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rhapsody98

Yellow leaves on blueberries

rhapsody98
10 years ago

Alright, complete newby here.

I planted two brigitta blueberry bushes this spring in containers on my porch, and followed the instructions I found online as close as I could. I planted them in a potting soil that had peatmoss, with an acid based fertilizer (ultragreen azalea, camelia and rhododendron food) and an acidifier. After buying the potting soil, etc, I could only afford one large pot (24-26 inches i think, butmit was the biggest that the big blue box store had.) The second plant i placed in a pot i already had at home, about 18-20 inches. (it used to have a Roma tomato in it, about three years ago, but I dumped the old soil and started fresh.) I wasn't too worried about pots because I plan to transplant into soil when my husband and I buy a house; this fall, or next spring.

After three weeks, the leaves started turning red, and I found online where that can be not enough acid in the soil, or too much water. I added a bit more of the acidified to the soil, mixed it in the top two inches (with some used coffee grounds for nitrogen) and after I watered it that day, started watering only twice a week instead of everyday. We've had heavy rain almost twice a week anyway, so I haven't needed to water them that often.

Two weeks later the blueberry in the big pot has recovered, mostly, but the blueberry in the small container hasn't. Instead the upper leaves have turned almost completely yellow, except the veins. I read that it can't get iron because the soil still isn't acidic enough. Should I add more acidifier? I'm using Espoma organic, ("turns hydrangeas blue!" the label says).

Also, I've done the same thing to both plants, is the pot size making that much of a difference?

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