Acidic soil guild - Blueberry companion planting and what to grow in acidic soil beds

Acidic soils and vegetable beds can be problematic to plant is as not all plants can tolerate acid soil. However, Blueberries can only survive in very acidic soil, which open up the questions of "what can you plant with blueberries?" or "what are good blueberry companion plants?".
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This is a very good question and can be a challenge without the right information. Blueberry companion planting doesn't need to be complicated. For me, it is a matter of trial and error to get the best combination.
For me I want to uphold as many permaculture principles as possible with what I do, which is why I try to plant according to the 7 layers of a food forest as much as possible and make sure that I am planting fruits and vegetables that each serve a very specific purpose. In my acidic soil and blueberry guild I have a main tree, which is a guava tree, a herbaceous layer, a shurb layer and multiple ground cover layers. This allows you to confuse and deter birds and other pests by making access difficult and scents being confusing.
When looking at companion planting for blueberry plants and acidic soils you might also come across a term called a guild. A guild is an interconnected network of purposefully positioned plants that work together to create a self-sustaining ecosystem that builds soil and plants health and immunity.
To get the most out of your blueberry bed it is strongly recommended to not just have a full planting of blueberries, but rather to interplant many different fruits and vegetables that can tolerate acidic soil.
Once your acidic vegetable bed or food forest section has settled in your will be harvest fruits and vegetables for years to come and throughout the season, rather than once a year when your blueberries ripen their crop.
Video timeline:
00:00 - Introduction
00:15 - Why companion planting is so important?
01:09 - What is a guild and why are planting guilds so important?
03:33 - What plants grow well in acidic soil and as blueberry companions that can for a fruit tree guild?
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#acidicsoil #companionplanting #blueberryplants

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Do you have a blueberry companion planting arrangement in your acid sol bed? I would love to hear what you are doing with yours!

[@RayH-]

The deer will eat all the buds in spring.

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

@@RayH- they will eat everything else too, from juicy greens to fruit tree buds, so this issue won't then be isolates to blueberries. It's probably best to look into deer fencing or creating edible borders or thorn hedges around your edible landscape if this is a problem 🌻

[@RayH-]

@@MySustainabilityJourney Everything is fenced for deer. Squirrel mice chipmunks are still a problem. A possum has been climbing over the fence at night. Turkeys are flying over the fence until they are done mating scratching uprooting the beds. I am retired so I chase them out. Putting bird seed on the outside of the fence helps. I have acres of wooded area behind the house. If it's not deer resistant it has to be fenced. I'm kinda limited on fencing. I have two neighbors. One neighbor complained to the city about the fencing. They are gone all summer and seldom outside. When they are outside they are busy working not paying attention. Go figure.

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

@@RayH- oh no that sounds terrible 😢 it's quite disheartening but at least you have been carrying on, which is amazing! Keep up the animal & rodent chasing and I hope you manage to get some decent crops 🌻

[@slvrcrystalcc]

For everyone who wants the promised list of plants: thyme 3:46 Strawberry 4:46 Tomatoes 5:09 Dalilah 6:00 Cranberry 6:23 Guava(?) Tree 6:52

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Thanks for sharing 😉🌻

[@denisesilvaart]

I would love to see more guild videos, please.

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

I'm so glad you enjoyed this video and thank you for your recommendation, I'll most certainly get more done for you 💚🌻

[@simonemary8559]

Thanks for the Bluberrys companion ideas!😊

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

It is the greatest of pleasure 🌻

[@fidelyutuv]

Gracias por compartir tus experiencias 😊😊

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

It is my greatest of pleasure 🌻

[@user-hz7kv6js6l]

That is an interesting combination. 😊

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

It is indeed and I hope it stirred up some creative juices to try something new 🌻

[@JonathanGFoulds]

Thank you so much for your “informed thru practice” insight and information. I’m attempting to make one of the MULTIPLE separate garden beds that are about 80 cm to a meter deep into an acidic-based soil bed, separate to the rest of the beds in the garden. I’m on the other side of the world in Sydney Australia, so don’t quite know the seasonal differences in South Africa, but from what I know from basic information is that in a lot of ways, it is quite similar. I really REALLY like the idea of a guild bid, I have never heard of that before and your description has made it quite clear what the concept is, and I am going to try my best to kind of duplicate what you have done in regards to companions, as well as find one of the best or a couple of the best ways to raise the acidity of the soil. But only in this one separate garden bed, which is completely separate from the rest of them….

