Hi guys, ive been lucky enough in buying a 26ft x 21ft frit cage (with all the fruit bushes).
I removed the cage from site a month or so ago and the birds have stripped all the old fruit and winter has put all the fruit bushes to sleep.
I have Red/Black Currants, Logun Berries, early and late Rasps, Blueberries, Goosegogs (bushes and fan grown), and i plan on adding a couple of Nut trees.
Does any of you guys have any tips for me as to when to transplant? what to put where i.e soil types etc.
You guys have seen me in good stead since ive had my plot
Thanks Dougie
Get it sorted over winter Dougie. What nut trees are you thinking of?
Just remember the Blueberries need acid soil!
I had planned on doing the transplanting November but the weather put hold to that, as soon as we get a mild period i shall get back to it then.
Regarding the Blueberrys, do i assume they like a higher PH? How best do i achieve this, feed or buy the soil?
thanks guys
Dougie
I didn't check my soil but my two blueberry plants gave me masses of sweet fruit. The only thing I did was to make sure that I did not use tap water as this tends to be alkaline. Best to use rain water which tends to be more on the acidic side.
Raspberries prefer acidic soil (not sure on the pH but google it) which is a low pH (i.e. on a pH scale of 1-14, the strongest acid is 1 and strongest base/alkaline is 14).
http://www.ehow.com/how_7609315_modify-soil-blueberries.html
I think pine needles also tend to be acidic and wonder if they can be rotted and used as a mulch
They can, but use them in moderation unless you're growing a real acid lover. They produce loads of humic acid as they decay; typically, pine trees produce so much acid litter that the soil becames too acid for most soil fauna, the soil type chances drastically as a result, and fertility crashes.
That is unwelcome news, Robert. I have a heap of rotted down evergreen needles, and have generously mulched my blueberries with them.
"Add a layer of pine needles to the base of plants in the late fall. They improve the acidic value of the soil as well as insulate the plant for the winter", according to the useful reference given above.
Don't worry, blueberries will love it. Any plant which flourishes in acid soils will like conifer needles. Basically, soil fauna like worms likes moderately alkaline to neutral soil, with either herbaceous or deciduous plant cover. There's lots of lead litter, it rots easily, and produces little humic acid. Invertebrates keep stirring the soil up, and the end result is the sort of productive brown earth soil that most of us are familiar with. Plants like conifers or heathers drop much less litter, so there's less goodness going into the soil, and as I said, it gives rise to acid conditions, an impoverished soil fauna, and a layered soil known as a podsol. It's not good for agriculture, but there's a good range of plants which are well adapted to it.