r/Blueberries 1d ago

Seedling Help

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7 Upvotes

Hello! I'd like to start by apologizing for my ignorance - I'm pretty new to planting in general and this is on me of the first plants I'm trying to bring up from seed.

I live in Maryland, zone 7b, and I wanted to plant this lowbush blueberry for nostalgia reasons. I realize our climate isn't ideal for this variety but I've largely kept the plant inside.

I planted the seeds back in March after cold stratifying in the fridge. Several seeds germinated but keep dying after moving to pots. I still have some in their starter pods that look pretty healthy? but they're staying absolutely miniscule.

I have one in a pot now and it's been hanging in there, but hardly showing any growth and now it's beginning to wilt. I've never seen a plant grow so slowly in my life and I'm not sure what the issue could be. I'd particularly like to save the one in the picture as it seems to have survived the longest in its pot. This one germinated around 12 weeks ago and has been in the pot for about 6.

Among the different individual plants, I have tried: varied amounts of sunlight, adjusting soil pH, leaving the plants inside or outside, using plastic wrap to retain moisture, and keeping them under a grow light. I'm really just not sure what else to try at this point, the little babies just keep giving on me 😭

The seeds are Vaccinium angustifolium - LowbushĀ BlueberryĀ Seeds from Trade Winds Fruit.

Any thoughts? Thank you!!


r/Blueberries 2d ago

Help with Blueberry.

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8 Upvotes

Hi all,

I recently got my hands on a BlueBerry Plant : "Berry Land Number One/Berryland Blue No.1". It's a zero-chill, heat-tolerant blueberry variety specifically bred to thrive in India's tropical and subtropical climates. It can withstand temperatures exceeding 40°C. It will arrive in a couple of weeks. I love blueberries and this is the first time I have something that can grow in this weather. I am super excited.

I do understand that it requires highly acidic soil with an ideal pH maintained strictly between 4.5 and 5.2. As you can see in the picture, current pH is around 7. I just got the growbag and soil (clayish soil+cocopeat+vermicompost+perlite) ready today.

I plan on adding elemental sulphur (at least something like this(https://amzn.in/d/0jhWcTpe). I do understand that it will take a couple of months for the pH to go down.

My research:

From my preliminary calculations, to lower the pH of 1.5 sq ft(1.5ft of diameter and height of the grow bag) of clayish soil from 7 to 5, I will need approximately 110 to 150 grams of elemental sulfur.

Because clay soils are "buffered" and resist pH changes, they require up to 50% more sulfur than sandy soils.

____

I am pretty sure, the plant I receive will be a sapling. So, I have a couple of questions:

  • Will it survive in the soil with a pH of 7?
  • Should I plant elsewhere till the pH of the soil in growbag comes down to avoid root burn? (I can make do by buying already acidic soil for a smaller pot https://amzn.in/d/0eTrKNdW)
  • Is my research correct?
  • To lower the pH of the soil, is the elemental sulphur enough? I have plenty of Sphagnum Peat Moss. Should I mix that into the soil too?
  • Is there a better way to lower the pH?
  • Finally, Is there any really good pH meter that you would recommend? This is the best I have found : https://amzn.in/d/00ARwyh7.

Thanks in advance.

____________

Thanks everyone for the help.

The approach I will be trying out:

I do not want to take a risk.

Will be planting the blueberry sapling in a smaller grow bag with already acidic soil(https://amzn.in/d/0eTrKNdW)

Will get the soil in the bigger growbag prepped to lower the pH level. Will mix Elemental Sulphur and Sphagnum Peat Moss and let it sit for a few months to a year. Before I move the plant into the bigger grow bag.


r/Blueberries 2d ago

Growing Dwarf Barries

1 Upvotes

I was considering growing my own berries, specifically of the dwarf variety, like blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries, so I not only don't have to go to the store as much but also get tastier varieties for my baking. I wanted to start with blueberries to get a good idea and the hang of the process and see where I go from there. I'm considering getting three different types cause I heard they only grow fruit once a year. I live in Boynton Beach, Florida, and made this post to ask if anyone has any advice on the best way to grow berries and help them prosper.


r/Blueberries 2d ago

Deficiency?

