I've been watching a lot of how-to-grow-blueberries videos and I gotta say, with all the hoops people say you gotta jump through, it's a wonder these things ever grew in the wild.
I mix Sphagnum Peat Moss with Pine Bark Mini Nuggets, but I always put Pine Bark Mini Nuggets first and it drains faster. I also add lots of perlite, also wet the Peat moss first since the water will just set below and not mix in properly. My blueberry bushes are taking off, just need to add organic fertilizer and monitor for Chlorosis, while treating it with Chelated Iron and other minerals that might be missing from the mixture, some cultivars are very sensitive to too much water or a drastic change in soil type, they take time to adjust.
In the past, I used a lot of non- limestone rocks in the bottom of 25 gallon planters like you are showing. It also helps hold them down in the higher winds. Peat's not heavy enough. Like you, to begin with, I rotated the pots on hotter days. Eventually, I wrapped the black containers in the white peat moss bags to help reflect heat. Taking them off by winter and putting them back on by late spring. That would rot over a few years and you just throw them away. I mulched the containers with peat moss as well and often I would dig through the peat moss mulching on the top and find that on many warmer days it was still relatively nice down at the planting surface.
I'm glad i found your video about 2-3 year ago i bought 2 blueberry bushes i plant them in container and i truly didn't know what i was doing. But now that i found your channel i think i can try again now i still have one plant but i don't know if it still alive. I did buy another the other day. Now think after i have seen this video i think i can do it thank u i will be subscribe to your group to learn more now my only question right now is what kind of bark should i use and can i just plant them 25 gallon container now so i don't have to it later. THANK U
I loved your video, I just purchased my first miniture blueberry bush that will be kept in a pot. Do you have extra tips for growing it there? The blueberry is self pollinating. Should I buy two, or will it produce blueberries with just one plant?
Do blueberry plants in containers come back after winter freeze? Or do they need to be brought indoors? I found, adding 1/3rd perlite is best to cut water-retention property of 1/3rd parts of peat moss and 1/3 pine bark mulch plus nuggets, together gives at least 7-10 years of life before changing potting medium.
Does the variety of blueberry matter? I bought one from Home Depot but just discovered Berry and Bushel and now wondering if I should return the one from HD and order new ones?
I took some cuttings from Rabbiteyes and they successfully took but after a year in a pot I have one central 'trunk' as it were with quite a few canes branching up from the one central point. There are no other canes coming up from the crown. Should I remove all but three or so of the current canes and cut those back by half? Will this force the bush to push new canes from the roots under the soil and thus widen the crown? The plants are still in felt pots approx 12" round by 12" deep. I’m going to put them in 21 Gal pots this winter. The new pots are 22 in dia by 17 in deep.
This is my first time enjoying your RUclips channel. Great work! I’m looking forward to more great content from you. Thank you so much for this informative video! I got so much out of it. ******************************* This is the best blueberry planting video I’ve found on RUclips, and I’ve been watching a lot of them. I may actually get blueberries for my patio now. Thanks!
Great informative video, thanks. I bought a blueberry plant the size similar to the one you used for this video. Would it be ok to plants it right away into a 25 gallon clay pot or other light colored pot... or is the pot too big for the plant? Rose
Hi Jim, I’m starting to grow blueberries in my back yard some in containers, so you didn’t even add any potting soil in your container , I’m going to try this method out... thanks
Hello, I will be getting 5 blueberry plants from DiMeo Farms and planting them in containers. These plants are 3 yrs old and are Northern Highbush but it is a mix of early, mid and fall producing bushes. I am planting them in a 10 gal. (7.7"D x 3.7"W x 15.5"H) 320g Non-Woven Aeration Fabric growing bag. Would that work for the first 2 years?
I planted mine I peat moss and sand equal parts and then added about half the amount of a mix of perlite and vermiculite 😢 wish I had seen this before potting them. They have only been in the pots 3 weeks, should I repot them? Also we have very alkaline water will this increase the ph. I'm in AZ so I do have to water a lot more.
Wow, so glad to have found this channel. Loads of good information. I just purchased bushel & berry peach sorbet blueberry . very excited for this 2020 growing season . Growing zone 8 a(DFW, Texas) Thank you.
When is the best time to plant these in containers? I’m near you in zone 7b and wasn’t sure of the best time frame. And you say it’s best to start these out in the 25 gallon pot to begin with? Thanks
Very informative, thanks for the great video. I'll be growing BB this spring and I will definitely use your soil mixture, but I noticed you did not use perlite is there a reason for that. I sure would love not to use perlite, the are just too expensive I'm sorry.
