"One berry, two berry, pick me a blueberry" - Bruce Degen
Blueberry Planting |
Wilson Home Farms Blueberry planting begins with making the soil suitable for planting. A soil test is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for blueberry planting. A normal Central Pennsylvania soil has a pH of 7, Blueberries thrive with a soil pH of 4.5. Planting site preparation often begins the season before planting. Sulfur is used to drastically lower the soil pH, but this requires soil microbes to convert the sulfur and lower the pH which takes time.
Site preparation begins with digging holes for the plants, removing the original soil and replacing it with peat moss and compost. Blueberries are best planted in May and June and therefore soil preparation best begins in the preceding fall. |
|
Blueberry Care |
Blueberries require fertility management of which Wilson Home Farms has a program for. Check out the Soil Fertility Page for details.
Blueberries benefit from irrigation. They are grown commercially in two places, New Jersey and Minnesota. These states have loose soils and water tables that are close to the surface. Here in Central Pennsylvania we have heavy soils and deep water tables. The soil is made up for at the time of planting, but the dry summer heat we have can quickly slow or kill a blueberry plant. Drip irrigation systems enable you to keep your blueberries alive during dry-spells. More information can be found at the Drip Irrigation section of the website. Blueberries also benefit from being mulched. Mulching helps the soil retain water that can be used by the plant. Natural woodchips are the best not commercial, chemical filled, dyed landscape mulch. More information on mulching can be found on the Mulch page of the website. |