Blueberry "Burned" Leaves - Ask Extension
I have a dwarf bluebery bush in a pot. For the past 2 years, after the leaves emerge looking healthy, they turn brown starting at the tip. We added ...
Knowledgebase
Blueberry "Burned" Leaves #242822
Asked May 08, 2015, 6:56 PM EDT
I have a dwarf bluebery bush in a pot. For the past 2 years, after the leaves emerge looking healthy, they turn brown starting at the tip. We added a fertilizer this year (soil acidifier, specific for blueberries), and this has not helped. What is the problem?
Washington County Oregon
Expert Response
The brown leaf tips on your potted blueberry show signs of a watering issue. Blueberries love moist cool soil. Their roots are shallow and wide spreading. The pot needs to be big enough, wide enough to provide that environment. Mulch will help keep the roots cool and slow drying out of the soil.
Oregon State University Extension has several publications on caring for blueberries which may give you additional guidance. In "Growing Blueberries in Your Home Garden", especially check out page 5 on watering.
http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/12202/ec1304.pdf
The brown tips also could be caused by a build-up of salt in the soil, not common in this area where rain flushes the salt from fertilizers and water below the roots. If your potted plant was protected from normal rain fall, I would recommend flushing the soil, to rid it of excess salts. To flush the soil, drench the potted plant and let it drain the excess 4 or 5 times in a row.
Good luck; potted blueberries can be rewarding in so many ways.
Oregon State University Extension has several publications on caring for blueberries which may give you additional guidance. In "Growing Blueberries in Your Home Garden", especially check out page 5 on watering.
http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/12202/ec1304.pdf
The brown tips also could be caused by a build-up of salt in the soil, not common in this area where rain flushes the salt from fertilizers and water below the roots. If your potted plant was protected from normal rain fall, I would recommend flushing the soil, to rid it of excess salts. To flush the soil, drench the potted plant and let it drain the excess 4 or 5 times in a row.
Good luck; potted blueberries can be rewarding in so many ways.
