What's wrong with my blueberry bush? - Ask Extension
My blueberry bushes are not doing well. I need help determining what is wrong and what to do. The older leaves are turning color and shriveled, wh...
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What's wrong with my blueberry bush? #583300
Asked July 24, 2019, 9:54 PM EDT
My blueberry bushes are not doing well. I need help determining what is wrong and what to do. The older leaves are turning color and shriveled, while new leaves seem to be coming out normally. There had been a problem I thought was fungus and treated with Fung-onil anti-fugal. Now, I'm not sure what is going on. See the attached photo.
Jefferson County Pennsylvania
Expert Response
Thank you for your question. Have you checked the soil pH? It needs to be acidic. Here is more information: https://extension.psu.edu/blueberry-establishment-getting-off-to-the-right-start
Good luck!
Yes, I checked the soil and it is acidic. Same soil as two blueberry bushes on either side in the row, but those bushes are fine.
Thanks. So the following article has a photo of bushes that could be yours, along with the cause: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/drought_symptoms_in_blueberries
Drought stress is just one of the leaf problems discussed in this article: https://blogs.cornell.edu/berrytool/blueberries/leaves-are-unusually-colored-spotted-or-necrotic-browning/
If you cannot distinguish among these in your plant, I suggest you visit your county Extension office, where staff can examine them closely. Often, the undersides of the leaves, or use of a microscope are necessary to get an accurate diagnosis. Here is their webpage: https://extension.psu.edu/
Good luck!
Thank you for the link to county extension offices. Since my problem is definitely not drought stress, I will take a sample to my extension office and see if they can diagnose the problem. Thanks again, for the help with this problem.
Good luck! Maybe the problem is just too small for us 2000 miles away!