Blueberries Not Thriving

[TromboneAl]

Last July I planted several different varieties of Blueberry, and they are not doing very well.

We live right on the coast (100 yds from the ocean) near the border of California and Oregon.

The soil is quite acidic, and native huckleberries, Rhodos, and rosemary all do very well here.

The plants get about 4-5 hours of sun.

The drainage is excellent ( I measured the drainage by digging a hole 2 ft deep, filling it and letting it drain, then filling it again and measuring drainage. It drained at 32 inches per hour, which is much greater than the half inch per hour that's considered good drainage.)

I fertilized them with a miracle grown miracid type fertilizer in January.

We've had a LOT more rain than usual this spring.

One plant produced leaves and fruit, then all the leaves dropped off. The others have wrinkled and reddened leaves.

[url=https://members.cox.net/macymusic/Blueberries.jpg]Click here for a photo of one plant.[/url]

Should I be doing something? Should I expect this since they were only planted last July?

THANKS!

[opabinia51]

Well, one tip would be to use an organic fertilizer such as Liquid fish or liquid seaweed fertilizer instead of the salt based commercial fertilizers. Kelp meal is also quite good. And working some manure into the soil wouldn't hurt either.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Seconded...

HG

[opabinia51]

Yes, I just remembered that when I bought my blueberries the lady at the nursery told me that they do best if you have two strains. So, you may wish to buy another strain from what you have and plant them in organically rich soil and continue to add the liquid fertilizer.

Also, I'm not sure if you have mentioned this but, Blueberries like acidic soil.

[kilt]

Within 100 yards of the sea? After a storm gather up all the seaweed you can. Place it on youyr driveway to let the rain leach out most of the salt or hose it down good. This composts fast and is the best mulch, compost, or fertilizer you can get. On the Maine coast I've seen blueberries you couldn't hardly make your way through they were thriving so. All they got was seaweed and pine needles.
Kilt

[grandpasrose]

Thanks for that tip Kilt!! Feel free to drop in again!

Val

[opabinia51]

Seaweed is great stuff, full or micro and macronutrients that your plants will just love. Refer to the organic forum to see what nutrients different seaweeds contain.

[grandpasrose]

The pine needles would be providing the acidity that blueberries love as well!

Val

[The Helpful Gardener]

Prevailing winds right off the ocean; could be salt is your enemy here...

While what I have read (a little over my head, but grasping the jist of it) says that blueberries can adapt to higher salt levels, it is an adaptation to water restriction and not a development of actual salt tolerance. So I would water regularly to wash off salt and actually add a little lime to the soil (yes, I know they like acid, but lime helps to lock up soil borne salt). Mulch with straight peat to acidify the soil and top with that rinsed seaweed mulch (add just a little soap to the water to help penetrate the peat the first few times...)