Help - I've run out of rainwater for Blueberries

[muckdiva]

My blueberries are in pots, and following advice I have been giving them rainwater, but I've now run out. I've read the blueberry advice thread, but is it safe to give them tap water if we are in a very alkaline and hard water area or should I add anything to adjust PH to avoid them getting miffy?

[Alison]

A bit won't matter so long as you don't do it all the time - better than letting them go thirsty. If you want to adjust you can buy stuff at the garden centre to adjust, can't remember what it's called but am sure somebody will know. If you look in the plant food section you should find it OK.

[nick the grief]

Sulphur chips will make it more acid or you could try an azealea feed.

[Alison]

Sulphur chips will make it more acid or you could try an azealea feed.

Azealea feed was what I was thinking of but was being a bit blonde and couldn't think of it!

[muckdiva]

Thanks folks.

I have bought some ericacious plant feed concentrate so will add a little to the water - but I'm guessing I shouldn't do this each watering. I did a google search (don't tell LJ) and read that it's possible to add 1tsp vinegar to 2litres water to adjust the ph of tap water, so I may try and find out more about that in the interim - have any grapes had success with this? (Apparently the advice was given on a blueberry plant label).

On the beginners blueberry thread Piglet says his plants are in the ground and do well that way. I'm definitely going to aim for that approach once the plants are dormant as I have a spot where the soil could be replaced for them and it's got to be easier than watering a load of pots.

[kernowyon]

i bought a couple of blueberries from woolworths in january on the cheap. i just planted them in a space on the allotment and mulched well with pine needles then covered them with plastic bottles to protect from the worst of the weather. the bottles came off at the weekend and the plants although small already have loads of new growth and even what looks like a couple of flower heads (not too sure they are though, having never seen them before!)
lucky for us the water table is quite high here and have not had to water too much.

[pigletwillie]

As mine are in the ground they dont get watered at all, unless of course we have a drought. If no rainwater is left they get it out of the hose. As long as you give them some sulphate of iron twice a year and feed them proper food they will be fine and dandy.

All 16 of my bushes are in full flower, all get tap water and all are in the ground thriving. They do not need wet nursing, just follow the advice in the technical board and dont fret.

They are not difficult to grow if you follow a few very simple rules.

[gedtodd]

my invicta bush also has thrived in the ground and has been raised to its third year on tap water and tomato liquid feed, lol, after last years crop caterpillers decimated it but i like moths, so left them to it, i then got loads of moths that fed on the lillies which resembled hummingbirds, they were most facinating to watch, then i read that this was a bad thing for the bush and worried about this years growth, i need not have as it is already covered in berries the size of an old half pence piece.