Performance of low cost organic materials as blueberry substrates and soil amendments
2002
Krewer, Gerard | Ruter, J. | NeSmith, S. | Clark, J. | Otts, T. | Scarborough, S. | Mullinix, B.
Growing southern highbush blueberries in beds of milled pine bark about 15 cm deep has become a popular production system in Georgia and Florida. One of the primary limiting economic factors in this system is the cost of the growing substrate, which can exceed $10,000 US per ha for high density plantings where 75% of the area is covered with milled pine bark. In an effort to discover low cost substitutes for milled pine bark, available waste or low cost organic materials were screened for their suitability as growing substrate for southern highbush blueberries. Cotton gin waste, pecan shells, hardwood bark “flume” dirt, milled composted urban yard waste, composted urban tree trimmings, southern pine telephone pole peelings, and southern pine fence post peelings were evaluated. Only pine derived materials had a suitable pH (<5.3). Fresh southern pine telephone pole peelings (ca. 25% bark-75% elongated fibers of cambial wood) and southern pine fence post peelings (ca. 75% bark-25% elongated fibers of cambial wood) were evaluated for several seasons in containers and field trials. The growth index of blueberries in these materials was slightly less or equal to milled pine bark. Surprisingly, nitrogen deficiency was slight or not a problem. The results indicate that pine pole and post peelings may offer an excellent, low cost substitute for milled pine bark for blueberry production.
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