Author Topic: Fertilizing blueberries  (Read 2706 times)

Plantinyum

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Fertilizing blueberries
« on: February 23, 2021, 01:10:36 AM »
Hi all, when do you start fertilizing your blueberry plants ?? Mine have started to slew buds and I was wondering when should I start fertilizing them ....I generally use blueberry special fertilizer , what fert are u all using??

Daintree

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2021, 06:14:15 PM »
I start to feed mine as soon as they start to show growth in the spring AND I know it won't freeze any more.  I don't mind a bit of frost after I have encouraged them to grow, but I want to avoid a hard freeze.  For us, that is usually March.
I give them Osmocote Plus and Espoma soil acidifier.
Don't know what the equivalent would be in your area. 

Cheers,
Carolyn

Plantinyum

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2021, 05:36:51 AM »
I start to feed mine as soon as they start to show growth in the spring AND I know it won't freeze any more.  I don't mind a bit of frost after I have encouraged them to grow, but I want to avoid a hard freeze.  For us, that is usually March.
I give them Osmocote Plus and Espoma soil acidifier.
Don't know what the equivalent would be in your area. 

Cheers,
Carolyn
thanks Carolyn !! March is our spring month  where the weather starts turning and we generally dont have very hard and persistent freezes , thought nights will be frosty almost for the whole month so I think I will wait on them a little more , they will either way start growing and will experience subzero temps since thats what happened past spring......they seem the very first plant in my yard,  along with gooseberries that that starts growing so early .....

brian

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2021, 09:28:44 PM »
I also use oscmocote plus and soil acidifier.   "whenever I get around to it"

Plantinyum

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2021, 11:17:03 PM »
I also use oscmocote plus and soil acidifier.   "whenever I get around to it"
I really need to find soil acidifier , wherever I do ask about garden sulfur ,people seem to either do not know what it is, or do not have it....

Seanny

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2021, 12:10:47 AM »
Blueberry doesn’t like nitrate.
Osmocote Plus has high nitrate.
Use something else.

Plantinyum

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #6 on: March 10, 2021, 01:52:00 PM »
I bought granulated sulfur, how do I proceed to use it on blueberries ? I read people sprinkle it on the soil surface and water it in. Do I need to till it into the soil surface ?? 

deac777

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2021, 11:03:28 PM »
I  use Espoma soil acidfier and a water soluble  fertilizer called Miracid. You can also use a fertilizer with a high percentage of urea. You want your soil pH to be between 4 -5
« Last Edit: March 18, 2021, 11:14:07 PM by deac777 »

Plantinyum

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2021, 02:35:12 AM »
I  use Espoma soil acidfier and a water soluble  fertilizer called Miracid. You can also use a fertilizer with a high percentage of urea. You want your soil pH to be between 4 -5

I dont think I can find the epsoma acidifier in my country, did a quick search and nothing....I can find other brands of soil acidifier and fertilizer in one , I will try them also...
Deac777 do u have any tips for using the sulfur I allready have ??

brian

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2021, 10:34:24 AM »
Plantinyum - I believe epsoma is just plain elemental sulphur, so if you already have that or can find it locally it is probably fine as long as it has no harmful contaminants.

here's the label for epsoma acidifier:

Plantinyum

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #10 on: March 19, 2021, 01:44:49 PM »
Plantinyum - I believe epsoma is just plain elemental sulphur, so if you already have that or can find it locally it is probably fine as long as it has no harmful contaminants.

here's the label for epsoma acidifier:

yeah I have bought pure granulated sulfur with the label saying it containing pure substance around 99.9% . 
Heres a pic of the thing, it is alot yellower in person, then compared to the shitty pic my smartphone makes.

« Last Edit: March 19, 2021, 01:49:31 PM by Plantinyum »

brian

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #11 on: March 19, 2021, 03:06:31 PM »
It'll probably work... just use 1/3 the amount. 

deac777

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2021, 12:23:28 AM »
Pure sulfur will work. As Brian said, use 1/3 of the amount.  Don't expect the pH to drop immediately. I also try to use rainwater to water my plants. The water that comes from the water utility is alkaline.




Plantinyum

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2021, 03:14:41 AM »
Yes I watered my blueberries last summer only with collected rain water, I also used it exclusively for my potted tropicals also. Planning on collecting twice the amount of rain water this summer since my collection has doubled over winter ....

1-3 of the whole amount?? What quantity should I use per plant ? Maybe the amount of a cup of water, or a handful ??
I know it will be a long process till the sulfur is degraded and lowers the ph , they give it a full year time till the last particles are dissolved ..I should have added it in the fall so I could have harvested its effects on the plants this spring, but from now on I will be adding a small amount the plants every fall.

brian

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2021, 01:53:13 PM »
I'm sure there is a more precise way, but I was using  "two big handfuls" of espoma in each blueberry pot ("half barrel" planter).  So maybe a handful of pure sulphur evenly spread across the top for a similarly sized container?

