100% Pine Cat Litter (!) for Blueberries -- my little experiment

I haven’t tested the pH, but I can say that the 100% pine cat litter pellets at least do not kill blueberries, lol.

The pellets easily fall apart to make sawdust. I have 2 new little blueberries that I potted up using a great deal of this, and they look awesome. It’s only been a few weeks, but I thought I’d pass on the idea as an experiment in any case.

I got a big bag for $9 or so, and they expand when wet. Then they crumble into sawdust.

I used these and sphagnum peat moss, a bit of native red clay, and some dry, old leaves for my potting mix. I mulched with the pine cat litter, too. I have no pics, but they are just green, with nice new green growth :slight_smile: They were teeny, boxed bareroot plants from Lowes.

I’ll have to fertilize, but I am like others wondering what acidic materials can be used to make the ‘soil’ for blueberries. My clay is good for acid, but its texture is bad (alone) for shallow roots. Peat and my clay get too hard and dryish on top, too. The pine addition makes things much more crumbly and nice.

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Neat experiment and makes sense. Keep us updated :slight_smile:

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How did they do?

It totally worked! Now I add it in-ground for blueberry planting, too. I always get them wet and let them break apart first.

I’ve still never taken their pH, but they must be like other pine sawdust, which I can’t get easily.

They fluff up to bigger than the bag holds, too, so not a bad price as an acidic soil conditioner or mulch.

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is it’s fresh sawdust or composted some?

It’s more like weathered a bit. Just left out in the sun and rain for a week or so, with nothing else added. The pine litter I got was pressed into pellets. Feline Pine, I believe and can check tomorrow.

Do you not think it would rob your plants of nitrogen?

I do fertilize them here and there anyway. Our soil texture is just so hard for blueberries. Peat is great, but it dries in the top layer in summer and is hard to get wet again.

The pine re-wets easier with normal rain.

I’'m glad it’s working for you. Good luck with your plants I’d love to see some photos when they start producing :+1:

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What is that stuff exactly…sawdust pellets? Would pellets for a pellet stove work as well?

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