I love this! Your system was exactly how I planted 20 bushes in SE King County, Wa. I had a huge truckload of cottonwood logs that I had delivered free from a gentleman that wanted to get rid of them. I let them decompose for a few years (I used them for a few projects), then I buried them at the bottom of the blueberry area, I also used burlap coffee sacks that I got from a coffee roaster, added wood chips on them and then lined the area. I started getting huge juicy berries in year 2. The burlap also decomposes within a year or so and adds to the soil, so every few years I reline the berries and add more chips and just allow everything to add to the soil. Thanks for this awesome information!!!! As an Herbalism, it's important to me to garden as close to nature as possible and also utilize permaculture techniques. Your videos are always so enjoyable!
Love this project. Way to get after it. I do things the same way. Including using the poacher shovel, grimy jeans, and worn out gloves. You made me a subscriber!!!
My local nursery’s new owner told me blueberries usually fail here in Virginia. So I didn’t buy any. After watching your method of ground prep, even in hot weather working well for the plants, I will be putting some in. Thank you! New sub.
You should try the Rabbiteye blueberries that we carry. If you need help identifying them give us a call or put in a ticket through our Help Center and we can get you set up with the blueberries most likely to succeed in your area.
That was so interesting. Thank you. There is something about your narration that is so captivating . Your passion, knowledge comes through and also to the point . Always interesting and educational. I can listen to you all day 🙏 May I please ask what is “ raw coffee ground”? You said in another video not the one from making coffee,so is it the coffee powder we buy from the shop? . Also how much and how often please? Thanks 🙏
Just in time! I have been looking for suggestions on how to set up and prepare a blueberry bed, going to plant berry plants next year. Thank you for the how to information and a way to use up my brush and wood pile without burning.
Great ideas. It sounds like a modified form of Hügelkultur. I have a bunch of old firewood, logs, and wood from an old chicken coop that would be perfect for a bed like this AND clean up the yard as well. I'm in Eastern Washington and I also have lots of Ponderosa Pine brush. Normally, I wouldn't put such acidic materials in my garden, but I'm thinking the blueberries might love it.
Great idea with the rotten logs. I have a green thumb, but not a blue thumb ... All six of my blueberries plants fail to thrive, even after years of pampering. I am going to try this. Thanks!
Excellent video, so much good advise , thank you. I learn so much from you. I wish I'd known about using the rotten wood at planting of my blueberries 3 years ago. I do use huglekukture methods in some beds but I did not do that with the blues. Burlap is my favorite to use also with wood chips to suppress weeds and for moisture retention.
When you talk about adding raw ground coffee beans for acidity, are you speaking about green ground coffee beans or can I use unused roasted ground coffee beans? Thank you! Great video!
She must mean roasted but not brewed (from other video). Green coffee beans (unroasted) are hard as rocks-a good substitute for pea gravel. I use roasted ground coffee as mulch everywhere in my garden where acid-loving plants live.
Bravo, Laura. You did a wonderful job! One question: in my area, you cannot have mature blueberries on the plant without first eaten by the wildlife BEFORE THEY EVEN TURN BLUE! How did you do that?
One more question- in this video Laura talks about reusing the material she digs out of the new beds. How do you reuse the grass after digging it out? If it’s turned under does it not just re-root and continue to grow? I have always composted the grass in my green barrel, but I would love to not have to do this. Thank you for any advice on working with the grass in the Willamette Valley instead of against it!
Grass, turned roots up and buried deep enough, can't break the soil surface before it dies. It's just organic matter ready to decompose and feed the soil. We also toss it in the bottom of the hole when planting trees if the initial hole is dug too deep.
Love this video! I hadn't heard about the wet rotting logs before, how would I add the logs to already established blueberry plants? Is it possible to still have benefit if they are nearby, but not under the plant? Thank you!
aged wood chips work better for the blueberries. my blueberries are in 2' of already aged chips which is basically humus. in fact all of my orchard has 2' of aged chips over it. most summers i do not have to water my trees at all in n. idaho. to keep the chips away from the bark of the trees, i make a tube around them with salvaged metal roofing panels long enough to stick out a foot or two above the chips. wood chips should be aged for 3yrs and i have a lot of chickens and other birds eat bugs off them and poop to speed decomposition. i have changed my old pure coarse sand soil to the best little orchard around. ok, it took a few years 🙂
Good question! In out case I'm sure you saw that the house itself is off the ground for starters, and secondly we don't have large colonies of termites in this area so it's a non-issue.
I love this! Your system was exactly how I planted 20 bushes in SE King County, Wa. I had a huge truckload of cottonwood logs that I had delivered free from a gentleman that wanted to get rid of them. I let them decompose for a few years (I used them for a few projects), then I buried them at the bottom of the blueberry area, I also used burlap coffee sacks that I got from a coffee roaster, added wood chips on them and then lined the area. I started getting huge juicy berries in year 2. The burlap also decomposes within a year or so and adds to the soil, so every few years I reline the berries and add more chips and just allow everything to add to the soil. Thanks for this awesome information!!!! As an Herbalism, it's important to me to garden as close to nature as possible and also utilize permaculture techniques. Your videos are always so enjoyable!