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

What a great comment, thank you so much, and thanks for taking the time to write it out! Yeah, our seasons are exactly the same and depending where in Aus you are we have quite similar climates too, which makes sharing experiences really great, even though we are in opposites sides of the world. In terms of the acidic bed guild I agreed with you that dedicating 1 bed is going to be the best and using my suggestions as well as testing your own will give you the best results. Just bear in mind that blueberries don't like direct hot summer sun, so make sure they have some shade (why I have planted them under my guava tree). I would love to hear how your guild comes along over time... 🌻

[@hummingbirdforestgardens]

I have thyme with blueberries too and they are both doing well - wild strawberries are abundant all around too. (we live in a forest) Just found you today~great content!

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Wow, living in a forest sounds like a dream come true 💚 It's amazing you hear that you have a similar guild that is working well for you and that you got value out of watching my videos 🌻

[@stijnbogaert2180]

Love to see compagnion planting. I planted a pinus mugo next to blueberries - because itself loves acidic soil. Maybe it may create a repellent smell for pests - don't know. Would plant Rubus fructosicus, Achillea millefolium, Red clover or some Lupine and Laurus nobilis next to blueberries in the future. I once accidently put Melissa officinalis next to one blueberry - it grew like crazy.

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Yay, love you comment and it is great to see how you have experimented to find what works for you - LOVE IT! Pines are well known to amend soil and be a good companion for blueberries and those others you mentioned will without a doubt benefit the blueberries even more 🌻

[@nuraandavids-latief1904]

This was very helpful. Thank you. Also from CT and enjoying your content. It is refreshing to see such good local content, for a change. Question - my blueberry bush seems to have burned in the hot weather we've recently had (the leaves all turned brown). Do you know if it can be recovered? If so, what would you suggest?

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Hey Nuraan, thank you so very much, I really do appreciate it and it's comments like yours that keep me motivated and going 💚 Luckily you are not alone and a lot of my blueberries fried this summer. We had some seriously hot days and they shouldn't be in direct sunlight. This is why I planted mine under the guava tree because in no time it will cast A LOT of shade under it. What you can do is scrape the bark (a very samll section) with you fingernail and if the cambium just under the bark is green then you are still good to go. If it's brown then the plant is no more. Mine have just lots their leaves but the stems are still green so I am not too concerned. Winter they will bounce back. NOTE: be careful to not over water them. It's easy to try over compensate thinking they have dried out when they are actually just stressed and hot. Watering then too much at this stage might just kill the plant. Here's to hoping we have a great winter ahead 🌻🌻🌻

[@shamielatagodien6902]

Hi I love watching your videos.I learn a lot .Your advice and tips are so helpful. I'm also from Cape Town in Ottery.If this question is ok to ask, where does one purchase a cranberry tree? Could you at some point make a video on growing onions.I don't seem to be successful with onions. Thanks in advance.

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Ah, thank you Shamiela 💚 It's so great to hear from fellow Capetonians! You are actually luckily because the guy I get all my berries from is just around the corner from you. If you search for The Green Wheelbarrow on Facebook you will find him. His name is Gavin and he has a really good range of berries and incredible prices. All my raspberries, blackberries, mulberry and cranberries are from him as well as a few of my blueberries so definitely try reach out to him. He is right next to Blueroute Mall which is nice and close. I actually have some onions coming along nicely so I'll make sure I get that video done for you soon 🌻

[@desireboezio9911]

I have also struggled with onions. I have recently learned that onion seed is only viable for a year. I found onion seeds that expire in 2017 (I guess they are freshly packaged seeds) and they are germinating nicely.

[@sandrasstitches6108]

Thank you for sharing this information. I planted blueberries two years ago and they’ve done not much at all. I believe I’ve planted them in a too shady position and even though I’ve heard they do not like being transplanted, I’m going to give it a go. First I need to build up the garden bed I want to move them to. I’ll definitely companion plant them with some flowers, strawberries, thyme and possibly cranberries if I can find them. Any suggestions on what soil improver I might use to prepare the bed for them? TIA

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

It is my greatest pleasure and I'm glad you found value in watching this video 💚 In terms of your existing blueberry plants, it can be due to too much shade, but they do like some dappled shade. Mine are actually in too much sun which is why you can see some sun burn on the leaves. But I have planted them there for when the guava tree grows up and will cast more shade, so make sure you plant now for the future as they will stick around for a long time. It can also be watering as they LOVE water so check your soil regularly, but not only the top layer but deeper down. A lesser known fact about acidic soils is the more you water the less acidic your soil becomes due to neutrality of water so you need to add diluted vinegar once in a while or regular acidic compost. As for preparation, I really keep it simple. I only add in bone meal and seaweed chips (for anything I plant) and then mix in some acid compost with the sandy soil and mulch with it too. Then just leave it to do its thing. I think you would be fine replanting then as long as you give them enough water to establish and hold off on feeding until you see new sprouts 🌻

[@sandrasstitches6108]

@@MySustainabilityJourney Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience. I greatly appreciate it 🪴

[@zandragotteberg1007]

I have 3 blueberry bushes (no yield yet) in hydrangea soil bed plus many other small plants (thriving) that like acidic soil. Most interested in the strawberries amongst blueberry plants, so I have now replanted some of my strawberry plants in the acidic bed, between the various bushes. Hopefully there will be strawberries this year and no weeds.

