The blueberry plants arrived! I wanted to get them in the ground ASAP so I followed the planting instructions and here’s what they told me to do:
1. Dig a 2-foot by 2-foot hole. I admit I fudged a little and the holes were more like 18″X18″. A 2-foot hole is a LOT of dirt to move.
2. Amend soil with 1/4 to 1/2 bushel of peat moss. Peat is acid and blueberries like acid soil. I avoid peat typically because it’s not a renewable resource, but I had a leftover block of it given to me and I figured this was a good cause. I soaked the peat first and mixed it in with the garden dirt.
I added an acid-loving plant organic fertilizer to each hole. Cottonseed meal is also recommended, at a rate of 1-2 lbs. per plant. For my rabbiteye varieties, a soil pH of 4.5 is the goal.
3. I planted the blueberry bushes 1/2 inch below the level grown in the nursery as per the instruction sheet. I put a tool handle on the ground over the planting hole to help determine the soil level relative to the plant as I filled in around it.
4. I made a moat around the plant to give water a chance to soak in better before running off.
5. Last, I mulched with pine straw (more acidity).
More fertilizer in mid-June. Grow, little plants, grow!