Gardeners’ Forum: “High Bush Blueberry”
Back to Gardeners’ ForumHigh Bush Blueberry
Posted by Colleen MacLeod on Sunday, May 6, 2007 10:29 AM ADTAre wood ashes good for high bush blueberry plants. Blueberry fields grow best after fields are burned.... so do wood ashes promote healthy blueberry plants?
re: High Bush Blueberry
Posted by Stephanie on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 5:01 PM ADTWood ash contains a small amount of macro and micro nutrients that are beneficial to plant growth. The concentration of calcium in the ash will increase the soil pH similar to adding agricultural lime. Ash also contains potassium, phosphorus, boron and magnesium. Adding ash as a soil ammendment certainaly won't hinder your highbush blueberry growth, but blueberry fields are burned for a different reason. The lowbush blueberry plant produces a more prolific crop after a year of "vegetative growth", therefore fields are managed on a rotation of "vegetative" and "fruiting" years. Burning is a method of pruning the plants and also aids the farmers in distroying pests and disease. To apply wood ash as a soil ammendment spread a thin layer over the soil during the winter or early spring and incorporate it into the soil. To avoid toxicity problems never use coal ash, and limit the wood ash application to less than 20lbs/1000 sq.ft. Also, blueberry plants prefer acidic soil with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5. It is best to do a soil test to determine your pH before you apply ash to the soil.
re: High Bush Blueberry
Posted by Peter on Sunday, May 27, 2007 7:23 PM ADTThere are three types of blueberry. lowbush which are 1-2 ft. high, fruit 1/8 to 1/4" highbush 4-7 ft. high & fruit up to 1" in dia. The third is rabbiteye (v.askei) which is up to 9 ft.high. Also there are habrdizing a low & high which I would like to know more about. Sounds good don't it..best of two worlds
re: High Bush Blueberry
Posted by Doug Hankinson on Saturday, June 2, 2007 8:30 PM ADTAdding wood ash to any garden is risky. A little bit goes a long way in raising the pH of the soil.
re: High Bush Blueberry
Posted by Claude on Sunday, October 28, 2007 10:40 AM ADTThere is usually lots of snowcover on our plants. Last year there was significant damage. Wondering if the branches of the plant should be supported during winter to minimize damage by the weight of snow.
re: High Bush Blueberry
Posted by anna gauvin on Thursday, May 19, 2011 10:16 AM ADTmy blueberry bush some is damage by this winter 's snow should they be covered in the fall?
re: High Bush Blueberry
Posted by John H. on Monday, July 4, 2011 8:29 PM ADTI have two varities of high bush blueberries, Rika and Blueray. I planted them last fall. This year initially both varities had red leaves. The leaves on one have turned green and the plant is growing. The other variety continues to have red leavs...slightly green at the centre of the leaves...and is not growing. And ideas or suggestions re what could be amis?
re: High Bush Blueberry
Posted by Marg MacNeil on Friday, August 12, 2011 9:12 PM ADTHow far apart do you plant the bushes?
re: High Bush Blueberry
Posted by Evelyn Snyder on Friday, August 19, 2011 3:33 PM ADTDo I need to plant 2 high bush blueberry plants at the same time or can I just get away with planting one? will it grow and produce berries ?
re: High Bush Blueberry
Posted by Gloria DeNicola on Thursday, March 22, 2012 5:01 PM ADT4 years ago, misunderstanding the instructions I planted blueberry bushes at the bottom of foot deep holes, way too deep. The holes, of course, weren't filled in and they have grown very, very slowly. Should I dig them up, fill the holes with the correct soil mix and replant, or little by little add to the hole till it is at ground level?
