Blueberry advice

[Pickle]

I know that blueberry plants prefer to be watered with rainwater because it is more acidic than tap water especially where we live as the water is very hard. Unfortunately with all this lovely weather (which I am more than happy for it to stick around) I've got no rainwater My water butt is on order (deal from the council) so won't be a rpoblem later in the year but having read a thread elsewhere about tea being acidic do you think I should add some cold tea to the tap water and water them with that? They are in tubs (well 2 of them are) and I don't want them to dry out or lose them because they didn't like the water. They are potted in ericaceous soil.

[Capsid]

You'll be OK to use tap water whilst you wait for your water butt.

[FB.]

Put a few drops of vinegar into the tap water.
About 1~2ml of vinegar per litre of tap water, depending on how hard you think the water is. Allow to stand for an hour or two before using, so that the vinegar has time to fully react with the hardness of the water.

[Nicos]

Any type of vinegar FB????

[FB.]

Any type of vinegar FB????

Any kind of vinegar should be OK; it's only 1-2 parts per thousand, final concentration.

[Nicos]

FB......So those with neutral soil - or alkaline soil who plant blueberries in Ericaceous Compost initially , how should they maintain the acidic levels by watering with this 'vinegar water'...what do you reckon as to...... how often:retesting pH levels ????
Tis something which has been a question in my mind for many years- but everywhere I live seems to have acid soil- so has never really affected me!

[Pickle]

Thanks for your help everyone. Our water is very hard down here so might try the vinegar trick. Having got my lovely blueberry plants I want to keep them happy

[FB.]

FB......So those with neutral soil - or alkaline soil who plant blueberries in Ericaceous Compost initially , how should they maintain the acidic levels by watering with this 'vinegar water'...what do you reckon as to...... how often:retesting pH levels ????
Tis something which has been a question in my mind for many years- but everywhere I live seems to have acid soil- so has never really affected me!

I would only use vinegar-treated water in the absence of rain water (which is naturally slightly acidic). Fortunately, I have 1000litres of water butt capacity, so lack of rainwater is not a problem for my blueberries (which are also planted in damp ground near some kind of "soakaway" from a neighbouring house.
I imagine that the pH could eventually get out of balance if you always used vinegar water, although small amounts of vinegar is unlikely to shift the pH to very low levels because it's just not acid enough.