[Geordie]

I've just bought 3 new blueberry plants for my plot. They are about 6" high and in 9cm pots at the moment.

My question is: Where should I plant them?

I have done some research and I understand they are acidic soil lovers and I think most people think they are better off in containers? However, can they be grown in the ground and what do I need to do to keep the soil acidic?

I have some blue barrels that are cut in half - could I use these as containers and fill with ericacious compost?

My choice would be direct in the soil as I wouldn't have to worry about watering.

Any advice would be most welcome as I'm not sure what would be best 

[gowing238]

i bought 5 blueberry plants last year. Got two 50litre bags of eracious compost, dug 5 big holes and planted them up. They started off as a fist sized plant last september, they are now 5 good sized bushes. Plan this autumn is go up forestry, collect a few bag fulls of pine needles and mulch with them. (Very acidic) Then give a good feed of bfb in spring!!

[cooperman]

whats your soil like? ie heavy clay, sandy, rich loam?

[Geordie]

My soil is neither heavy clay or rich loam - somewhere in the middle I think - is that what's called silt?

[Trillium]

Blueberries will adapt to almost any soil provided there's enough acidity and water for them. They also don't mind part shade if that's all you've got. Throw ericaicous mix into the soil, or lots of rotted chicken manure, or simply use special fertilizers that create ericacious levels.

As for pots or ground, it matters more what space you want to give them. Pots do require very regular watering, make no mistake, while ground planting is a bit more forgiving, but does need bi- or weekly watering. Both will work. It's your choice.

[Growster...]

I've just moved two blueberries from home onto the patch. They're about two ft six high, and were being swamped at home.

They're in a 9 ft by 4 ft bed on their own, as I want to propagate them some time in the future, and I need a big bushy plant with good stems for that! (They're sooooo expensive, it must be worth doing...)

Correct about the ericaceous compost mix, and also, they're getting all the old tea bags as well. Coffee works as well, and of course a few pine needles, but it seems the jury's out on whether these needls really do very much. I'll be putting some on anyway, as they are a great conditioner in this particular circumstance.

Good luck with yours anyway, they really are a great crop to grow!

[angeltreats]

I hope it's ok to bump an old thread?

I've bought a couple of blueberry canes from the pound shop - I couldn't resist.  However the soil at our allotment is alkaline and I'm wondering whether it would be enough to dig some eracaceous compost into a raised bed and regularly add some coffee grounds and teabags, or would I be better off keeping them in pots at home?  I'd really prefer to have them on the allotment but don't know if I would just be creating too much work for myself. 

[Trillium]

They're quite forgiving plants so if you mix in lots of ericaceous compost into the growing holes along with some rotted manure and a handful of BFB meal, they'll be happy. The key with them is to water often so they're always lightly moist but never soggy.

Each year, give them a nice 'mulch' of more ericacaceous compost and either pine needles or an acidic fertilizer solution. I believe Miracle Gro makes the latter, one that's good for rhodos and azaleas.

[angeltreats]

Thanks!

Can you actually buy rotted manure?  I'm going to ask round the local farms as I know some of them will sell bags of manure but I presume it's fresh.

[Trillium]

You'd have to ask the farms. Most stables are pretty much suppliers of fresh stuff; farms just might have older stuff around.

[JayG]

I planted my two blueberry bushes about 5 years ago in soil which had been growing heathers quite well so assumed that with a bit of ericaceous compost in the planting holes that they would do quite well with the occasional feed, leaf-mould mulch, and watering with rainwater.

They have cropped well, but not produced much new growth, which will eventually be a problem as they fruit on old wood which doesn't last forever.........

On checking the pH a few weeks ago it was around neutral, which in one respect suggests they are more adaptable than you might expect, but is also probably the reason why they are not growing as strongly as they should.

I am now undertaking a regime of sulphur chips, acid moss peat mulching, and will later try feeding with ammonium sulphate to see if I can get the pH down to something a bit more suitable for them.

(So, not always true that "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger"!!)   

[Growster...]

Bung on the tea leaves from the teabags Jay?

Can't be too difficult, and the very best of luck!

[JayG]

Thanks Growster, but lowering soil PH is a lot more difficult than raising it, and I'm not sure teabags and luck alone will deliver what is required in this particular case.

[plot53b]

Thanks for asking this angeltreats. I was actually wondering the same thing after considering how many pots of Blueberry's we were buying and then seeing they had come from Mexico 

So we have decided to buy our own plants this year and put them in the ground. I work full time so miss the odd days visit in the summer - I think if they are in the ground you get a little more grace with watering!

[angeltreats]

I've started keeping a pot in the kitchen to throw all my old coffee grounds and teabags into, which I intend to throw in my blueberry bed along with the ericaceous compost - thinking I'll also put a couple of raspberry canes in there as Alan Titchmarsh reckons they like acidic soils too - does that sound about right?