Salvaging the blueberries ?!?

Hello all, newbie looking for suggestions for recently acquired blueberry bushes.... lots of them!  From what I understand these bushes have been relatively productive.  Some need some TLC for sure.   We’d like to live a permie life starting with the blueberries as they need the most attention.  So far as I can tell they were planted traditionally in neat rows.  Former owner would use a 10-10-10 fertilizer.  They’re adjacent to 30+ conifers.   Various weeds and grass are quickly taking over, and found some mole mounds yesterday.  

Salvaging these are the priority...making them more permaculture friendly is the goal.  I know I need cover crop like clover, but now sure what else, if anything, should surround the bushes.  I understand the guild concept but am afraid I’ll crowd the bushes.

Season 1 Goals:
Cover crop?
Moles?  (Calling all owls!)
Fertilizer?
Other plants?
Crowding?

Would love any and all ideas to ponder and experiment.  

In the mean time, hope everyone is healthy & productive!

Deej (NH 5a)

Hi Deej,

I think Steve Thorn is our resident blueberry expert, and he has a couple of threads on them.

I claim no expertise, but would be inclined to mulch them with wood mulch, or even better pine needles if you have a pine grove on the property.  

Love blueberries, hoping to someday get some off of my 3 currently struggling new bushes!  Looks like you have a great head start!

Fantastic, thank you.  I’ll look right now and start planning the mulch.   Good luck with your bushes!

I love wood chip mulch, and use a LOT of it. However, by adding a lot of mulch, you are dramatically changing the situation. If the blueberry bushes were thriving, I'd say leave well enough alone. But, since they seem to be struggling, it might be time to act.

Mulch can simplify maintenance and add long-term nutrient, but look at mulch forums first and the troubles people have had with certain mulches in certain situations. I have found wood chip mulch to be great for perennials like blueberries, but consider your other plans for the space (will other plants suffer from slugs), as well your blueberry plants' potential susceptibility to voles. If your blueberries aren't thriving because voles are eating the roots, you might be making the situation worse by adding a pile of mulch. And, if you don't already have a vole issue, you might be creating one - that is, assuming your region even has voles! :)

Maybe the best plan would be to test out a few solutions before making one big change. Mulch under some of the bushes, add nutrient under others (maybe worm castings?), add living ground covers under some (maybe alpine strawberries?), and do all of the above for another group. I wouldn't apply a big one-size-fits-all method right away, and I would definitely ask a local blueberry expert before you do anything! If you put all your eggs in one basket, especially without knowing what works in your region, you could create bigger problems than you are solving. Your local extension service could be a big help with this!



By the way, if you want to connect, I'm always on Instagram with garden stuff: @foodforestcardgame

Karl, thank you for the thoughtful reply.   And it came at the perfect time...pulling hair out reading conflicting info.     I definitely don’t want to rock the boat.  I want a legume based cover crop but not the fungus, want the wood chips, but not the voles.  I think your approach is best and gives me a plan of attack.  The bushes have produced according to the former owner with just fertilizer, no pruning.  There is some dead growth, and lots of grass turned weedy meadow around the bushes making them tough to access.  But they are blooming.  And there is plenty of room to try what you’re saying, 7 rows of 13.  There are voles on the property and moles in the blueberry patch.  

Thanks, and always nice to hear from a fellow New Englander.  We are not moving far, but relocating from Boston to the Lake Region is like a whole new world!

Deej

Photo taken yesterday

Hey Deej,

I had no idea you were in New England. Yes, it is good to connect. I grew up in southern NH and lived in the Boston area for awhile but abandoned the traffic, pollution and spendy habits. We only have a small yard, but it's much more liveable, and we never could have afforded this lifestyle in the Boston area

Enjoy your adventures up North!