North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[BRosholdt <rosholdt@erols.com>]

I planted my blueberries by removing the heavy red clay soil and replacing with sphagnum and sand.  However, they have not been thriving.  They seem to get smaller and poorer every year.  Am I keeping them too wet?  I use a drip hose on them when it is dry.  I've heard one source say Calcium Carbonate would help loosen soil.  I have always put  wood chips on them in the winter and last year added a little sulfur and blood meal, to no avail.  I definitely am not overfertilizing them. Edible Landscaping advised that the northern varieties I was trying to grow (Duke, Patriot, O'Neal, Bluecrop) are more sensitive to the issues we have with soil and climate here in central Virginia, so I have planted a Star and Sunshine to see if they would do better.  Anyone have any other advice?

Barbara R.
Z7a central Virginia

Subject:

Re: [NAFEX] Chlorosis blueberries

From:

Lee Reich <garden@leereich.com>

Date:

Wed, 4 Apr 2007 12:14:26 -0400

To:

North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>

Chlorosis of blueberries is usually due to soil that is insufficiently acidic (pH 4-5 is ideal) or poor drainage. Correct improper pH with sulfur. The amount to use depends on the pH change needed and the soil type, with heaavier soils needing more than lighter soils.

Some fertilizers can also make the soil less acidic. An excellent source of nitrogen that does not make the soil less acidic, does put the nitrogen in a form utilized by blueberries, and costs relatively little is soybean meal (or, more expensive but available in smaller packages, cottonseed meal). Spread it in late fall at the rate of 1-2 pounds per hundred square feet.

Lee Reich, PhD

garden@leereich.com 

Books by Lee Reich:

The Pruning Book

Weedless Gardening

Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden

A Northeast Gardener's Year