North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["JAMES ELIE" <tomelzear@earthlink.net>]

Hey Alan,

 

I cannot recall the source but, I believe that somewhere online are the results of a study on soil preferences for blueberries.  Basically, it said that blueberries disliked calcium and loved magnesium in their soil.   You did mention that you were preparing the soil for blueberries and strawberries. With the low calcium levels, you may want to maintain them  in the area where the blueberry beds are going. 

 

If anyone out there can help with recalling the source of that study,  it could be of value in this situation. 

 

Best of luck with all your growing.  Preparing growing beds can be a very big deal, especially with blueberries.

 

Jim Elie 

Green Bay WI

zone 4/5 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Alan Haigh

To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Sent: 1/2/2009 7:00:33 PM

Subject: [NAFEX] agronimy question

Forget what I suggested about the soils I'm trying to amend being sodic.  They don't fit the definition upon further reading.  The soils I'm dealing with are deficient in calcium but have an excessively high pH of 7.6.  I'm assuming that I'll have to add gypsum to increase the calcium without driving up the pH further and than add additional sulfur to bring the pH down.  I just wondered if anyone out ther has encountered a similar soil and if they succesfullly brought down the pH  and if so with what quantities of what.