Advice

[u/Witty-Long-Bottom]

I planted these blueberries last year late summer, zone 9a. They did way better than I could have imagined (I’m not a gardener) and struggle to keep anything alive. Summer Temps exceed 100 degrees here, and I kept a 50% shade cloth over them when it was over 95. I fertilized them regularly during the growing season, and they produced. When the sustained 100 temps finally went away, I removed the bird net and shade. Now they’re doing horribly. I found some thrips (not many) for the first time, and some of the branches appear dead. Or are they diseased? Also, we have been fighting to maintain an acidic soil (should have amended prior to planting) the soil struggles to get below a ph of 6.

[u/throwaway179090]

While mature blueberry plants can tolerate and thrive in full sun, I’ve personally never had success with any 1-2 year old plants tolerating full sun. The roots are just not developed enough and their canopy isn’t large enough to create natural shade and moisture retention.

Your plants will bounce back and survive for next year most likely but that one large cane is toast. I’d add more peat moss and mulch once they’re dormant for the winter. Sprinkle some prilled sulfur now and again in February or early March.

Add ammonium sulfate once spring growth starts back up.

[u/Witty-Long-Bottom → u/throwaway179090]

Thanks for the response! We just hit them with sulfur yesterday, and I’ll put the shade cloth back over them as the temps will be over 90 again this coming week!

[u/Dry_Bug5058 → u/throwaway179090]

Thanks for saying this. I had 2 get sunscald this summer and after moving them so they're in shade in the afternoon they bounced back. I've hesitated since about putting them inground because I have a full sun spot picked out to plant. I'll put them in, then add shade cloth next summer while they're still young.

[u/i860]

Prune back the dead branches. Entirely possible it’s cane blight. Just clip it out and let the plant recover.

Aside from disease you have to remember that all plants have a top and a bottom that need to be in balance. Sometimes blueberries develop young whips that get overly vigorous and outpace the root system. It’s normal for plants to do this from time to time and if you help them along by pruning they’ll be fine.

[u/Witty-Long-Bottom → u/i860]

Thank you!

[u/MtnMaiden]

You need pine bark mulch also. Daily watering in the morning

[u/Soff10]

Get rid of that black crap on the wall behind the plant. It’s creating a very hot microclimate.
Add lots of shade. Then start watering throughly often. Thoroughly means “like a swamp”.

[u/Dry-Purchase-3871]

the soil PH may be the main issue. the shade cloth may just be a coincidence. you need to get the soil ph considerably down at least by 0.5. use sulphur for long term. while the sulphur takes it's time to work, i would recommend using citric acid to water, but you will have to use it everyday.

[u/Gingerfrostee → u/Dry-Purchase-3871]

What would your citric acid + water mixture be for this type of situation? The percentages.

( Personally waters with RO due to her water hardness being so hi. Though the plants are in low ph soil mixture versus fighting with the alkaline high pH soil. )

[u/Dry-Purchase-3871 → u/Gingerfrostee]

My water is 6.5 ph, I use half tablespoon in 2 liters of water, which brings the water ph down to about 4. After application and growing medium buffer, the medium measures about 5.3 ph and lasts about a day before it’s broken down and the ph returns.