Blueberry problems

[Dopolous]

I planted 4 Blueberry bushes last Autumn and they have fruited, but now all of the leaves on all four have gone brown and curly They have been watered, they are two different suppliers and two different varieties. Does anybody have any ideas what may be wrong?
cheers

[submariner]

You probably know this, but bluberries need ericatious compost in pots. In the garden, soil should not be acidic ,and they should be watered, if possible with rain water. Also feed with acid free liquid feed.
If you haven't done the above, it is possibly your problem.

[Beccy]

Umm, that's the wrong way round, they need acid soil, not alkali, so if you are in an area with underlying limestone that may well be the problem.

[submariner]

What a prat I am. That's what I meant, but for some reason got mixed up! Definitely down to age and incompetence! If I had treated mine that way they would have died years ago. Sorry. Just juxtapose what I said and you will be OK.

[Dopolous]

Thanks chaps, think I will invest in one of those soil testers to see what my soil is.

[Beccy]

Reading your original description the acidity of the soil may be the problem, but clearly the leaves are not getting the water which suggests a problem with the roots This could be pH, but could be other things too, eg could you have vine weevils?

[Jenny Green]

I have to say it sounds more like some kind of dieback than alkalinity of the soil. Were the leaves very yellow before they turned brown and dry? I had a witch hazel in an chalk soil once and its leaves went very yellow and sickly, rather than dry and brown.
Having said that, if it is dieback I don't know the cause. I occasionally get this on blueberries too but it's just a branch or two rather than the whole bush.