[scabs]

Ok, elementary newbie question, I imagine, but how do I increase the acidity of my soil, do I add Lime?

My youngest has been saying he wants a blueberry for weeks, so we've just been out and bought one. I read that they should be planted in acid soil, mine's neutral.

As usual, thank you in advance for your patient advice.
Andrew

[sloworm]

Hi I have to blueberries growing in pots with ericaceous compost I think it is probably easier to control the acidity that way. They seem to prefer rain water to tap water as well. My understanding of lime is that it will make soil more alkaline.
Enjoy the blue berries

[DD.]

Lime is definitely a no no!!

I understand that pine needles can help.

[Bernard]

I understand that blueberries need very acid soil.
Ammonium sulphate will make it more acid, but let's be clear that I am more chemist than gardener. This would probably be the best answer for an appreciable area. Compared with organic methods it is quick acting but you would need to let it work then test before planting. Sulphur is also a way of acidifying an area but is slower. The most immediate answer I think is to use slowworm's method.

However, I have two bees in my bonnet:
British blackberries are more healthy than blueberries.
British bilberries taste better than blueberries.

[barney rubble]

Definitely keep to the rainwater for them...if you haven't got a water butt, leave a couple of buckets around permanently

[scabs]

Thanks all. Rainwater is no problem, I've got a couple of butts now and a couple more planned. I have a good source of old pine needles near work, so I'll grab myself a load!

Have to politely disagree, Bernard! My youngest is mad for blueberries! Now how can you argue with a three year old?!!!  :Dk

[KT]

Oh also worth noting that you need several blueberry plants of differing variety's for pollination. I "think" you can get self pollenating ones like "top hat??" but 99% of variety's do need a little soul mate to produce fruit.

sorry brain's not working i think top hat is self pollenating but i'd check your variety with google make sure it's ok all alone.

[Bernard]

My youngest is mad for blueberries! Now how can you argue with a three year old?!!! 

This is Americanisation gone mad! Education of the palate needed. Try the Kill or Cure method - a day picking bilberries. Some go on to do it every year, some never again. The rest of my family are unfortunately in the latter group.

[savbo]

I reckon the best way is to grow them in a pot, out of the ground or sunk in it. Then you can use either Azalea compost (not peat free though - at least I haven't found any) or acidify the soil in the pot with things like tea bags, pine needles and citrus peel.

Had three nice bushes (Guardian offer I think) but left them in Ireland

M

[AnnieB]

Easiest way is to grow in a pot. Just get Ericaceous compost as a starting point and a big pot. Don't use tap water. They do not like getting completely dry and seem fairly happy being completely wet.

I think that many are self pollinating but not to  a great extent, they will crop better if there is a second different variety.

Concerning pots, big. 18-20 inch or more. I noticed in Wilkinsons that they had large dark green "pots" but they were in the storage section not the gardening section. Probably meant to be used indoors for throwing bits into but they were £4, bigger then the gardening pots and had handles on the side to aid picking up. Just make a hole or 2 in the bottom.

[scabs]

My youngest is mad for blueberries! Now how can you argue with a three year old?!!! 

This is Americanisation gone mad!

He's three, Bernard. 

He eats, he likes, he wants...


Maybe pots are the way to go then. I have a few biggies not being used at the moment. My only concern is some b*gger making off with them. 

[sclarke624]

Oh also worth noting that you need several blueberry plants of differing variety's for pollination. I "think" you can get self pollenating ones like "top hat??" but 99% of variety's do need a little soul mate to produce fruit.

Just to add to KT's post (hope you don't mind KT), Trillium told me this:
Blueberries definitely need different cross pollinators, ones that flower at the same time, which is somewhat dependent on size. Short, tight plants will flower way earlier than the cultivated bush types so its a waste of time to buy one of each of those.
Cos you can get earlies, mids and late season.  I believe also more than one bush will give you more fruit although with one bush you will get some fruit. 
See here: http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=38272.msg455578#msg455578
From the pic on the link you can see the berries on the bush, it has taken this long, just noticed today, for one to  turn blue, think you have to leave them a bit after gone blue as well.  I was surprised at how long it took for them to turn blue.