tip - we purchased a small cement mixer from Harbor Freight Tools to mix our potting soil mix. we put our ingredients in the mixer for a thorough mix and add water as needed while mixing. takes a lot of the work out of mixing soils for planting. I let the peat moss and coir soak over night before mixing. some of the things we use are composted soil, peat moss, coir, vermiculite, perlite, worm castings, rabbit pellets and cow manure we mix the ingredients depending on what we are planting.
Great video. An idea for that heavy log... dig a trench and bury it next to or in you food forest. It will slowly release nutrients as well as regulate found moisture near by. The log will absorb excess water during rainy weather and release back into the soil during times of dryness. We have had success planting in dry soils or remote, hard to water areas by boring a few holes and burying logs for wicking purposes. Remember, no plant is an island.
My bro-in-law planted 2-3 blueberry plants on the side of his mini-greenhouse about 5-6 years ago. They are about 8-10 ft tall now. I picked some blueberries before they moved. I got about 1/4 bushel and it hardly looked like I touched it. Everywhere I turned or bent to pick berries, they were so loaded some of the branches were bent over a little. They are well-supported and enclosed with chicken wire. I can hardly wait to plant my own. Thank-you for suggesting to plant 2 different varieties next to each other for cross pollination. I just love your videos. It’s a rainy, nasty Saturday so I’m just going to binge-watch “The Gardening Channel with James Prigioni”.
I REALLY wish u would do Food Forest Tours. I live in NJ and id LOVE to come see your forest live and listen to you talk about it!!! Of course you should charge an admission fee and maybe sell any overflow thar you have. Im not sayin to do it all summer but maybe once each in spring, summer and fall. You are am EXCELLENT educator!!! Have u ever been a teacher, you look VERY young!!
I like the way you layered the peatmoss and your sandy subsoil. In 2023 video, your blueberry bushes grew really healthy and well. Thanks for sharing your expertise.
Thanks James! I purchased 3 different varieties of blueberry. I haven't had much luck before (loamy clay soil), but hopefully another year of soil health focus and more peat will do the trick.
I am expecting 5 Blueberry plants to arrive at my home any day now! I ordered from a reputable farm in NJ too! I just watched this to get a better understanding on how to prepare my soil and see how you did it! Big fan of your videos and I look forward to any you put out. Thank you, you are truley an inspiration.
I just planted blueberries. My nursery said took keep mulch away from the trunk. Would be interested in seeing a show on pruning blueberries to encourage berry growth if there is such a thing.
Hi, James. Not sure if you'll see this but I was wondering what I should pair with Chandler. I am also planning to grow Pink Lemonade and based on your video, I think Patriot is what I'll pair with it. Thanks.
Love your videos! So positive always! I wanted to add that I recently took a class on blueberries here in WA at Raintree Nursery and the teacher really stressed 2 things: amending (ideally after testing for pH) BEFORE planting (as you did) and also to be careful not to suffocate blueberry roots (I think you mentioned keeping the mulch thinner just over the planting) but she insisted that they really need their roots to be able to breathe-so no more than a couple inches of mulch.
Hello from Toronto! Just discovered you and Tuck in the last few months and can't wait for you guys to return to UA-cam. In the meantime I continue to binge watch. 👍🏻
I love the music in this video, James. Hang onto it! It’s very easy but sweet and perky at the same time. It reminds me of the last time I went to The Bahamas with my adorable late husband. Really good memories.
Just planted some blueberries yesterday and am finishing planting today. Wanted to see how you planted yours in comparison. I got 10 bushes 2 each of 5 different varieties. Interplanted the different varieties :)
Big fan from Long Island...don’t tell anyone. That’s some sandy soil! Great tip on not incorporating the wood chips into the planting hole. I’ve got 3 varieties I’m planting in this weekend. Perfect timing!
I have one blueberry plant I bought last year but you said to have two or three different types so I will be getting more different types this year. Thanks for the tips.
Perfect derek a, we have that connection brother! I love to hear that! Nothing better then planting fruit trees, and orchards. I hope you both find value in the video. And tell him I said me and Tuck are happy he is planting!! 🐕😁
Hey James great video.Iam getting ready to plant my blueberries just order a pink lemonade blueberries waiting on it. meanwhile been searching for the correct way to plant them . I think you take the cake. But some say to add Blood Meal to the soil preparation. What do you think.?
I love ur videos!!! U have such a calm, cool & good spirit. Thank u for all the knowledge & info. My family & I love ur channel. God bless you. take cares.
