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Blueberry bush iron deficient

lukeogroveslukeogroves Posts: 10
in Problem solving
hi all! I am new to growing and disappointing I allowed my blueberry bush to become yellow with green veins (assuming iron def) so I took action and fed acidic food. I checked with a ph metre and no change after a few days so I got powdered sulphur.... a week later no change. I’m growing in a pot and worried the crop of blueberries are going to wither away. Tomorrow I plan to re pot with fresh ericaceous soil.... do you that’s the best bet? Many thanks.  

Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I think that is the best plan and also use a pot twice that size if you can.
    Is your garden not acidic enough, they would do better in the ground if it is? 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • lukeogroveslukeogroves Posts: 10
    Hey all. I’ve re potted in a 50cm pot. Completely fresh ericaceous soil and my ph metre still reads 6.5/7. It can’t be broken. From what I’ve read the soil needs to be 5.5? I expected fresh soil to be more acidic. I have acidic food a sulphur powder should I try to lower the ph? There’s a lot of fruit on the bush but it doesn’t look like it’s got bigger .... is there hope that it will revive and the fruit will plump up?
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Unless you spend a lot of money, pH meters are not reliable
    If you've just re-potted in ericaceous compost your plant will be in a compost with the right pH.
    Don't try adding anything else, just let the plant settle and water with rainwater.
    Give it a feed once a month with feed for Azaleas and it'll recover.
    Hope you get a lovely crop - mine are coming on well

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • lukeogroveslukeogroves Posts: 10
    Thanks Pete. I will follow your advice and pray. Enjoy your tasty crop. At least I have have crab apples, raspberries and loganberries to keep me going. All good fun. 
  • barry islandbarry island Posts: 1,847
    edited June 2019
    Blueberry bushes are quite demanding but if the conditions are right they grow strongly, they need plenty of rain water but good drainage, plenty of sun but shelter from the wind, a frost or prolonged cold weather in the dormant period, acid soil with a good mulch to keep the moisture around the roots. I have noticed that once a plant starts to show signs of stress it can be hard to rectify the problem but a good mulch of bracken or pine needles can help.
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