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- Q.Time To Plant The Berry Bushes - We are living in NC near Charlotte. We would like to have a garden with fruit trees and berries. We ...
- Q.Organic Minerals For Blueberries - My blueberry plants exhibit iron and magnesium deficiency. We amended the soil pH and used an organic fertilizer last year. ...
- Q.Planting Space - I just purchased two blueberry bushes. How far apart do I plant them?
- Q.Blueberries - I planted 10 blueberry bushes last fall and this is the third season to grow. They were two years old ...
- Q.Is Sulpher Coated Urea Organic? - We are growing blueberries in 6-6.5 pH clay laom and I would like to lower the pH of the soil, ...
- Q.Coffee Grounds And Pine Needles For Blueberries - May I ask a question about acidifying soil? We have 52 blueberry bushes planted in our nice Indiana clay loam, ...
- Q.Blueberry Bush Pests - We planted several blueberry bushes in late fall. They are doing well and are showing signs of life. They do ...
Asked by
Anonymous on
February 13, 2014Q.Time to Plant the Berry Bushes
We are living in NC near Charlotte. We would like to have a garden with fruit trees and berries. We bought blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and grapes at our local Lowe's store. Plants are wrapped. When can we put them outside in the ground? Or should we wait, and for how long? Also, if we have to wait, should we unwrap it and water it?
Answered by
Nikki on
February 13, 2014
Certified ExpertA.I would go ahead and unwrap the plants, watering them when dry to the touch. These articles should help with planting: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/blueberries/growing-blueberry.htm, https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/raspberry/care-of-raspberry-plants.htm, https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/blackberries/growing-blackberry-bushes.htm, https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/grapes/growing-grapevines.htm You may also consider growing your berries in containers. This article will provide info on doing this: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/berries/berries-growing-container.htm
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- Asked by
Anonymous on
February 20, 2014Q.Organic Minerals for Blueberries
My blueberry plants exhibit iron and magnesium deficiency. We amended the soil pH and used an organic fertilizer last year. We want to keep our plants certified organic. I know that berries need a lot of minerals, but I don`t how to find just what minerals to use and if they would be considered organic. I used a foliar seaweed/epsom salt mix last fall to try to keep them healthy and some still lost leaves. I would like to know what to use this spring to keep them healthy and growing.
- Answered by
Nikki on
February 19, 2014
Certified ExpertA.Really, your best bet is adding good amounts of compost, as this will have a wide variety of minerals and nutrients the plants need. You may want to look into making compost tea. This article will help with that: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/basics/compost-tea.htm
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Anonymous on
March 2, 2014Q.Planting Space
I just purchased two blueberry bushes. How far apart do I plant them?
- Answered by
Nikki on
March 1, 2014
Certified ExpertA.They should be spaced anywhere from 2 1/2 to 6 feet apart. For cross-pollination to occur, they should be planted within 10-20 ft of each other. For additional information on growing blueberries, this article should help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/blueberries/growing-blueberry.htm
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Anonymous on
March 3, 2014Q.Blueberries
I planted 10 blueberry bushes last fall and this is the third season to grow. They were two years old potted when I planted them. My question is, how much fertilizer should I use per plant? I was told by the nursery to use 19-19-19. The bushes are 2 to 3 feet tall.
- Answered by
Nikki on
March 3, 2014
Certified ExpertA.Blueberries require acidic fertilizer (much like that of azalea plants). This article will help you with the fertilizing: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/blueberries/blueberry-fertilizer.htm You may want to check the soil pH as well. This article will help you with proper soil pH for gorwing blueberries: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/blueberries/lower-soil-ph-blueberries.htm
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Anonymous on
March 6, 2014Q.Is Sulpher Coated Urea Organic?
We are growing blueberries in 6-6.5 pH clay laom and I would like to lower the pH of the soil, but we are trying to keep our garden organic. Is sulpher coated urea considered organic? Pine needles and coffee grounds seem to be ineffective in getting the pH below 6. Would you have any suggestions for a fertilizer that would lower the pH and still be organic?
- Answered by
Nikki on
March 6, 2014
Certified ExpertA.Yes, it is organic. It is considered a slow release organic fertilizer. Diluted vinegar is a great, quick way to do it. It won't last long term, but can give it a shot while you wait for other methods to take effect. Use 2 tbls per 1 gallon of water and water the plants with it once a week. It's not technically a fertilizer, but can be used in conjunction with your regular fertilizing schedule. If you have not read it, this article will be helpful: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/blueberries/lower-soil-ph-blueberries.htm
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Anonymous on
March 7, 2014Q.Coffee Grounds and Pine Needles for Blueberries
May I ask a question about acidifying soil? We have 52 blueberry bushes planted in our nice Indiana clay loam, which has a pH of 6-6.5. Blueberries like it from 4.5-5. I have read that coffee grounds are really low in pH and would like to use them with our pine needles to organically acidify the soil. (The pH of pine needles is 6-6.5). My question is, is it better to mix the coffee grounds and pine needles in a compost pile and let it decompose first, or can I place them both directly on the blueberries? Some folks say that in the process of decomposing, the grounds and needles can actually leach nitrogen from the soil. Others say that in a compost pile, coffee grounds lose their low pH. Are the coffee grounds and pine needles sufficient in themselves to feed the blueberries, or do we need a real fertilizer to do that job? Any light you can shed would be greatly appreciated.
- Answered by
Nikki on
March 7, 2014
Certified ExpertA.It should be ok to place the coffee grounds and pine needles around the area as is, no need to compost first as they will not harm the plants and will eventually break down into the soil. These articles should help you with that: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/ingredients/coffee-grounds-gardening.htm, https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/blueberries/lower-soil-ph-blueberries.htm
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Anonymous on
March 28, 2014Q.Blueberry Bush Pests
We planted several blueberry bushes in late fall. They are doing well and are showing signs of life. They do have limbs on the ground beneath them and all around them. They appear to have been snipped or cut off at a slight angle. They are too high off the ground for a rabbit to have chewed them off. We considered deer, but there are not any tracks in soft dirt. It is various sizes of limbs off. They do not appear to have been chewed but are flat on the end with a very neat line of the cut. What could have happened to the limbs? How can we treat?
- Answered by
Nikki on
March 27, 2014
Certified ExpertA.It may be twig blight. It does start about this time of year. This article will help: http://ipm.ncsu.edu/small_fruit/twigblt.html
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