Hello!

I'm keen to try blueberries, but will need to use containers because of our ph. A further possible problem is watering. I understand that tap water is bad for blueberries because of chlorine/alkali inclusion. There is a limit to the amount of rainwater I can collect/store.

The question is whether there is a means of treating tapwater to make it "safe". I understand that by storing tap water in open containers for a few days, chlorine will be released. Sulphur chips etc can be used to change the ph level in soil. Can they, or some other product, be used to change tap water to make it safe for blueberries?

I hope someone might be able to help.

Thanks.

Mervyn

Mervington wrote:
Hello!

I'm keen to try blueberries, but will need to use containers because of
our ph. A further possible problem is watering. I understand that
tap water is bad for blueberries because of chlorine/alkali inclusion.
There is a limit to the amount of rainwater I can collect/store.
The question is whether there is a means of treating tapwater to make
it "safe". I understand that by storing tap water in open containers
for a few days, chlorine will be released. Sulphur chips etc can be
used to change the ph level in soil. Can they, or some other
product, be used to change tap water to make it safe for blueberries?

Keeping tap water in the fridge releases chlorine too, but I've never
tried it. I have grown blueberries for about 5 years now, near the
house and at the allotment. I've burried my pots (plastic as it keeps
the moisture in more) in the ground and use water, at both places,
which is collected from rain. If you can store tap water in open
containers, can't you just have containers collecting the rain from
your roof or in your garden?

What occured to me is the stuff I use for the kids's goldfish, 'Tap
Safe' or 'gold'. I wonder if this would work. I'm going to ask around
and will get back to you.

This our gnome Jon in the blueberries in spring ...
http://cjoint.com/?bwp7keIupV

And the blueberries leaves in the autumn against the nettles (I use
lots of companion planting, and for the blueberries I mulch with the
branches and needles of the xmas tree ...
http://cjoint.com/?bwqa5KVTJR

"Mervington" wrote in message
...

Hello!

I'm keen to try blueberries, but will need to use containers because of
our ph. A further possible problem is watering. I understand that
tap water is bad for blueberries because of chlorine/alkali inclusion.
There is a limit to the amount of rainwater I can collect/store.

The question is whether there is a means of treating tapwater to make
it "safe". I understand that by storing tap water in open containers
for a few days, chlorine will be released. Sulphur chips etc can be
used to change the ph level in soil. Can they, or some other
product, be used to change tap water to make it safe for blueberries?

I hope someone might be able to help.

Thanks.

Mervyn
Mervington
The residual chlorine in the tap water should not cause a problem with
Blueberries or AFAIK with any other plants.
If your tap water is hard (calcium and magnesium minerals) then it is
advisable to use soft water (rain water)--if you haven't got enough then I
can send you some:-)

Many thanks for this reply. Unfortunately, my ability to collect rainwater from our roof is very limited. The gutterings on both faces of our main roof connect to a neighbouring property, and thence to the drains. There isn't a really practicable way of intercepting the flow. I can collect the water from a lean-to, but it would hardly be sufficient during the summer months.

Mervyn

Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote:

The residual chlorine in the tap water should not cause a problem with
Blueberries or AFAIK with any other plants.
If your tap water is hard (calcium and magnesium minerals) then it is
advisable to use soft water (rain water)--if you haven't got enough then I
can send you some:-)



I've had a couple of blueberry plants growing in 15-inch containers for
about 8 years now.
Can't remember the variety now unfortunately but they're self-fertile.
They were planted in ericaceous compost but have only ever been watered
straight from the hose (apart from the rain!)
We do have soft water here though.
Every year I've had a huge crop.

Note to self: must give them some ericaceous feed this year :-)

Jeff
NE England

Thanks Jeff for this.

We are in Wensleydale, but our water is not soft. We certainly get scale deposits in the kettle!

Perhaps I should ask a chemist whether soaking sulphur chips in containers of water will have the desired effect, but I don't know a chemist...................

Thanks again.

Mervyn

Mervington wrote:
Jeff Taylor Wrote:
Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote:
-
The residual chlorine in the tap water should not cause a problem
with

Blueberries or AFAIK with any other plants.
If your tap water is hard (calcium and magnesium minerals) then it is

advisable to use soft water (rain water)--if you haven't got enough
then I
can send you some:-)

-

I've had a couple of blueberry plants growing in 15-inch containers
for

about 8 years now.
Can't remember the variety now unfortunately but they're
self-fertile. They were planted in ericaceous compost but have only
ever been watered

straight from the hose (apart from the rain!)
We do have soft water here though.
Every year I've had a huge crop.

Note to self: must give them some ericaceous feed this year :-)

Jeff
NE England

Thanks Jeff for this.

We are in Wensleydale, but our water is not soft. We certainly get
scale deposits in the kettle!

Perhaps I should ask a chemist whether soaking sulphur chips in
containers of water will have the desired effect, but I don't know a
chemist...................

Sulphur's not water-soluble, so that wouldn't help. It's used to change
the pH of soil by a natural reaction, but that's getting very technical.
For watering, I imagine the cheapest source of acid is probably the
gallon cans of non-brewed condiment vinegar substitute you can get from
some greengrocers at pickled onion time*, or Tesco "Value" vinegar. It
should be possible to find out experimentally how much of this stuff you
need to mix into your particular tap water to get a neutral reaction on
indicator paper.

