acidify soil after planting blueberries? - Page 2

 




    LOL! Easy: Assuming them to be mature productive plants, they get
hedged with chain saws as soon as possible after their last picking.
Used hedge clippers at one time but the chain saws are much faster,
noisier, and stinkier. Someone may or may not come along and open up the
plants' interiors with actual pruning tools. Doesn't do the plant a lot
of good, long term, but it sure does stimulate new growth! Runaways and
interior crossing branches are removed throughout the year and, after
bud differentiation, so are  vegetative canes. During the first 3-4
years out of the nursery, the plants are pruned only enough to establish
good foundations and open, bushy, round plants.
    I don't think that blueberry culture in FL's humid two-season
climate is exactly the same as it is elsewhere in N.A. but if I were
willing to do the dance to grow them in a home garden here I'd prune
them very much like azaleas. That is, prune for maximum new growth and
as the season progresses remove crossing branches and runaways so as to
keep the crown open.
--
the Balvenieman

 

 >Of course, your post begs the question, "If you knew about the pH, then
 >why didn't you prepare your planting site?

   A couple of reasons.  One, I'm a procrastinator.  I hadn't even
really decided exactly where I wanted the blueberry plants - I just knew
I wanted to try growing some again.

   Second, the place I ordered them from said they stopped doing Spring
shipping in late April, then resumed in Fall.  Since it was past the
middle of May, I figured they would send me the plants in the fall, and
I had plenty of time to decide where they would go.

   Instead, the plants arrived on a busy day, and just before my wife
and I planned to leave for 3 days.  I was able to dig the holes, place
some dehydrated plastic in, and then top dress with composted cow
manure.  Now I've finally found a local place with aluminum sulfate.
Long term, I'll also apply some peat moss and elemental sulfur.

 




    Isn't that the way it always goes? Are these the same blueberries
that are interfering with your possible placement of rain collectors? If
so, why not consider moving the hedge enough to make space for your a
rainwater storage system? For practical use for more than porch
container plants, think in terms of hundreds of gallons.

 

On 5/20/2010 8:49 PM, Ohioguy wrote:

   Although it is not the most effective method, you can work some peat
   moss into the soil as an interim measure.  Here in the northern
   suburbs of Chicago, we have similar issues with stores.  I can still
   find what I need in nearby nurseries.  Have you tried those?

                        Sherwin