Love this project. Way to get after it. I do things the same way. Including using the poacher shovel, grimy jeans, and worn out gloves. You made me a subscriber!!!
My local nursery’s new owner told me blueberries usually fail here in Virginia. So I didn’t buy any. After watching your method of ground prep, even in hot weather working well for the plants, I will be putting some in. Thank you! New sub.
You should try the Rabbiteye blueberries that we carry. If you need help identifying them give us a call or put in a ticket through our Help Center and we can get you set up with the blueberries most likely to succeed in your area.
Beautiful soul. Thanks for the teaching.👍
That was so interesting. Thank you. There is something about your narration that is so captivating . Your passion, knowledge comes through and also to the point . Always interesting and educational. I can listen to you all day 🙏
May I please ask what is “ raw coffee ground”? You said in another video not the one from making coffee,so is it the coffee powder we buy from the shop? . Also how much and how often please? Thanks 🙏
Just in time! I have been looking for suggestions on how to set up and prepare a blueberry bed, going to plant berry plants next year. Thank you for the how to information and a way to use up my brush and wood pile without burning.
Great ideas. It sounds like a modified form of Hügelkultur. I have a bunch of old firewood, logs, and wood from an old chicken coop that would be perfect for a bed like this AND clean up the yard as well. I'm in Eastern Washington and I also have lots of Ponderosa Pine brush. Normally, I wouldn't put such acidic materials in my garden, but I'm thinking the blueberries might love it.
Great idea with the rotten logs. I have a green thumb, but not a blue thumb ... All six of my blueberries plants fail to thrive, even after years of pampering. I am going to try this. Thanks!
I got a lot of useful information in this video.Thankyou! cheers from Australia. 😊
Excellent video, so much good advise , thank you. I learn so much from you.
I wish I'd known about using the rotten wood at planting of my blueberries 3 years ago. I do use huglekukture methods in some beds but I did not do that with the blues. Burlap is my favorite to use also with wood chips to suppress weeds and for moisture retention.
When you talk about adding raw ground coffee beans for acidity, are you speaking about green ground coffee beans or can I use unused roasted ground coffee beans? Thank you! Great video!
She must mean roasted but not brewed (from other video). Green coffee beans (unroasted) are hard as rocks-a good substitute for pea gravel. I use roasted ground coffee as mulch everywhere in my garden where acid-loving plants live.
Very helpful!
Great video!!!
Thank you!!
Bravo, Laura. You did a wonderful job! One question: in my area, you cannot have mature blueberries on the plant without first eaten by the wildlife BEFORE THEY EVEN TURN BLUE! How did you do that?
There are a number of ways! Netting, bird scare tape, and even animatronic owls are all ways to keep greedy bird friends off your berry bushes!
One more question- in this video Laura talks about reusing the material she digs out of the new beds. How do you reuse the grass after digging it out? If it’s turned under does it not just re-root and continue to grow? I have always composted the grass in my green barrel, but I would love to not have to do this. Thank you for any advice on working with the grass in the Willamette Valley instead of against it!
Grass, turned roots up and buried deep enough, can't break the soil surface before it dies. It's just organic matter ready to decompose and feed the soil. We also toss it in the bottom of the hole when planting trees if the initial hole is dug too deep.
@@RaintreeNursery Thank you very much!
Maravilloso!
Any suggestions for watering systems? What's the plan for this new bed?
It's near the hose bib, so a hose is the main plan. That's the whole point of keeping it near the water.
Love this video! I hadn't heard about the wet rotting logs before, how would I add the logs to already established blueberry plants? Is it possible to still have benefit if they are nearby, but not under the plant? Thank you!
It's possible, if you're careful, to dig and sink some wood in-between or nearby the plants.
@@RaintreeNursery thank you! I’ll try this (carefully!) on the ones that are struggling and see if it helps.
aged wood chips work better for the blueberries. my blueberries are in 2' of already aged chips which is basically humus. in fact all of my orchard has 2' of aged chips over it. most summers i do not have to water my trees at all in n. idaho. to keep the chips away from the bark of the trees, i make a tube around them with salvaged metal roofing panels long enough to stick out a foot or two above the chips. wood chips should be aged for 3yrs and i have a lot of chickens and other birds eat bugs off them and poop to speed decomposition. i have changed my old pure coarse sand soil to the best little orchard around. ok, it took a few years 🙂
How do you prevent termites from destroying your house, using the wood chips so close?
Good question! In out case I'm sure you saw that the house itself is off the ground for starters, and secondly we don't have large colonies of termites in this area so it's a non-issue.
Would this work for raspberries too?
Raspberries have totally different needs. This would be too acidic and wet for raspberries to grow well.
Would pine needles be a good mulch cover for blueberries? I heard they can be acidic.
Pine needles work great for blueberries! They don't actually acidify the soil that much though.
@@RaintreeNursery thank you
Hate to say it but pine needles lose what little acidity they have within a day or two of falling off the tree!
@@dac7046 interesting. Thanks
No disrespect, but this was pretty hard to follow. Maybe a more focused tutorial next time?