Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi All - I have a problem with one of my blueberry bushes. The stem, trunk and leaves turned bright red and now all the leaves have dropped off and the berries shrivelled. The two bushes next to it seem fine (they may have one or two red leaves).

They're in big pots with ericacious compost and I water them with rain water. I've just been reading the back catalogue of blueberry posts and wondered if it might be vine weevil but they seem to suggest that the plant goes brown not bright red.

Any suggestions greatly received as they were a big investment and would hate to loose them, especially as they have quite a big crop on them.

Blueberry leaves go red in autumn - have you watered then enough? They don't like to be dry.

Thanks glallotments - that might be it - i have watered them but maybe not thoroughly enough.

Hi Smurfy,
Not too far from where I live is a new venture into growing Blueberries commercially. There are several thousand plants and because the soil locally is natuarally alkali the plants are in large containers that are buried to the soil level in the container. By being in the soil I assume that when they are watered which is mainly by natural rain they conserve this moisture because the exterior of the container is not exposed to the wind and sun which are responsible for loss due to evaporation.
This is their third year since being planted out and the scheme is expected to produce really viable pickings this year.
I do not know your circumstances but if you have the room to bury the container I feel that you may gain many benifits.
JB.

Our blueberries are planted in the ground so as JohnB says will not dry out as quickly. They are also a few years old so will have put down moisture searching roots.

That's a great idea. We don't have space here but are looking to move house in the next few months and i will definately have space at the next place.

Thanks for your help - such a simple idea but i'd never have thought of it.

Hello Smurfy
Are you feeding them? Anything growing in a pot will sooner or later run short of nutrients. Most composts only have sufficient nutrients for about six weeks growth. The thing to use would be one of the special ericaceous soluble feeds. I use this on my blueberries and comfrey liquid if I have any to spare. Reddening of the leaves in many plants is often due to a lack of potassium in the growing medium. Another good tonic are the soluble feeds with chelated iron in them sold for acidic loving plants.

John

Like John I use an ericaceous feed too.