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  • From: "Yorrba" <marillen@earthlink.net>
  • To: "Ginda Fisher" <ginda@concentric.net>
  • Subject: Re: [nafex] Blueberries
  • Date: Mon, 06 Aug 2001 22:55:59 -0400 (EDT)

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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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