I'm new to blueberries this year as well and mine are doing the leafy color change as well, the same as you show in the last pic. I'm in a heavy clay/alkaline soil area also, so I amended my soil with ammonium sulfate to instantly lower the PH as well as mixed in sulfur for it to take the 6 months or so it does to further work into the soil to help maintain acidity. The local soil is present along with thoroughbred compost and topsoil mix. I finished off my beds with pine bark mulch which is also said to be on the acidic side (ya gotta do everything ya can in a limestone region).

I water my blueberry plants using ONLY rain water that I connect from the gutters on my house in the disappointedly few times it has rained all spring. The last 'good' rain lasted 25 minutes, but I filled over a dozen 4-gallon kitty litter containers, put on their lids and store under my back deck for everyday use.

I noticed the leaves tend to crimp at the ends in a yellow-green area while the more mature leaves do the reddish border. I've witnessed these conditions periodically go away and come back. I suspect it may have to do with the amount of water I give to each plant because when it does rain (seemingly rarely, as it seems to miss my area relentlessly), the fresh rainwater will perk up the plants and the colors will go to a darker green (at least for awhile). As it tends to get dryer out, the newer leaves curl and the older ones get the red borders again. See if you notice the same pattern..

DON'T water with well water. I made that mistake years ago and now i use ONLY rain water. Things are much better. I probably would've removed a lot of that soil and put in peat moss in its place, but thats just me.

Let me refocus my questions-

1) Does the leaf damage - the pattern of circular biting - look like anything you're familiar with? Any strategy you'd suggest for figuring out what's eating the leaves?

2) Why might the leaves be turning red and brown? I'd imagined that the greensand, as a mined mineral product, would not be very soluble, and therefore would become available for root uptake only slowly. Was I mistaken, or is there anything else in the list of what I added that you would think was being taken up too intensely and harming the leaves? I know the sulfur is slow to fully change pH; is it causing trouble in the meantime? I know it is unwise to add too much sulfur at once, but I had hoped that I was doing well by incorporating it evenly through the soil before planting the bushes. The browning isn't a symptom of high pH, I don't think....

Thanks,
LCPW

The sulfur could certainly cause problems, as well as too much nitrogen, although I doubt the nitrogen would be a problem based on your list of soil additions. I would suspect the sulfur. It is probably best to prepare the soil a year in advance, in a case like yours. There is not much you can do but wait and see what happens. In the worst case, the bushes will die and you will need to replant next year. Don't get too stressed over them. They will probably be OK after things settle down in the soil.

As far as the insect damage, I really don't know. A few nibbles are nothing to worry over.

LCPW:

My first two bb plantings died completely. I think the first in Texas from too high pH and not knowing how to lower it properly. The second in CA from overdoing the additions. Half my next try in pots died probably from too high pH. But the remaining three plants are growing and producing great.

So I'm with kiwinut, hang loose and see what happens. You have done a great job getting started. The plants look OK for just being planted. Once they take hold, they will out grow the insects. Mine grow so much in pots I'm looking at two prunings a yr to keep them from overbearing. If you want more growth after they get established, add more nitrogen. Mine respond strongly to N additions.

I don't think the sulfur could hurt your plants. The only way it could would be by dropping the pH below 4. That hasn't happened yet. The leaf browning is probably just transplant shock. Neither it nor the insect damage is important unless it gets much worse.

The Fruitnut

Mine look like this, but that coloration seems to come and go based on the general moisture availability of the soil. It actually rained a little bit today and they are perking up again.

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