rescuing my soil.

August 10, 2020 9:00 AM

there was that time, in my fatheaded 50's, that I decided to move my woodpile to a spot along my border garden. As we grew older, we didn't use the fireplace as much, and let some of the wood lay under tarps. My senses restored, and hoping for more beauty out of my backyard, I am in the process of clearing this mess out. About half of the wood has been salvaged, the other half has gone back to the earth in the same area. My question is, I am replanting in the space this fall with highbush blueberries. what additives would I need to balance the soil?
posted by rudy26 to Home & Garden (9 answers total)

Decaying wood is probably the best general addition to any home garden. It adds organic matter to the soil and increases fungal and insect diversity, which both have cascading benefits for your garden. Alex Shigo (long-time chief scientist of the USFS) said that keeping dead wood on the landscape is the most important thing a homeowner can do to maintain biodiversity and keep their ecosystem healthy. So you were doing a good thing!

If you wanted to plant lilies or a million other things, I'd say you're fine and do nothing, because you haven't hurt your soil at all, only helped it. But blueberries are not a "normal" plant, they want acidic soil, and your PH is probably too high. If you want a good experience growing blueberries, it is strongly recommended to test your soil PH and start lowering it before you plant. Sulfur is one of the main additives, but it takes time. You can also use ferrous sulfate, which is faster but requires much more material and costs more. It also takes 10-12 years for blueberries to hit peak production, and you should not expect to harvest any fruit for the first 3-4 years. That means you're looking at eating nice blueberries in maybe 5-6 years, if you start amending the soil now.
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:18 AM on August 10, 2020 [10 favorites]

Yeah, that spot is gardener's gold! Hugelkultur is a farming/permaculture method based on decaying tree wood, and there are lots of smaller-scale versions that use wood chips from arborists in similar ways, or just as mulch, because they're such good compost. I'd be in there with vegetable plants in a hot minute.

But, yeah, blueberries are massive weirdos, and if I was really dedicated to having them I'd grow them in large raised bed-type containers for easier fussy soil management, so you can start with a soil mix that has the right ph and microbiome.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:30 AM on August 10, 2020 [9 favorites]

I planted blueberries somewhat haphazardly. I'm in Maine, and the soil is innately more acidic. Soil-testing. Sulfur, huh? will try these things. One low-bush plant has done quite well, the high bush plants are straggly. But they are all nice-looking additions, and do their job of reducing erosion and not needing to be mowed. Gardening is Local. Check your Cooperative Extension office.
posted by theora55 at 9:50 AM on August 10, 2020 [3 favorites]

Do blueberries grow in the wild where you are? In forest clearings, for instance? Then they have a good chance of being happy in the deadfall you gave them. In the PNW it wouldn’t occur to me to modify rotted-wood soil to plant Vaccinium - I would check for naturally occurring seedlings to protect, instead!
posted by clew at 10:24 AM on August 10, 2020 [1 favorite]

What kind of wood was it? If it is evergreen, chances are the soil is already acidic enough for blueberries to thrive (and it might even be too acidic depending on the volume that's decomposed). There are lots of soil test kits out there, but you're looking for a PH of 4.5 and 5 or thereabouts IIRC? Amending with acidic compost is your best bet if you're PH is likely lower than that (most soils are lower, but not by too much).

There are lots and lots and lots of blueberry varieties to, and they don't all behave the same way.
posted by furnace.heart at 11:14 AM on August 10, 2020

the good thing about the decaying wood is that more decaying organic matter usually makes the soil a bit more acidic if you are in an area that is naturally high in shale or clay; you will still want to test it but you are probably good to add the wood as an amendment, it isn't going to make the situation any worse
posted by slow graffiti at 12:14 PM on August 10, 2020 [1 favorite]

really good detailed explanation of how organic matter changes soil pH http://landresources.montana.edu/nm/documents/NM8.pdf

tl;dr your blueberries will eventually do great in the former wood pile spot but might take some time for the soil decay processes to work their magic, depends on how long the decay has already been going but sounds like a few years? so your are well on your way
posted by slow graffiti at 12:19 PM on August 10, 2020 [2 favorites]

Blueberries thrive in acidic soil, between 4 to 6 pH.

You can get a cheap soil test kit at your local nursery, which will tell you the current pH of soil where you are planting the berries.

If a soil test shows that you need to add it, nurseries usually sell soil acidifier. Here's the stuff I use, but there are many other brands, as well.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 12:47 PM on August 10, 2020 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: well, I'm off for a soil test kit. Thanks very much for all of your input. I am on the Maine coast, and blueberries do grow wild here. I have neighbors who have had good success with them, both highbush and low. Ta.
posted by rudy26 at 5:30 PM on August 12, 2020