Thanks for the reply. I live in Toronto Canada, our winter is harsh and has freezing temperature for 3 months. What do you propose to do so the plants will come back in Spring? I think the plant won't have much leaves left during winter, so light should not be an issue... but I am not sure.
hi i just purchased 3 baby blueberry plants about 200mm in height replanted them in biger pots using Azalea, Camellia & Gardenia Planting Mix which is supose to be the correct acidifty for blue berries but doing a soil test it is 7 p.h so have tried to lower it with lime. But main issue is it looks like the plant is dying getting brown leaves on half the plant. i have been watering everyday no change . How often should i be watering these ? do you have any sugestions on whats going on with these, ( although i know p.h is till a touch hi, my leaves dont show p.h stress issues they are green well half of them )
+Tony D Lime will actually raise the pH, not lower it. It really sounds like you are overwatering them. They should be allowed to dry out before watering them. Good luck with them
Hi Jim! I bought bags of a pine bark soil conditioner. However there were also something that looked like shredded pieces of wood. Is it normal? Thanks
Thank you; new subscriber; I got a great deal on blueberries. How do I protect them outside in temperatures that go below 0 in the winter. Especially this year; it is supposed to break all records. I am going to use giant plastic tree pots. Just too heavy for me to move them inside my dark basement? Thanks again; you are a wealth of information for us Newbee's in gardening.
I have a sunshine blue in a container n it’s blooming in winter outside but it’s facing south I always add some potassium sulphate every month n ammonia sulphate once in six months water with lemon juice in 10 litres n also liquid feed fruit n citrus with fish
I am aware of this. I don't typically use stone at the bottom of a container. If I did it would be a small amount to allow the water draining by gravity to be able to escape the pot quickly. Everyone who talks about this shows the rock up a third or more in the pot. That is probably exaggerated from what anyone would be doing anyway.
How do you overwinter container blueberries in a zone 5 climate, I'm afraid the roots would freeze solid (last winter we had several days of -20F!) Even in our unheated garage, I'm afraid soil would freeze.
You may laugh, but we move our container blueberries to a sheltered corner of our home where the dryer vent exhausts...not right under it, but nearby. We have a little group of potted plants that seem to overwinter alright this way, my blueberries are about 6 years and seem happy. We are in 6b, so usually before the first hard frost we move them ,until the spring after the last frost.if it is a really brutal winter, we put straw bales around the group of pots...just a thought😊😊😊. Garden on!!!!
I was told by another youtube nurseryman that one peat bog in canada can supply our peat moss “forever”. Also this pine bark will work great for a couple of years max then rot and cause your plant to have root rot and you’ll be back to buy another blueberry plant. Great advice right? For the nurseries…. Look up Gary’s best gardening on youtube. It has clarified the use of organic “soil” and showed me why there is no such thing as over watering if you have the right soil.
@@desmondou The breaking down process IS the problem when it’s happening right next to the roots. You’re trying to make mulch work as soil, not good. Mulch should stay in the mulch layer like in nature, above the roots.
I have a few questions however. Why are you so afraid of putting some soil over container level? Wouldn't it encourage to grow new shoots for renewal of a bush? And what is a new soil in your opinion? Can we just add some compost to an existing soil to improve it?
Planting deep can cause lots of problems on shrubs and trees. You can plant annuals like tomatoes and peppers and flowering things deeper, but not woody plants. You can rejuvenate soil with compost for sure. If we are talking about blueberries, I wouldn't use compost because the pH is not correct. Peat Moss or Pine Bark would be better.
Great video! Wish I would've seen this a month ago. I just planted recently using this sort of mixture because that's not what I used the first time I tried blueberries! First one I planted didn't have enough drainage and sat in a swamp of water and died. Too heavy in the peat. Now, all three wine barrel halves are rocking! With adding the holly tone when planting, how long would you wait to add say, Espoma acidifier? My ph is a 6 after a few weeks in. Thanks for more great information!
@@guitarslinger319 It is best to have more than one variety even if they are self fruiting. You will need to make sure they are compatible. Should be an easy google search
That is what most people say. They usually don't develop well after planting because of transplant shock anyway. I usually tip prune the branches and pull off the berries when planting in the summer.
Jim, Can I just use screened wood chips in place of the pine bark mulch. I have access to lots of wood chips and I am screening them to build a berm for my blueberries. However, for the next 2-3 years I am going to keep them in pots.