Love your idea of planting in pairs! They clearly will still have enough root zone to grow healthily. In addition to enhancing pollination, it should greatly help when netting to protect the harvest from the birds! My plants (4 bushes, 3 varieties) just arrived and are almost hardened off - so I am going to try your pair planting idea as well. Thank you!
My grandfarher planted all of his tomatoes sideways/laying down. He never staked them up either. Just put a ton of leaf mulch around the plants and left them laying on the mulch. They got huge, and produced a lot of fruit.
I'd like to see a follow up on how well you experiment worked or failed. I suspect that many are wondering if you wasted your time, or not. Scanning the comments, I see that there have been, at least a couple of comments asking that question but see no answer, did I just miss it? Planting is great and rewarding, but the results are the other part of that effort. I did enjoy the video, it is done very well and is informative. But, I'm still wondering, was it a success, or not? Thanks!
Coming back to watch a second time. I forgot about keeping blueberries close to each other . I was going to separate them so I’m glad I came back for a refresher
I bought a blueberry plant a few months ago. Then learned that I needed two but the place I got the first one from only had one variety and it was the only place that had blueberries. I now have blueberry plants that are the same variety.
This is good information, I've recently potted some cuttings from my blueberry bushes. I'm trying to create a food forest as well. I'll replant these in other locations on our homestead. Tfs.
Thank you for reminding me that the blueberries bushes are at the stores right now !!! I have 7 bushes ( all diff varieties ) cut want tons more ! I love blueberries !
I'm getting 6 blueberries from Costco. I already planted Northland and Pink Lemonade last year. I pruned them a little because this is my first time pruning in general. For the ones I'm getting, they're most likely going to be in an area where we grew oregano under a pine tree (soil's been acidic for so long that no weeds grow) but this year I'm going to try potatoes. Here's to hoping that works.
In Siberia wild blueberries are low bushes loaded with inky berries. Just grow in Taiga fires, you can get big bucket 🪣 a day. 😊 Did it Every year as a child.
You can plant young bare root fruit trees together to. Knew someone who planted 3 different apple tree varieties into the same big hole Instead of having a tree grafted with different varieties.
I think it’s interesting that you say they like to grow in sand. We have wild blueberries all over the high elevations in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Some low, some middle, and some high bush. Our soil here is pure red clay. Acidity is certainly necessary, but nature in the Appalachians says the sandy loam is not necessary. Love your videos! Lots of good info and very inspiring!
Too funny, I just put some blueberry seeds in a peat mix to make a first attempt at starting blueberry bush from seeds. I had these bomber berries from the farmer's market and decided to try sprouting them, so I tossed some of the best looking berries in the freezer at the end of the summer. If it doesn't work I'll just get bushes, but I like the magic around starting your own trees and bushes. I know they might not be like the ones that produced the berry last year, but that's half the fun anyway, isn't it? 😄
Nitrogen those puppies. Luckily you are in sandy soil so you can plant at the same level. We have heavy clay so I mounded my blueberries on top of the existing ground. I had to go heavy with elemental sulfur and nitrogen fertilizer but I got them going now.
Hey mate I'm in similar conditions I've been using the organic sulfur and bone meal so nitrogen and phosphorus. Should I switch it up to just nitrogen or how did you approach it?
Honestly it might not be a popular opinion but the best success I get is with a combination of peat moss and pine bark, the more finely ground pine bark the better. To me those two things make a world of difference in the long run of the plant. Peat moss has the acidity you need but doesn’t have nutrients so if it’s a southern high bush blueberry you will need to fertilize more often. Rabbiteye blueberry on the other hand don’t really need much fertilizer but I still hit the garden with a fish emulsion fertilizer every week when bearing fruit. Once it’s done fruiting I back off to every two weeks. Incorporate blood meal or urea for nitrogen at time of planting. Mound blueberries if you have heavy clay soil, I wouldn’t plant level with the ground. And pine bark mulch around the plant to conserve moisture and to kill grass and weeds is a must. You also don’t want your peat moss to ever dry out or water will repel off the soil but if you put a decent layer of mulch around the plant it will stop it from drying out. The best bushes I have are grown in full sun. Assuming it’s a new plant start I would not prune for the first 5 to 7 years unless there is disease or broken/crossing shoots. You need these older shoots to leaf out so the root mass has the energy to get larger. Around year 5 you can start taking out the old woody cains and new ones will come out and reach close to full size in one year. Blueberries are more work then strawberry, blackberry, raspberry but if you get the mix of peat moss and pine bark fines in the potting hole you will be much more successful. I know people get upset cause peat moss isn’t really renewable but if I’m being honest you should use it for blueberries. You need that ph and moisture control peat moss offers for successful blueberry production.
