skip to main content

Fruit & Orchards

Blueberry Plant with Red Leaves

Bradybb WA-Zone8

9 years ago

I visited some friends today and they have a raised bed that was amended with Peat moss,which has been planted with mostly Blueberries.The plants have been there for about two years.
One,a Northern Highbush Darrow,has an unusual amount of red leaves.The lady said it's been that way since they grew this Spring.I thought it might be a Magnesium deficiency,but am not sure.She said they were not fertilized this year.
I took a picture of the one in question and some of the others nearby.Some have slight tinges of red in little areas of their foliage,but nothing like the standout.
The bed needs a good weeding,but they're elderly and can't always keep at it.Brady
{{gwi:121826}}
{{gwi:121827}}
{{gwi:121828}}

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
9 years ago
Brady:

I don't know why so much red. Usual is cold wet soil and issues with P uptake. If you have some complete fertilizer for acid loving plants ask about applying some. The plants look short on nitrogen and that might be part of what's happening.
ericwi
9 years ago
The bb with red leaves has set fruit, and it looks to be generally healthy. I suspect that this might be some sort of genetic variant, although I would be using a diluted general plant fertilizer to keep it fed. This year, I have been using Schultz Plant Food-Acidic Formula, on the blueberries. I don't give them a lot, 4 feedings per season, one tablespoon per feeding, dissolved in 4 gallons of water.
Related Discussions
Red Blueberry Leaves, pH Test Inconclusive
Q
Comments (12)
Here in Madison, Wisconsin, we have alkaline clay soil, with a pH around 7.6, so I have to use sulfur to get the soil acidic enough for our blueberries. I have used several methods for checking soil pH over the past 20 years, including a pH meter, pH paper, and dye indicator solutions. They all work, but dye indicator solutions give clear results, and they don't require any calibration step. You can get a small bottle of bromocresol green indicator for about 4 dollars, mail order, from HMS Beagle. I'm sure there are other sources. It will take a year or two for soil bacteria to metabolize the sulfur in your blueberry beds, so it is not possible for the sulfur to be causing the discolored leaves. When blueberry shrubs are transplanted, the root system is disturbed, and it takes the plant a month or two recover. For this reason, it is best to plant them in the early spring, just after the ground thaws, and before the shrubs have leafed out. But I think your shrubs will recover and do fine. If you see some sign of burning leaves, or browning leaves, it helps to cobble together some sort of shade, and protect the shrub from the worst of the mid-day sun. Too much nitrogen fertilizer will cause burned leaves. You will have to find out the pH of your irrigation water, unless you know for sure that you have soft water, free of dissolved limestone. If you have hard water, that will tend to raise the pH of your blueberry bed, and counteract the sulfur that was added to the soil. My tests have shown that blueberries will grow over a wide pH range, from 4 to 6.5. They grow best at pH in the range 4.3 to 4.8. I was under the impression that New Hampshire had naturally acidic soil, and if that is true, the soil pH in your blueberry bed might eventually get too low. But this will take several months to develop, and by that time you should have been able to get a handle on pH measurement, and be able to see what is happening. The method I use for pH testing is to mix a tablespoon of dirt with enough distilled water to make a slurry, and filter this solution with a clean paper coffee filter/funnel. A teaspoon of filtrate is plenty enough for testing. Add just enough bromocresol green indicator to see some color. Green means the pH is between 4.3 and 4.8, blue indicates the pH is around 5.4, and yellow indicates the pH is around 3.8. There are other indicator solutions available that can be used to see other regions of the pH range.
...See More
Blueberry leaves turning red
Q
Comments (3)
Bart: I planted 12 varieties in pots four yrs ago, six northern and six southern highbush. After a fair start, most turned various colors and declined. I did a soil test. It came back about pH 4.5 from Texas A&M. They recommended lime application!!!!! I applied a little lime to one, no help. Ended up losing all but four varieties. Now have the three best adapted to my potting soil, water, and chilling. Maybe that is what you need to think about...what remains may be better adapted to your situation. Best to keep track of variety names. The Fruitnut
...See More
Need help for my blueberries. The leaves veins turning red in summer.
Q
Comments (4)
They look pretty good to me. The bushes are small now so every leaf imperfection will be highly noticeable. They are most likely older leavers that need to drop at some point. Judge BB by the health of new tip growth and new shoots from the crown.
...See More
Blueberry plants turning red in center of leaves
Q
Comments (3)
Hi Jaymes, Sounds like your blueberry plant got hit with a case of the blueberry shoestring virus. I'm making that assumption based on what you described of the sypmtom since you didn't provide any image. Check this link. Does the condition look similar to your plant? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueberry_shoestring_virus
...See More
inkfin
9 years ago
Brady,
I believe this is a fungal disease called RedLeaf caused by fungi Exobasidium. The easiest way to figure out if this is a red leaf disease or a lack of nutrition such as magnesium or Phosphorous deficiency is to just look under the red leaves and if you see powdery or shiny development of white underside - spore production during late June-early July indicates there is the presence of fungi exobasidium.
Control for Red leaf
- Limit walking through patches on wet days during spore production to prevent spreading spores to other plants.
- Fungicides do not work to control disease since it is systemic in the plant
- Burning and pruning has no effect !! RedLeaf will reoccur even on new stem after burning or pruning.
- Herbicides can be used to remove red leaf plants, but
herbicide will likely also kill off adjacent plants by
movement of herbicide in rhizomes
Bradybb WA-Zone8
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for your replies.
I offered some fertilizer,but she said they had some and will apply it.I told her to do it just once or twice this year.
That's interesting Inkfin,I've never heard of Redleaf.Definitely worth checking out. Brady
ellenros
9 years ago
Someone tell me what's wrong with these guys! They've only been in since April, haven't grown much and started with the red spots and are now almost completely red. And some of the leaves on 1 are starting to curl. I do have cedars all over, could that be it?
ericwi
9 years ago
Ellenros, where do you live, what is the pH of your native soil, and what is the pH of the water you are using on these blueberry shrubs?
ellenros
9 years ago
Zone 6, i think 7 and i didn't even know water had a ph!
ericwi
9 years ago
Ellenros, your blueberry shrub is not thriving, that is for certain. I am not sure why. Here in Madison, Wisconsin, where I grow blueberries in our yard, getting the pH right is a bit of a challenge. Our native soil has considerable limestone content, with pH around 7.6. Our groundwater accumulates in layers of porous limestone, underground, so the water, supplied by the City of Madison, also has pH of 7.6. Blueberries grow best with pH around 4.5, but they will grow across a fairly wide range, 4 to 6.5. To grow blueberries successfully in Madison, you have to learn how to measure pH, and how to keep the soil pH low enough for blueberries to green up and thrive.
Bradybb WA-Zone8
Original Author
9 years ago
I made another visit and although not real healthy looking,the plant has lost a lot of it's red.The lady said she fertilized the Blueberries after my first time there.Maybe that was the problem. Brady

