I don’t have any idea about the long term acidification of citric acid, as an anecdote to alkaline water, so I can’t comment on that, but what’s the pH of your mix (or is that what you mean by substrate)? Have you determined the pH of your water?
In the east coast we don’t talk about the EC of water much- at least in horticulture.
Incidentally, I have found that blueberries here grow very well right up to almost a 6 pH. At any rate I don’t think there’s any difference in health and vigor between 4.5 and 5.5.
I used to think they could thrive in even a higher pH because I kept doing readings of thriving plants that were in the mid 6’s, but when challenged, I discovered that this was true, at least with my own plants, probably only because the soil became more acid lower down than I had measured.
This also taught me that blueberries do not need soil with a uniform acidity, top to bottom, to be able to extract adequate iron and thrive. The meaning of this undoubtedly transcends blueberries and is true of most woody perennials. The roots can get what they need from different parts of the soil they grow in.
What region are you growing these plants in- west or south? Are the plants the right varieties for your area? rabbit eye or highbush?
Actually I can switch to sulfiric acid or nitric acid if there is no adverse long term effect experienced by you or any other fruit growers here. Which one would you suggest? Sulfiric, nitric or citric?
The untreated ph of the irrigation water is 6.80. I live in Turkey. The region where I live corresponds more or less to south of Pennsylvnia regarding latitude. I have only northern types. There are already around 5-10 growers here. All of them has northern types and they all grow in-ground.
Sulfuric is best, Citric beaks down with bacteria and pH goes back up. Sulfuric acid will remove carbonates by binding with them in stable forms like gypsum, which is neutral.
yes indeed … I am interested in blueberries not just because of their commercial value. Of course this has an impact too but I love blueberries a lot… It is my favorite fruit but here it is quite expensive… Turkey is very rich with regard to figs and as far as I see fig trees are vigorous growing plants without too much demands… You can see them everywhere here even on median strips of the roads.
I like growing plants, and the fact they provide for my family is just a plus. Yes figs are easy here too, blueberries are not, even here. Although I do enjoy growing them. My plants are fairly big now and you know a lot like figs blueberries are very long lived plants. Not as long as figs but not bad. Some plants here have been in commercial operations for 65 years.
Which is long as we domesticated them just a little over 100 years ago. It was a wild fruit only for most of our history.
I also grow honeyberries and they require no special treatment as regards to pH.
Yes I agree. the history of Blueberry is quite interesting. In Poland they call blueberry “Borówka amerykańska” (sth like american bilberry) which is a very good and matching name I think.
How did the Indigo Treat Honey berry did for you? Taste? Production? My small rooted plant did not make it this past Winter with the -20F. I may ask for some cuttings from you next February to graft to my large Henry’s Field Honey berry bush. I did not know that it needed a cross pollination to get fruit 8 yrs ago when I bought it. All the tiny fruits aborted every year.
It did fine, but I have much better plants. If you need some cuttings to try no problem. You have some new figs I need, so grow them well! Anyway Aurora is the best so far, but I have 5 others that may potentially be even better. Indigo Treat is very productive but berries are small and quite tart and slightly astringent. Also these can be rooted like figs from what I understand. I have yet to try myself. So I would suggest grafting one of my others.
It’s the early days for honeysuckle or honeyberries, or haskaps, whatever you wish to call them. Like blueberries the current cultivars are so different from the wild types that started it all, and the same is happening to honeyberries. many new cultivars will be developed in the coming years.
you gave up on the southern high bushes? You seemed to be doing so well over the years, clearly inspired many of us into the sweet crisp craze, which is my 2nd favorite blueberry I grow.
That’s what I would likely believe if I hadn’t been in the Catskills way upstate and tasted their wild highbush blueberries. Nice medium size sweet berries very similar to selected varieties.
Springhigh is excellent larger berries than SC, but a notch down on crisp skin and flavor. Jewel is more reliable than outstanding, but are my most vigorous plants with consistent yields, prob approaching 8ft tall.
My Sweetcrisp finally fruited last year, they are very nice tasting. They suffered lots of abuse due to a bad spot but finally they have some room and height and I should get a good sized sample this year. I started about ten years ago, some things take awhile To be clear halfway through I discovered I was sold mis-labeled varieties, it wasn’t just the poor location. The correct plants I finally did get were tiny so that also added to the delay.
Sometimes it seems like it is easiest just to size blueberries up in pots, if you can manage to keep them moist. They are fragile when young and seem to runt out easily from “minor” stress.
When I originally planted mine 25 years ago, my business wasn’t taking nearly enough of my time, so they were treated like only children. Blueberry plants I’ve put in the ground more recently are still struggling to get size. I never water them and they are next to thriving big old plants that find all the water they need- even through drought.
You misunderstand my meaning. In my backyard I have big berries, cooking berries, sweet and tart. Rich complex flavors like in Cara’s Choice. Also production is much improved over wilds. Well most, every trait sweetness, size, production etc comes from the wild, no doubting that.
It’s just a matter of getting a consistent plant with the traits one needs. Like wild Maine blueberries are plenty sweet, but production is poor. MSU made the cultivar Northblue that has that wild taste but on a northern bush that produces like crazy! Berries are still medium to small. So instead of having 5 half high Maine blueberry plants, all you need is one Northblue for the same production to capture that flavor. This is exactly what I meant.
With honeyberries we need to combine traits for thicker branches, larger berries, sweeter berries, and good production. All these traits have to be present in the wild for us to cultivate them.
I thought Springhigh had the best flavor, large berries, but very soft. Then again one never knows if the variety is correct.
Sweetcrisp does taste nice but for me it’s the texture that’s really outstanding. Maybe that shouldn’t mean much. I’m glad you are at least in production…!!
There are lots of new varieties but it’s hard to know what would really work and what’s hype or location specific.
Yeah I tried for 4 years on Sweet Crisp, and it’s just too cold here for it. With my figs I don’t have room to baby it. I’m happy with my choices anyway. I will be adding a few more plants next year at my daughter’s place if all goes well. Looking at what to choose now.
Yeah we can get down to zone 5 temps and that is too much for Sweet Crisp. It may survive, but it’s not thriving. Damage every year set it back till it just plain died. It’s easier to grow blueberries that love the cold, so that is what I’m doing.
yes indeed … I am interested in blueberries not just because of their commercial value. Of course this has an impact too but I love blueberries a lot… It is my favorite fruit but here it is quite expensive… Turkey is very rich with regard to figs and as far as I see fig trees are vigorous growing plants without too much demands… You can see them everywhere here even on median strips of the roads. 