Dankapotamus918 I am in zone 4b in Minnesota and was wondering what varieties you think would do best here and what varieties are successful and which zone are you in if you don’t mind me asking. Thanks.
@@Dankapotamus918 where did you find pine bark at? This is how we are wanting to do ours as we have clay soil but have only been able to find landscaping pine bark which isnt what we want
Your advice is appreciated. I need to buy my second blueberry tree before planting the one I already have. I like the experiment and I will try that approach of spacing too. Thank you!
Great job, I used to grow blueberries at my house in NY and in the Poconos, PA but here in AZ it's too difficult unless we container grow them because they need a soil pH between 4.5 and 5.5, which is an acidic soil. The soil here is too alkaline (my soil was tested this year and it's pH was 7.5) as it is composed mainly of clay and has large deposits of calcium carbonate. At least I can enjoy some when I visit family on the East coast this coming August.
Hi James! I am a long time follower of your channel and you were immediately the go to person for blueberries advice. I have a normal PH soil, so not ideal for blueberries. Added peat moss at the time of planting, last year. What should I do next to ensure the soil acidity? Or that is all? Thank you!
Hi James n tuck I planted my blueberry in a straight row very close together but never knew when I bought them about high and low just got them on taste and looks. I had the pink lemonade and it never produce this is the 2 season and the ones that produces I fight with the dogs and birds and I hate using the netting .
I love blueberries, but the problem with growing them is that they do not fruit all the time, but when they do they do not all ripen at the same time, you have to go out and pick them one by one. It is a real pain in the neck, and very unsatisfying when you want to have blueberries in you oatmeal or yogurt or whatever. Maybe if you have 10-20 blueberry bushes you can get some decent harvests, but then you have to be positive to pick then or protect them from the birds. Good luck. Your video are very good.
I live in Oregon the blueberry capital of the world. I would not plant the pink next to the blue because the pink does not grow as fast and will be shaded by the blueberry bush next to it.
Love the information, your enthusiastic and energetic spirit and your beautiful quotes!! I actually love your music. I would love to know the artists. Thank you for sharing and thanks to Tuck also. A dog paw print in my garden just gives it more beauty. ❤️🐾
Yep you're doing it right. Just be sure to love them, they respond well to attention, like adding on pine needles, keeping them watered and fed with nutrition on top. I have a bunch now, adding every year. There's about 13 in all and I just became mom to 11 more that are infants. I got them from Kentucky at about two dollars per. I think I'll be adding blueberries till I can't dig anymore!
Finally got around to watching this one .. Wow, James, you've got some seriously sandy soil! I put in blueberries this past spring as well, 8 sweethearts … I think I'll get a like number of those pink lemonades next spring to flank the other side of the driveway, since it is just hazelnut, pear, and pecan over there.
hello your videos have inspired me to pick up and oneal and bountiful blue! i was wondering if we could see an update video of these plants, and your other blueberries from your older garden i believe. thank you for your videos!
Blueberries need acidic soil, my experience growing them in the ground is that their roots would not extend out of the peat moss area, thus making no sense to grow them in the ground if their root would not stretch out as if they're contained in the peat moss "container". So I would be transffering them back to container to free up the ground for other fruit trees.
I have two 4 x 4 raised beds and a strip along a fence. Do I treat it the same way as your food forest? I appreciate the food forest advise and how you tie in life advice. I’m developing a new way of thinking thanks to you. Thanks so much.
I don't have any blueberries but I have two medium sized mulberry trees to medium-sized Tangerine trees too small tangelo trees two small lime trees and a fig tree I'm planning on cloning some of the branches and sort of having like a mini Orchard type situation I'm also going to be growing some vegetables and herbs and cantaloupe also I have Blackberry that grows in the yard I water it and give it food and cut around it
Just an FYI. I had blueberries at my previous house (planted individually), and when I bought this house, there were a couple of blueberry bushes planted together here. The thing that happened at both houses is that the birds tend to drop seeds as they sit in the blueberry bushes. I had mulberries, maples, and all sorts of trees growing in the blueberries. It was tough enough to keep them out of the single plants. It's almost impossible in the plants here that were planted together. Interesting experiment, but I wouldn't do it that way.
You’re welcome Edgard! I’m glad you enjoy the videos. Ohhhh I have never even heard of that before, looks like I will be doing some research on that tonight. Thanks for sharing 🙏❤️
@@jamesprigioni ya it's the study of trees. I've been thinking alot lately of moving away from IT and into a field that will help our environment. My goal would be to become an Arborist and learn how to manage rain water with trees/plants and landscaping.