I use pool test strips for reading ph.  You can just check every year and add more sulphur if needed. 

Plantinyum

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #15 on: March 21, 2021, 01:21:38 AM »
I'm sure there is a more precise way, but I was using  "two big handfuls" of espoma in each blueberry pot ("half barrel" planter).  So maybe a handful of pure sulphur evenly spread across the top for a similarly sized container?

I use pool test strips for reading ph.  You can just check every year and add more sulphur if needed.

Thanks ! I have a ph meter which when I did the tests with lemons, and other substances with generally fixed ph, it read accurate. I will test the soil and work from there, my blueberries did not had any problems whatsoever indicating a high ph , so I may need very little ...

lebmung

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #16 on: March 27, 2021, 06:49:36 PM »
For fast results use phosphoric acid, you don't need much, just dilute until water has a 5 pH.

Youngster

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #17 on: June 12, 2023, 12:58:41 AM »
For fast results use phosphoric acid, you don't need much, just dilute until water has a 5 pH.
Late to this but wanted to share my experience for posterity. I had a large amount of phosphoric acid left over from a marijuana grow operation (for working my way through college ::)). Later, switching over to family-friendly crops, I used my surplus phosphoric acid to correct the water (ph) used for my dozen blueberry bushes. After a year, my blueberries exhibited noticeable nutrition deficiencies. I learned that blueberries are light feeders on phosphorus (unlike marijuana, which are also annuals). The buildup of phosphorus from the phosphoric acid was locking out other nutrients. I switched to sulfuric acid (AutoZone battery acid refill), all my plants perked up and are now healthy specimens.  Good luck.
« Last Edit: June 12, 2023, 01:04:50 AM by Youngster »

Plantinyum

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #18 on: June 12, 2023, 05:09:34 PM »
Nice, most of mine are now cntainerized, i have 2 that are doing quite well, in my native soil with added sulfur pellets, which may have already dissolved, i remember that after a whole year ofter adding them, they were still intact.
I fertilize mine now with some kind of liquid blueberry fert, along with adding granular berry type fertilizer, the containerized ones along with one of the inground ones are loaded with fruit set right now, berries are sizing up. I wonder if i should hammer an ammount of the granulated silfur and add once more, maybe if broken down to dust it will be more easilly absorbed and dissolved by the soil.

Reedo

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #19 on: June 12, 2023, 07:21:56 PM »
I use G&b Organics Rhododendron Azalea & Camellia Fertilizer. It's an acidic mix. I'll also acidify the soil with some sulfur. I typically fertilize when I see start to see flowers.

Youngster

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #20 on: March 15, 2024, 11:09:08 PM »
For fast results use phosphoric acid, you don't need much, just dilute until water has a 5 pH.
Do not use phosphoric acid, except for very occasional use.  Blueberries are weak phosphorus feeders.  Continuously using phosphoric acid to lower PH for blueberries will build up phosphorus in the soil and start to lock out other nutrients. 

In a past life I grew a lot of marijuana to pay my way through college.  After switching careers I had a large amount of phosphoric acid left over from that line of work.  I started growing blueberries for my family and used the leftover phosphoric acid to lower their PH.  Within 9 months the blueberries looked near death.  Once I switched over to sulfuric acid they got healthy and productive in a couple months.
« Last Edit: March 16, 2024, 02:30:28 AM by Youngster »

Tropicaltoba

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #21 on: March 26, 2024, 10:24:29 AM »
Youngster, what concentration of sulphuric acid do you use? Or are you simply acidifying your water down to a ph of 5ish?

Plantinyum

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Re: Fertilizing blueberries
« Reply #22 on: March 27, 2024, 01:59:32 AM »
As for acidification i once applied peleted silfur, 3 to four years down the row and the pellets look still as new, havend degraded one bit , they are burried, the ones on the surface are the same. Ive thought to hammer the pellets , until they get a flour consistancy, and apply that.
I must say that all of my blueberries do not usually show any sighns that the soil may be too alkaline. The container ones are planted in a clayey soil, with forest soil added to it, along perlite, not ideal if you ask me, but they are doing very good, ladt year they had a heavy crop, this year will be a lighter one.
I have one bush also planted in a clayey soil, inground, also doing wonderfull, dark green leaves at all times trough summer.
I havent used any acidification on all of them, also do not fertilize that often, which is an irony in relation to the topics name😂, i just cannot get to fertilize regularly.....
« Last Edit: March 27, 2024, 02:02:40 AM by Plantinyum »