You mention that you sometimes take some soil out of the pot to put fresh stuff in. How often would you do this for an established plant? every couple of years? every year?
I've been watching a lot of how-to-grow-blueberries videos and I gotta say, with all the hoops people say you gotta jump through, it's a wonder these things ever grew in the wild.
I mix Sphagnum Peat Moss with Pine Bark Mini Nuggets, but I always put Pine Bark Mini Nuggets first and it drains faster. I also add lots of perlite, also wet the Peat moss first since the water will just set below and not mix in properly. My blueberry bushes are taking off, just need to add organic fertilizer and monitor for Chlorosis, while treating it with Chelated Iron and other minerals that might be missing from the mixture, some cultivars are very sensitive to too much water or a drastic change in soil type, they take time to adjust.
Thank you for this very helpful and useful video! I just potted my blueberries just like you said!
In the past, I used a lot of non- limestone rocks in the bottom of 25 gallon planters like you are showing. It also helps hold them down in the higher winds. Peat's not heavy enough. Like you, to begin with, I rotated the pots on hotter days. Eventually, I wrapped the black containers in the white peat moss bags to help reflect heat. Taking them off by winter and putting them back on by late spring. That would rot over a few years and you just throw them away. I mulched the containers with peat moss as well and often I would dig through the peat moss mulching on the top and find that on many warmer days it was still relatively nice down at the planting surface.
Good information. We use sand in the nursery in our mix to prevent blow over.
Thanks Jim!
I'm glad i found your video about 2-3 year ago i bought 2 blueberry bushes i plant them in container and i truly didn't know what i was doing. But now that i found your channel i think i can try again now i still have one plant but i don't know if it still alive. I did buy another the other day. Now think after i have seen this video i think i can do it thank u i will be subscribe to your group to learn more now my only question right now is what kind of bark should i use and can i just plant them 25 gallon container now so i don't have to it later. THANK U
I loved your video, I just purchased my first miniture blueberry bush that will be kept in a pot. Do you have extra tips for growing it there? The blueberry is self pollinating. Should I buy two, or will it produce blueberries with just one plant?
Thanks... what care does the plant need over winter (zone 6) ?
Do blueberry plants in containers come back after winter freeze? Or do they need to be brought indoors?
I found, adding 1/3rd perlite is best to cut water-retention property of 1/3rd parts of peat moss and 1/3 pine bark mulch plus nuggets, together gives at least 7-10 years of life before changing potting medium.
Love your videos, thanks! Are there any Evergreen Rabbiteye Varieties? I need evergreen for HOA landscape approval.
Does the variety of blueberry matter? I bought one from Home Depot but just discovered Berry and Bushel and now wondering if I should return the one from HD and order new ones?
I took some cuttings from Rabbiteyes and they successfully took but after a year in a pot I have one central 'trunk' as it were with quite a few canes branching up from the one central point. There are no other canes coming up from the crown. Should I remove all but three or so of the current canes and cut those back by half? Will this force the bush to push new canes from the roots under the soil and thus widen the crown? The plants are still in felt pots approx 12" round by 12" deep. I’m going to put them in 21 Gal pots this winter. The new pots are 22 in dia by 17 in deep.
This is my first time enjoying your RUclips channel. Great work! I’m looking forward to more great content from you. Thank you so much for this informative video! I got so much out of it.
*******************************
This is the best blueberry planting video I’ve found on RUclips, and I’ve been watching a lot of them. I may actually get blueberries for my patio now. Thanks!
Thank you! I have a question. What is a good alternative to Pine bark? I can’t seem to find it locally
Azalea potting mix
Greenall Microbark
Hi Mr. Jim, I have some 30 gallon self watering planters would blue berries grow ok in them? TtTh
Great informative video, thanks. I bought a blueberry plant the size similar to the one you used for this video. Would it be ok to plants it right away into a 25 gallon clay pot or other light colored pot... or is the pot too big for the plant? Rose
Hi Jim,
I’m starting to grow blueberries in my back yard some in containers, so you didn’t even add any potting soil in your container , I’m going to try this method out... thanks
Coconut husk etc great to mix with sand soil etc
What are your thoughts on using pecan shells in my compost for blackberries?
What did you put the last after the Peet moss and Bark?
Can I use pine needles instead of pine bark?
