red leaves on blueberry shrubs

13 years ago

I bought 2 new bluebeey shrubs from the local nursury and One has beutiful red leaves all over and the other was green but turning redish brown and has some yellow leaves on it. My question is are my plants ok as it is winter time. what ist the best soil ph digital device I can buy for cheap. I have another more mature blueberry plant that is roughly 3 1/2 feet high and it now is getting brown rust in the middle of many leaves. do you think the new plants infected the old more mature one. I cant be happy unless my prized plants are happy too. i use plain tap here in san diego ca.

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Comments (4)

johnnyrazbrix
13 years ago
bluewaterers
It looks like you are from California so I may not be able to help you. If you are growing the Southern Blueberries I have no knowledge. If you are growing the northern high or low bush blueberries maybe I can.
There are several varieties of BB that have beatiful fall foilage. It is a blend of rust color and brilliant slightly purplish red. Some varieties more than others.Where i am at in michigan this color would have started around the end of september and lasted about 6 weeks. this depends some what on weather conditions but is mostly tied to day lengths.I used a ph tester called Rapid Test.
I would not presume to diagnose what might be your problem or lack of a problem.There are many possibilities.Poor drainage , causing a fungus commonly known as root rot is one among many. Hope this helps. Johnny
ericwi
13 years ago
Blueberry shrubs do best in soil that is high in vegetable fiber. Some growers use peat moss as a growing medium, and apply fertilizers as needed. Here in Wisconsin, I amend our clay soil with about 50% by volume composted tree leaves, at the time of planting. Others have had success with composted pine needles added to the soil. When you get the soil right, and the pH down between 4.5 and 5.5, there are certain species of fungi that will take up residence, and they actually increase the supply of nutrients to the blueberry shrub. If your tap water has dissolved limestone, or calcium carbonate, it will raise soil pH over time. I use several dye indicators to measure soil and water pH, bromocresol green is the most useful for blueberries, because it works over the range 3.8 to 5.4. With regard to leaf color, our shrubs turn red in the fall. I have seen evidence of rust, a fungal disease that shows up in the leaves. The leaves are not smooth or normal looking, they actually look like they have a layer of rust, almost identical to the appearance of rusty iron. In the past I have been able to control this by pruning off the affected branches and leaves. I can't comment on what color the leaves of your shrubs should be in December, because our weather is so different here in Wisconsin, and our varieties of blueberry are also different.
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The reason that I suggested bromocresol green indicator solution, for soil pH testing, is that the results are more easily read. The solution will be yellow, blue, or green. My guess is that your irrigation water is high in dissolved limestone, and it is raising the pH of the blueberry pots. Bromothymol blue indicator solution can be used to test the pH of your irrigation water. If you are using a municipal water supply, they should have an annual water quality report on file, and this would give the hardness, and also the pH. It is clear that you are living in an area of the world where there is limestone present, and it will be necessary to measure soil and water pH in order to grow blueberries. With regard to sulfur, as a soil additive, the process depends on bacteria that are normally found in the soil. If a blueberry shrub is set up in a pot filled with "soil-less growing medium," it is not clear to me that the bacteria required for sulfur metabolism would be present. You might have to resort to pre-treating your water with sulfuric acid, to lower pH to around 5, in order to grow blueberries successfully. There are many people doing this, it is not too hard, but care is needed. Too much acid will kill the shrub for certain. Despite all of the chemistry and complexity above, growing blueberries is actually pretty easy, once you get the pH right.
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I would not interpret red leaves on a blueberry shrub, in the spring, as a defect or problem that needed to be corrected. It is normal for the leaves to be mostly red when they first emerge, and sometimes they are varying shades of red and brown. As long as the leaf appears to be hydrated, it is very likely healthy. The chloroplasts need more time to develop, and when they do, the leaf will turn green. This process should be completed by mid-June. I like to feed our blueberry shrubs fertilizer, dissolved in tap water, in the spring. That is when the shrub is leafing out, flowering, and developing fruit. Typically I will apply fertilizer once a month in March, April, May, and June. Sometimes the ground is still frozen in March, so the process gets pushed back a bit.
