OOPS! container mix is very wet!

[Rockporter]

I have big 25" mineral buckets with my blueberries in them. I have one blueberry that died in the heat last year, it was a new plant as all three were but the tag said full sun and the sun actually killed it. I was struggling to get some shade for these plants last year while we worked on the garden. They are better now in the smaller section of the garden because they can get some afternoon shade. I was working on the container for the one that died so I could plant the replacement container and discovered the mix to be overly wet, and not draining properly. I can tell that the liner I used was the problem because I can see it is actually not draining the water properly. So, with that part fixed, what can I do to fix the mix that was in there and getting quite swampy. I have plenty of holes in the container but I can tell that liner is awful.

[Labradors]

I would empty the pot into a wheelbarrow or a tarp, spread it around and let it dry outside. When it's dry, you could add some compost to the mix to give it some nutrients.

Linda

[Rockporter]

@Labradors Yes, I have the material in two different containers, and let it sit in the sun, I washed out the original container but need to get something else for the liner before I can add material back into it. I am concerned about bad bacteria in the container mix? It was really heavy almost starting to stink it was so wet. Will drying it out take care of that?

[MissS]

If the mix was so wet that it became anaerobic, (dead soil mix) then I would dispose of it and start with fresh. Once the soil has become that rotten it's not even good to add to your compost, or so I have heard.

[Tormato]

I must assume you have rabbiteyes?

If you have to grow in above ground containers, a container inside a container is likely the best way to go. It'll give a bit of insulation from the heat. Since the roots are very shallow, a heavy mulch (about 6") also helps. A very wide, deep enough container, filled with soil mix to about 7 inches from the rim, and the mulch on top of that is what I would do. Then try to find a container to fit the first container in. Almost impossible?

Can you bury the container to near your garden soil line?

While I'm not familiar with pH requirements of rabbiteye varieties, northern varieties generally need a very low pH in order to absorb iron. There are supposedly ways to get around high pH soils, but I heard the treatment can sometimes kill the plant.

Read up on the best things to have in a mix. I know for rooting cuttings it's a mix of peat and sand.

And, never have peat exposed at the soil surface. It dries out too quickly.

And, what's the purpose of using a liner?

[Rockporter]

If the mix was so wet that it became anaerobic, (dead soil mix) then I would dispose of it and start with fresh. Once the soil has become that rotten it's not even good to add to your compost, or so I have heard.

Thanks, reading up on it the worms will fix it but it will take some time so I think I will dump it into the compost and let it do it's thing.

[Rockporter]

I must assume you have rabbiteyes?

If you have to grow in above ground containers, a container inside a container is likely the best way to go. It'll give a bit of insulation from the heat. Since the roots are very shallow, a heavy mulch (about 6") also helps. A very wide, deep enough container, filled with soil mix to about 7 inches from the rim, and the mulch on top of that is what I would do. Then try to find a container to fit the first container in. Almost impossible?

Can you bury the container to near your garden soil line?

While I'm not familiar with pH requirements of rabbiteye varieties, northern varieties generally need a very low pH in order to absorb iron. There are supposedly ways to get around high pH soils, but I heard the treatment can sometimes kill the plant.

Read up on the best things to have in a mix. I know for rooting cuttings it's a mix of peat and sand.

And, never have peat exposed at the soil surface. It dries out too quickly.

And, what's the purpose of using a liner?

Thanks, great info.

I have bush blueberries.
Sunshine Blue https://www.monrovia.com/sunshine-blue-blueberry.html and now a
Pink Lemonade https://www.willisorchards.com/product/ ... ?size=2958 to replace the one that died. It was a different blue blueberry but I thought I would try out the pink one.

I can't bury any containers, it is just sand here and it is full of ants of all different kinds, we try to keep them under control but they come back in full force so it is a losing battle we keep fighting. We also have numerous other inground bugs, grubs, rkn, you name it is here in our southern sand. I can always paint the containers white if need be but the reason I had one die on me was because it said full sun, we were fixing my garden area and they were all on concrete and couldn't get much shade. This was also last year when we had the massive heat wave and drought with the wind always very strong here, and I had no way to protect anything, and I had an awful garden season. The bushes that survived are doing well and have blooms on them, just in time to get the new bush that is also blooming for pollinating needs.

