Coal Ash for Blueberries

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Dave 1234
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Post by Dave 1234 » Sun. Mar. 05, 2017 8:24 am

Do any of you know how much ash to use per matured bush ? I know they need the sulfer, but not sure how much.

THANKS ! Dave 8-)

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Sun. Mar. 05, 2017 8:32 am

Never used ash without tillin it in. I'll ask my blueberry guy if I see him today.

 
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Post by coalnewbie » Sun. Mar. 05, 2017 8:38 am

Oh the opulence of having your own blueberry guy. :) I buy from Shoprite and this year they have tasted like c rap even in season. At least this was not yet another post on the toxicity of coal ash.

 
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coaledsweat
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Post by coaledsweat » Sun. Mar. 05, 2017 8:54 am

I don't think sulphur would survive the combustion process very well, not sure what would be left in the ash since it is less than 1% in raw anthracite. I did read last spring that pepper plants like a little and they recommended 3 match heads per plant when bedding.


 
Dave 1234
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Post by Dave 1234 » Sun. Mar. 05, 2017 10:44 am

freetown fred wrote:Never used ash without tillin it in. I'll ask my blueberry guy if I see him today.
Thank you FF. !!!

Dave 8-)

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Sun. Mar. 05, 2017 10:56 am

Simon, that's them thar sissy ass California Blueberry's!
coalnewbie wrote:Oh the opulence of having your own blueberry guy. :) I buy from Shoprite and this year they have tasted like c rap even in season. At least this was not yet another post on the toxicity of coal ash.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Sun. Mar. 05, 2017 11:12 am

Dave, most people use sulfur on/in the soil for blueberries to lower the pH, not because the plants need sulfur in particular. I think the ash would be useful if you tilled it in before planning the blueberries, but I would not expect much from just putting it on top of the root system of existing plants.

I would start with a soil test, and indicate on the paperwork that the soil is for blueberries. The lab should be able to tell you how much sulfur is needed.

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Sun. Mar. 05, 2017 12:27 pm

Saw my BB guy & he didn't have a clue. Sorry.


 
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Post by Logs » Sun. Mar. 05, 2017 5:08 pm

A guy out my way goes to the local park and rakes up bags of white pine needles, say they are great for his blueberry bushes. :)

 
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Post by McGiever » Sun. Mar. 05, 2017 6:01 pm

A guy near here top dresses w/ chipped white oak from the tree trimmers. It does double duty as both a mulch and still adds acid too. ;)

 
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Post by samhill » Sun. Mar. 05, 2017 9:06 pm

Heck let us know if you find out anything & I'll offer some rice ash to my local blueberry guy (guess you need to live in the sticks to have one) I'm way low on my stash because he had black bear eating most of last summer. They finally moved on but he didn't want the liability of letting people pick once it was reported, heck he has enough for everybody & the bear don't mind if ya don't crowd them but if cubs are around it's best to stat home.

 
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Post by coaledsweat » Mon. Mar. 06, 2017 7:45 am

I have wild blackberrys growing all over the place in my woods around the house. In my minature moutain range of coal ash, I noticed one groing right out of the pile. It grew pretty large, about 4' but looked a bit anemic and did not produce a lot of fruit. In my opinion, there are better things than coal ash to add to the soil for a plant's needs. Just my two cents. If you use it, go easy and till it in very well the year prior to planting.

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