I don't know if the chelated iron you get for rhododendrons would work
for blueberries: it will correct iron deficiency, but I don't know how
important other locked-up nutrients are.

(I don't understand this fashion for blueberries, though: they always
taste like artificial flavouring to me. Not a patch on blackberries or
white currants.)

*Don't pickle onions in it: it's foul!

--
Mike.



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

from Mervington again

I've been told from another source that TEA is very good at coverting alkali tap water to slightly acidic. A pot of tea will treat a gallon of water.............

Mervyn

Mervington wrote:
[...]
I've been told from another source that TEA is very good at coverting
alkali tap water to slightly acidic. A pot of tea will treat a
gallon of water.............

A British Dental Journal article I found on line records an experiment
using tea of pH 4.9, so I assume they take that as typical: I doubt if a
pint would be enough.

--
Mike.



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Hello Mervyn
There are many members of the Northern Fruit Group successfully growing
Blueberries in the North, especially around Harrogate; Herbert and
Bluecrop seem to do well.
You need to be very careful using suphur to acidify, it can go wrong.
To change the pH of the soil the Suphur should be applied on the
ground. It should be done over several years using one third of the
doen to move the pH.
The commercial growers use nitric acid to acidify their water. I was
at a talk that Jenifer Trehan of The Dorset Blueberry Company, who made
the point about using commercial domestic fertilisers as weak
solutions, as they has customers burn the roots of the blueberries
applying ericaceous fertiliser at the recommended dose.
I spoke with Chempak who have soluble ericaceous fertilser. They
suggested the same - use it weak to adjust the pH. From my knowledge
of mains water here, for use in fish ponds, the pH for some reason is
higher at weekends. (Why I have no idea but it seems to be that way.)
I have a number of blueberries, Duke, Sunshine Blue, Jersey, Chandler,
Patriot and Darrow. My water is limey and when I have to use tap water
I add 1/3 does of Chempak ericaeous feed. The plants are heavily
mulched with B&Q soil improver which is a shredded pine waste. It
looks a little woody but the acid from that seems to help. The
Americans use pine needles as mulch to achieve a similar effect if that
is an option. It would be worth while incorporating some acid mulch
into the planting medium to help with the pH. DO not use ericaeous
compost on its own as it tends to be too peaty. Need a mix of peat (or
sub) / sharp sand (for drainage) and organic material. People seem to
have their won mixes but they are around the 2:1:1
Before the fruit garden was taken out of Harlow Carr there where a
couple of superb Blueberry Herbert growing, which provided a good crop.
Clifford
Bawtry, Doncaster, South Yorkshire

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
.. .

(I don't understand this fashion for blueberries, though: they always
taste like artificial flavouring to me. Not a patch on blackberries or
white currants.)
Mike.

I think you or someone else made a similar comment about Blueberries tasting
like an American synthetic chemical flavouring.
I think they taste OK when cooked but as a fresh fruit they are not nice.
The current interest in Blueberry is because they are supposed to help with
the prostrate--as does pomegranate supposedly.

Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote:
"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
.. .

(I don't understand this fashion for blueberries, though: they always
taste like artificial flavouring to me. Not a patch on blackberries
or white currants.)
Mike.

I think you or someone else made a similar comment about Blueberries
tasting like an American synthetic chemical flavouring.
I think they taste OK when cooked but as a fresh fruit they are not
nice. The current interest in Blueberry is because they are supposed
to help with the prostrate--as does pomegranate supposedly.

I'd better give 'em a go then!

--
Mike.



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
.. .
Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote:
"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
.. .

(I don't understand this fashion for blueberries, though: they always
taste like artificial flavouring to me. Not a patch on blackberries
or white currants.)
Mike.

I think you or someone else made a similar comment about Blueberries
tasting like an American synthetic chemical flavouring.
I think they taste OK when cooked but as a fresh fruit they are not
nice. The current interest in Blueberry is because they are supposed
to help with the prostrate--as does pomegranate supposedly.

I'd better give 'em a go then!

--
Mike.

No point flushing out the old tubes etc with that stuff until you have
consumed a few gallons of pure,sugar free,cranberry juice . Good for
internal Thrush and other urinary tract infections. The stuff is so acidic
it just dissolves anything :-)

On Jan 24, 12:14*am, "Rupert \(W.Yorkshire\)"
wrote:
"Mike Lyle" wrote in s.com...





Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote:
"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...

(I don't understand this fashion for blueberries, though: they always
taste like artificial flavouring to me. Not a patch on blackberries
or white currants.)
Mike.

I think you or someone else made a similar comment about Blueberries
tasting like an American synthetic chemical flavouring.
I think they taste OK when cooked but as a fresh fruit they are not
nice. The current interest in Blueberry is because they are supposed
to help with the prostrate--as does pomegranate supposedly.

I'd better give 'em a go then!

--
Mike.

No point flushing out the old tubes etc with that stuff until you have
consumed a few gallons of pure,sugar free,cranberry juice . Good for
internal Thrush and other urinary tract infections. The stuff is so acidic
it just dissolves anything :-)-

Blimey! I don't think I've got internal thrush yet, but I suppose it's
always handy to have a subs' bench of things to worry about in case
those on the field fail to deliver the required alarm and despondency.

Now, about these symptoms of the Black Death I've been having. . .

--
Mike.

I am truly grateful to everyone who has contributed and educated me! The controversy about flavour, worth, and medicinal properties is also most interesting. THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!

Mervyn