Adjusting Soil pH for Blueberries in Peat Moss

Break up your soil to a depth of 18 inches in fall with a rototiller. Spread 1 ½ to 2 cubic feet of peat moss per blueberry plant to your home orchard. Mix the peat moss with the soil and allow the peat moss to slowly change the pH of the soil over the winter.

Take a soil test in spring before planting your blueberries. Dig up 1 quart of soil in each of 10 locations over your garden. Place the soil in a bucket and mix thoroughly. Allow the soil to dry and then collect 1 cup of soil in a plastic sandwich bag. Take the bag to your nearest county extension service. An agent there will help you to send your soil sample to the nearest USDA approved soil testing facility. Many of these facilities are operated by agricultural colleges. Test results are normally returned within three weeks. The test results will indicate your pH as well as make recommendations for soil amendments to improve the soil.

Break up the soil to a depth of 18 inches. Add elemental sulfur or iron sulfate as well as ammonium sulfate fertilizer in the amounts recommended to lower your soil pH. Mix the amendments into the soil with a rototiller. Never use more than the recommended amount of soil amendments or try to change your pH too rapidly. Doing so can upset the natural balance of soil and cause blueberry bushes to decline.

Continue to check your soil yearly after you have planted your blueberries. Make adjustments by adding a top dressing of acidic peat moss and by scratching elemental sulfur, iron sulfate and ammonium sulfate into the soil. The pH of the soil will gradually rise if you do not do this.