Hi james, i always watched your vlog and thank you i am learning a lot from you when it comes to gardening. I recently bought a house with a big space to start gardening. I live in Atlanta, Ga. I wanted to start planting a blueberry bush. When is the best month that i should start planting them here in the south? Thank you for a response
got some plants out on the porch (yay apartment living) over the weekend. suprise freeze hit dropped to 25 over night. guess it's good we sprouted more than we thought we needed.
Hi, I am from brittany , France across the atlantic ocean , the opposite side of NJ . I just watched your video and I will plant 2 blueberry trees tomorrow. Opportunities.
Thank you... so many tubes out there you just never know. ... I see I can learn and actually apply things to learn. Also I'll check the channel for how to prue.
Just planted mine about 3 weeks ago and they are starting to bloom now. I planted them in peat moss and purchased some sulfur to keep the acidity levels required for the blueberries. I was wondering though, how would you keep the acidity at the right level in a food forest naturally? (In Estonia the blueberries are growing mostly in old pine and spruce forrests and iI quess it has something to do with the needles from the trees to lower the Ph)
Hi James, I want to plant the rabbit eye blueberries here in zone 9a in Kingsville Texas. My question is, should I get 2 and plant them 7feet apart as you suggested to have them cross pollinate? Or can I just plant one, since I am just trying to create a garden just for me and my wife. It’s good to see you and Tuck having a successful garden. I’m doing well and intend to beat my cancer so I can reap the benefits of a home grown garden. Oh I will be getting some of the Tuck merchandise. He is so cool. Be well. 😊
Thanks James for your enthusiasm and clear, informative videos. I've learned so much from them. I do have a question regarding wood chips. You mentioned that mixing of woodchips with soil for planting is a "no, no". Could you explain why. Thank you so much.
I LOVE how you always get right to the point - and you don't waste words or waste our time. You are one of the best youtubers because of that!
tip - we purchased a small cement mixer from Harbor Freight Tools to mix our potting soil mix.
we put our ingredients in the mixer for a thorough mix and add water as needed while mixing. takes a lot of the work out of mixing soils for planting. I let the peat moss and coir soak over night before mixing. some of the things we use are composted soil, peat moss, coir, vermiculite, perlite, worm castings, rabbit pellets and cow manure we mix the ingredients depending on what we are planting.
Excellent idea Roy 💡 ❤️
Great video.
An idea for that heavy log... dig a trench and bury it next to or in you food forest. It will slowly release nutrients as well as regulate found moisture near by. The log will absorb excess water during rainy weather and release back into the soil during times of dryness.
We have had success planting in dry soils or remote, hard to water areas by boring a few holes and burying logs for wicking purposes.
Remember, no plant is an island.
Ok
My bro-in-law planted 2-3 blueberry plants on the side of his mini-greenhouse about 5-6 years ago. They are about 8-10 ft tall now. I picked some blueberries before they moved. I got about 1/4 bushel and it hardly looked like I touched it. Everywhere I turned or bent to pick berries, they were so loaded some of the branches were bent over a little. They are well-supported and enclosed with chicken wire. I can hardly wait to plant my own. Thank-you for suggesting to plant 2 different varieties next to each other for cross pollination. I just love your videos. It’s a rainy, nasty Saturday so I’m just going to binge-watch “The Gardening Channel with James Prigioni”.
Can we get an update on this Frankenberry bush? Interested to know how they did growing so close. Thanks man!
Yes pls
Blueberry update!
Yes. That seemed to be too close.
..
How are they doing?
Your enthusiasm is contagious 😁
❤️
The Gardening Channel With James Prigioni could you post a link to the music used in this video please?
@@Playlist25951 NOOO!!!! STOP!!!!!! 😡😡👎
@@RunOverHomeless what's your deal?
Called being fake as hell for youtube. Pure acting.
Use warm water to rehydrate your peat moss. So much faster and complete than cold.
I get serious ‘Garden of Eden’ vibes from your food forest... I’m starting mine this year. I feel like I could live in your forest!
Funky Farm subscribed. Looking forward to what you do
Jeremy Wendelin- Thank you! It should be a fun adventure!
I REALLY wish u would do Food Forest Tours. I live in NJ and id LOVE to come see your forest live and listen to you talk about it!!! Of course you should charge an admission fee and maybe sell any overflow thar you have. Im not sayin to do it all summer but maybe once each in spring, summer and fall. You are am EXCELLENT educator!!! Have u ever been a teacher, you look VERY young!!
After this pandemic is over, please do a food tour!
I agree!!
I like the way you layered the peatmoss and your sandy subsoil. In 2023 video, your blueberry bushes grew really healthy and well. Thanks for sharing your expertise.
