Blueberries

waterbaby

Hi all,

I am a small-time gardener, as I have very young children inc. twin babies and for reasons of time and safety I cannot indulge as I would like. I do bits here and there as and when I get chance, but am not very knowledgeable.

I have three blueberry bushes, and have re-potted them in large tubs, which the builders behind my house kindly filled for me by lifting some soil over the fence with the digger, avoiding me buying 100 litres or so of soil.

However, the soil has turned out to be more stony and clayish than I expected (no complaints, it was free and they didn't have to help), and some quick research says that blueberries like fine and free-draining soil. Also someone has mentioned to me that blueberries like ericaceous soil. I think I did know that, but had totally forgotten.

So should I go and buy ericaceous soil and re-pot them again? Or will they be alright with a bit of attention in some other way?

Thanks for reading

DaftyDuck

They will respond to an acid, compost rich soil, and clay is not ideal. I garden on clay, so keep blueberries in pots, and use either bought ericaceous soil or homemade compost.

If you have a compost bin, you can mix that in with what you have, you could buy large bags of ordinary compost, or you could buy proper ericaceous compost. The latter is best, the former least good.

Having said that, variety often brings results in gardening... So I'd buy enough ericaceous compost for one, leave one as it is, and mix up whatever is left for the third. The clay will be good for nutrients, the stone good for drainage. Clay tends to be acidic, so it may well be fine anyway.

waterbaby

Thank you dafty duck. As it may be fine, I will observe closely and see if they become unhappy. If they do I suppose I will look at lowering the pH. Fingers crossed as I and my daughter love blueberries!

Mojisola

To help them along, you could use a sequestered iron plant tonic on them (or, using DD's experimental set-up, just on one of them).