I Got SCHOOLED By An 83 Year Old Farmer On How To Grow Blueberries

We've commercially grown blueberries for nearly 12 years. we have found that the following works well in producing top-quality berries. We are in Zone 6b to 7a 1. We mulch with at least 6" of fresh raw pine chips every fall around every bush. 2. In November and March we add Elemental Sulfur sprinkled around each bush. we also add additional pine chips if necessary in the spring to maintain a 4.7 soil pH. We pH soil test both in the fall and in the spring. 3. We spray with Copper fungicide in February followed by dormant oil a week later. (this has been all the fungicide and insecticide we use all year) 4. We fertilize with soluble Ammonia Suflate through a drip irrigation system starting at the first show of buds in the spring and then we fertilize with the Ammonia Sufate every 14 days from the first sign of fruit through the entire growing fruiting and harvest season. We make sure the plants receive equal to 2 inches of rain a week (that's 1.25 gallons of water per square foot of plant dripline (the area below the branches)). 5. We prune our bushes when they are totally dormant in January. we take out all the dead branches and twigs open up the centers for airflow, and focus on leaving the maximum amount of new growth from the previous year as those are the branches that will produce the biggest berries. We avoid using any nitrate-based nitrogen, blueberries need sulfate-based nitrogen. If you notice that your blueberry leaves are turning maroon-red in the springtime, this could be an indication of a phosphorus deficiency. in the fall that's just an indication they're preparing to go dormant. Iron chlorosis is common in blueberry plantings and, if left untreated, will cause decreased growth, yellowing foliage, early defoliation, and severely weakened plants. The characteristic foliar yellowing may be apparent early in the spring or can develop later during the summer.

The older people have a wealth of knowledge. I am glad he shared and you listened.

To keep birds away, I wrap sparkly tinsel from the Dollar Store around my bushes like they were Christmas trees. I’ve never had problems with birds getting my berries.

I grow blueberries in pots, I made my own potting mix so it would be more acidic, using half peat moss and half potting soil. I use a soil acidifier/ fertilizer and I also use pine bark wood chips to mulch them which also helps keep the soil more acidic. He's right about pruning, and as much as I hated to do it on baby bushes, I did it and the amount of blueberries I had this year was amazing 😍

I’ve watched your videos for years! One of the best things about your videos is your willingness to learn & pass that information along to your viewers. You’re continually learning and I appreciate that so much! Now I’m armed with info to grow better blueberries!

About 40 years ago, my father planted 3 blueberry bushes in the back yard, he had a problem with birds too, so he took 2x4s and chicken wire and made a 6 foot tall cage around all 3. I've had to replace some of the chicken wire because it started to rust and fall apart but every year I get loads of fresh berries.

The worst thing about using bird netting on a plant is when new leaves start to grow through it. That's a great way to rip new leaves right off after fruiting. I've started using insect netting instead (although I have some tulle that will get used soon) and it does NO damage to the blueberry bush when removed.

Thank you for preserving and publishing Marvin’s knowledge and wisdom. At his age he probably does not have the resources to pass it on himself. It is so important to preserve the knowledge of the seniors among us.

Blueberries are one of the hardest plants I’ve grown! The first 3 years I tried to grow them, I botched them! The sulphur is KEY!!! They require a SUPER LOW PH! I now have about 15 plants and all but one or two look phenomenal.

Last year I lost my 2 year old blueberry plants while I was spending 4 weeks in the hospital and not able to keep an eye on them. Likely the soil was not acidic enough and maybe they did not get enough water. When I went to replace them they were so pricey I said forget it. Luckily I saw some on sale that I could afford so I tried again. Sulfur takes 6 months to a year to add acidity to the soil. I used a lot of peat moss which did not seem to make a difference. I did mix 3 tablespoon of vinegar per gallon of water and pour in a 1-2 foot circle around the plants. They seemed to love that and are 3 or 4 times taller now. I grow in large containers so watering seems to raise the PH, so I water with the vinegar every week or two. If the leaves get lighter it's time to do it. I have them in containers so I can move them around to various locations for the best growing locations. Purslane, catnip, clover and other plants grow like crazy in the planters, so I know the soil is good. When I get a harvest I will let you know how it turns out. Great timing on this video Luke and great video too.

It's worth noting a blueberry bush being purple or any other colors isn't always a bad thing, I have a blueberry variety that has a natural normal purple coloration to the leaves.

One of the advantages of living in a city that has a very long history of mining is that - while things are slowly improving - we still have very acidic soil due to decades of acid rain. Blueberries practically BLANKET our forests here - but I'd love to grow my own at home so I don't have to compete with other people in picking the little wonders :)

I had no luck with blueberries in the ground or in pots until I planted them in pure peat moss (in pots). They look fantastic, now. But, pH can change over time due to watering, so I'm prepared to amend with sulphur as necessary.

Also, Tulle is sold at fabric stores and if often on sale depending on the color and season so you can stock up. You can buy it on a roll, or the best way for larger shrubs and plants is on the cardboard ‘bolt’. Check out a fabric store near you. I keep mine on a cardboard bolt on a shelf to use for all sorts of things. You can get it super cheap if you catch after holiday sales, like greens after Christmas , oranges after Halloween, you get the idea. Doesn’t matter the color, it works great! It also makes good suet hangers in the winter, so after you use the tulle for your blueberries and if it is about done and can not be stored for the nest blueberry season… you can make or buy suet and string bunches of it throughout your garden for the winter birds that will stay through the seasons. You can also use it in your house and make pouches to deter moths with cedar, or hang charcoal for dampness. Lot’s of uses, before you toss it away.

Tulle sounds appealing, but mostly maid from a synthetic fiber, so as it breaks down from sitting in the sun, it’s just adding more micro plastics into the soil. Not good. But there are tulles that are made from natural fibers, so definitely make sure to scout for some of that.

I use tulle in my garden EVERYWHERE. I even sew a gathering tulle for my grape bunches and other vegetables/fruits, plus it's cheap at the sewing place. Buy it in bulk. My brassicas would be upset if I didn't use it to keep borers off. Good advice Luke. ❤

Excellent information, Luke! Thank you for sharing Marvin's wisdom on this. I have 10 blueberry plants that are going to be much happier now that I've learned this information. Grow Bigger!!

Regular Tulle is not UV treated and will disintrigate within a season...look for commercial netting like Agfabric insect netting. Also, wood stakes will tear the fabric on top....I use empty small soda bottles and stoop them onto the top of posts (I use bamboo stick, last longer). PS...also protects your head if you should bend over and hit the post....ask me how I know!😂 I use it in my berry patch, but also on small apple trees in my orchard to protect from deer munching.

Luke, I can’t thank you enough for passing along Marvin’s knowledge to the rest of us! Really can’t beat the value of experience, in the garden and in life!!! Love and appreciate you bunches!!! ❤️

For those beginners who want to grow blueberries in buckets: 01. Bucket 55l (15 gallon) 02. Soil from a pine forest 03. Mix the soil with pine twigs and pine bark 04. Pine bark mulch Purchased soil is dead soil. No doubt. Purchased fertilizer is not as good as slowly decaying pine twigs with pine bark. They gradually give the blueberries nutrients. If you really want to take care of the blueberry, it is a good idea to let pieces of pine bark stand in water for several weeks. As soon as the water "rusts", it also has a low ph, then water them. If you have blueberries in black buckets, they will heat up a lot in the sun and the roots will suffer. Either use white buckets or simply paint the black ones white or wrap them in paper or aluminum foil. One last piece of advice: the more varieties of blueberries, the more fruit you will have. Failure is not possible with this procedure