Bamboo, thanks very much for the advice, but I wouldn't say I even have a problem to correct. I'm mainly just wanting to just deepen my understanding, particularly of non-purchased options for soil acidification, and in any case, dollar costs really aren't my concern at all. Not to hijack my own thread and make it too much about my own personal circumstances (as opposed to the more general questions), but I'm very satisfied with how my rabbiteyes are doing, and if the pH isn't in the ideal range for them, it's very close, and so long as they keep performing as well as they have been I probably won't even bother to check. I will probably check before I buy any more highbush plants. (I did receive two northern highbush plants randomly several years ago, and they didn't survive, but a number of factors, including transplanting due to a move, could have played into that.) Also, although I watered a fair bit the first year or two, I don't hardly water my blueberries at all any more. I may have only watered them two or three times this past year (albeit an overall wet growing season.) If bicarbonates were a problem, I could easily use rainwater for all my blueberry watering, but as little as I've been watering I don't know if it would even matter. What about coffee grounds, though, even if not for the purpose of acidification? Would it be good just to put them around the plants like mulch? Can I overdo it?

What fruitnut suggests has worked very well for me. I first acidified my potting soil (1/2 peat compost and 1/2 azaella, camellia mix) with about 1/2 cup of soil sulfer (large pots). I then planted, taking care to break up the root ball (apparently very important, as they can have root ball shock if you dont' do this). I watered in carefully, then set my drips. I checked the pH for the next couple of weeks every day. I had to adjust my pH down a wee bit, and I did this with a few tablespoons of ammonium sulfate diluted in a couple of gallons of water. I made sure the pH of the acidified water was about 4, since I needed to pull down the pH a bit. That did the trick and they have been doing extremely well ever since. I did check the pH about 3 or 4 weeks ago, and it was still around 4.5 to 5.0 per pot. So, they're happy campers and I'll even get some fruit this year. After the fruit is off, I'll pinch back like what fruitnut has done to keep the tallness down, and get them to bush out a bit, especially my more leggy blueberries. Patty S.

What you are suggesting I have tried on other single stem plants, but was not successful. If it were possible to split the stem, or trunk down through the roots so each half would have some of the crown AND some roots you might do it, but I don't think it is possible with the plants you have. I also do not think any dressing or sealing material would help. Al

The acidifier is not considerer a fertilizer - it is just sulfur and although that IS a plant nutrient, it is not a major one and will not contributive to excessive growth this close to fall/winter. Sulfur does take time to break down and become effective in reducing soil pH so I would apply now. There is still plenty of time before the soil cools enough and the microorganisms become inactive to get you started on the program. btw, blueberries are grown commercially in my area and we do not have overly acidic soils. The need for a very low pH is somewhat overstated. They should do very well in a pH of 6.0.