 4.5-5.5 typically recommended; however, as a general
guideline, most people will have the best shot at success if they follow
this.? I have been to literally hundreds of different blueberry operations
over the years, both in the NW and elsewhere?(there's more than 30,000
acres in blueberry production within a 45 minute drive of my house) and the
one thing I can say is that I absolutely cannot recommend wood chips as a
mulch for blueberries.? While some people may have success with it
elsewhere, in this area, every single field I've seen where they have
mulched with wood
chips or hog fuel, has underperformed, often times in comparison with the
same variety being grown by the same person just a few rows away with
conventional treatments of compost and sawdust.? As I've said, there are
always exceptions.? In Georgia and Florida, most of the commercial
blueberry production takes place in pine bark substrate, or with
incorporated pine bark in the soil.? They have developed a system where
this works for them, although they still have to acidify the soil.? In fact
one very large blueberry farm I visited in Florida last month was growing
primarily in a pine bark incorporated and mulched system with sulfuric acid
in the water to help acidify, and they still had iron deficiency in some
low spots in their fields.? It turns out that these spots were where there
were limestone tailings near the surface that had been left there decades
before, and they just couldn't get the soil and water acid enough in these
places to avoid
nutrient problems.
?
Every site is different and not all wood chips or other materials are the
same, and different cultivars certainly have a range of tolerances for
differing soil conditions and production practices.? I encourage people to
try to get their conditions as close to what the recommendations are as a
start, because I believe this will be their best chance for success.?
Having said that, sometimes you have to improvise and experiment to find
another solution, and I encourage people to do that too.
?
Michael
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Subject: Re: [nafex] Mulching blueberries
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Jim,
I so appreciate your comments, along with the thoughtful missives from
Michael Dossett. Keeping blueberries in my back yard is far simpler, it
seems, than in many other areas of our fair land. 

I just added sphagnum (peat) moss to shift things a bit to acid and provide
some organic material to the bare sand before planting the li'l guys, soaked
'em well every week or so, depending on the weather, and waited for growth.
At the end of the first season, I mulched with shavings taken out of the duck
shed. Have done that only once so far. A buddy, also in NAFEX, saw them and
exclaimed his aren't doing as well. His soil is more clay, from what I've
seen, and I think your observations could be of help for his hope to grow
blueberries.
 
My major concern was keeping the ducks from eating the plants down to the
ground! That happened last July when a barrier got overturned a month after
planting Patriot. It recovered, but I fear the newer growth may not be tough
enough to handle winter. It's supposed to be quite hardy. Here's hopin'.

A Question: Several times I've seen advice to avoid fertilizing blueberries -
they can be overwhelmed, apparently, chemically "burned" I suppose, which is
why duck droppings can be such a boon. What do you advise in encouraging
growth and fruit for blueberries?

Thanks, and Merry Christmas,

Dave Liezen


----------------------------------------
> From: jimfruth@charter.net
> To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> Date: Mon, 24 Dec 2012 12:04:51 -0600
> Subject: [nafex] Mulching blueberries
>
> My blueberries are planted in silt-fence fabric that I got from a road
> construction site. It does the mulching job even better that the pine
> needle mulch that I used to use. Best of all, it doesn't need replacing.
>
> Jim Fruth
> Pequot Lakes, MN
>
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