I planted this in April of 2018. You’d never guess it’s that old as it’s so small. It’s had chicken foraging stunt it’s growth but I also think the location/soil isn’t good. It’s the only bush of three to survive. I had a Blue Ray and two Patriots die, the lone survivor is this Northland. It’s safe from chickens for the moment but the coloration of the leaves makes me think that something is off… I’ve never pH tested. It’s in the soil covered with lots of mostly composted wood chips. It’s possible I didn’t plant it deep enough or maybe too deep as the wood chips (sort of Back to Eden style attempt) made it hard to know where the soil level was. Thanks for any thoughts. I wonder if I should just move it.
Have you had a frost in the last week? The red leaf color is very much in line with what I see from frost damage.
If pH is high leaves will have a red tinge. It’s a nutrient deficiency as it needs the low pH to take up nutrients. Why I gorw mine is raised beds where I can just use peat and pine as soil as both have a pH in the 5.5 range. Even city water though can hurt them long term. The pH of city water is way too high to use untreated on blueberries.
Yes it could be cold too, but considering you lost two, sure sounds like a pH problem.
Thanks so much! I’m guessing pH is my issue. I’m frequently humbling myself here lol. I just realized that I’d posted a pic of a mystery tree accidentally. Here are the actual pics of the blueberry bush!
Well so much for the so called experts catching this! It kinda looks like a blueberry!
Well you can add sulfur but it takes 6 months to work. Ammonium sulfate fertilizer will lower soil pH and feed the plant. Be careful not to burn.
What I would do is buy some pine bark fines. It is hard to find them. Often sold as “soil conditioner” Private nurseries usually have something. Not big bark chips but 1/4 chips to powder size. Also buy perlite and peat moss, Not the long strained kind, the powdered kind! Mix half pine bark and half peat and maybe 1/3 perlite. Make a potting mix and put it in a pot for now. Like maybe 5-7 gallon. A root pouch would be perfect. If you have pot stores they have perlite usually. Any garden center will have some. Diatomacious earth the size of perlite can be used instead. Optisorb is the best brand sold at Grainger stores. Order via the new for pick up at closet store. This is what I use for all plants in containers, then recycled in raised beds.
You can then condition the ground better. Dig a huge whole and use the soil elsewhere to fill holes, or mound new fruit tree areas before planting. Throw the rest of the pine bark and peat in the hole. Or even better build a raised bed. You could just keep the plant out and put it back. Do it in a day it will be fine. Try not to damage roots. Roots usually are shallow. I would dig a big ball out then hose that basic dirt off and replant. At least rinse a good portion of the soil off, where some roots will be in new soil. Do not let it dry, do this just before you put it back. If it dies well put some more in next year. Prep the ground or raised beds this year have them ready to plant in the spring. If you use Hollytone you are adding some sulfur. It’s safer this way. Pure sulfur it’s easy to add too much. That will kill the plants quickly. Once blueberries are in the right pH they grow very well. I test mine yearly in raised beds
One of my plants in a raised bed
3 Likes
Thanks for all the ideas/approaches. My mom just gave me a 7 (I think) gal grow bag, guessing that will work well. Just need to locate the mediums you suggested. Then once I get a better place set up I can re-plant it. I didn’t know that their roots are shallow. I guess the fact that it’s pretty small will make digging it up easier. Should I start digging maybe 8” out from the extension of the little branches?
It’s hard to say how shallow as they do go deeper when bigger.But shallow for how big a plant blueberries can become.
I think digging a foot around the crown is probably enough overkill. The plant looks small.