The area where one or two blueberry bushes is getting too much shade.
One plant, which will stay, is large and very productive. All three
plants are of a different variety. The other two bushes, I'm thinking
about moving them about 20 feet to a sunnier location. They are
established with about 5 to 6 years of growth, and about 3 feet tall,
and very little fruit production. I'm in zone 7, east TN. When is
the best time of year to attempt to move these? What is the best
procedure? Are my chances of success better than 50%?
Thanks.

Yes it can be done, and yes it's better than 50-50 if done well. Prepare you
new area with a load of peat moss and rototill it in well. In fall, after
the leaves turn red, use a flat edge spade and cut down into the ground
about 6" deep all around the plant about 3 ft out from the stems. The root
system is very shallow and extremely fibrous. You're going to cut through
some thick roots as well as you try to peal back the surface root mass from
the soil. Spread a piece of fabric on the ground and try to slip the plant
over on top of it. Drag the fabric to the new planting area and either pull
the fabric out from under the plant, or leave it in place if using something
like untreated burlap. Cover the roots lightly with ammended soil. water
well to settle the soil and roots. Then cover with a thick but airy
(non-compacting) mulch for the winter. Remove at least half this mulch in
the spring when you fertilize. You can replace some after you see the new
growth in the spring. Remember that blueberries do not translocate
fertilizer to all parts of the plant so fertilizer must be spread evenly all
around the plant. Ammonium nitrate is good for established plants but use
sparingly on new plantings until they're going well.
Gary
"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
The area where one or two blueberry bushes is getting too much shade.
One plant, which will stay, is large and very productive. All three
plants are of a different variety. The other two bushes, I'm thinking
about moving them about 20 feet to a sunnier location. They are
established with about 5 to 6 years of growth, and about 3 feet tall,
and very little fruit production. I'm in zone 7, east TN. When is
the best time of year to attempt to move these? What is the best
procedure? Are my chances of success better than 50%?
Thanks.

yer over here?? And just where in Eastern Tennessee are you Phisherman??
madgardener also in Eastern Tennessee..........(somewhere in and about I-40
and the split at I-81...................................)
"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
The area where one or two blueberry bushes is getting too much shade.
One plant, which will stay, is large and very productive. All three
plants are of a different variety. The other two bushes, I'm thinking
about moving them about 20 feet to a sunnier location. They are
established with about 5 to 6 years of growth, and about 3 feet tall,
and very little fruit production. I'm in zone 7, east TN. When is
the best time of year to attempt to move these? What is the best
procedure? Are my chances of success better than 50%?
Thanks.

Oak Ridge, just over the hill from the "famous" Y12 plant. I'm not
sure about your side of the woods, but the mosquitoes are
exceptionally voracious this year. I enjoy hiking in the Haw Ridge
hills, and see lots of wild blueberries scattered throughout, but none
are as big as mine. I guess you are near/close to Newport. I'm not a
TN native, moved here 14 years ago from Los Angeles and originally
from Cleveland, Ohio.

On Fri, 22 Aug 2003 21:21:51 -0400, "madgardener"
wrote:

yer over here?? And just where in Eastern Tennessee are you Phisherman??
madgardener also in Eastern Tennessee..........(somewhere in and about I-40
and the split at I-81...................................)
"Phisherman" wrote in message
.. .
The area where one or two blueberry bushes is getting too much shade.
One plant, which will stay, is large and very productive. All three
plants are of a different variety. The other two bushes, I'm thinking
about moving them about 20 feet to a sunnier location. They are
established with about 5 to 6 years of growth, and about 3 feet tall,
and very little fruit production. I'm in zone 7, east TN. When is
the best time of year to attempt to move these? What is the best
procedure? Are my chances of success better than 50%?
Thanks.