Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

homestead - Re: [Homestead] Blueberries

homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Homestead mailing list

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>
  • To: mark AT transvantage.com, homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Blueberries
  • Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2012 13:29:11 -0500

Mark, that makes sense to me--put something acid on top and rain or
irrigation water will percolate it down into the root zone. Same with high
nutrient compost.

I totally agree that planting in pure peat starves plants of nutrients. When
I dig up these dead bushes I will do so carefully; I want to see if
contiguous soil or compost has migrated into the peat.

We make our own compost of grass clippings, oak leaves macerated with the
mower, chicken manure and of course a wide variety of household waste
products, plus garden weeds, spoiled veggies, etc, plus flood detritus,
mostly twigs, bark and leaves. Oh, and sawdust.

Gene


On Jun 19, 2012, at 7:26 AM, Mark Stutzman wrote:

> 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
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Homestead list and subscription:
>>> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/homestead
>>> Change your homestead list member options:
>>> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/homestead/genegerue%40ruralize.com
>>> View the archives at:
>>> https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/homestead
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Homestead list and subscription:
>> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/homestead
>> Change your homestead list member options:
>> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/homestead/mark%40transvantage.com
>> View the archives at:
>> https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/homestead
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Homestead list and subscription:
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/homestead
> Change your homestead list member options:
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/homestead/genegerue%40ruralize.com
> View the archives at:
> https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/homestead
>
>
>





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page