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  • From: Mark Stutzman <mark AT transvantage.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Blueberries
  • Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2012 08:26:48 -0400

Gene-

I'm just starting out with some blueberries myself. The guy who has a garden show on the local NPR station recommends top-dressing them with a few inches of peat moss in spring and fall, rather than planting in pure peat.

I'm lucky enough that one of the local municipalities collects residents' fall leaves, composts them, and makes the compost available for free, so everything in my garden gets fertilized with that. When I planted the blueberries, I mixed half-and-half compost and our heavy clay soil, with a little bit of peat mixed in, and then 2 inches of peat on top.

This is only the second year I've had these plants, but they all look healthy, and one (the Tophat, which is a dwarf variety) is producing berries already. My theory is that planting in pure peat starves the plants of nutrients, but top dressing will acidify the soil a little bit with every rain/watering.

-mark

On 6/18/2012 8:50 PM, Gene GeRue wrote:
On Jun 17, 2012, at 3:58 PM, Gloria M wrote:

I'm not Lisa, but I'm here (lurk infrequently to see if anyone posted
anything). I raise blueberries - have for several years and am getting
fruit now. I have mine planted where they get half day sun and they seem
pretty happy. I amended the soil with peat at planting and added acidifier
even though my soil is on the acid side. So far, so good. I'd be happy to
try to help you figure out what's wrong if you'd like.

Hi, Gloria M. How long have you been here? Sorry if I should remember you.
Please remind, or tell us where you are and what you do in the homestead
realm.

What and how often do you feed your blueberries?

Gene

On Sun, Jun 17, 2012 at 2:52 PM, Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com> wrote:

Lisa Perry, you still here?

With substantially-home-produced goodies, we just consumed a fine meal.
For accoustical ambience I selected Scott's album, 8 Miles to Perryville.
Which of course reminded me of you. Which reminded me of your substantial
blueberry experience. I am very close to throwing up my hands and admitting
apple and blueberry production failure, due partly to more items on my menu
than time to enjoy them--the inevitable time challenges, the environmental
conditions here in this part of the Ozarks, and the knowledge that we can
buy good, organically grown fruit at somewhat reasonable prices.

As I move through geezerhoodism, I am more and more skeptical of the
proclamations of food producers. So, yeah, I ever more prefer to grow my
own.

We have thus far this year gorged on strawberries, cherries, and now
boysenberries. The blue fruit did not make it. But before I give up on
blueberries, I solicit you advice.

Gene GeRue
www.ruralize.com



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