Hello, I will be getting 5 blueberry plants from DiMeo Farms and planting them in containers. These plants are 3 yrs old and are Northern Highbush but it is a mix of early, mid and fall producing bushes. I am planting them in a 10 gal. (7.7"D x 3.7"W x 15.5"H) 320g Non-Woven Aeration Fabric growing bag. Would that work for the first 2 years?
Thanks. Do you know if planting it in an air pruning pot or container would help the plant develope a thicker root system ?
Can I use pine bark mulch as a soil conditioner?
Can’t find pine bark, many places advertise on web they carry pb when I call they don’t have it any suggestion
I planted mine I peat moss and sand equal parts and then added about half the amount of a mix of perlite and vermiculite 😢 wish I had seen this before potting them. They have only been in the pots 3 weeks, should I repot them? Also we have very alkaline water will this increase the ph. I'm in AZ so I do have to water a lot more.
Can you add vinegar to the water?
How are your blueberrys doing after 1year
Wow, so glad to have found this channel. Loads of good information. I just purchased bushel & berry peach sorbet blueberry . very excited for this 2020 growing season . Growing zone 8 a(DFW, Texas) Thank you.
When is the best time to plant these in containers? I’m near you in zone 7b and wasn’t sure of the best time frame. And you say it’s best to start these out in the 25 gallon pot to begin with? Thanks
Very informative, thanks for the great video. I'll be growing BB this spring and I will definitely use your soil mixture, but I noticed you did not use perlite is there a reason for that. I sure would love not to use perlite, the are just too expensive I'm sorry.
+mormonslayer71 Definitely don't use perlite with blueberries. The ph of perlite is 7 or higher.
Can you leave the dormant plant in a unheated garage during winter? Without light? Will they survive?
+Shu Pui Lui It does need to be cold but not frozen solid. So I would put it outside any time you can
Thanks for the reply. I live in Toronto Canada, our winter is harsh and has freezing temperature for 3 months. What do you propose to do so the plants will come back in Spring? I think the plant won't have much leaves left during winter, so light should not be an issue... but I am not sure.
+Shu Pui Lui It definitely has no leaves, but I don't know how it will react. It does need some humidity
I guess I will just have to keep my fingers crossed!
Can you grow Blueberry without chilling hrs ?
Can you mix sand in as well?
Sand silt and clay, Real soil. yes add sand. I use peat moss sand and pumice rock.
hi i just purchased 3 baby blueberry plants about 200mm in height replanted them in biger pots using Azalea, Camellia & Gardenia Planting Mix which is supose to be the correct acidifty for blue berries but doing a soil test it is 7 p.h so have tried to lower it with lime. But main issue is it looks like the plant is dying getting brown leaves on half the plant. i have been watering everyday no change . How often should i be watering these ? do you have any sugestions on whats going on with these, ( although i know p.h is till a touch hi, my leaves dont show p.h stress issues they
are green well half of them )
+Tony D Lime will actually raise the pH, not lower it. It really sounds like you are overwatering them. They should be allowed to dry out before watering them. Good luck with them
Thanks For your prompt reply. yep just got the thing about Lime last night. some body in google has no idea.
Awesome video. Some planning to do with the pots. Thanks.
Hi Jim! I bought bags of a pine bark soil conditioner. However there were also something that looked like shredded pieces of wood. Is it normal? Thanks
Were would you get the pine bark soil conditioner
I use pine needles, I go to the park and
Pine needles are not acidic after falling off the tree.
Thanks for sharing!
Good information. Thank you!
Thank you; new subscriber; I got a great deal on blueberries. How do I protect them outside in temperatures that go below 0 in the winter. Especially this year; it is supposed to break all records. I am going to use giant plastic tree pots. Just too heavy for me to move them inside my dark basement?
Thanks again; you are a wealth of information for us Newbee's in gardening.
Hi . Where you get the pot ? Thanks
Hi. I live in Michigan. Do I have to bring the blueberry pot inside the house come wintertime or just leave it outside? Thanks.
I have a sunshine blue in a container n it’s blooming in winter outside but it’s facing south I always add some potassium sulphate every month n ammonia sulphate once in six months water with lemon juice in 10 litres n also liquid feed fruit n citrus with fish
Gravel at the bottom of a pot is going to give you a perched water table though.
I am aware of this. I don't typically use stone at the bottom of a container. If I did it would be a small amount to allow the water draining by gravity to be able to escape the pot quickly. Everyone who talks about this shows the rock up a third or more in the pot. That is probably exaggerated from what anyone would be doing anyway.
