Adventures in Blueberry Farming
in Hamilton County Ohio
Lazy
FRUIT RANCH
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Discussion Guide
• Why?
• Lazy S Background
• Blueberry Cultural Needs
– Soil Chemistry
– Fertilization
– Pruning
– Other Stuff: Irrigation, Pollination, etc.
• Recommendations
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Why?
• I Like to Eat Them
– Best Cocktail of phytonutrients (anti-oxidants)
– Lower cholesterol, reduce urinary tract infections,
better night vision, improved memory & motor
function, etc. (Source: Human Research Center on Aging, Tufts
University et. al.)…better
1 cup (150gm) = 84 cal
than an apple a day!
% of USDA Daily Reco
Vitamin K
35
Magnesium
25
Vitamin C
19
Fiber
14
Anti-oxidants
1000
3
Why? Continued
• I Enjoy a Challenge
– From USDA Year Book Tables for 2013…
But
Where
Is
OH?
State
Yield
(MM Lbs)
Acres
Lbs/A
Value ($MM)
Michigan
114
19000
6000
121.2
Oregon
89.5
9600
9320
94.3
Maine
87.1
NA
NA
66 (15% wild)
Washington
81.6
9000
9070
71.6
59
13500
4370
83.2
California
51.4
4800
10700
121.5
New Jersey
47.9
8800
5450
56.8
Georgia
Ohio
350*
* Estimate per Gary Gao, Associate Professor, Small Fruit Specialist, College of Food, Agricultural & Environmental Science, OSU
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So What Do They Want?
Northern Highbush = Vaccinium corymosum
• Water
– Good Drainage, but Evenly Moist
– 1-2 inches/wk
• Sun = Full
• Pollination
– Self-Pollination…
• but 2-3 varieties ↑Yield
– Who = Bubble bee
• Nutrient Needs: More on this later
• Soil Chemistry = Low pH
–
–
–
–
–
In Ericaceae Family (Heather, Heath, Cranberry, Azalea, Rhodo)
Blueberries like pH of 4-5 (Normal 6.5 – 7.5, Fruits 5.5 – 6.5)
Vinegar pH = 4-4.5, Soap = 8.5-10, Peat Moss = 3-4.5
Hamilton County Average pH = 7.0-7.8
Hard to hold pH low if Ca is high (> 1000ppm (2000 lbs/acre))
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So What Do They Want?
Rousters
Milford, OH
Approx
Lazy S
Location
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Lazy S Preparation
Fall 2012 – Site Prep, Row/Soil Prep, Soil & Water Testing
Two Soil Mixtures
Rows 1 & 2 = 1/3 Native Soil, 1/3 Peat, 1/3 Pine Fines
Rows 3 & 4 = ½ Peat, ½ Pine Fines (no soil)
Install Drainage System
Rows 1 & 2
Rows 3 & 4
Oct’12 Composite Sample of Native Soil Test Results: pH = 6.1, CEC = 12.1, Ca = 1265ppm
Irrigation Water (city) pH = 8.7-8.9
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Lazy S Preparation
Fall 2012 – Site Prep, Row/Soil Prep, Soil & Water Testing
The Inspiration
for soil-less rows
Rows 3 & 4
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Lazy S Preparation
Spring 2013 – Apply Sulfur to Rows 1 & 2
Summer 2013 – Install Irrigation/Acidification/Frost System
Spring 2013 – Apply Sulfur recommended (10 lbs/row) for decrease from 6 to 4.5pH
in the two rows containing native soil and incorporate
(200sq.ft./43560sq.ft.)x(2300lbs) = 10lbs
Elemental Sulfur (lb/acre) needed to lower pH to 4.5
SOIL TYPE
Current pH
Sand
Loam
Clay
5.0
175
530
800
5.5
350
1030
1600
6.0
530
1540
2300
6.5
660
2020
3030
7.0
840
2560
3830
Source: Lowering the Soil pH with Sulfur, Mark Longstroth, MSU Extension
