Misty (blueberry) Mystery

11 years ago

I planted this one early this year and it was putting on some new growth.

This Spring has been a little cooler than usual in the Seattle area.

I gave all my Blueberry plants their May dose of fertilizer which this time was Whitney Farms Organic Rhododendron and Azalea blend and then watered it in.

About two days later,the sun came out and the temperature was in the high 70's.A day or two later I noticed a big change,like the leaves were cooked,some are crispy.The soil below the surface around the plant wasn't totally dry.The neighboring plants do not look like this one and received similar care.

About the only thing I can tell,is possibly the root development wasn't enough and the heat from the sun was too much.

The mulch that is shown in the picture was added after this happened,it had some just not this much. Brady

Comments (6)

MrClint
11 years ago
Hard to say for sure what is going on here, but the leaves look like they got a little crispy from the sun. One of the great advantages of keeping somewhat finicky plants like blueberries in pots - is that you can change them around to find an ideal location. I've discovered in my locale that morning sun is good and afternoon sun can cook them in short order. I've settled into a location up against an east facing fence in between some citrus trees. This give them nice morning sun and dappled to bright afternoon shade. If your plant is getting full southern exposure you may consider erecting some shade cloth for a time to see if things improve. BB will bounce back pretty quickly once conditions improve.
bamboo_rabbit
11 years ago
Brady,

It looks like it got too dry. Are you sure that fertilizer did not contain muriate of potash?

My BB are in full sun all day and take it no problem. There are 100's of acres of BB here in Florida in full sun.
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Bradybb WA-Zone8
Original Author
11 years ago
The plant does face south.I do have a piece of shade cloth that can be used.The weather forecast for the upcoming several days will be milder,hopefully the Blueberry will recover.
The fertilizer box label reads Sulfate of Potash. Thanks,Brady
MrClint
11 years ago
I didn't mean to infer that BB can't be grown in full sun any where. That wasn't the take away from my post. They just can't handle the hot, dry afternoon sun in my locale, or else they get fried like the one in the picture.
prestons_garden
11 years ago

Whitney Farms Organic fertilizer takes awhile to break down in the soil, especially when the ground is cool. I would think the roots were not established enough to keep up with the demand the leaves required in nutrients. Try using a Vitamin B1 liquid or Superthrive to give your roots a boost.

Dr. Earth fertilizer works fast and is organic. Try that next time and your results will be much better.

Ron
iammarcus
11 years ago
Bradybb your plant looks like mind except mine got brown throughout. The first one is ready for the bonfire along with some fireblight apple branches. I think whatever mine have is contagious. Mine are in pots and I have moved them 500 feet apart and hope that, with prunning, will slow down the progression. With mine it only took 3-4 days from a few brown leaves to most of the plant. Hope you have better luck with yours.
Dan