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

What a great idea to plant them inbetween hydrangea beds - genius! With them going dormant over winter it allows enough sun for strawberries during the shorter days and cover during the summer. It sounds like a perfect combination and I would love to hear how it works out for you over time 🌻

[@specie44]

So, to take it to the food forest level, what would be a good tree? Pine? Walnut?

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

This really all depends on your available size. If you have hectares of space then yes, nut trees, jack fruit, pines, nitrogen fixers, etc. but it all depends on your goals. Oaks and other deciduous trees give summer shade, leaf mulch and winter sun, but not food, so it really all depends on your space and your goals 🌻

[@judithmcdonald9001]

Preferably AVOID plants with the same nutrient uptake and plant those that compliment either by nutrient, protection, allelopathy. Many plants can grow at a very wide pH if planted in nutritious compost. think roses, conifers,, many herbs. The cousin huckleberry grows wild in the mtns above here. Duplicating the soil of a conifer forest is a challenge, particularly if you want to grow anything else LOL. They're pretty selfish, whereas oak leaf mold was the traditional growing medium for blueberries

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

If you have a healthy, living soil you won't need to worry about this 😁 if you mulch thickly with a natural mulch that will continuously feed your soil so you don't need to worry about what you plant. I would focus more on root zone competition than nutrient competition. I always try to add plants with different root depths 🌻

[@judithmcdonald9001]

@@MySustainabilityJourney Yes to root zone, of course, particularly in trees where the problem of not having roots nearby (and thus micorhiza) is greater than not having space. With allelopathy, there is a certain travelling distance. Plants want neighbors. Redwoods insist on living with the family. Aspens are all one with each other. LOL

[@RayH-]

Do you have Robins? The Robins by me will eat most of the blueberries. I use netting but hope to build an enclosure this year.

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

We don't, luckily, but we do have mousbirds that are equally as destructive, unfortunately, however I find having the dogs around is enough deterrent to keep most birds away from shrubs and berries 🌻

[@jimmiller6704]

I saw a vid where a person painted rocks the size of strawberries with red nail polish and put them around said strawberries. A couple pecks caused the birds to leave the berries alone. Maybe you could find some beads leave them on their necklace and paint them blue, then hang them on your bushes. Once pecked, twice shy. Ouch., sorry I couldn't help that.

[@RayH-]

@@jimmiller6704 I got the enclosure built with conduit and 1" black chicken wire including flat roof. I built it with just over 6' roof clearance. It was either 6' fencing or 7.5'. One roll of 6' at 150 feet or I would need two rolls 7.5 at 100 feet. I thought the snow would fall through but we received three back to back heavy wet snow falls and snow accumulated on the roof and I didn't build it for snow load. It's damaged but it didn't collapse. I will rebuild after harvest. After the first snow I went inside the enclosure and knocked the snow through the fencing with a push broom. That was a workout. Then I provided additional support with some 2x4's. The first time wasn't too bad but with the snow on the ground from the first time it reduced my roof ceiling clearance so the second time I was bent over knocking snow down with a push broom. By the third time I was on my knees. I will rebuild it stronger. 1/2" conduit inside the 3/4". More supports for the fencing on the roof to keep it from sagging. And some extra temporary supports for winter and hope for the best. Its about 20' X 20' and I built it for around $700 maybe less. I forgot exactly how much. The ones I saw available for sale were around $5000

[@jimmiller6704]

So you're from S. Africa. Do they have strawberries as native plants there, if not how did Africa get them there, do they have blueberries as a native plant there, I'm a Canadian we do have those as native plants here.

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Interesting question you have there! I have checked out some government documentation and it seems strawberries were introduced to South Africa in 1656 so I wouldn't say they are native but they have been around here for a very long time 😁🌻

[@chasmarischen4459]

Please state your LOCATION (in general) ZONE. Climate is critical for different plants.

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

I'm in South Africa (mentioned in channel description and many videos but may have missed it in this one) and we don't have zones. A simple search for "What zones do blueberries grow in" would have given you your answer. Same applies to strawberries, thyme and guava that were mentioned in the video. This was also a video explaining acid bed guilds and not how to grow, or where to grow. It was also said in the video to experiment with plants in your guild that work for your location 🌻