Sounds easy…but it takes 6 warm months for Sulfur to work…
With max 3-4lbs/100ft²/application (3oz/plant)
2S + 3O₂ + 2H₂O
Thiobacillus
Bacteria
>70F
2H₂SO₄
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Lazy S Preparation
Spring 2013 – Apply Sulfur to Rows 1 & 2
Summer 2013 – Irrigation/Acidification/Frost System
Irrigation/Acidification System
Drip Line Installation
Injector
Acid
Frost Protection
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Lazy S Preparation
Fall 2013 – Re-Test Soil & Plant
Aug’13 Composite Sample of Rows 1 & 2 Test Results: pH = 5.0, CEC = 15.2, Ca = 942ppm
Fast forward to Summer’14…blossoms removed
Bluecrop
(1 yr plant
@ purchase)
($4.10 ea)
3 Varieties Each Row =
10 Bluecrop, 10 Blueray, 5 Aurora
from DeGrandchamps Farms, MI
Aurora
(2 yr plant)
($4.50 ea)
Blueray
(2 yr plant)
($4.10 ea)
Spacing = 10ft between rows & 4ft between plants
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Lazy S Preparation
Fall 2013 – Select Plant Varieties
Through 2010
South Haven = Zone 6a (-10F to -5F)
SW Ohio = 6b (-5F to 0F)
Balance early bloom risk with early harvest
Two Mid-Season Varieties
(Cross-pollination + synchronized harvest)
Other Factors:
Disease resistance
Berry Size
←Not sure of impact on pollination?
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Lazy S Preparation
Fall 2013 – Try Not To Share
Chicken wire for those rascalily rabbits…
Make sure they don’t escape…9ft Deer Fence
Unwanted visitor…Scalopus berryeruptus
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Lazy S Preparation
Spring 2014 – Fertilize
Plant Age
Yrs/Size (gal)
N
lb/Acre
P*
ppm
K*
ppm
Other*
1 / .5
15
35-45
45-75
Mg = 40-80
Dry fertilizer w/1-2% Mg
2-3 / 1-2
Ht ~3ft
30-50
(~1oz/plant**)
Maintain
Maintain
Maintain
3-8 / 2-5
50-80
(max ~4oz)
“
“
“
* Limits used by MSU Lab for Soil Test Reports
WHEN: At Least 2 Feedings
Apply ½ Early Spring before bud break (most new roots forming before bud break)
and ½ 6 wks later (most new shoots & leaves are forming just before & during fruit development)
**Example using Ammonium sulfate: 30lb/A = .6oz/plant using Ammonium sulfate for N (21%N)
(30lbN/A)(300ft²/43560ft²/A)/(.21lbsN/lb)(16oz/lb)/(25plants/row) = .6oz/plant
50lb/A = 1.1oz/plant
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Lazy S Preparation
Spring 2014 – Fertilize
Nutrient
In Organic
Organic
N
Ammonium sulfate (21-0-0)
(avoid N from Nitrates)
Fish Emulsion (5-2-2)
Fish Powder (12-0-1)
Feather Meal (7-10%N) - slow
P
Ammonium phosphate (11-52-0)
Bone Meal (1-11-0)
K
Potassium Sulfate (0-0-50)
(no Chlorides – KCl)
Greensand (0-0-7)
Balanced
(Controlled
Release)
18-6-12 w/micro
15-9-12 w/micro
Up to 8-9mo @ 70F
Lazy S Used Balanced Controlled Release
(Not Called Lazy S for No Reason!)
OK…but has 7% Nitrate Nitrogen from Ammonium Nitrate
Applied 20-75gm depending on plant size
5-6 mo ($2.23/lb)
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Lazy S Preparation
Summer 2014 – Sick-Bay!
CLASSIC CHLOROSIS
Rows 1 & 2 – July14
Begin foliar treating with Iron Chelate 1x/2wks
(EDDHA type works better at higher pH)
Nitrogen
Deficiency in
Northern
Highbush
Nutrient Mgt for Blueberries in Oregon 2006 Hart et.al.
