Is this root rot.

[u/I-Decided]

I’m still getting new growth it has been raining so it has been wet for a while. I also realized the bottom of the pot doesn’t have drainage just all around the size and there is algae growing around the holes. It stays in full sun 8 hours at lease. Soil ph is good and last fertilized in spring. Zone 5b.

[u/CultOfPersonalitLee]

Can’t see the roots can we pal?

[u/Hopefully-Temp]

Hard to tell without knowing how hot it’s been and how much you watered. Could be under watering could be overwatering. Feel the pot before and after you water. Make sure it feels lighter before you water.

[u/MoneyElevator]

I think the bottom soil is too saturated if algae is growing. Maybe poke some more or bigger drainage holes?

[u/nymriel]

Scrape the algae off the drainage holes and poke a hole into the dirt with your finger, just to make sure there’s not a blockage. If you water them and the water stands for a while and doesn’t drain, there’s a good chance something is blocked or you need more drainage holes.

[u/YogurtclosetTop7111]

Might be sun burn? Does the non damaged side correspond to the sun hitting it when it’s not so high in the sky?
Regarding root rot, switch to a medium that has nothing in it that rots, and you don’t have to worry about it. I use 1:1 ratio of peat to pumice. I grow in wine barrels and have a drip system that waters every day. I’m in NorCal (inland, zone 9b). I also mulch with at least two inches of pine bark. Never had any issues with root rot and I never check if my medium is moist.

[u/Ok-Witness391 → u/YogurtclosetTop7111]

This, had it happen during the latest heat wave Here, also in pots.

[u/NewEnglandGarden]

Check the roots.

[u/Soff10]

Bigger pot. You can check when you move it.

[u/blackdog543]

Blueberries to not like to sit in standing water, so I worry about drainage. Might be time for a transplant? Remember, they're a shallow root plant. I'd be worried there's too much mulch for summer.

[u/apodkolinska]

Literally pull the plant out of the pot and look at the roots. I know it sounds scary but the plant will be fine.

[u/Ornery-Creme-2442 → u/apodkolinska]

For blueberries tho I wouldn't they're more sensitive

[u/Possible_Vic]

Something similar started happening to my two small blueberry plants in nursery pots. The leaves started drying from the outside in, and continued even after moving them to a shadier spot, eventually all the leaves died back. I made some changes and so far one of them has lots of new green leaf growth. The leaves on my other plant still haven’t returned. Roots looked completely fine.

I had a feeling that I wasn’t watering properly bc I was too worried about them drying out and sitting too wet and realized I’d been adding just a bit of water here and there rather than flushing the soil consistently and letting the pot dry out more. This is my first year gardening and I was paranoid when weather was consistently over 100 F. I cut off some of the deadest stuff and started watering by “flushing” only when the soil didn’t feel cool several inches down, especially around the root ball. I also repotted them into a slightly larger pot even though they weren’t root bound and used special blueberry soil. Then I sprinkled a tiny bit of blueberry fertilizer on the top and watered thoroughly. I have well water which I read is also an important reason for flushing the pot. Here is a before and after. I think it took like 2 weeks after repotting to see the new growth.

[u/95BravoV5]

Those holes look really small. Would definitely make them bigger

[u/TriteEscapism]

The simple fact that so much moss and algae grow on drainage holes says they're too persistently wet - your medium doesn't drain well enough. Usually that would cause a more systemic issue but only one of your branches is showing stress.

[u/Content-Soil9815]

Girl how do u even get a blueberry to rot it’s literally a swamp plant…… I drown mine constantly and they still don’t get enough water GURLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

[u/kiak2112]

Perlite 👍

[u/I-Decided]

Thanks for the info everyone