We've got a bed that's 2m x 1m and are hoping to put blueberry plants into it. Initially we were going to create a much bigger square raised bed but thought for walking/picking smaller raised beds might be better.
I have four small blueberry plants currently living in pots - how many would comfortably fit in one 2m x 1m bed?
Once it's full of ericaceous compost does it need to be replaced every year or anything else to keep it good for blueberries?
Also would you line the bed with membrane to keep the weeds down or is that going to restrict the roots? They seem quite happy in their pots at the moment so maybe it would be okay?
Can you tell us what varieties your blueberries are..some can grow quite large..
Our soil is generally neutral to very alkaline so we grow our two blueberries in raised beds and gave them 1 sq metre each as they can get quite large. I have since added two tiny bilberries between the two bigger shrubs so they can grow on in the ericaceous compost we've provided there. When they're big enough, they'll get their own spot in another bed, also filled with ericaceous compost.
We mulch ours with old mushroom compost and plant them in a depression. We have 5 in a 13x4' bed with a cranberry at the end as they like to be damp. Here's hoping for a good crop :)
Unfortunately I can't remember the varieties properly - three were in a pack from Wyevale and meant to cover the season. So one with berries for July, August and September. One of them was called Julia. I think the fourth was from Wilkinsons.
I've had them a few years now in pots but was hoping to put them in the ground so that they would get a bit bigger and hopefully have more berries.
Do you put membrane at the bottom of your raised beds?
Any problems with the lime in mushroom compost Manics?
I think a membrane might be a good idea to help retain the moisture- they grow in peaty boggy ground. I save all my tealeaves and coffee grounds to water in- with rain water. Been told it doesn't help but they were nearly dead before I did that, now thriving.
We don't put membrane in our beds, the fruit is in a 6" raised bed so there wouldn't be room for the roots. We plant through weed control then cover with wood chip to keep the weeds down :)
oops, missed that, pumpkinlover. They seem happy at the moment, we were doing the same on plot 1 but there wasn't the sun for them there so I've moved them. We save our coffee grounds for them, too. :)