Thanks James! I purchased 3 different varieties of blueberry. I haven't had much luck before (loamy clay soil), but hopefully another year of soil health focus and more peat will do the trick.
I am expecting 5 Blueberry plants to arrive at my home any day now! I ordered from a reputable farm in NJ too! I just watched this to get a better understanding on how to prepare my soil and see how you did it! Big fan of your videos and I look forward to any you put out. Thank you, you are truley an inspiration.
I just planted blueberries. My nursery said took keep mulch away from the trunk. Would be interested in seeing a show on pruning blueberries to encourage berry growth if there is such a thing.
'Luck comes to the form of opportunity; keeping eyes open'. Well said.
Hi, James. Not sure if you'll see this but I was wondering what I should pair with Chandler. I am also planning to grow Pink Lemonade and based on your video, I think Patriot is what I'll pair with it. Thanks.
Great job giving solid information, clearly, straightforward and not bouncing back and forth or rambling on.
Love your videos! So positive always! I wanted to add that I recently took a class on blueberries here in WA at Raintree Nursery and the teacher really stressed 2 things: amending (ideally after testing for pH) BEFORE planting (as you did) and also to be careful not to suffocate blueberry roots (I think you mentioned keeping the mulch thinner just over the planting) but she insisted that they really need their roots to be able to breathe-so no more than a couple inches of mulch.
Hello from Toronto! Just discovered you and Tuck in the last few months and can't wait for you guys to return to UA-cam. In the meantime I continue to binge watch. 👍🏻
I'm so jealous of your sandy soil! Makes digging look so easy. I live in the highlands of Jersey and my soil is hard, clayey and FULL of rocks
We have clay "soil" where I live.
Give the area a good soaking and add in compost and other ammendments.
I love the music in this video, James. Hang onto it! It’s very easy but sweet and perky at the same time. It reminds me of the last time I went to The Bahamas with my adorable late husband. Really good memories.
How did your blueberries do? Any updates? Great video !!
Just planted some blueberries yesterday and am finishing planting today. Wanted to see how you planted yours in comparison.
I got 10 bushes 2 each of 5 different varieties. Interplanted the different varieties :)
Big fan from Long Island...don’t tell anyone. That’s some sandy soil! Great tip on not incorporating the wood chips into the planting hole. I’ve got 3 varieties I’m planting in this weekend. Perfect timing!
I have one blueberry plant I bought last year but you said to have two or three different types so I will be getting more different types this year. Thanks for the tips.
I was just researching another variety of blueberry I'm so glad you did this video cuz I want to see which ones you're planting
James P. just read my mind with this video. My brother is now wanting to plant his own mini-orchard, out on the farm. This video was very timely.
Perfect derek a, we have that connection brother!
I love to hear that! Nothing better then planting fruit trees, and orchards. I hope you both find value in the video. And tell him I said me and Tuck are happy he is planting!! 🐕😁
@@jamesprigioni I've told my brother about your videos.
Update please! I have two different types in containers with a small space in the yard for them, so I’d like to know if this worked out :)
Hey James great video.Iam getting ready to plant my blueberries just order a pink lemonade blueberries waiting on it. meanwhile been searching for the correct way to plant them . I think you take the cake. But some say to add Blood Meal to the soil preparation. What do you think.?
I love ur videos!!! U have such a calm, cool & good spirit. Thank u for all the knowledge & info. My family & I love ur channel. God bless you. take cares.
Love your idea of planting in pairs! They clearly will still have enough root zone to grow healthily. In addition to enhancing pollination, it should greatly help when netting to protect the harvest from the birds! My plants (4 bushes, 3 varieties) just arrived and are almost hardened off - so I am going to try your pair planting idea as well. Thank you!
My grandfarher planted all of his tomatoes sideways/laying down. He never staked them up either. Just put a ton of leaf mulch around the plants and left them laying on the mulch. They got huge, and produced a lot of fruit.
Blueberries can be grown as an "almost hedge". Like what you did with the two planted close to one another, but with an entire row of plants.
I'd like to see a follow up on how well you experiment worked or failed. I suspect that many are wondering if you wasted your time, or not. Scanning the comments, I see that there have been, at least a couple of comments asking that question but see no answer, did I just miss it? Planting is great and rewarding, but the results are the other part of that effort. I did enjoy the video, it is done very well and is informative. But, I'm still wondering, was it a success, or not? Thanks!
Coming back to watch a second time. I forgot about keeping blueberries close to each other . I was going to separate them so I’m glad I came back for a refresher
I add fertilizer twice a year and the blueberries are amazing.