I have a good mix we make up for the container growing and I mix according to what is permanent such as the fruit trees, blueberries etc. I have a different mix for regular vegetable gardening and I use the amendments needed for the crops when planting out.

All containers have straw mulch on top of them to keep the moisture in. I have been looking at trying some rice hulls though, any thoughts on those? The purpose of the liner is to keep the mix in the container, I have large holes in them for air and good water flow.

[Tormato]

I must assume you have rabbiteyes?

If you have to grow in above ground containers, a container inside a container is likely the best way to go. It'll give a bit of insulation from the heat. Since the roots are very shallow, a heavy mulch (about 6") also helps. A very wide, deep enough container, filled with soil mix to about 7 inches from the rim, and the mulch on top of that is what I would do. Then try to find a container to fit the first container in. Almost impossible?

Can you bury the container to near your garden soil line?

While I'm not familiar with pH requirements of rabbiteye varieties, northern varieties generally need a very low pH in order to absorb iron. There are supposedly ways to get around high pH soils, but I heard the treatment can sometimes kill the plant.

Read up on the best things to have in a mix. I know for rooting cuttings it's a mix of peat and sand.

And, never have peat exposed at the soil surface. It dries out too quickly.

And, what's the purpose of using a liner?

Thanks, great info.

I have bush blueberries.
Sunshine Blue https://www.monrovia.com/sunshine-blue-blueberry.html and now a
Pink Lemonade https://www.willisorchards.com/product/ ... ?size=2958 to replace the one that died. It was a different blue blueberry but I thought I would try out the pink one.

I can't bury any containers, it is just sand here and it is full of ants of all different kinds, we try to keep them under control but they come back in full force so it is a losing battle we keep fighting. We also have numerous other inground bugs, grubs, rkn, you name it is here in our southern sand. I can always paint the containers white if need be but the reason I had one die on me was because it said full sun, we were fixing my garden area and they were all on concrete and couldn't get much shade. This was also last year when we had the massive heat wave and drought with the wind always very strong here, and I had no way to protect anything, and I had an awful garden season. The bushes that survived are doing well and have blooms on them, just in time to get the new bush that is also blooming for pollinating needs.

I have a good mix we make up for the container growing and I mix according to what is permanent such as the fruit trees, blueberries etc. I have a different mix for regular vegetable gardening and I use the amendments needed for the crops when planting out.

All containers have straw mulch on top of them to keep the moisture in. I have been looking at trying some rice hulls though, any thoughts on those? The purpose of the liner is to keep the mix in the container, I have large holes in them for air and good water flow.

The biggest question, the answer which I may have missed, is, what are your chill hours?

[Rockporter]

@Tormato said, "The biggest question, the answer which I may have missed, is, what are your chill hours?"

@Tormato Well they are both zone 5-10 and the sunshine blue says it is low chill hours, I can't find anything regarding chill hours on the pink lemondade. I don't think either of my blueberries are rabbit eyes and I might actually need one for the pink lemonade bush because it says it is self fertile but does better with a rabbit eye. I will watch them to see what happens this summer.

[Tormato]

@Tormato said, "The biggest question, the answer which I may have missed, is, what are your chill hours?"

@Tormato Well they are both zone 5-10 and the sunshine blue says it is low chill hours, I can't find anything regarding chill hours on the pink lemondade. I don't think either of my blueberries are rabbit eyes and I might actually need one for the pink lemonade bush because it says it is self fertile but does better with a rabbit eye. I will watch them to see what happens this summer.

Sunshine Blue is 150, and Pink Lemonade is 300. What are you?

I once had about 60 different cultivars of northern high bush, a few northern low bush, some that are sort of a midbush, and one or two hardy rabbit eyes. I gave away many of the plants over the years. I still have about 20 scattered around the yard, including wild ones raised from cuttings. A few miles away, off of a fire road, is a swamp surrounded with hundreds of high bush blueberries. Most people wouldn't even recognize them because of their size. A moose beds down under one of the largest ones. It's about 14 feet tall with a trunk about 6 inches in diameter.

I was looking for an ultra rare blueberry from southern Africa, only hardy to about zone 9 or 10. But, I only found seeds, once. The vendor said they were old and may not germinate. They didn't, but it was worth the try. If I ever find that blueberry, it's mostly staying indoors, until
it's time to cross pollinate.

