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Adventures in Blueberry Farmingin Hamilton County Ohio

GROE

SBEC

K

OHIO

SLazyFRUIT RANCH

Est. 201

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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 than an apple a day!

1 cup (150gm) = 84 cal % of USDA Daily Reco

Vitamin K 35

Magnesium 25

Vitamin C 19

Fiber 14

Anti-oxidants 1000

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Why? Continued

* Estimate per Gary Gao, Associate Professor, Small Fruit Specialist, College of Food, Agricultural & Environmental Science, OSU

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

Georgia 59 13500 4370 83.2

California 51.4 4800 10700 121.5

New Jersey 47.9 8800 5450 56.8

Ohio 350*

• I Enjoy a Challenge– From USDA Year Book Tables for 2013…

ButWhere

Is OH?

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• 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))

So What Do They Want?Northern Highbush = Vaccinium corymosum

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So What Do They Want?

ApproxLazy S

Location

RoustersMilford, OH

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Lazy S PreparationFall 2012 – Site Prep, Row/Soil Prep, Soil & Water Testing

Install Drainage System

Two Soil MixturesRows 1 & 2 = 1/3 Native Soil, 1/3 Peat, 1/3 Pine FinesRows 3 & 4 = ½ Peat, ½ Pine Fines (no soil)

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 PreparationFall 2012 – Site Prep, Row/Soil Prep, Soil & Water Testing

Rows 3 & 4

The Inspirationfor soil-less rows

Lazy S PreparationSpring 2013 – Apply Sulfur to Rows 1 & 2

Summer 2013 – Install Irrigation/Acidification/Frost System

Elemental Sulfur (lb/acre) needed to lower pH to 4.5SOIL TYPE

Current pH Sand Loam Clay5.0 175 530 8005.5 350 1030 16006.0 530 1540 23006.5 660 2020 30307.0 840 2560 3830

Spring 2013 – Apply Sulfur recommended (10 lbs/row) for decrease from 6 to 4.5pHin the two rows containing native soil and incorporate

(200sq.ft./43560sq.ft.)x(2300lbs) = 10lbs

Source: Lowering the Soil pH with Sulfur, Mark Longstroth, MSU Extension

2S + 3O₂ + 2H₂O 2H₂SO₄Thiobacillus

Bacteria>70F

Sounds easy…but it takes 6 warm months for Sulfur to work…With max 3-4lbs/100ft²/application (3oz/plant)

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Lazy S PreparationSpring 2013 – Apply Sulfur to Rows 1 & 2

Summer 2013 – Irrigation/Acidification/Frost System

Drip Line Installation

Irrigation/Acidification System

Frost ProtectionInjector

Acid

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Lazy S PreparationFall 2013 – Re-Test Soil & Plant

3 Varieties Each Row =10 Bluecrop, 10 Blueray, 5 Aurorafrom DeGrandchamps Farms, MI

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)

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 PreparationFall 2013 – Select Plant Varieties

Through 2010South Haven = Zone 6a (-10F to -5F)SW Ohio = 6b (-5F to 0F)

←Not sure of impact on pollination?

Balance early bloom risk with early harvest

Two Mid-Season Varieties(Cross-pollination + synchronized harvest)

Other Factors:Disease resistance

Berry Size

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Lazy S PreparationFall 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 PreparationSpring 2014 – Fertilize

WHEN: At Least 2 FeedingsApply 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)

Plant AgeYrs/Size (gal)

Nlb/Acre

P*ppm

K*ppm Other*

1 / .5 15 35-45 45-75 Mg = 40-80Dry fertilizer w/1-2% Mg

2-3 / 1-2Ht ~3ft

30-50(~1oz/plant**) Maintain Maintain Maintain

3-8 / 2-5 50-80(max ~4oz) “ “ “

**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

* Limits used by MSU Lab for Soil Test Reports

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Lazy S PreparationSpring 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/micro15-9-12 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 NitrateApplied 20-75gm depending on plant size

5-6 mo ($2.23/lb)

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Lazy S PreparationSummer 2014 – Sick-Bay!

CLASSIC CHLOROSISRows 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 PreparationSummer 2014 – Iron Deficiency Sick-Bay

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Lazy S PreparationFall 2014 – Re-Test Soil Rows 1 & 2

Soil Results

Fall 2012

Fall 2013

Fall 2014

(Lab 1)

Fall 2014

(Lab 2)

Fall2014

(Lab 1)

Fall2014

(Lab 2)

Sample Native Soil

Rows1 & 2 Row 1 Row 1 Row 2 Row 2

pH 6.1 5.0 7.2 7.2 6.9 7.1P (ppm) 63 44 132 135 125 103K (ppm) 109 165 230 219 237 212

Mg (ppm) 229 195 373 355 364 295Ca (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 PreparationFall 2014 – What Happened to Rows 1 & 2?

Soil Results

Fall 2012

Fall 2013

Fall 2014

(Lab 1)

Fall 2014

(Lab 2)

Fall2014

(Lab 1)

Fall2014

(Lab 2)

Sample Native Soil

Rows1 & 2 Row 1 Row 1 Row 2 Row 2

pH 6.1 5.0 7.2 7.2 6.9 7.1 ←+2!

Soil Buffer Capacity = Ability of soil to resist a change in pH

Amount of Acid Added

pH7

6

No lab seems to offer a test. Studies indicate 60hrs may be required for equilibrium!

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Lazy S PreparationFall 2014 – Test Soil-less Rows (#4)

Soil Results

Fall2014

(Lab 2)

Sample Row 4Na (ppm) 43S (ppm) 5B (ppm) .1Fe (ppm) 38Mn (ppm) 16Zn (ppm) 7Cu (ppm) .2

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Soil Results

Fall2014

(Lab 2)

Sample Row 4pH 5.2

P (ppm) 6.5K (ppm) 41

Mg (ppm) 23Ca (ppm) 46

EC .36

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Lazy S PreparationEarly Spring 2015 – Pruning

From University of Maine (on You Tube):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm6ZfpGy5oQ&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 Preparation2015 Next Steps

Rows 3 & 4 – FIRST HARVEST!+ Install Bird Netting

+ Try Fertigation (Peters 21-7-7 Acid Special)+ Watch For Pests (SWD Fruit Fly)

ROWS WITH NATIVE SOIL (pH = 7)Row 2 – Re-Plant with 80% pine bark, 10% peat, 10% perliteRow 1 – Attempt to lower pH?

ADDITIONAL TESTING Test Foliage Test Irrigation Water for Carbonates

Age Yield/Plant

2 1-2 pt

3 2-3 qt

4 1 gal (6lb)

>7-8 13-18 lb

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Lazy S Blueberry RanchRecommendations for Hamilton County Growers

pH1) 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=s3H9mQm792s3) 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