Blueberry help

19 years ago

Hey guys,

We have several large blueberry bushes, and last winter all the dead and very old branches were pruned out. Then in the spring we fertilized with 10 10 10 and put aluminum sulfate on the ground, like we do every year. We had a tremendous burst of growth and they are full and lush but some of the leaves look like this. What do I need to add to green them up? (Last year we got 21 gallons of berries, but we got hit with 'one' 21 degree night after they bloomed this year, so we might get a pint if we're lucky!)

But I guess that's good, they can now put all their energy into recovering from their hard pruning.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Sandie

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:112345}}

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Comments (4)

kiwinut
19 years ago
That is iron chlorosis. They need iron and your pH is too high. Feed them some iron sulfate, which will provide the iron in a quick, soluble form that they can immediately utilize, and it will also help to lower soil pH.

BTW, we also had a 21 degree morning at peak bloom. However, I got a whopping 2 pints from my 75 bushes! Even the very latest varieties are already finished.
fruitgirl
19 years ago
That's a textbook picture of iron chlorosis if I ever saw one! I'd get a soil test, too, just to see where your pH is.
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suzyqk
19 years ago
Can someone look at my bluberry plants too? Mine has the light leaves too but I just thought it was new growth lol.

Here is a link that might be useful:
jellyman
19 years ago
Sandie:

Ordinary nitrate-based 10-10-10 fertilizer is poison for blueberries. Never use a nitrate-based fertilizer on blueberries, only a sulphate such as ammonium sulphate. The balanced soluble acidic fertilizers such as Miracid are fine, since they do not contain nitrates. So is pure, granular ammonium sulphate.

Symptoms of nitrate fertilizer use on blueberries are chlorosis, which is what you have, although your case is mild compared with some I have seen. Counteract it with iron sulphate, watered in well.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA