Adjust soil pH as necessary for optimum blueberry growth levels by adding an acidifying agent. Wait until mid-spring to transplant the blueberry plant. Till pre-moistened peat moss into the site, using a gardening hoe. Blueberries thrive in acidic soils. Take care that the blueberry roots do not dry out during the transplanting process. Aerobically decomposed compost provides the greatest benefits to blueberry plants. When using sphagnum peat moss to acidify the soil, backfill with a mixture that is half soil and half moistened peat moss. Once your peat … This added layer of peat moss will help the pH level stay acidic, as well as conserving water within the immediate area. Perform a pH test using a kit purchased from a garden supply store or use your local Cooperative Extension Service to test the pH of your soil after incorporating the organic material. Till clay soil sites 1- to 2-feet deep and 36- to 48-inches wide. Peat moss is commonly recommended, but pine needles, leaves and other tree fallout work just as well. Prune ou… Reed/sedge peat is brown to black in color, mucky feeling and is … If the plant is particularly difficult to release, water the pot's edges slightly with a watering can to loosen the soil. Often, one pound of moist spaghnum peat moss per shrub … Then water well. Highbush blueberries are normally planted at least 5 feet apart in rows 8 to 10 feet apart. The following ratios for Peat Moss to Pine Fines (Pine-based soil conditioner) are based on a 1 (One) acre blueberry installation project at 1,049 plants per acre. A researcher we quoted in an old OG story on blueberry growing specified a minimum of one five-gallon bucket of milled peat per plant. However, the use of local food industry by-products to replace peat moss requires testing and careful planning for success. In addition to this, peat moss does not comprise weed seeds or other harmful microorganisms. Transplanting a blueberry seedling with peat moss will ensure that you have a well-drained soil consistency with the correct pH level. It’s light brown in color. The pine fines allow the soil to drain and is also a good acidifier. Blueberry bushes do not like heavy soil that contains clay. If the shrub is pot bound gently tease the roots to encourage root expansion into the potting media. Backfill with good topsoil and a small amount of thoroughly moistened peat moss. The addition of peat moss could lower the pH into the range you would like. The pH needs for container blueberries are the same; between 4.8 and 5.2. After planting, thoroughly water each blueberry plant. The plant can become top heavy if allowed to fruit with an unestablished root system. In these cases fertilizer applications has to be increased threefold to produce vigorous growth. This will provide nutrients as well as a heavier, more wind resistant, pot. Use enough peat moss so that the site's height becomes level with the remaining garden. Most gardeners will find that their garden soil needs to be more acidic to grow blueberries. I also use peat moss to make my pink hydrangeas turn blue. Choose an acidic soil with a pH of 4.0 to 5.0 for best results. However, if pets ingest peat moss, they may suffer gastrointestinal irritation, including nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting. You would be adding organic matter, but peat is somewhat resistant to decomposition. Blueberries like acidic soils, meaning soils with a low pH (generally in the 4.5 to 5.5 range) and a higher concentration of organic matter. If the manure or leaves are not thoroughly composted, postpone planting blueberry bushes for one or two months after tilling the compost into the soil to allow further decomposition of the organic materials. Cover the soil with peat moss mulch; the layer should be no more than 4 inches deep. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Drive down the pH by adding sulfur, and improve the soil quality by working in compost and/or peat moss. Give them plenty of water but don’t drench the plants. Prune the blueberry plant so that its flower buds are removed completely. When preparing blueberry planting sites in the fall, spread 3 to 4 inches of composted pine sawdust or bark 18- to 24-inches wide over a planting row or 18- to 24-inches square for a single plant. It is not necessary to add fertilizer during transplanting. When we talk about peat moss uses, one cannot forget about the seed starting process. Add between 4 and 6 inches of peat moss to the top of the soil if your soil needs slight modification. The incorporation of peat moss in the soil at planting also provides higher yields in following years. Do not put any fertilize in the planting hole. Due to its acidic pH value, peat moss is an ideal material for acid loving plants like camellias and blueberries. Sprinkled in cereal or muffins, the versatile blueberry offers a sweet treat along with a plant known for its beautiful foliage. IMPORTANT NOTE! Blueberries like a soil that is high in organic matter. An easier mix is half sphagnum peat moss and half potting soil. Sphagnum peat comes from sphagnum moss and is available in small bags or larger compressed bundles. I recently planted 10 blueberry plants and would like to know what is the best mulch to use. The pH of peat moss is slightly acidic. A site with full sun is best. These can be bought at our blueberry nursery in Oakland,KY. Blueberries also do well in patio containers and offer a great way for apartment and condo dwellers and those with little or no yard to enjoy blueberries. Incorporation of organic matter into the soil also improves soil aeration, necessary to plant health and productivity. The outer layer contains fiber useful in making brushes and stuffing materials. Place the blueberry into the potting media and plant it the same depth as it was in its container. Set the plant slightly deeper than it was set in the nursery and water thoroughly. Is peat moss toxic to dogs or cats? Soil: Blueberries require acid soil with a pH of 4.5 to 4.8. Blueberries are fibrous-rooted shrubs requiring acidic soil and ample organic matter for optimum growth. Formulated to maintain a soil pH of 5.5, Dr. Earth Acid Lovers Planting Mix is designed specifically with plants such as blueberries in mind. They are very sensitive to drying out so they need plenty of water, especially in the early years. Peat moss is an important component of most potting soils and … Before Adding Peat Moss to the Soil Measure your soil's pH. It's best to locate your blueberry plants in an area where irrigation is readily available as best results will be achieved by keeping the root zone moist throughout the growing season. It plays a vital role as a seed starting medium. Set healthy 2 or 3-year old plants