Related Stories

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crop: How to Grow Blueberries

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant blueberries in spring or fall for garden beauty through three seasons — and a sweet superfood in summer

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Grow Blueberries for Their Fruit and More

By Ellen Sousa/Turkey Hill Brook Farm

Eastern gardeners should consider growing blueberry plants for their delicious fruits, bee-friendly spring blooms and brilliant fall foliage

GARDENING GUIDES What's Wrong With My Plant? Leaves Often Hold the Clues

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Learn how to identify common plant ailments by reading their leaves

FLOWERS AND PLANTS Roll Out the Welcome Mat for Hummingbirds With Red Columbine

By Pollination Press LLC

Grow Aquilegia canadensis in eastern perennial gardens or informal woodland plantings for its delicate foliage and uncommon red flowers

RED FOLIAGE Great Design Plant: Red-Leafed Mukdenia

By Annie Thornton

Creamy white blossoms give way to splashes of scarlet with this energetic, dramatic ground cover

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Red Kangaroo Paw

By Annie Thornton

Plant this dramatic perennial in fall or spring for its height, hardiness and beautiful red blooms

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Red-Hot Poker

By Annie Thornton

You'll carry a torch for these spiky plants once you discover how their fiery-hued flowers can light up a landscape

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Great Design Plant: Red Yucca Spikes Dry Spots With Color

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Neither heat nor cold nor lack of water fazes this flowering succulent, which adds spiky texture to Southwestern landscapes

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Great Design Plant: Red Bird-of-Paradise Soars With Color

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Fiery bursts of red-orange flowers bring hot summer gardens to life, while this shrub's drought tolerance keeps the living easy

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Rockin’ Red Plants for Winter Gardens

By Paintbox Garden

Use the bright berries or branches of these cold-climate favorites for outdoor garden interest or container arrangements anywhere

Sponsored

More Discussions

raise the soil level around a grapevine

2

Small pomegranate for container?

1

beginning fruit or new leaves

6

Beginner apple tree initial care

0

Peach Tree Leaf Curl

6