# Would bunny manure work for Blueberry Bushes?



## birdsandbunnies (Mar 21, 2008)

I live in probably the worst area for raising blueberries..but I have 2 that I planted directly in the ground in peat Moss. I am raising rabbits now and wonder if the wet bunny manure would be good for them. Im thinking its very acidic.

Donna(west Tx)


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## Cara (May 9, 2002)

Bunnie manure is great stuff...I put it directly on everything. I make tea of it to feed my seedlings. I put a whole scoop in the hole when I transplant things. I put the cage directly over the beds in the winter and just let it fill up. It isn't hot it just slowly dissolves into the ground...like time release! Yay for bunnie poo!


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## Michael Kawalek (Jun 21, 2007)

Manure in general is alkaline, while blueberries will not like. Blueberries like acid conditions. If you do want to use up the manure, compost it for a while with some acidifants, like powdered sulfur, which will help drop the pH.

The first symptoms of alkaline intolerance is yellowing of the leaves. The leaves will be yellow but the veins of the plant will still be green. This is a sign the plant isn't getting enough metal minerals, such as iron, or magnesium. Those metals are very pH dependent. In acidic soil, the metal nutrients are disolved, but in alkaline they're not.
Michael


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## Rocky Fields (Jan 24, 2007)

Hey.

Soil ph should be checked and you should add sulphur as needed.

RF


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## windcatcher (Mar 26, 2008)

Magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salts) contains sulfur.
Would this alter the pH ? Would it be good for blueberries?

I've 2 new bushes to transplant in garden.... and one in yard which produces well but nothings been done to it. I'd also like to know what additives are helpful for production. Last years crop was smaller than usual.


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

Any pine trees close by? I've heard pine needles make the soil more acidic.


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## meanwhile (Dec 13, 2007)

We use shredded pine bark mulch around blueberry and we dump coffee grinds on them too. We pick up bags of FREE coffee grinds from Star Bucks and just dump it directly on the ground around the blueberry bush BUT at least 8 inches from the trunk. We have one row that is on a slope and we dump the coffee uphill from those bushes. Good luck


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## woodspirit (Aug 3, 2005)

Manure and blueberries don't go together well at all. Iron sulphate to green them and acidify, is best. You can use cottonseed meal and alot of other ingredients. Stay away from Aluminum Sulphate because it can build up in soil to toxic levels and doesn't leave the soil. ammonium Sulphate can and will burn because of the high nitrogen so use it sparingly if you must. Sulpher is good to use but I still put Iron Sulphate on mine for the acidifying and the greening that it provides. But the least expensive, most effective method is always commercial granular products. It's true that they need/love mulch...mulch itself won't acidify the soil for many, many years. including pine needles. The only time I'd recommend sawdust is if it is extremely well composted. Just stick to what is advised by the experts in your area and while many home-made recipes "might" work, it is still best to do what the experts in the field recommend. If you gaurantee success, then you will be hard pressed to fail. Then experiment slowly with plants that you can afford to lose. Same lesson as in life I guess.


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## birdsandbunnies (Mar 21, 2008)

thanks, I guess I'll save the bunny stuff for the other gardens.


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