There are several things to know about preparing blueberry beds. Blueberry plants really like acid soil. A pH of 4.5 is preferred. There are not many places you will find a pH naturally that low. But we can fix the situation. A good soil mix for success is, 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 sand and 1/3 pine fines. The sand is the play yard type that you would put in a kid’s sand box. The peat moss and pine fines will help lower the pH and hold the water. The sand helps the water drain away. While this improves the pH issue, it will not totally get the job done. It can take quite a long time to get the pH to 4.5. It’s a process, not an event. You will need to add Elemental Sulphur to the mix. Elemental Sulphur is the stuff that turns hydrangeas blue. If you are into organic gardening, its ok to use this stuff. If you go to the OMRI website, you will see that it’s on the approved list.
After planting, mulch with pine fines. This will help lower the pH more and assist with weed control. This is an exceptional soil conditioner for acid loving plants. Pine fines should be used for mulch around your blueberries year-round.