Now if I was living down where you are, I just might have a huge freezer full of ice cubes, in order to water the blueberry bushes while also trying to keep them cool. I have no idea if it would work.

[Rockporter]

@Tormato LOL, what am I? Did you mean where am I? I am in Texas Coastal Bend, very near the intra-coastal waterway. It is surely hot and humid here and with the blueberries on the side of the house that gets shade in the early afternoon I am hoping for a decent blueberry harvest, only time and temps will tell. I can also give the more shade if they need it now.

[Tormato]

@Tormato LOL, what am I? Did you mean where am I? I am in Texas Coastal Bend, very near the intra-coastal waterway. It is surely hot and humid here and with the blueberries on the side of the house that gets shade in the early afternoon I am hoping for a decent blueberry harvest, only time and temps will tell. I can also give the more shade if they need it now.

What are you, in terms of chill hours?

[Rockporter]

@Tormato LOL, what am I? Did you mean where am I? I am in Texas Coastal Bend, very near the intra-coastal waterway. It is surely hot and humid here and with the blueberries on the side of the house that gets shade in the early afternoon I am hoping for a decent blueberry harvest, only time and temps will tell. I can also give the more shade if they need it now.

What are you, in terms of chill hours?

I have absolutely no clue, lol. I know we get freezes, and it stays cold for long stretches at a time in winter.

[Seven Bends]

Rockport, TX is about 200-300 chill hours. Those varieties you chose should be fine. It sounds like you've already identified your problems (drainage; protecting from the hottest sunshine) and can fix them, so you should be all set.

If you haven't already seen this, here's a TX extension publication on growing blueberries in TX:
https://agrilifelearn.tamu.edu/s/produc ... 004OfhhAAC

As @Tormato said, rabbiteye varieties are the best choice for your area if you're looking to buy any more bushes. I haven't grown any rabbiteyes so I can't recommend any varieties, but maybe that TX publication suggests some.

[Tormato]

Rockport, TX is about 200-300 chill hours. Those varieties you chose should be fine. It sounds like you've already identified your problems (drainage; protecting from the hottest sunshine) and can fix them, so you should be all set.

If you haven't already seen this, here's a TX extension publication on growing blueberries in TX:
https://agrilifelearn.tamu.edu/s/produc ... 004OfhhAAC

As @Tormato said, rabbiteye varieties are the best choice for your area if you're looking to buy any more bushes. I haven't grown any rabbiteyes so I can't recommend any varieties, but maybe that TX publication suggests some.

Sunshine Blue should be fine.

Pink Lemonade, I question year to year, whether you will get the 300 hours under 45 degrees, if like in Rockport, TX, you average 200-300 chill hours a year. In selecting any new varieties, it would likely be best to choose the ones with the lowest chill hours, first.

[Rockporter]

Rockport, TX is about 200-300 chill hours. Those varieties you chose should be fine. It sounds like you've already identified your problems (drainage; protecting from the hottest sunshine) and can fix them, so you should be all set.

If you haven't already seen this, here's a TX extension publication on growing blueberries in TX:
https://agrilifelearn.tamu.edu/s/produc ... 004OfhhAAC

As @Tormato said, rabbiteye varieties are the best choice for your area if you're looking to buy any more bushes. I haven't grown any rabbiteyes so I can't recommend any varieties, but maybe that TX publication suggests some.

Thanks, I have no idea where to look things like that up. I depend on the seller to give me the correct info regarding anything I want to plant. Like, does it work in my gardening zone using our zip code for that information. I am zone 9a and both are supposed to be up to zone 10.

[Rockporter]

Rockport, TX is about 200-300 chill hours. Those varieties you chose should be fine. It sounds like you've already identified your problems (drainage; protecting from the hottest sunshine) and can fix them, so you should be all set.

If you haven't already seen this, here's a TX extension publication on growing blueberries in TX:
https://agrilifelearn.tamu.edu/s/produc ... 004OfhhAAC

As @Tormato said, rabbiteye varieties are the best choice for your area if you're looking to buy any more bushes. I haven't grown any rabbiteyes so I can't recommend any varieties, but maybe that TX publication suggests some.

