What's up with new blueberry plants?

12 years ago

What do you guys think about the new leaves on these plants? I planted these this spring into a mix of fir bark and peat moss. If you look at the first photo you will see the plants only have two main stems and all the growth is at the top...no new stems starting from the bottom yet.

My concern is with the leaves and new growth. Many of the new leaves are bent, cupped, and mishapen, they don't look right. A close friend thinks I'm not watering enough but I try to keep them moist. It's got me stumped.

Here is a link that might be useful: new plants

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Comments (8)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
12 years ago
RM:

Not sure what that is but the color is good and they are growing nicely. I won't be concerned unless something starts turning brown or yellow.

New stems from down low usually start after about 6-8 weeks of excellent growing conditions.
riverman1
Original Author
12 years ago
I am seeing some new yellow on two of the plants that I didn't have a week ago. I'm wondering if its pH but that's just a guess. I only have a cheap tester and it says pH is about 6.2.
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farmerjb, thank you so much for posting. On the contrary, I was actually pleased with the plants. As my very limited experience in buying plants was mostly the little twigs that are sold in body bags at Lowes and Home Depot for $5. that claim to be 2 year old plants but are nothing more than barely rooted cuttings. So these plants seemed much better. I also saw another sampling of plants sold to someone locally from a grower in this area, and the plants he had were much like the size of the plants from Lowes etc. I REALLY AM OF THE IMPRESSION THAT SIZE MATTERS IN THIS AREA. The bigger the plant the longer it's been alive and will remain alive. The reason that I was in doubt at all was that in my pursuit of another variety of blueberries, I came in contact with another grower here in GA who had the bad experience with plants from the same guy you and I purchased from. He said that out of 300 plants that he passed on to another of his customers, only 10 or so lived. Well I spoke to the man from the Market bulleting again tonight and he very confidentally assured me that these plants will grow and he has only gotten positive feedback and repeat business from his customers. Additionally he said that I could wait until later this year to pay him and if they dont grow, then I would not owe him anything. This seemed more than fair and I'll take special care of these and NOT SELL THEM to anyone else while I wait for them to grow. I really dont know why this other guy had the luck he had. But he also claimed that several other of his customers had bought plants from the market bulletin guy and they all died. I'm optomistic after seeing your post, as you have had success, I may also.
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I wouldn't worry about putting insulated pots over in-ground bushes for the cold. Blueray is hardy to zone 4b and Legacy is zone 5. I rarely have much winter dieback from my blueberry bushes, maybe a small tip here or there amongst all of them, but not enough to harm them. For the rabbits and deer, though, yes, a pot can be helpful in the winter to protect the tender tidbits, but I prefer a bunny wire cage year round for tiny, tender plants when critters are in play. (My poor Bluegold gotten munched almost to the ground the fall after it was planted. It was a set back, but it's recovered and is almost big enough to fruit now.) The pictures in the original post look normal for new plants adjusting to their environment, particularly if they were mail order, as they had to endure shipping as well as climate and soil changes. Not getting bigger in the first few months is also normal. (I prefer to pick up my plants at local nurseries; you can get a bigger plant that's used to your climate for the same price as the mail order plants.) It sounds like you've moved them to a container now, since you mention bringing them in? I find containers more difficult for blueberries, particularly overwintering. I had a TopHat die wintering in our screened-in porch; we're not sure if the pot was too wet over winter, got too cold, or something else - it wasn't worth figuring it out, we just pulled it and put something else in the pot (probably a tomato). I now have two Sunshine Blues in pots that I picked up on clearance last year. They overwintered in the basement (around 50°F). (Hardy to zone 5 but that's risky for a container in zone 6, and they have shorter chill requirements than northern highbush, so wonky weather can bring them out of dormancy early.) They need very little water during their dormant months. I think they only got a tiny bit of water a couple times all winter in teeny tiny pots (I don't recommend that part.) They looked terrible when they went into the basement; they looked okay when they came out of dormancy, and they are lovely small plants now ... not big, but healthy. They are in potting soil since they are in containers. If you've transplanted yours into containers, they should be in potting soil, not top soil. Potting soil is usually around a 6-6.5 in pH (most will say). Mine claimed a target pH of 6.2 and I made no amendments for the Sunshine Blues. (My other bushes are all in-ground northern highbush.) When you transplanted it into the pot, that is a setback to the plant's growth. (You started over basically.) If you include new pictures we can give better advice based on the current state of the plants.
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Noogy
12 years ago
Iron chlorosis. Your ph needs dropping. Vinegar solution will drop ph and enable iron absorption. I think.
Noogy
riverman1
Original Author
12 years ago
Maybe I should try the vinegar on a couple of the plants. How often should I water with the vinegar treated water? Every day? Once a week?

RM
ericwi
12 years ago
Blueberry transplants have a tendency to grow more leaves than the roots can support, during the first six months. That's why I never fertilize recent transplants in the spring, I always wait 'till fall. You can lower soil pH by adding 12 fluid ounces of 5% vinegar(from the grocery store) to 4 gallons of tap water. Typically, one four gallon application, per shrub, per week, is appropriate. A weekly pH check, or at least a monthly pH check, should be done, to be sure that the pH is within range. You don't want pH dropping much below 4.
riverman1
Original Author
12 years ago
I think that's a good point Eric. These plants were two feet tall and had a rootball the size of a grapefruit when I planted them. Although the pH may not be optimum, I suspect that the amount above ground is probably more than the small root system is able to provide for. If I could start over again, I would cut the plants back while they were still dormant so that the top was more in balance with the bottom....I'm still learning. I would cut them back now but I'm afraid it would kill them.

Thanks to everyone for the help.

RM
fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
12 years ago
Pruning the top back at planting is probably a good idea but more to stiffen the plant than to balance roots and top. If watered regularly blueberries don't need much rootball to support a significant canopy. If there were not enough roots to support the top at this point in the summer, the top would quite growing. That's not your problem. I don't see a problem.

The top won't outgrow the roots on a young plant in a pot if you are watering enough. Now outdoors the top may outgrow the roots if you hit a dry spell and don't water. The top doesn't develop in the first place unless the roots are providing everything needed.
jolj
12 years ago
I am with you Fruitman.
I dig up sucker & planted them in March & they just sat there for a year. Got 3 blue berries from blooms set before transplanting.
The next year got a hand full of fruit, but they put out new growth.
This year I got berries & canes from the root system, as well as new growth.
I lost 4 sucker out of 18 that first Spring.
Never fertilized them or add sulfur, but I am in South Carolina, 5-6 pH most places.

What's up with new blueberry plants?

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fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX

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What's up with new blueberry plants?

Comments (8)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX

riverman1Original Author

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