North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Yorrba" <marillen@earthlink.net>]

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Ginda,

You are right to be wary of using epsom salts on blueberries (or any other 
acid lover).  Epsom salts are 
magnesium sulfate, so you are not actually acidifying your soil like if you 
were using elemental sulfur or 
ammonium sulfate, for example.  Plus, the magnesium ions compete for 
absorption with other divalent cations 
that blueberries are often starved for like ferrous iron and manganese.  
Sure, all plants need magnesium, but 
what a plant needs most is what it is limiting and for acid lovers, iron is 
often limiting. Without seeing the plants 
first-hand diagnosis is always tricky, but I would hazard to guess that 
application of (A) ammonium sulfate 
(avoid aluminum sulfate since it only provides sulfur and acidity, whereas 
ammonium sulfate provides both of 
those things, plus nitrogen which is the #1 limiting plant nutrient worldwide 
(for terrestrial plants)) (B) iron- go 
for chelated iron aka iron EDTA and (C) more organic matter mulch- wood 
chips, Yumm! - will fix things up 
within a year or so.  If it is simply a nitrogen or iron problem, you may see 
results much faster.

Hope this helps- we had several acres of commercial rabbiteye blueberries 
until the whole place got gobbled 
up by urban sprawl.

Yorrba

On Mon, 06 Aug 2001 21:00:34 -0400, Ginda Fisher wrote:

>Mark, I didn't put down that much nitrogen this year.  (Or last, despite
>how it sounds.) Both in total and in timing, I pretty much followed the
>recommendations of "The Backyard Berry Book."  The bushes other than the
>one that I replaced are looking very happy.  Lots of new growth in the
>spring, dark green and hardening off now.
>
>I'm a little worried about overdoing the epsom salts.  How much is
>safe?  I may toss around some more aluminum sulfate, as I expect that is
>fairly safe on blueberries.  Still, I think it's odd that this one spot
>seems unfriendly.  Remember, I've had two different bushes look scraggly
>in this spot, now.
>
>Best,
>Ginda Fisher
>eastern MA, zone 6.
>
>> Mark Garrison wrote:
>> 
>> Ginda,  your blueberries are doing well to survive all that
>> fertilizer.  If the scraggly ones show a "Christmas Tree" design in
>> the veins, try a little more Epsom Salts.  If the pH is still high,
>> sulfur is a sure way to bring it down.  And sometimes some bushes will
>> just insist on being scraggly.
>> 
>> Mark Garrison, RI zone 6
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