Blue Berries

[sissy]

I use that cheap bird netting I used to use around the pond .I used bamboo stakes and then just tied strips of cut up plastic bags to scare off the birds .When the wind moves them and they make slight noises they seem to stay away .I also used cheap dollar store wind chimes by the plants .I had some seashells and drilled holes in them and used fishing line to make cute wind chimes also .Dollar stores come in handy for stuff like that .I also pick up lots of shells when I go to Atlantic City to visit friends

 

[gwydion]

Give them some ericaceous plant food every now and then. Also, during the autumn top-mulch with eircaceous compound. This will help alter the pH balance around the roots. You can make an acidulated water to water them by mixing moss and left-over lemons in a barrel. Allow to rot down and use to water the plants once a week. Again this will help reduce the PH balance around the plants.

As bog plants, they do not need too many nutrients, but they like being very wet. If you can get clay mix this into the soil before planting, but unless you are in a very rainy area do not mix in grit or sand as this will make the soil too free-draining.

 

[lovinglife]

bumping this up..some good information.

 

[RainyDay]

Pine bark and pine needles that have been mulched work very well at lowering PH. Just thought I'd add it as no-one had mentioned them

 

[HARO]

Ericaceous? Does that mean bear poop? Because when I worked in the bush as a teen blueberries and black bears always came as a package!
John

 

[Isoceles]

Peat moss is your solution. A circle of coffee grounds around the plant mostly keeps the ants out as they will not cross it.