Half of the enjoyment I get from your videos is hearing you say "wutter"! (That is also how my mom says "water".)
I bought a blueberry plant a few months ago. Then learned that I needed two but the place I got the first one from only had one variety and it was the only place that had blueberries. I now have blueberry plants that are the same variety.
This is good information, I've recently potted some cuttings from my blueberry bushes. I'm trying to create a food forest as well. I'll replant these in other locations on our homestead. Tfs.
Were you reading my mind? Recently I've been thinking about growing blueberries. Your video is perfect - thank you!
I planted mine in 2020 and I had hardly none on the bushes this summer! I planted them with both peat moss and some pine needles. I live in RI.
Thank you for reminding me that the blueberries bushes are at the stores right now !!! I have 7 bushes ( all diff varieties ) cut want tons more ! I love blueberries !
I'm getting 6 blueberries from Costco. I already planted Northland and Pink Lemonade last year. I pruned them a little because this is my first time pruning in general.
For the ones I'm getting, they're most likely going to be in an area where we grew oregano under a pine tree (soil's been acidic for so long that no weeds grow) but this year I'm going to try potatoes. Here's to hoping that works.
In Siberia wild blueberries are low bushes loaded with inky berries. Just grow in Taiga fires, you can get big bucket 🪣 a day. 😊
Did it Every year as a child.
How are your blueberries? Would love to see them. It's been a year💖
You can plant young bare root fruit trees together to. Knew someone who planted 3 different apple tree varieties into the same big hole Instead of having a tree grafted with different varieties.
Nice.
Thanks for discussing the wood chip mulch. Need to know advice. Now I need to buy more blueberry bushes.
I think it’s interesting that you say they like to grow in sand. We have wild blueberries all over the high elevations in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Some low, some middle, and some high bush. Our soil here is pure red clay. Acidity is certainly necessary, but nature in the Appalachians says the sandy loam is not necessary. Love your videos! Lots of good info and very inspiring!
They grow great here in the north GA mountains. Acidic, red clay and shale seem to make them huge without consistent fertilizing.
Thank you! I now realize why my mother's blueberries didn't do so well. I'm going to apply some if your tips and try again.
Too funny, I just put some blueberry seeds in a peat mix to make a first attempt at starting blueberry bush from seeds. I had these bomber berries from the farmer's market and decided to try sprouting them, so I tossed some of the best looking berries in the freezer at the end of the summer. If it doesn't work I'll just get bushes, but I like the magic around starting your own trees and bushes. I know they might not be like the ones that produced the berry last year, but that's half the fun anyway, isn't it? 😄
Nitrogen those puppies. Luckily you are in sandy soil so you can plant at the same level. We have heavy clay so I mounded my blueberries on top of the existing ground. I had to go heavy with elemental sulfur and nitrogen fertilizer but I got them going now.
Hey mate I'm in similar conditions I've been using the organic sulfur and bone meal so nitrogen and phosphorus. Should I switch it up to just nitrogen or how did you approach it?
Honestly it might not be a popular opinion but the best success I get is with a combination of peat moss and pine bark, the more finely ground pine bark the better. To me those two things make a world of difference in the long run of the plant. Peat moss has the acidity you need but doesn’t have nutrients so if it’s a southern high bush blueberry you will need to fertilize more often. Rabbiteye blueberry on the other hand don’t really need much fertilizer but I still hit the garden with a fish emulsion fertilizer every week when bearing fruit. Once it’s done fruiting I back off to every two weeks. Incorporate blood meal or urea for nitrogen at time of planting. Mound blueberries if you have heavy clay soil, I wouldn’t plant level with the ground. And pine bark mulch around the plant to conserve moisture and to kill grass and weeds is a must. You also don’t want your peat moss to ever dry out or water will repel off the soil but if you put a decent layer of mulch around the plant it will stop it from drying out. The best bushes I have are grown in full sun. Assuming it’s a new plant start I would not prune for the first 5 to 7 years unless there is disease or broken/crossing shoots. You need these older shoots to leaf out so the root mass has the energy to get larger. Around year 5 you can start taking out the old woody cains and new ones will come out and reach close to full size in one year. Blueberries are more work then strawberry, blackberry, raspberry but if you get the mix of peat moss and pine bark fines in the potting hole you will be much more successful. I know people get upset cause peat moss isn’t really renewable but if I’m being honest you should use it for blueberries. You need that ph and moisture control peat moss offers for successful blueberry production.
Dankapotamus918 I am in zone 4b in Minnesota and was wondering what varieties you think would do best here and what varieties are successful and which zone are you in if you don’t mind me asking. Thanks.