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7 Upvotes

What does ot mean!


r/Blueberries 2d ago

Is there any hope for my blueberry bush

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5 Upvotes

Im in GA and I got a second blueberry bush but from a different company than my firat one and I was gonna put them in the ground but then we got hit with extreme heat and storms so had to wait a few weeks. My bush started to shows of dying but while it was in the same put I had been watering it, I kept it out the rain so it didnt drown, and giving it fertilizer. So I grabbed one of my grow bags and made some acidic soil and pitted it hoping it would recover but when I took it out the pot I discovered it o ly had a thin layer of soil up top and the rest was peats and bark which explains it dying. Part seems dead but theres still some green and the branches r still bendy. Can it recover? The roots were hard to tell.


r/Blueberries 3d ago

Please Help

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26 Upvotes

I got this Blueberry bush from Home Depot a few years ago and it’s been basically ignored since then. It’s turned into more of a tree than a bush?

Does anyone have any advice on how to handle this? I have gotten like 3 berries off of it since it got planted. It’s supposed to be one of those varieties that does well in pots but I fear I’ve lost the trajectory.


r/Blueberries 3d ago

Wild Blueberry’s

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14 Upvotes

I have several dozen wild blueberry bushes along my driveway and a couple hundred more throughout the woods. A couple different types. The ones I’m concerned about are the ones closest to my house. More than enough to get a couple hundred pounds a year. My problem is they are very small and there’s not very many of them. They taste great but the bushes are definitely underperforming by a lot. These bushes have been here for a very long time without any type of care or maintenance. My great grandmother actually used to bring my grandmother to this exact piece of property I bought and put my house on to pick blueberries when she was a little girl. They are over 100 years old at this point. What can I do to maximize the size and yield? I want someone to explain it to me like I’m 5 šŸ˜‚ I included a picture of where the bushes are so you can see the area surrounding it. I’m located in zone 5B if that matters. My parents house also has wild blueberry bushes everywhere that aren’t cared for and every bush is loaded with nice sized berries and some even put out blueberries the size of pennies. Any help is greatly appreciated.


r/Blueberries 2d ago

Disease/bug or nothing?

1 Upvotes

Zone 6b, cultivar is Darrow. It’s making a surge return after last winter but recently started showing these on leaves. A blueray and a perpetua next to it also have this but to a lesser extent.

What am I looking at? Anything to be worried about?

Edit: images - my brain just left them out when posting


r/Blueberries 4d ago

I need help with my plant!!

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9 Upvotes

Hey so I just bought my blueberry plants a few weeks ago from Walmart and the branches are dying and leaves are turning yellow/brown and dying. I’ve never had these plants before so idk what it is that is killing them. Willing to try anything but would prefer to start more on the natural side as I’m trying to cut toxins out where I can.

Thanks so much for the help!


r/Blueberries 5d ago

Slow to ripen, sour ripe fruit

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64 Upvotes

My blueberries are producing way more berries then they have leaves for! I cut a lot of canes hoping that it would lower the plants demand. It takes a long time to ripen to be good and then the birds get it.

Instead of trimming canes, should I pinch flower buds to allow the plant to devote more sugars to what’s left or should I keep trimming canes?


r/Blueberries 5d ago

Which is which? Patriot and Polaris.

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8 Upvotes

Hi!

I originally ordered two Polaris blueberry bushes, but after planting them I realized the nursery had accidentally sent me one Patriot instead.

The problem is that I don't know which one is which!
Based on the photos, can you help me identify which bush is Polaris and which is Patriot?

Both bushes are planted in the same type of soil and receive the same amount of sun and water. This is their third summer in my garden.

Thank you!


r/Blueberries 5d ago

Wondering if these brown spots are a fungus, and if it’s safe to treat for fungus while the plant is recovering from significant leave burn.

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6 Upvotes

recovering from leaf scorch that i think stems from too much fertilizer. ive been keeping it shaded in the afternoon and keeping the roots damp. I’m wondering if this is fungus coming up? my other blueberry plant (I think) has leaf rot fungus so I’ve been spraying it with fungicide every week. I’m wondering if I should also spray this bush to be safe, or let it recover from the burns first.

first two photos are brown dots on the stem that I think might be fungus. the rest of the photos are just general photos of the leaf burn.


r/Blueberries 5d ago

Low Yield - Help!

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16 Upvotes

I have 4 blueberry bushes (different varieties) - 2 are on their third season and 2 are on their second. They appear to be healthy, receive adequate sunlight, and are fertilized accordingly.

Last year and the year prior I had a pretty decent yield, but this year I have less than 6 blueberries between all 4 bushes.

