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I am getting ready to upgrade my aging and rotting wooden raised beds to ones made from 8x8x16 hollow concrete block (Concrete Masonry Units). As I understand it, the lime in the concrete can leach out over time and increase the soil pH, making it very alkaline. Blueberries are acid-loving plants and require quite acidic soil.

If I have a raised bed that is 4 feet wide, and 2 feet deep, and I plant a row of blueberries down the center of the bed, will they be negatively affected by the rising pH of the soil near the concrete blocks?

William S.
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2 Answers2

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Standard recommendation for 50 years or more (I have old books) has been to line concrete beds that will be used for acid-loving plants. In days of yore that would have been tar/asphalt type material - these days EDPM rubber (also known as pond liner, also known as rubber roofing) is a somewhat friendlier approach with very long life.

Ecnerwal
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Yes and kudos to you cathode!! But...you can change the pH and have to test and stay on top of the sulfur applications, yes you can lower the pH. Even beside concrete and masonry. I am impressed you knew to bring this up!

Also, what side of the home are these blueberries? How old are they?

They love almost TOO much water, a cooler side of the home such as the north or east side.

I would like to convince you to think about raised beds without concrete, I always have raised beds with no wood, no concrete for all kinds of soil.my raised beds[![][1]]2

stormy
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