@@Dankapotamus918 where did you find pine bark at? This is how we are wanting to do ours as we have clay soil but have only been able to find landscaping pine bark which isnt what we want
Your advice is appreciated. I need to buy my second blueberry tree before planting the one I already have. I like the experiment and I will try that approach of spacing too. Thank you!
Euell Gibbons taught us to stalk the wild asparagus but I stalked wild rose hips & berries~blue, black & red...
I love my pink lemon-aide blueberries, they are dark pink when ripe, that's when they taste best!
I have my first blueberry plant. Omg I need another two now!!!! 😊
I recommend pink lemonade blueberry bushes! I just got one and I’m so excited for some pink blueberry’s (yes they exist if you didn’t know 😂)
Great job, I used to grow blueberries at my house in NY and in the Poconos, PA but here in AZ it's too difficult unless we container grow them because they need a soil pH between 4.5 and 5.5, which is an acidic soil. The soil here is too alkaline (my soil was tested this year and it's pH was 7.5) as it is composed mainly of clay and has large deposits of calcium carbonate. At least I can enjoy some when I visit family on the East coast this coming August.
Love this guy, his passion and knowledge
Hi James! I am a long time follower of your channel and you were immediately the go to person for blueberries advice. I have a normal PH soil, so not ideal for blueberries. Added peat moss at the time of planting, last year. What should I do next to ensure the soil acidity? Or that is all? Thank you!
Hi James n tuck I planted my blueberry in a straight row very close together but never knew when I bought them about high and low just got them on taste and looks. I had the pink lemonade and it never produce this is the 2 season and the ones that produces I fight with the dogs and birds and I hate using the netting .
I always find myself wanting to watch your videos. I like the way you do things and your easy-going manner. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I love blueberries, but the problem with growing them is that they do not fruit all the time, but when they do they do not all ripen at the same time, you have to go out and pick them one by one. It is a real pain in the neck, and very unsatisfying when you want to have blueberries in you oatmeal or yogurt or whatever. Maybe if you have 10-20 blueberry bushes you can get some decent harvests, but then you have to be positive to pick then or protect them from the birds. Good luck. Your video are very good.
I live in Oregon the blueberry capital of the world. I would not plant the pink next to the blue because the pink does not grow as fast and will be shaded by the blueberry bush next to it.
Love all your videos. Thank you! Always so thorough.
Blueberries actually LIKE wood in their soil. Commercial growers often mix up to half sawdust into their mix.
Love the information, your enthusiastic and energetic spirit and your beautiful quotes!! I actually love your music. I would love to know the artists. Thank you for sharing and thanks to Tuck also. A dog paw print in my garden just gives it more beauty. ❤️🐾
Thanks James for another great video. You provide so much value and I have learnt so much from watching your videos.
Thank you for the info on planting Blueberries. This is very helpful. Love the Jack Johnson music throughout your videos too!
Cedar is good for spiritual meditation and creates a natural mulch.
I just planted 6 blueberry bushes of 3 different varieties, so far so good!!
Yep you're doing it right. Just be sure to love them, they respond well to attention, like adding on pine needles, keeping them watered and fed with nutrition on top. I have a bunch now, adding every year. There's about 13 in all and I just became mom to 11 more that are infants. I got them from Kentucky at about two dollars per. I think I'll be adding blueberries till I can't dig anymore!
You always play the most incredible music. What’s the name of the song you played? I need it in my life.
The last song is where do my blue bird fly.
Finally got around to watching this one .. Wow, James, you've got some seriously sandy soil! I put in blueberries this past spring as well, 8 sweethearts … I think I'll get a like number of those pink lemonades next spring to flank the other side of the driveway, since it is just hazelnut, pear, and pecan over there.
I think they need to be next to/near a different variety for maximum pollination
From Pa. Bucks Co. And in our frequent visits to the Pine Barrens we find tons of blueberry bushes growing in sand surrounded by pine trees.
hello your videos have inspired me to pick up and oneal and bountiful blue! i was wondering if we could see an update video of these plants, and your other blueberries from your older garden i believe. thank you for your videos!
Wondering when you're going to give the mushrooms a go...
Blueberries need acidic soil, my experience growing them in the ground is that their roots would not extend out of the peat moss area, thus making no sense to grow them in the ground if their root would not stretch out as if they're contained in the peat moss "container". So I would be transffering them back to container to free up the ground for other fruit trees.
I have two 4 x 4 raised beds and a strip along a fence. Do I treat it the same way as your food forest? I appreciate the food forest advise and how you tie in life advice. I’m developing a new way of thinking thanks to you. Thanks so much.
