I am not sure, jen. But, I have several new blueberry bushes and all of them suddenly got curled or misshapen leaves. This happened in the last week and I fertilized them for the first time in the last week too.

Jen:

Is it possible that you are overwatering these plants?

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

I have actually been really good about not watering the plants at all. Its been raining about once every 10 days here so i don't do anything.

What about the slimy flowers? That seems like a disease. And some leaves are shiny, like bug slime.

I grow blueberries, in Madison, Wisconsin. Been doing this for 15 years, but I have never seen the symptoms you describe. Once in a while, I see some rust, but it is local to only a few leaves. I prune off the diseased section, and that seems to keep the shrub healthy. Are you growing these blueberry shrubs in containers?

Jen are they getting moisture on them during the night. Is a sprinkler hitting them or have you been getting fog, dew or drizzle that is not drying on them fast enough?

yes, the bb are grown in containers. i don't know if they are getting enough moisture, there is dew in the morning, and no sprinklers. but i check the soil to see if its dry by sticking my finger 1 inch into the dirt.

isn't the slimy flower petal so wierd? do you think that's a side effect of the fungicide?

I am not a container gardener, but I am learning about this subject, so I can begin to grow some tomatoes year-round. People who are experienced in container gardening are very quick to emphasize the importance of well drained soil. They are particular about the particle size of the pine bark used, and they also mix in some perlite to loosen the mixture and increase drainage. I suggest that you post this on the "container gardening" forum, where the real experts are more likely to see it and respond.

You probably won't get the answer you need from other crop growers. My fear is that you might have a virus problem which is fairly common with this crop and the growing media doesn't weigh in as much as the source of your plants. I'd call a plant specialist, either through your extension service or through the nearby Ag university. Often they will culture the tissue to get to the root of the problem. Every now and then some new horific disease shows up in certain areas.

Slimy flowers may be a disease. Mummyberry is one possibility.

hi guys,
thanks for all the help! i have contacted the orange county co-op....hopefully they respond! I am also next to uc irvine, i'll try them too.

in terms of the slimy flower...i have no hope on that but to prune them off.

ashley, i'll contact you offline so we can keep track of our curling bb leaves!

-jenny

Please don't take offense, but I have one last question about the growing conditions. Are your containers draining freely? Are there holes in the bottom, and are they open? Is it possible that somehow the container is trapping water?