Any thoughts on what’s going on? Located in coastal Massachusetts.


r/Blueberries 6d ago

Defense Against the Birds

16 Upvotes

Anyone else have their plants picked clean by birds? I can not figure out how to stop them. I really would love to avoid chemicals. Are nets/fencing really the only way?

I feel bad because they’re just hungry, but I want my blueberries too!

Would love some ideas/to hear what’s worked for you.


r/Blueberries 7d ago

Shrivelled blueberries (?)

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10 Upvotes

Hi all, a bought this little blueberry plant a few weeks ago and its already starting to get some berries. I was ecstatic to see them and checked on them every day, when one day they went from the standard green to this?? Any advice would be very appreciated!! My plant already has more flowers forming and id really like to solve this issue before it affects any other fruit!!


r/Blueberries 7d ago

Alkaline water

2 Upvotes

So I have well water that tested at about a pH of 7.5 with a TDS of 400, and my soil tested at about a pH of 7. I have since added about 1.5lb of sulfur prills to the soil for my six blueberry plants. My concern is will my well water beat back any acidification from the sulfur? Or do I need to acidify my water to a pH of ~5ish before watering my blueberries. I have plenty of agricultural grade sulfuric acid, but it's just a pain to constantly have to water from a jug rather than the garden hose.


r/Blueberries 7d ago

blueberry plant looks bad please help!

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17 Upvotes

first time berry grower this year, planted this jersey bush in spring and its been doing lovely so far and growing like crazy.

This week however it looks like it has some problems!

Should I be concerned with the coloring of the stems? Also it appears I've got insect damage but i don't see any insects.

Has been really hot and humid this week so maybe that has a role to play?

I really want to have a nice bush !!! is there anything I should do to help it?


r/Blueberries 8d ago

What is wrong with my blueberries? Is this drought stress or fungal? NC zone 8a

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8 Upvotes

r/Blueberries 9d ago

What would you do?

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30 Upvotes

Hey everyone! Glad I found you all here. I can't wait to look, listen and learn. Ive got 6 blueberry bushes that are quite large. Some up to 6 feet+ tall and 8 feet wide. Besides the bird barrier I need to make around these, what general maintenance tips can you give me? Pruning this winter, fertilizers, etc. I inherited these with my house from 5 years ago and haven't done anything but enjoy the harvest. I even made wine from more than 5 gallon bags full of berries last year. Let's just say it didn't last long...

Ive got some "burnout" looking clusters this year. Its been my only issue I can point out this year.

Thank you!


r/Blueberries 9d ago

Confused -It can’t be a berry!

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92 Upvotes

This bush has not provided a single flower as of yet. So I can only surmise that the blueberry-looking orb is a flower bud? I can’t seem to find this explanation online.


r/Blueberries 8d ago

Blueberries

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1 Upvotes

Are there any local vendors selling blueberries in Sudbury, ON yet?


r/Blueberries 8d ago

Blueberry plant

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2 Upvotes

r/Blueberries 9d ago

2 blueberry bushes just suddenly died

6 Upvotes

Greetings to the blueberry community.

I am seeking advice on why 2 of my blueberries died all of the sudden. Both were growing nicely, had loads and loads of fruits and then from one day to another they just shriveled up and died. I was watering them regularly, but not too much, they are planted in an acidic substrate and I did pull one of the blueberries from the ground to expect the roots (I was suspecting some critter munching on the roots, but found NOTHING).

Now I am at a loss and dont really know what to do. I have 2 more blueberry bushes, that are still alive and kicking and I am really scared that they will die too.

ideas?

BTW, zone 7a central Europe.


r/Blueberries 9d ago

Inherited blueberry hedge help

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21 Upvotes

We close on a home at the end of the month with this massive blueberry hedge šŸ˜ I’ve grown all my blueberries in containers so this is new for me. These bushes were overgrown with berries when we toured the home so we were ecstatic. They seem to not have been cared for in quite some time but are thriving nonetheless. How would you care for these beauties? What pruning if any would you do this winter? Tough to see from the pic but these bushes are 10-15 feet tall. Some bushes have fallen over in the back and are touching the ground but are still producing like crazy.


r/Blueberries 10d ago

How many years do you think I can put my blue berry plant in a 50l container (18' in diameter and 12' in height)?

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16 Upvotes

It is a 1st year bonus blueberry plant. I am planning to re-pot it after eating all the berries. Current pot is about 9inches in diameter.