Here is the guide I have used when determining how to apply ammonium sulfate. Product of Oregon State University. Some very good reading here and a great reference source. I have applied 1 ounce per plant sprinkled around the drip line last year and it worked fantastic, lots of vigorous growth. http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/12202/ec1304.pdf?sequence=1 In late April of the planting year, apply 0.2 oz of nitrogen (N) per plant (equivalent to 1 oz of ammonium sulfate fertilizer, 21-0-0, or 0.4 oz urea, 46-0-0). Add the same amount of N fertilizer in early June and in late July. Sprinkle the fertilizer evenly within 12 to 18 inches of each plant, but not directly on the crown or stems. Ammonium sulfate and urea fertilizers contain no phosphorus (P) or potassium (K). In general, home garden soils have sufficient P and K. In the second year, apply 0.25 oz of N per plant 1.2 oz of 21-0-0 or 0.55 oz 46-0-0) in April, May, and June. The total amount of N applied per plant will be 0.75 oz. Spread fertilizer evenly around the plant, over an area approximately equal to the spread of the bush. Try not to apply fertilizer to the base of the canes. In year 3, increase the total fertilizer N applied to 0.8 oz. Divide the total into three equal portions and apply one-third each in April (around bloom time), May, and June. In year 4, increase to 1 oz per plant. As the planting ages, slowly increase the total N applied to a maximum of 2.5 oz N per plant (12 oz of 21-0-0) in mulched plantings. Continue to split the total into three applications in April, May, and June. In general, you should not fertilize after July 1. Your visual assessment of plant growth and fruiting can help you know how much to fertilize. If the plants are growing well (10 to 12 inches of new lateral growth each year and new vigorous growth from the base of the bush), leaves look green, and yield is good, there�s no need to worry about whether plants are getting enough nutrients. This assumes, however, that you�ve pruned plants well. Added nitrogen fertilizer will not compensate for poor growth due to insufficient pruning. Check the soil pH every year or two, especially if growth is poor. If the pH is above 6, you can apply elemental sulfur to the surface of the soil or mulch to slowly acidify the soil and improve blueberry growth. Apply no more than 5.5 lb S per 100 feet of row (3 oz/plant). Higher rates will burn or kill blueberry plants. RM

"I like to grow everything, so I only have a few of each type of plant, but in total I have somewhere between 200 and 300 plants to water. It can be a challenge in times of drought" Me too except I have a LOT of each type:) 142 blueberries 50 sweet Crisp 5 Gulf Coast 8 Windsor 2 southern Belle 4 millennium 14 Jewel 4 South Moon 33 Emerald 9 Sunshine Blue 1 scintilla 2 Windy (rabbiteye) 2 Beckyblue (rabbiteye) 2 Snowflake (rabbiteye) Brightwell (rabbiteye) Powder blue (rabbiteye) 2 Tiff blue (rabbiteye) Austin (rabbiteye) 1 Tropic Beauty peach 1 UF Gold peach 3 UF Beauty peach trees 1 Florida Prince Peach tree 1 UFO peach tree 2 plum trees Gulf Beauty Gulf Rose 18 citrus trees (17 varieties) Ambersweet orange Taracco Blood orange Orlando Tangelo Mineola Tangelo Murcott Tangerine Meyer lemon Ruby Red Grapefruit Navel Orange Dancy Tangerine Sunburst Tangerine Ponkan Eustis Limequat Temple Dekopon Kishu Gold Nugget 25+ pomegranates (15 varieties)(part of a University of Florida study) Afganski Azadi Desertnyi Gissarskii Rozovyi Grenada Nikitski ranni Parfyanka Sakerdze Salavatski Shirin Zigar Sin-Pepe Vkusnyi Wonderful Russian #8 11 Vietnam (Big yellow) 5 mulberry trees Red White Black 3 Fuyu persimmon trees 4 Bananas (2 types) Ice cream Dwarf Cavendish 100 row feet of black berry bushes (3 types, 33 feet row feet of each) Kiowa Ouachita Natchez 150 row feet of Mysore black raspberry bushes 50 row feet of Kiwi (3 types) Arctic Issiah ? 2 Dunstan chestnut trees 2 Grumichama cherry trees 3 Pineapple Guava Cherry of the Rio Grande 11 pineapples 2 types started from grocery store pineapple tops plus Kona Sugarloaf 4 figs Celeste Ischia 10 20 foot rows of muscadine grapes Triumph nesbitt southern home florida fry Carlos Darlene Late Fry Blue seedless Early Fry Li Ci Jujube Tigerclaw

It's usually recommended to shake crystals around the drip line on top of a thick layer mulch rather then water it in directly. This helps it release more slowly, and needs to be done less often. I usually only add ammonium sulphate twice per year, in spring and in June, no later. As far as pHing water, it depends on your soil and the water itself. If the soil is on the low side of pH, no need to lower. If it's already high, then add acid to lower the pH of the water. If your soil is just right, go by the ppm of your water. If the ppm is high, adjust the pH. If the ppm (amount of carbonates) is low, no need to adjust. Rainwater, due to it's low ppm usually doesn't need to be adjusted. Low ppm's usually means your water doesn't buffer pH much, and soil will overcome it. If you don't have a ppm meter, the amount of acid you use to correct the pH tells you the buffering capability. If you need a lot of acid to lower it, then you will likely need to use it.

Drew51, I believe you're mistaken in your comment above regarding the interchangeability of "proton" and "hydrogen". I didn't mean to imply that at all. I agree, A proton and hydrogen are very different. Actually I was ribbing the other guys for just what you said. Sulfuric acid is the long term solution It takes calcium out of the equation making it unavailable for the most part in the form of gypsum. Gypsum as far as I know doesn't really break down and is certainly neutral. I agree I use rain water only for my blueberries, but because of the environmentalists craze, the rainwater is now neutral. I have to acidify rain water! My rainwater is 7.0. So I try not to add any calcium at all. Currently I collect enough rain water for my blueberries. Other plants get city water when I'm low. I always keep enough for the blueberries. It's going to rain tomorrow so everything gets' rain water today. My rain water probably doesn't have any carbonates, so I really don't need to acidify. But the ground has too high a PH. And even though my plants are in raised beds the surrounding ground pulls hydrogen ions out, and the decomposing compost uses them too, so the soil needs a constant supply of hydrogen ions, i.e. sulfuric acid. Last year I put enough sulfur in to get my raised bed to 4.5. I added no more acid, used rain water with no acid. This spring when i tested the beds they were 6.5!! So now I add hydrogen ions constantly. I want to be around 4.0 when winter hits as over the winter the ph will again slowly go up. All gardening is local, in my area, with my clay loam, and local PH of rain water, this is what I have to do to maintain a proper PH, your mileage may vary.