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Notice how that legacy in the photo is showing chlorosis. The leaf veins are darker than the interveinal leaf tissue, which is yellower than healthy plant tissue. Generally that means an iron deficiency (most likely caused by high pH), but Mg deficiency can do the same thing - albeit usually starting on older leaves whereas a Fe deficiency tends to be the whole plant, or newer leaves. The photos I have seen of Mg deficiencies in bbÃ¢ÂÂs are quite variable. Then, the red color still could be either the cooler weather impacting P availability, or an additional symptom of Mg deficiency. The plant is already stressed/struggling even before the stress of transplanting. DonÃ¢ÂÂt destroy any plants based on my commentary! I have limited practical experience with bbÃ¢ÂÂs, and have never dealt with a virus issue myself. IÃ¢ÂÂve simply done a lot of reading, and am trying to provide possible suggestions to investigate. One source that I refer to often is Spectrum AnalyticsÃ¢ÂÂ document on fertilizing blueberries. See Spectrum Analytic Inc. FERTILIZING BLUEBERRIES The photo on page 24 is the closest I have seen to your plantÃ¢ÂÂs red, other than some virus photos (e.g. cornell) I would suggest reading there about P and Mg, along with all the other good info, if you havenÃ¢ÂÂt already. You fertilized with a fertilized that included Mg . . . but what is your native soil like? Could it already have been Mg deficient? High in K or Ca that could make the Mg less available? (seems plausible if your region has natural mineral springs). Plus, it appears, based on the potted plant, there may have been preexisting issues - perhaps with Mg. BlueberryHillsFarm had the best suggestion right at the beginning. A leaf and soil analysis is in order. Otherwise, itÃ¢ÂÂs just guesses and testing to see what various treatments might do. Even so, were it me, I might try a test on one or two plants by applying espom salts to provide additional Mg. 1/4 cup evenly distributed in a 10-inch diameter circle around the plant. (source for application recommendation). When I recently suspected a Mg deficiency in a couple plants, I added 1 Tbs per gallon of water and wetted the root zone. Results are yet to be determined. DonÃ¢ÂÂt forget, the fresh sawdust will tie up nitrogen in itÃ¢ÂÂs decomposition. You may need to add more nitrogen than normal to compensate for this.
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Actually, chilled soils don't inhibit loading of Mg any more than they do other nutrients, except maybe P. The most common cause of purple leaves, very common at this time of year, is a deficiency of phosphorus (P) because of cold soils. P is required to make ATP and ATP is needed to turn sugars to starch and to load sugar into phloem for transport. No P > no ATP > no move sugars/starches > anthocyanin (purple pigment) builds up > plant turns purple. The most frequent cause of a P deficiency is cold soils, which is why so many plants planted out too early turn purple. Don't use your hi-P fertilizers on your containers (ever) - can't say what is going on in your garden or berry patch. A P deficiency is not the only suspect cause of purple leaves. Nearly any environmental condition that puts the brakes on growth and the accompanying use of sugars, but does not limit sugar production (photosynthesis) can cause anthocyanin buildup and purple leaves. If only the outer edges of the leaves are purple, it may be a K or Mg deficiency. If the center of the leaves are also purple, it could be too much Ca in the soil or the result of too much water in the soil blocking uptake of P and/or Mg. All that if it isn't red leaf disease (Exobasidium vaccinii - look for white under the leaves) or possibly blueberry/hemlock rust, which turns leaves red. Al
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
13 years ago
Like many deciduous plants, blueberries change color in fall with cooler temps and shorter days - there's nothing wrong with your plants :-) Some blueberries are noted for their wonderful fall color and are grown as much for ornamental purposes as they are for fruit. Even the mostly evergreen variety, 'Sunshine Blue', gets some color on it in fall and winter.

Most of SoCal has rather basic to quite alkaline soil so adjusting pH will be critical, unless you grow these in containers. The home test kits work as well as the more expensive meters and are pretty inexpensive. Just make sure you are using distilled water for the soil test - testing your irrigation water will be easier :-) Other growers of acid-loving plants in your area generally temper tap water (also quite alkaline) to make it more suitable to these types of plants. A couple of tablespoons of vinegar in the watering can should do the trick.

Blueberries are prone to a number of fungal diseases, rust being just one. Overhead watering can spread the problem, so avoid that when possible. Rust is pretty darn hard to control, more so if one stands fast on only organic methods. Removing the affected foliage, as noted above, is a good way to start.
Kimmsr
13 years ago
The leaves on blueberries around here turn red, and then drop off the shrub in response to the change in daylight like all the other deciduous trees and shrubs do. Whether that would happen in California I'm not sure. The leaves might also turn red in response to a lack of some nutrients which might be caused by soil temperture as well as that nutrient not being present.
This link might be of some help and you might think about talking with the people at your local office of the University of California Cooperative Extension Service.

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing blueberries

red leaves on blueberry shrubs

Comments (4)

johnnyrazbrix

ericwi

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