I'm about to set up a raised bed that measures 8 feet long, 1 foot tall, and 2 feet wide. My plan is to layer it with cardboard, twigs, leaf mulch, ground up eggshells, and then potting soil. I want to grow 2 northern highbush blueberry bushes and 1 Concord grape vine. I've heard that I need to make the soil more acidic, so I'm looking for suggestions on how to do that. Also, is this bed going to be big enough for my plants? I'm in Zone 7b.
2 Answers
Blueberries thrive with rock dust; it totally enhances their flavor. Testing the pH of your soil is crucial too, so you can see how much you need to acidify it. Some organic blueberry growers I know use vinegar for weed control, which also helps lower pH, but make sure to consider your starting pH since there can be a lot of variables.
I’d skip the cardboard, honestly. It might block weeds, but with a foot of soil on top, it'll smother them anyway. Plus, cardboard takes ages to break down, and your new plants might struggle to root deeply enough through it.
Great, thank you!
Heard most pH testers don't work well. Any recommendations?