What blueberry varieties do best in less acidic soil? My soil is only about ph 6.5 which is not really enough. I put all the pine needles I get from my pine trees around my blueberry plants to improve acidity for them. I have eight varieties of blueberry, and it is clear that some tolerate the soil better than others, and some are just going to die.
Are there any varieties that would thrive in ph 6.5???
John in Kentucky zone 6b
I have a Sunshine Blue it’s supposed to be more tolerant to a more alkaline soil. They’re pretty good but small berries. The pine needles need to be fresh if you want them to help lower your ph. Have you considered tossing down some elemental sulphur a couple times a year?
John, order some sulphur and acidify your soil. I ordered 5 pounds 4 years ago and still have a couple of pounds in my basement. Also, rabbiteye types are generally more tolerant of averse soil conditions.
Now that you’ve heard the reasonable/correct advice, go find yourself some wild farkleberries (aka sparkleberries), get those established, and graft on the blueberry varieties that your heart desires.
I know from personal experience (confirmed by others) that farkleberries grow well in barely acidic soil. I also know from personal experience that the farkleberries on my property taste like mealy, dusty cardboard. Well, I guess that I don’t know what mealy, dusty cardboard actually tastes like, but you get the point…
If you’re the sort who likes to do things the hard but sometimes interesting way, search the forum for “sparkleberry” and “grafting.”
Lol…There is no Sparkle in the Farkleberries here.
Truck loads of mehhhh though.
Bluejay and jersey tolerated my inexperienced self starting about 10-12 years ago. Along with pink lemonade and pink popcorn. I never knew they needed acidic soil and i had bluecrop as well. Bluecrop died from my inexperienced but everything else thrived and they’re still alive and in my front yard in a pot 
It’s been a long while… i got the plants while i was with my ex and I’ve been with my husband for 8, maybe 9 years now so the plants are at least 10+ years old lol
I have planted rabbit eye blueberries for about fifteen years at three different locations in Alabama. They have done well at each place. Recently I have started giving them a couple of early season watering with a liquid acid loving plant fertilizer. Rabbit-eye’s appear to be tolerant of higher ph soil.