How do you overwinter container blueberries in a zone 5 climate, I'm afraid the roots would freeze solid (last winter we had several days of -20F!) Even in our unheated garage, I'm afraid soil would freeze.
You may laugh, but we move our container blueberries to a sheltered corner of our home where the dryer vent exhausts...not right under it, but nearby. We have a little group of potted plants that seem to overwinter alright this way, my blueberries are about 6 years and seem happy. We are in 6b, so usually before the first hard frost we move them ,until the spring after the last frost.if it is a really brutal winter, we put straw bales around the group of pots...just a thought😊😊😊. Garden on!!!!
I thought peat moss does not have a lot of nutrients? So would you have to add potting mix soil or some fertilizer?
Mix cow manure composted n compost for acid loving plants
I’ve been told that peat moss is being over harvested. A good substitute is coconut coir. Any thoughts?
I was told by another youtube nurseryman that one peat bog in canada can supply our peat moss “forever”. Also this pine bark will work great for a couple of years max then rot and cause your plant to have root rot and you’ll be back to buy another blueberry plant. Great advice right? For the nurseries…. Look up Gary’s best gardening on youtube. It has clarified the use of organic “soil” and showed me why there is no such thing as over watering if you have the right soil.
Bark breaks down as nutrients so shouldn’t damage the roots
@@desmondou The breaking down process IS the problem when it’s happening right next to the roots. You’re trying to make mulch work as soil, not good. Mulch should stay in the mulch layer like in nature, above the roots.
I have a few questions however. Why are you so afraid of putting some soil over container level? Wouldn't it encourage to grow new shoots for renewal of a bush? And what is a new soil in your opinion? Can we just add some compost to an existing soil to improve it?
Planting deep can cause lots of problems on shrubs and trees. You can plant annuals like tomatoes and peppers and flowering things deeper, but not woody plants. You can rejuvenate soil with compost for sure. If we are talking about blueberries, I wouldn't use compost because the pH is not correct. Peat Moss or Pine Bark would be better.
What do you use the pine straw for?
+Norman Parker good question. I actually sell it at my garden center.
Do people use the pine straw as mulch?
No soil used. Why is that?
Great video! Wish I would've seen this a month ago. I just planted recently using this sort of mixture because that's not what I used the first time I tried blueberries! First one I planted didn't have enough drainage and sat in a swamp of water and died. Too heavy in the peat. Now, all three wine barrel halves are rocking! With adding the holly tone when planting, how long would you wait to add say, Espoma acidifier? My ph is a 6 after a few weeks in. Thanks for more great information!
I live near Lake Lanier north of ATL, What type blueberries will grow in our area
Rabbiteye and southern highbush
@@JimPutnam Do I need to plat 2 different kinds for cross pollination ?
@@guitarslinger319 It is best to have more than one variety even if they are self fruiting. You will need to make sure they are compatible. Should be an easy google search
Jim, What is pine bark soil conditioner? Does it contain more than just pine bark?
It is just aged pine bark. Nothing else in it. It creates aeration in the soil
Hey Jim, if I buy a blueberry plants with blueberries starting to develop already on them, should I cut those off?
That is what most people say. They usually don't develop well after planting because of transplant shock anyway. I usually tip prune the branches and pull off the berries when planting in the summer.
Can you please list the names of the places we can get this pine bark soil conditioner from. Can't find it anywhere.
Buy pine bark mulch at any hardware store. Shredded or fines are the best.
walk outside with a bag/bin.. find a dead pine (white or red) pull off some bark.... ba-da bing! happy gardening...
Jim, Can I just use screened wood chips in place of the pine bark mulch. I have access to lots of wood chips and I am screening them to build a berm for my blueberries. However, for the next 2-3 years I am going to keep them in pots.
you should be okay if they are finely shredded.
Never understood re-potting. Why not just put it in the largest you plan on it's going in?
It is super easy to over water a small plant in a large pot. Plants that you buy in a three gallon container have likely been replanted 3 times
Are you growing mushrooms? I would have went with gravel. I can't stop laughing when I see people use bark.🤣
Finally, someone else that gets it.
The fertilizer application went by real fast, and what it was was too obscure. Showing the bag clearly would have helped.
You mention that you sometimes take some soil out of the pot to put fresh stuff in. How often would you do this for an established plant? every couple of years? every year?
+TheLazyGardener Probably once a year after the second year
Video is dark - light is behind, not on what you are doing.
Hi Mr. Jim, I have some 30 gallon self watering planters would blue berries grow ok in them? TtTh