| I have received some blueberry bushes (small new growth) from my grandmother's farm in Mississippi and am tring to container grow them here in Austin, TX. I planted them in azalea potting soil for its high acid content but I now need to know how often I should fertilize/feed them in order for them to thrive, and what brand of fertilizer would best work with them. |
| Containers are a great way to grow blueberries! Since water is essential during fruit development, you can easily give a container-grown plant a continuous supply (but be sure the container has drainage holes so you do soak the plant). Fertilize your bushes every spring with a high-nitrogen fertilizer. Clear out any mulch around the plants before applying. Use 1/2 to 1 pound of dry manure, compost, cottonseed meal, soybean meal or any organic fertilizer formulated for azaleas or rhododendrons (though youshould use a little less of the fertilizer than recommended for those plants). Do not fertilize during fruit development. Also, plants will produce more (and bigger) fruits if cross-pollinated by another variety. I use a thick (5-inch) mulch of pine needles around my plants to maintain the pH between 4.0 - 5.0. You can use any other naturally acidic mulch, though. |