Sunshine Blue should be fine.

Pink Lemonade, I question year to year, whether you will get the 300 hours under 45 degrees, if like in Rockport, TX, you average 200-300 chill hours a year. In selecting any new varieties, it would likely be best to choose the ones with the lowest chill hours, first.

Hopefully I can keep them shaded enough in the hot part of the day to make a difference, if it doesn't work out I will go another direction. I know one thing, I love blueberries but they are getting far too expensive in store.

[Tormato]

Rockport, TX is about 200-300 chill hours. Those varieties you chose should be fine. It sounds like you've already identified your problems (drainage; protecting from the hottest sunshine) and can fix them, so you should be all set.

If you haven't already seen this, here's a TX extension publication on growing blueberries in TX:
https://agrilifelearn.tamu.edu/s/produc ... 004OfhhAAC

As @Tormato said, rabbiteye varieties are the best choice for your area if you're looking to buy any more bushes. I haven't grown any rabbiteyes so I can't recommend any varieties, but maybe that TX publication suggests some.

Sunshine Blue should be fine.

Pink Lemonade, I question year to year, whether you will get the 300 hours under 45 degrees, if like in Rockport, TX, you average 200-300 chill hours a year. In selecting any new varieties, it would likely be best to choose the ones with the lowest chill hours, first.

Hopefully I can keep them shaded enough in the hot part of the day to make a difference, if it doesn't work out I will go another direction. I know one thing, I love blueberries but they are getting far too expensive in store.

Sun, shade, warm or hot, doesn't matter to setting fruit. It does matter for plant health.

If you don't get enough chill hours for the needs of a variety, that plant will not set fruit.

[Rockporter]

Rockport, TX is about 200-300 chill hours. Those varieties you chose should be fine. It sounds like you've already identified your problems (drainage; protecting from the hottest sunshine) and can fix them, so you should be all set.

If you haven't already seen this, here's a TX extension publication on growing blueberries in TX:
https://agrilifelearn.tamu.edu/s/produc ... 004OfhhAAC

As @Tormato said, rabbiteye varieties are the best choice for your area if you're looking to buy any more bushes. I haven't grown any rabbiteyes so I can't recommend any varieties, but maybe that TX publication suggests some.

Sunshine Blue should be fine.

Pink Lemonade, I question year to year, whether you will get the 300 hours under 45 degrees, if like in Rockport, TX, you average 200-300 chill hours a year. In selecting any new varieties, it would likely be best to choose the ones with the lowest chill hours, first.

Hopefully I can keep them shaded enough in the hot part of the day to make a difference, if it doesn't work out I will go another direction. I know one thing, I love blueberries but they are getting far too expensive in store.

Sun, shade, warm or hot, doesn't matter to setting fruit. It does matter for plant health.

If you don't get enough chill hours for the needs of a variety, that plant will not set fruit.

Hopefully all those flowers out there will make something for me. I can only try, and try again.

[Tormato]

Rockport, TX is about 200-300 chill hours. Those varieties you chose should be fine. It sounds like you've already identified your problems (drainage; protecting from the hottest sunshine) and can fix them, so you should be all set.

If you haven't already seen this, here's a TX extension publication on growing blueberries in TX:
https://agrilifelearn.tamu.edu/s/produc ... 004OfhhAAC

As @Tormato said, rabbiteye varieties are the best choice for your area if you're looking to buy any more bushes. I haven't grown any rabbiteyes so I can't recommend any varieties, but maybe that TX publication suggests some.

Sunshine Blue should be fine.

Pink Lemonade, I question year to year, whether you will get the 300 hours under 45 degrees, if like in Rockport, TX, you average 200-300 chill hours a year. In selecting any new varieties, it would likely be best to choose the ones with the lowest chill hours, first.

Hopefully I can keep them shaded enough in the hot part of the day to make a difference, if it doesn't work out I will go another direction. I know one thing, I love blueberries but they are getting far too expensive in store.

Sun, shade, warm or hot, doesn't matter to setting fruit. It does matter for plant health.

If you don't get enough chill hours for the needs of a variety, that plant will not set fruit.

Hopefully all those flowers out there will make something for me. I can only try, and try again.

Keep your eye out for little green berries forming. If I remember correctly, Texas had a cold winter this year.