Blueberries in Pots - keeping soil acidic

[maverick451]

Hi guys

Ive got 4 blueberry plants in pots that I bought for £1 each last year from Tesco

1 of them looks good this year, 3 of them look a bit sickly, the leaves are a funny reddish colour in places

I understand they need acidic soil and planted them in ericaceous compost but is there anything I can add to the soil in terms of a mulch maybe once or twice a year to keep it acidic? maybe pure peat?

[Scarlet]

I don't grow blueberries but my Mum does and she has great results...she says always water with rain water and feed regularly. She tops her pots with slate chips.
This is worth a read http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...uide_6408.html
She uses this feed http://www.webbsdirect.co.uk/westlan...kg-prod197214/

[Bigmallly]

Pine needles, spent ground coffee.

[maverick451]

Thank you very much

[Kirk]

I think - not 100% sure - that you have Peat, Pine needles, Coffee Grounds and Sawdust.
I know the first 2 are suitable, didn't know about coffee grounds and sure I have read that sawdust is suitable - I have put sawdust on mine and they are OK.

Always worth a google to get as much information as possible. Just a thought but check leaf mould, just thinking that a bag of leaves collected in autumn would compost to a slightly acidic compost.

Coffee is easy if you drink fresh coffee, sawdust is easy if you are close to a joiners or have a circular or bandsaw (I have a bandsaw).

I would suggest just using them (possibly with the exception of peat) as a top up or maintenance aspect. Don't think that growing a blueberry in a big pot of coffee grounds will work. Only say this as too easy to just keep putting say coffee grounds or sawdust on and going too extreme.

[Ryez]

A picture will really help, as my blueberries have also these reddish spots, and some varieties seem to have symptoms of Powdery Mildew. I removed all these leaves and placed them in a sunny spot, so they get over 6 hours of sun a day, as it seems to help. I have also mulched them with bark wood to keep their shallow roots moist and mixed some organic ericaceous fertilizer into the soil. They seem to be doing ok, although some have lost a lots of flowers. But that might be because they only arrived a month ago in 3 litre pots through the post and looking sickly. So definitely doing better now.

[spamvindaloo]

The leaves on my blueberries went a very deep red in the autumn. I wonder if they could have been a bit confused about the seasons if they weren't in too good condition. I also give mine an ericaceous feed. The most important point from all of the above though is always water with rainwater and never tap water.

[rosiepumpkin]

Tea bags too. Red leaves not in autumn is usually not enough water. Mine did that and after I started giving them 2 gallons most days they're all perking up

[sugar]

and only give them rain water, tap water will ruin the acidity of yout soil

[organic_gibbo]

A picture will really help, as my blueberries have also these reddish spots, and some varieties seem to have symptoms of Powdery Mildew. I removed all these leaves and placed them in a sunny spot, so they get over 6 hours of sun a day, as it seems to help. I have also mulched them with bark wood to keep their shallow roots moist and mixed some organic ericaceous fertilizer into the soil. They seem to be doing ok, although some have lost a lots of flowers. But that might be because they only arrived a month ago in 3 litre pots through the post and looking sickly. So definitely doing better now.

If you dont mind could you send me a link for the organic ericaceous fertilizer your using

[Ryez]

Yes of course, it's from Vitax, I ordered it online. It's for acid-loving plants like blueberries so you can also use it for Hydrangeas, Azaleas etc. It is pellets, so you mix it into the soil when planting or top-dress it. Use it once in spring and once in the summer if needed. It's slow release.



Here is some information about it

Azalea, Rhododendron and Shrub Fertiliser | Vitax

[BUFFS]

we eat lots of oranges and any orange/lemon rind can be used, just blitzed in a blender and thrown around the base of the plants so each time it rains it feeds the roots..

[devonuk]

I planted 10 blueberries in the spring in the veg garden of my new house - notably acid part of the country, camellias growing like weeds in the borders, etc, perfect blueberry country.

Just tested pH in the veg garden - 7.5 - predecessor must have limed like a maniac!! Bluebs are still growing however and not looking too chlorotic. What I'm hoping is that lime washes out - which is why high rainfall = acid soil - and the problem will self-rectify. If I am right, you have little to worry about - if you started acid you should stay that way. Christopher Lloyd the gardening writer says somewhere that he never bothered with ericaceous compost, because lime is only temporary unless you keep adding it.

[Invicta]

You could have long wait. Back in the 1960's we moved into a new house with a neglected garden. My Dad hired a rotovator and added peat and lime, but new to gardening he overdid the lime. The garden was naturally acid clay but fortunately welldrained. Even 25 years later my parents could not grow Camellia, Pieris or rhododenrons [which all are neighbours grew] but they did have fantastic specimens of lime loving plants.

[devonuk]

Ho hum.

Serve me right of course for not thinking that people lime their veg gardens. Will have to investigate acidifiers.