i have numerous fruit bushes of every type in my yard. but in the last few years my aronia , black currants and elderberry don’t stay erect . as they put on growth the bush opens up and flops onto the lawn in one direction. the limbs get bent easily also and winter snow did a lot of damage to them. i know there must be a nutrient deficiency thats causing this but i haven’t found anything definitive online. any ideas on what supplement i can give to make them stronger. these are 3 yr old plants.
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Could be a nutrient over abundance as well … namely nitrogen.
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Are you pruning your currants every year?
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Have you tried adding some silicon, either as a foliar spray or as a soil drench? I can’t say for sure it will work, but it definitely seemed to help grow stronger stems on my zinnias. I added it when watering a few times.
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Overly vigorous plants are more prone to lodging. Too much water and fertilizer can contribute to that issue. Pruning can help on plants like blueberry. Clip them back a few times in summer to stiffen up what remains.
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funny thing is i over did the fertilizer last spring by accident but didn’t fertilize this spring. maybe my clay soil held the fertilizer in place all the way into this year? i haven’t pruned them yet other than broken or crossed branches because they’re only on year 3 but plan to prune the weak canes next spring. i didn’t even really overdo it either. my heavy clay soil must have concentrated the fertilizer at the root zone. where do you buy a silicon supplement? thanks for the help.
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Clay soil has its advantages and disadvantages. One advantage it does tend to hold fertilizers well.
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This is what I used, but remember it was for a different kind of plants so I can’t guarantee how it will work for you. If you try it, let us know how it works.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000E1VZKE/
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thanks zen! ill give it a try!
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I use the same one.
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