in early spring. NON-BULK Ratios: 1 (3.8 cu’) bags Peat Moss/4 (1.5 cu’) bags Pine Soil Conditioner* To loosen the soil, mix dehydrated cow manure, garden compost or peat moss (up to 1/3 concentration) into your pile of topsoil. Gently hand loosen the pot around the blueberry plant by rocking it side to side. There should be a mixture of 50% pine fines and 50% peat moss. Composted pine sawdust or bark can replace peat moss in soils containing less than 2-percent organic matter. If your soil is alkaline, you’ll either need to do a LOT of soil amending, or grow you blueberries in a container. If not amending the soil with sphagnum peat moss, backfill with the original soil. Spaghnum peat moss substitutes or additives are frequently used for container-grown blueberries. You can also add our Coco-Fiber Potting Medium or 2 or more inches of organic material and work in evenly with the existing soil. Coir is the mesocarp, middle layer, of the coconut hull. With an electronics degree and more than 10 years of experience, she applies her love of gadgets to the gardening world as she continues her education through college classes and gardening activities. Blueberries … Buy direct from: https://www.DiMeoFarms.com and we can give you the best price on organic peat moss since blueberry plants love peat moss. Additionally, you can also add peat moss or pine needles to up the acidity level. You should have a small mound at the base of the blueberry plant. Combining her interests in both of these fields, Kilpatrick is a professional flower grower and a practicing, licensed mental health therapist. But don't fill the hole with just peat moss; you need the compost and soil in there to provide food and stability for the plants. The soil will be easier to till and optimum sunlight will be readily available in your garden. Writing professionally since 2010, Amy Rodriguez cultivates successful cacti, succulents, bulbs, carnivorous plants and orchids at home. If the pH is too high the leaves will be yellow and the plants will struggle to grow. A graduate of East Carolina University, Kilpatrick writes for national and regional publications. I have a compounded question. Keep the plants mulched 4 to 6 inches deep with pine bark nuggets, pine straw or pine saw… Food industry by-products, such as peanut, cocoa bean, or rice hulls; cottonseed meal; ground corn cobs or cranberry fruits and leaves can be used successfully as alternatives to peat moss. Peat moss is not poisonous to dogs or cats. Work the peat moss into the soil completely. Because it is so acidic, it should only be used for acid-loving plants such as blueberries, or in soils that are naturally neutral or alkaline. Use a 50-50 mix of potting soil and peat moss as your planting media. Growing sucker plants from blueberries is easy. Consult your local nursery or the WSU extension office for soil testing options. You want the plant to concentrate on acclimating to its planting site rather than fruiting or blooming in the first year. Gardeners use peat moss mainly as a soil amendment or ingredient in potting soil. Place the blueberry plant into the tilled soil. The acidity peat moss adds to soil makes it especially beneficial for acid-loving blueberry plants. For these reasons, I add 40% peat moss and 10% compost, then the remaining native soil should make up the last 50%. For Judy Kilpatrick, gardening is the best mental health therapy of all. Where the soil is not ideal or marginally-drained, raised beds are an excellent option. This, combined with its absorbency, makes it ideal for starting seedlings and is why peat moss is an essential component in most seed starting mixes. The addition of this low pH organic matter improves both soil moisture-holding capacity and soil drainage. Scoop out half of the soil from a chosen site that is 1 foot deep and 2 feet in diameter, using a shovel. Select a sunny location with well-drained soil that is free of weeds and is well-worked. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. How to Plant a Sunshine Blue Southern Highbush, University of Georgia: Home Garden Blueberries, University of Minnesota Extension: Blueberries for Home Landscapes, How to Water Transplanted Blueberry Plants. Dig a planting hole at least twice as large as the blueberry plant root system. Well-drained sites, such as sandy soils, can be tilled to a depth of one foot. Is peat moss good for blueberry bushes? Blueberries prefer very acidy soil -- a pH of down around 4.5 to 5 is ideal. This volume is based on plants every 4′ apart in a row, with rows being 10′ apart. Amend clay or sandy soils with well-composted manure or leaves to add organic matter to blueberry sites. Allow the root system to hover above the topsoil by approximately 1 to 2 inches. It may reduce it precipitously. Grown in acidic soil, this fruit needs full sun to generate juicy berries. Compost food by-products prior to use as a soil amendment or mulch for blueberries and soil test to determine pH levels. Some purchased Canadian sphagnum peat moss was mixed with tap water and allowed to re-hydrate for 24 hours. Moisten dry peat moss before mixing with soil. Also, it is possible to overcome the harmful effects of high soil pH by incorporating sawdust into the soil in which rabbiteye blueberries were grown. Peat moss doesnt contain harmful microorganisms or weed seeds that you may find in poorly processed compost. Often, one pound of moist spaghnum peat moss per shrub is added at the time of planting. Wait until new growth occurs during the following spring to apply all-purpose fertilizer. Since it doesnt compact or break down readily, one application of peat moss lasts for several years. The peat moss helps to increase the acidity, making it better suited for African violets, azaleas, rhododendrons, and blueberries. We highly recommend you have your soil checked to ensure the proper ... (You will need to prepare the peat moss prior to planting. How to Treat Apple Scab Without Chemicals, The University of Florida: Coir Dust: A Viable Alternative to Peat Moss, University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension: Growing Blueberries in Containers, Colorado State University: College of Agricultural Sciences: Blueberries in Pots Project, North Carolina State University: Growing Blueberries in the Home Garden, Ohio State University: Mulching Landscape Plants, Rutgers University: Effects of Mulching Blueberry Plants with Cranberry Fruits and Leaves on Yield, Nutrient Uptake and Weed Suppression, Organic Soil Preparation for Growing Blueberries, How to Treat Your Ground to Plant Tomatoes. Blueberries require acidic but well-drained soil and that’s what Canadian peat provides. 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