Introduction and rainwater use question for blueberries

12 years ago

Hello everyone,

This is my first post.I live in Redmond,Washington,about 15 miles east of Seattle.

I've decided to grow blueberries and have been scouring the net for information and found this site.I've gone back about 20 pages reading articles and comments,Very good!

Since June I have acquired and planted 19 bushes in the ground and pots.They range from about 1-3 years.Most are Northern Highbush,but have 3 Tophats as a novelty.I'm adding 1 more,a Spartan because I read the fruit is superb.

I went to a local nursery when first starting and bought some of their planting mix as they recommended,but found later making my own was the way to go.So for future plantings I used Sphagnum peat moss and some compost.Recently I found some mulch at Home Depot called Soil Pep from Mountain Magic whose ingredients are listed as Western Fir and Pine bark and it sells for about $4 per 1.5 cf bag.The last few plantings were done in pots with peat and coir that Home Depot sells as Beats Peat,which I think is excellent for water retention.I put 2 Reka's in pots today with the Soil Pep,coir, a little compost,sulfur and Cottonseed meal.All plants are healthy looking so far,with berries on some.

The question I have about rainwater is that the roof is flat and is tar type material.When I collected some in a bucket,the water was a light yellowish brown.Even after running it through an old Brita filter it didn't change much.Now I won't drink water like that myself,although I did taste it,it wasn't foul,but can blueberry plants process something like this?The tap water here is about 7.2 pH and the rainwater measured a little under 6.I have been mixing a little vinegar with tap for the regular waterings.By the way,two main nurseries around here don't put much importance on keeping the pH low,something that ought to make harvestman happy.

Also,fruitnut has me intrigued about Sweetcrisp.Maybe I'll see if they can grow here.That's all for now.Thanks,Brady

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Comments (10)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
12 years ago
Brady:

Welcome. It sounds like you are off to a good start. I hope that continues as blueberries seem so easy until they aren't.

I suspect in an area like yours with naturally acidic conditions it's easy to be casual about pH. Not so here.

I won't be afraid to use the water off that roof. With 40 inches of rain a year it's got to be pretty well leached of anything bad.
riverman1
12 years ago
Hi Brady,

I would look at the vegetation along the dripline of the house. Is it healthy, growing? if so, I would guess the water is fine. Try it on a few plants and see what0 happens. My brother used to grow blues in his backyard in Seattle, its a perfect climate for them. I think you will do fine. By the way, I have had better luck with a peat base mix than I have with fir bark. I have not tried pine bark yet.

RM
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alan haigh
12 years ago
The thing I like about about a 50-50 sand and peat mix is the sand never breaks down and drainage is assured, but I'm guessing if pH is a huge issue, pure peat's lack of drainage may be an advantage- especially where there's not much rain during the growing season. You needn't add as much alkaline water to keep soil moist.

Until I started reading about using pure peat for blueberries on this forum I'd never known you could use peat by itself as a suitable potting medium. It's hard enough to even get wet without a wetting agent.

Last year we were discussing a southern grower's good results in pots and he put small plants in large pots with 50-50 ground pine bark and peat as I recall.
ramble
12 years ago
I use rainwater off the shingled roof. BB plants growing like crazy. Key IMO is to water the BB's when no rain for a week or so. Mulch heavily too.
blueboy1977
12 years ago
I collect rain water off a shingled roof for blue berries and they thrive;)
coralb
12 years ago
The water in my rain barrel looks exactly like you describe and my blueberries are doing fine.
Bradybb WA-Zone8
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks guys,that's reassuring.There are a couple of small blueberry and tomato plants at the edge of the roof that get dripped on and they look okay.But I will experiment on 1 or 2 with collected water.Thanks,Brady
fabaceae_native
12 years ago
I agree with everyone else... the rainwater should be fine. I suspect the color is due to organic and mineral stuff that builds up on the roof between rains, and not the tar (which after all is not water soluble and pretty much stays put). I have a similar flat roof, and have been using the rainwater off if for years with great results.
David3
8 years ago
Can you distribute rainwater to blueberry plants using poly pipe with holes or some sort of emitters?
Bradybb WA-Zone8
Original Author
8 years ago
Sure David,why not?Rainwater is the best. Brady