How to Make Blueberry Compost
- 1). Gather raw materials for the compost that will result in a high acid level, as blueberry shrubs require an acidic soil.
Check with sawmills and stables for the availability of sawdust delivery or perhaps free for pick-up.
Companies that clear power line right-of-ways and perform storm cleanup use industrial chippers to make a chipped and shredded product out of the trees and limbs they collect. Make phone calls and find these companies as they will often deliver to a site and dump a load for no cost.
Collect leaves and pine needles from any source available. Call your local parks department for this source.
Purchasing peat moss by the bale should be the only capital outlay for blueberry compost material and if enough of the other materials have been gathered, skip the peat moss. - 2). Mix all of the compost-making materials together, rather than making layers of separate materials. Mix and turn the materials with a pitchfork for the next two to four weeks. Hose down the pile if doesn't receive regular rainfall. Unlike a cooked compost, this is a cold compost and needs only to be thoroughly mixed and partly decomposed before being applied to the blueberry shrubs.
- 3). Spread the compost around each blueberry plant after the compost thoroughly mixes for a few weeks. Water the plants well and saturate the ground so the compost does not seal in a dry soil against coming rains. Spread the compost to a depth of two to four inches around each plant. Keep the mulch back two inches from the trunk of the blueberry bush to prevent insect and disease damage. Once the compost is all applied, water it well, and it will continue to decompose and feed the plants.
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