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Fruit & Orchards

Blueberry plants - dig and amend or leave alone

7 years ago

I have four blueberry plants that I planted this year. Two bluejay plants from one nursery that are doing ok, two rubel plants from another nursery that show signs of chlorosis (which were purchased as older plants). The soil pH is still close to neutral even after adding sulfur before planting. Prior to planting, I tilled in a bunch of leaf mulch and sulfur into the soil (in April). At the time of planting (May) I dug holes and added coconut coir along with cotton seed meal. I also added four inches of mulch on top. Since the lack of vigor seems to be either pH that's too high and/or too wet of soil, I'm wondering if I should dig them up and reamend this fall since adding another dose of sulfur (in early July) didn't seem to do much. Now, I know that digging them up is very disruptive... but I have to ask... Do I disrupt for now for better long term growth or leave them on the hope that it's just the first year that's a rocky start? Simply put, how do you determine when to dig and reamend or when to be patient? Thanks

Comments (5)

Jason (Zone 10b, San Diego)
7 years ago
Tough one. I transplanted a blueberry bush from a pot, where it was doing great, into the ground. Where I live, the ground pH is very high and the blueberry died within months of me putting it in the ground. If you're having a hard time controlling the pH now, you will continue to have problems into the future and you will always be messing with it. My advice is to put them all in pots if that is an option. That way you can control the pH of the soil from the get go and not have to worry so much about the soil slowly raising the pH of when you put in.
Embothrium
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Amending planting holes often creates problems with how water moves into and out of the amended hole. After the leaves drop dig the bushes up and look at the condition of the roots and the moisture conditions in the holes. If you see problems - and soils in your area and on your site are at all favorable for acid soil plants needing well aerated soils then re-plant in loosened existing soil, without adding all that other stuff. Or bring in better soil, dump it on top of the ground and re-plant in that, without blending the two different levels together. Do use organic matter on top of the soil, as mulch, but don't put it in the soil around the plants. And if you are applying a 4 inch deep layer keep it away from the stems of the shrubs - ending up with the plants 4 inches deeper than they were before could by itself cause stunting.

Skip the sulfur etc. unless you have specific information calling for these on your site, such as that provided by a soil test report - or at least the knowledge that all soils in your area need to be modified in order to get acid soil plants to live.
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Kevin Reilly
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Where are you located? Do you BB's go dormant for you? Here in CA they stay evergreen, so a late fall move would be okay. But if they will go dormant it would be best to wait until then to transplant.
Unununium
Original Author
7 years ago
I'm in Illinois. Yes they will go dormant. Thanks
fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
7 years ago
I'd say take a soil test this fall to help see where you are on pH. It takes time for the sulfur to lower pH. There's no assurance that anything else you do will improve things.

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