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Bluecrop Blueberry Bushes

janet.rahmanjanet.rahman Posts: 4
in The potting shed
Can anyone tell me how to adjust tap water to the suitable P. H of between 4.5 and 5 for my blueberry bushes please...?...  :)...

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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I don't think there is a way to do this.  We have three quite large blueberry bushes in pots and use water butts to save rainwater for them ad the rest of the garden.  In dry spells we use the hose for the rest of the garden and save the rainwater for the blueberries. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • janet.rahmanjanet.rahman Posts: 4
    I'm saving rainwater but don't have much of it at the moment...and like yourself I'm saving it for my 2 year old blueberry bushes which I recently purchased...thank you for your reply to my question...🙂... 
  • Ferdinand2000Ferdinand2000 Posts: 537
    Cab this be done by something as simple as adding vinegar or a type of acid?
    “Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    edited April 2021
    Ferdinand2000 said:
    Cab this be done by something as simple as adding vinegar or a type of acid?

    No - making the water acidic doesn't remove the lime and you stand a good chance of killing the plant. A reverse osmosis filter might do it - but an expensive experiment if it doesn't work - or you could try one of those filter jug water conditioners. Not perfect but might do rather than let it die for lack of water. If you have a pH tester you could try it and check it
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    You would need s huge amount of filter jugs, blue berries especially in pots need at least a full large watering can of water daily,ours about 4 years old now have been fine,Did loose one 2019 no rain for 3 months, forgot to water,they are now in the ground
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    Our Blueberries, including a Bluecrop, are in the ground at our allotment (pure clay).  They gave us a good crop last year.  We mixed some ericaceous soil in the planting hole, and only water with rainwater, and a liquid ericaceous feed in Summer.

    We save our water butt rainwater specifically for the Blueberries (and our pond and carnivorous plants).  We only use it sparingly on plants that are happy with plain old tap water.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    raisingirl said:
    Ferdinand2000 said:
    Cab this be done by something as simple as adding vinegar or a type of acid?

    No - making the water acidic doesn't remove the lime and you stand a good chance of killing the plant. A reverse osmosis filter might do it - but an expensive experiment if it doesn't work - or you could try one of those filter jug water conditioners. Not perfect but might do rather than let it die for lack of water. If you have a pH tester you could try it and check it
    Reverse Osmosis water is fine for blueberries.
    In summer 2018 we had no rain for 12 weeks and I only used RO water for the blueberries - they thrived.
    I bought a cheap RO unit (£20) and I still use the same one now.
    I've already had to make more RO water recently as all by butts are empty.

    I think I read somewhere that water from a jug filter isn't suitable - but I can't remember why.
    Distilled water would kill them.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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