I came for the blueberry information and stayed for the philosophy at the end. Luck is opportunity, so be open to opportunity
I don't have any blueberries but I have two medium sized mulberry trees to medium-sized Tangerine trees too small tangelo trees two small lime trees and a fig tree I'm planning on cloning some of the branches and sort of having like a mini Orchard type situation I'm also going to be growing some vegetables and herbs and cantaloupe also I have Blackberry that grows in the yard I water it and give it food and cut around it
Great video! Blueberries are certainly an absolute favorite! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you my friend! I agree, nothing like popping a handful of fresh blueberries on a summer morning ❤️
@@jamesprigioni How are your plants doing??
@@jamesprigioni Wondering if you ever did an update on these blueberry plants? Sorry if I missed it somewhere.
Just an FYI. I had blueberries at my previous house (planted individually), and when I bought this house, there were a couple of blueberry bushes planted together here. The thing that happened at both houses is that the birds tend to drop seeds as they sit in the blueberry bushes. I had mulberries, maples, and all sorts of trees growing in the blueberries. It was tough enough to keep them out of the single plants. It's almost impossible in the plants here that were planted together. Interesting experiment, but I wouldn't do it that way.
You pack so much into your videos. Thank you!!!
Glad to hear that Keli, me and Tuck do what we can to share as much valuable information as possible!
Great demonstration, what do your blueberries look like now?
Thanks James! Your videos and passion for permaculture is inspiring me to learn a new trade. I'm making a plan to pursue Arboriculture.
You’re welcome Edgard! I’m glad you enjoy the videos.
Ohhhh I have never even heard of that before, looks like I will be doing some research on that tonight. Thanks for sharing 🙏❤️
@@jamesprigioni ya it's the study of trees. I've been thinking alot lately of moving away from IT and into a field that will help our environment. My goal would be to become an Arborist and learn how to manage rain water with trees/plants and landscaping.
YOU are a gardening Savant my friend!! TRUE GENIUS!!
I planted 2 avocado type a and type b same hole they growed. Good didnt had problem
Hi james, i always watched your vlog and thank you i am learning a lot from you when it comes to gardening. I recently bought a house with a big space to start gardening. I live in Atlanta, Ga. I wanted to start planting a blueberry bush. When is the best month that i should start planting them here in the south? Thank you for a response
got some plants out on the porch (yay apartment living) over the weekend. suprise freeze hit dropped to 25 over night. guess it's good we sprouted more than we thought we needed.
How did your experiment turn out? I am about to plant some blueberries in the next coming weeks… bery excited 😂
You are the only channel that I don't need to increase play speed in 50%
This!
What type of inpatient spaz are you
Hi, I am from brittany , France across the atlantic ocean , the opposite side of NJ . I just watched your video and I will plant 2 blueberry trees tomorrow. Opportunities.
Here in Florida we plant our Blueberries with pine bark in mounts.
Thank you... so many tubes out there you just never know. ... I see I can learn and actually apply things to learn. Also I'll check the channel for how to prue.
I love the background music.. thanks.
Another great vid. Pro tip, any other brand of moss for Blueberrys.. Promix Peet is a step more alkaline than your average.
Beautiful music choices. I just bought some blueberry bushes. I’m super excited!
Love the Paula Fuga song sprinkled in. Just bought 5 plants today from Hammonton, thank for the video!
Just planted mine about 3 weeks ago and they are starting to bloom now. I planted them in peat moss and purchased some sulfur to keep the acidity levels required for the blueberries. I was wondering though, how would you keep the acidity at the right level in a food forest naturally?
(In Estonia the blueberries are growing mostly in old pine and spruce forrests and iI quess it has something to do with the needles from the trees to lower the Ph)
Hi James, I want to plant the rabbit eye blueberries here in zone 9a in Kingsville Texas.
My question is, should I get 2 and plant them 7feet apart as you suggested to have them cross pollinate? Or can I just plant one, since I am just trying to create a garden just for me and my wife.
It’s good to see you and Tuck having a successful garden.
I’m doing well and intend to beat my cancer so I can reap the benefits of a home grown garden. Oh I will be getting some of the Tuck merchandise. He is so cool. Be well. 😊
I grow wild ones from the UP. Made a bed of the same soil from where they were growing. Took a couple of years after transplanting to get berries.
What is the UP?
@@johncaldwell9842 Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Yoopers!
Amazing as always brother! Thank you. And what a song, Paula and jack...
Thanks James for your enthusiasm and clear, informative videos. I've learned so much from them. I do have a question regarding wood chips. You mentioned that mixing of woodchips with soil for planting is a "no, no". Could you explain why. Thank you so much.