(Hello, I’m new!) Last year I thought I’d dip my toes into blueberries. They don’t grow in my area (southern Wisconsin), but I’ve got blackberries, honeyberries, serviceberries, strawberries, the only thing left I hadn’t tried was blueberries.
The only sunny spot left in my garden was an ornamental raised bed position, so I got one of those very pretty Bushel and Berry blueberries (Pink Icing, I believe). I amended the soil, stuck the plant in, and it was doing great until last fall. We had a torrential downpour and a few weeks of very wet weather and right afterward the Pink Icing lost every single leaf. I was horrified because it had been doing pretty well up until that point. It managed to grow a few leaves back just in time for winter, when the rabbits came out and ate the poor thing down to the ground (I have a couple inches left) before I could cage it. I put a cover over it but basically resigned myself to losing the plant.
Anyway, much to my shock and disbelief it is still somehow alive this spring and I feel obligated to at least try to keep it alive. Anyone know what happened with the rain and the defoliating? I know that blueberries are better in full sun, but should I try to pot it up and put it somewhere I can keep a better eye on it?
Here’s a picture from last spring. I hate to show you a picture of it now, just imagine a couple sticks.
Were the leaves green and healthy and then suddenly all fell off or did they turn yellow during those weeks of wet weather?
I’m not a blueberry expert, but I am thinking the rain raised the ph too high for too long in that little raised bed. I had some container blueberries struggle last year from the weeks of wet weather altering the ph and had to add some vinegar for a short fix and then more sulphur pellets a few days later for the long fix.
It looks like the plant is at the lower part of the USDA zones,rated between 5-10,so that should be okay.
What was the soil amended with?
Jeremy,I’ve never heard of rainwater being other than acidic.Some places where a lot of vehicles are,it’s below 5.
Welcome to the forum! I think I see a touch of Princess Mononoke by that blueberry If it’s any consolation - I have had horrible luck with the bushel and berry blueberries I bought this year. I kept them inside under lights to let them acclimate after hanging out in the store, and I think 1 out of 3 is still alive looking. Other blueberries are looking much better, so it could be that specific plant. A soil test for pH would be my first suggestion, it may not be low enough for blueberries.
I know that my experience was that rain raised my container ph from 5.5 to around 7, which is pretty much the ph everywhere in my yard and I remembered that “pure water” has a ph of 7, so I just figured that was the cause. Now that you pointed it out, rain has a ph of 5-5.6 according to Google, so perhaps what I experienced was my acidifying amendments being flushed out of the container and returning it back to my default ph…
Jeremy, the leaves were all green and healthy and suddenly fell off. To my memory, I went out after the thunderstorm (lasted nearly two days) to see about half the leaves fallen on the ground. I hurried over, touched a leaf that was still on, and it fell right off to the touch. I had added acidifier just a couple weeks prior.
If it were an indoor plant or succulent, I would have said overwatering for sure, but my outdoor garden drains very well. I’ve never had any standing water, when I turn a hose on this raised bed it all just goes right in.
I typically fill my raised beds with a mix of regular soil and compost. For this raised bed I just added the amendment at whatever the instructions said. I made the amended soil in spring, plant was fine, added a bit more acidifier to the top a few weeks prior to the downpour, downpour, plant lost all its leaves. I’ll have to go get an actual soil pH test, I’ve been using a water one and just mixing the water and soil.
Disc, that was my husband, haha! I came home one day after his work bought a 3D printer, and there they were. I’m glad I’m not the only person with horrible blueberry luck. Other B&B plants have done fairly well for me - I have some Baby Cakes and Raspberry Shortcake from them as well.
That’s a fun project and one I’ll definitely consider if/when I get a 3d printer! My Baby Cakes and Raspberry Shortcake are faring better than the blueberries… I hope they flourish this year and that I can get a refund for the dead blueberries to try again next year.
Never use compost with blueberries. The soil should be peat and pine bark only, nothing else except perlite or volcanic rock like pumice or perlite sized DE.
That plant is tiny and needs to be babied. It may not survive. I have had bad luck with sickly blueberries. Once they go downhill I have not had luck reviving them. I have grown them for nine years now I currently have 12 cultivars. Fun plants to grow once. You get them right they grow like weeds. My biggest plant is six feet wide and seven feet tall. Some grow very large.
Well dang. Guess I’m just used to throwing a trowelful of compost into any plant holes. Do blueberries do better on poor soil?
I may just get some acidic potting soil and put it into a pot where I can watch over it and not have to worry about rain and wildlife. How well do they do in a sunroom/greenhouse, if you have experience with that? I’ve heard they need to be watered with rainwater and not tap?
They love to eat but can only take up ammonium forms of nitrogen or urea. Any other form of nitrogen can kill them. They have very limited ability to metabolize these other nitrates but will keep absorbing them. Even enough to kill the plant. It over doses on them in other words absorb toxic amounts. Compost can be very basic and can produce the other forms of nitrate I use Hollytone which is meant for acid loving plants. And urea or ammonium sulfate to stimulate growth. AS also lowers oH. If pH needs lowering I use AS if good I use urea. PH will constantly change and should be monitored. Peat and pine will compost eventually and raise pH. I add sulfur to counteract long term.
They should do fine in a greenhouse and grow well in pots. Yes rainwater is best. Tap like compost, messes the pH up. They are not easy to grow for sure. But if you keep pH right things seem to fall in place.
Blueberries need a pollinator and acidic soil. Mine grow fine in partial shade or full sun. But every now and then, if it gets below 40, leaves will drop off. I have over 30 plants, so it doesn’t bother me much.
I’ve only used the less expensive kind,which probably were in the ballpark,but not exact.There may be forum members,with more experience,that can help with your question.Also,in my remembrance,some discussions were about that,in other threads.
Someone just gave me a gift card to a local plant store by coincidence, so I’ll go get some acidic potting soil and a pH meter today and see if the blueberry lives. Been meaning to get a pH meter for awhile anyway Thanks so much for all the help and advice!
Any suggestions for a pretty 3-4’ fruiting plant to replace this one would be very welcome
If it’s any consolation - I have had horrible luck with the bushel and berry blueberries I bought this year. I kept them inside under lights to let them acclimate after hanging out in the store, and I think 1 out of 3 is still alive looking. Other blueberries are looking much better, so it could be that specific plant. A soil test for pH would be my first suggestion, it may not be low enough for blueberries.
Thanks so much for all the help and advice!