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Lazy S Preparation
Summer 2014 – Iron Deficiency Sick-Bay
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Lazy S Preparation
Fall 2014 – Re-Test Soil Rows 1 & 2
Soil
Results
Fall
2012
Fall
2013
Fall
2014
(Lab 1)
Fall
2014
(Lab 2)
Fall
2014
(Lab 1)
Fall
2014
(Lab 2)
Sample
Native Rows
Soil
1&2
Row 1
Row 1
Row 2
Row 2
pH
6.1
5.0
7.2
7.2
6.9
7.1
P (ppm)
63
44
132
135
125
103
K (ppm)
109
165
230
219
237
212
Mg (ppm)
229
195
373
355
364
295
Ca (ppm)
1265
942
2931
3200
2800
2700
CEC
12.1
15.2
18.4
19.5
17.6
16.5
% Organic
Mater
3.1
23.6
12.7
11.6
14.9
13.8
←+2!
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Lazy S Preparation
Fall 2014 – What Happened to Rows 1 & 2?
Soil
Results
Fall
2012
Fall
2013
Fall
2014
(Lab 1)
Fall
2014
(Lab 2)
Fall
2014
(Lab 1)
Fall
2014
(Lab 2)
Sample
Native Rows
Soil
1&2
Row 1
Row 1
Row 2
Row 2
7.2
7.2
6.9
7.1
pH
6.1
5.0
←+2!
Soil Buffer Capacity = Ability of soil to resist a change in pH
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pH
6
Amount of Acid Added
No lab seems to offer a test. Studies indicate 60hrs may be required for equilibrium!
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Lazy S Preparation
Fall 2014 – Test Soil-less Rows (#4)
Soil
Results
Fall
2014
(Lab 2)
Soil
Results
Fall
2014
(Lab 2)
Sample
Row 4
Sample
Row 4
pH
5.2
Na (ppm)
43
P (ppm)
6.5
S (ppm)
5
K (ppm)
41
B (ppm)
.1
Mg (ppm)
23
Fe (ppm)
38
Ca (ppm)
46
Mn (ppm)
16
EC
.36
Zn (ppm)
7
Cu (ppm)
.2
←
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Lazy S Preparation
Early Spring 2015 – Pruning
From University of Maine (on You Tube):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm
6ZfpGy5oQ&feature=player_embedded
&x-yt-ts=1422579428&x-yt-cl=85114404
BASICS:
• Every year in early spring
• Remove dead and injured wood
• Remove old canes (up to 20%) at crown (base)
• Remove low/lateral branching
• Mature bush: Maintain 10-20 canes of various ages
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Lazy S Preparation
2015 Next Steps
Rows 3 & 4 – FIRST HARVEST!
Age
Yield/Plant
2
1-2 pt
3
+ Install Bird Netting
4
+ Try Fertigation (Peters 21-7-7 Acid Special)
>7-8
+ Watch For Pests (SWD Fruit Fly)
2-3 qt
1 gal (6lb)
13-18 lb
ROWS WITH NATIVE SOIL (pH = 7)
Row 2 – Re-Plant with 80% pine bark, 10% peat, 10% perlite
Row 1 – Attempt to lower pH?
ADDITIONAL TESTING
 Test Foliage
 Test Irrigation Water for Carbonates
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Lazy S Blueberry Ranch
Recommendations for Hamilton County Growers
pH
1) Test Your Soil
 www.algreatlakes.com
 Use Test S1 = $9.35 per sample
2) If pH >5.5 and/or Ca > 1000ppm
 Use soil-less media
 Consider containers
 See Edisto Blueberries @
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3H9mQm792s
3) Birds – Netting or RejeX-it (grape extract spray)
4) Add to Rouster’s U-Pick List: d2rouster@gmail.com
FOLLOW THE LAZY S @
http://lazysblueberryranch.wordpress.com
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