Why do blueberry leaves turn red and what to do?

Stem cancer

Cancer is a very serious disease. It cannot be cured. Signs of stem cancer are leaves that are completely burgundy in color. In this case, the stem becomes wrinkled and the bush dies. If the plant is affected, it should be thrown away and the soil in which it was located should be fertilized with a solution of potassium permanganate . This disease can only be prevented: for this, the branches and stem are treated with a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture before the leaves bloom.

Important! To enhance the effect, the gardener can re-treat during the period of leaf fall.

During the growing season, it is also recommended to spray blueberries with a solution of Fundazol with a concentration of 0.2%. This procedure is carried out before flowering, three times, at intervals of a week. At the end of summer after harvesting, the procedure is repeated in a similar order.

Further care

After receiving ready-made seedlings, the most suitable place for planting is chosen for them - well-lit and taking into account the absence of close groundwater. The soil chosen for this crop is acidic, with a pH of 4–5 units.

It is important to avoid humus, compost or manure, and even regular garden soil. The optimal substrate will be a mixture of peat, rotted sawdust and river sand.

The planting process is carried out in several steps:

1. A planting hole is first prepared, the size of which is 0.5 m deep and about 40 cm wide.
2. The prepared substrate is distributed over the entire bottom and compacted somewhat.
3. The seedling sinks to the bottom, and its root system spreads throughout the hole.
4. New bushes are covered with soil from the prepared hole.
5. When compacting the soil, the root collar of the seedling is deepened by 3 cm.
6. The tree trunk circle is mulched with a layer of 10 cm, using peat, bark, straw or sawdust.
7. The bush is pruned, removing weak shoots and shortening the strong ones by half.

Video: Planting blueberries without mistakes

Further care of the plant includes several basic agrotechnical measures:

1. Water blueberries abundantly and frequently. This crop has a low level of drought resistance, and therefore the soil under the bush should be moistened at least once every 2-3 days. The only exceptions can be cloudy and rainy days. After each watering, it is recommended to loosen (up to 3 cm in depth) to avoid the formation of a crust on the soil. And on particularly hot summer days, additionally spray the bushes with cool water.
2. Fertilizer application is carried out starting from the second year of the plant’s life in a permanent place. Complex mineral fertilizers, nitrogen (in early spring) and potassium-phosphorus (in mid-spring), are used as top dressing. During the summer, it is recommended to feed the bushes with 100 g of ammonium nitrate.
3. Pruning bushes - in the first 3 years of life, the plant is not pruned intensively, which stimulates the growth of bushes. Only weak and damaged shoots are removed, and the most fruit-bearing branches are pinched so that about 5-6 buds remain on the shoot - this procedure allows you to significantly enlarge the berries. Starting from the fourth year of life, all spreading branches of blueberries are removed, leaving only upright ones, the middle of the bush is systematically cleared of excessive thickening, and small shoots are also cut off, leaving only skeletal branches.

In addition to basic care procedures, it is also recommended to mulch the bushes using straw, leaves or pine needles. At the same time, you should know that mulching the soil with fresh sawdust leads to an increase in nitrogen consumption by the soil, and therefore, when using such material, the amount of nitrogen fertilizer must first be doubled.

Important! To avoid the manifestation of various diseases, bushes after pruning in spring and autumn are treated with fungicidal preparations.

To summarize, we note that propagating blueberries and caring for them in the future is not an easy task, and therefore such work requires an investment of effort and time. However, with independent propagation, the gardener receives the required number of bushes of the crop with precise preservation of varietal characteristics and the absence of diseases. And a rich harvest of tasty and aromatic berries, widely known for their beneficial properties, becomes a reward for work.

Low soil acidity

If the seedlings had green leaves when planted, and a week later they changed their color to red, this may indicate low acidity of the soil. Although this problem is not particularly serious, it requires immediate action . First you need to increase the acidity level, and then wait. If after a week the leaves have not changed color, the procedure should be repeated.

Did you know? Gardeners often use a new battery electrolyte, which contains sulfuric acid, to fertilize the soil.

Acidity increases with the help of special fertilizers that can be made at home. Special fertilizers containing nitrogen and sulfates, organic substances (peat, pine sawdust, sulfur), and compost are also suitable. Although humus does not give immediate results, it is very effective in the long term .

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How to fight

During long periods of low temperatures, the bush can be covered with spruce branches. When preventing cancer, as mentioned earlier, you need to treat the stems with special solutions. Fertilizers are used to increase soil acidity.

Did you know? Blueberries reduce eye fatigue due to their high beta-carotene and antioxidant content. They will be especially useful for people who spend a lot of time at the computer.

What to feed

The soil can be fed with acidic fertilizer. To prepare, you need to dissolve 1 tsp in 3 liters of water. citric acid. The prepared liquid is poured into the soil and allowed to stand for several days for it to begin to act. Before planting, the soil is loosened again.

Sulfur or sulfuric acid is also used to increase acidity. For 10 liters of water, take 50 ml of sulfuric acid or 70 g of sulfur. In this amount, the solution will be effective for 1 m² of area. Top dressing can also be made from vinegar: 100 ml of vinegar with a concentration of no more than 9% is dissolved in 10 liters of water.

Important! The vinegar solution gives the fastest results. However, it kills soil microflora, so it must be used with caution.

As you may have noticed, the problem discussed is ambiguous. It is very important to clearly find out the reason for the appearance of red spots on the leaves, so as not to aggravate the situation and prevent the plant from dying.

Is it possible to feed blueberries with fertilizer for conifers?

When adding any nutrients to blueberry bushes, experts recommend following the “do no harm” rule. The plant is very demanding on dosages, so both a deficiency of fertilizers and an excess of them can lead to negative consequences.

The best environment for blueberry growth is acidic, so all means for feeding the bush should be aimed at maintaining a comfortable microclimate. For this purpose, you can use preparations intended for coniferous plants. The fact is that the root system of most coniferous crops, like blueberries, lives in symbiosis with the mycorrhiza fungus, which feels comfortable at an acidity pH of 4.5–6.0.

Granular products intended for conifers are applied to blueberries several times a season. The granules are used dry or dissolved with water, according to the instructions, and poured under the bushes.

Prevention of blueberries

To get a high yield and enjoy a healthy plant, you need to take preventive measures. To do this you need:

• choose zoned, disease-resistant blueberry varieties;
• acidify, fertilize and water the soil before planting;
• provide sufficient sunlight;
• the distance between bushes should be less than 2 m;
• trim the crown not only to remove damaged areas, but also for better air circulation;
• carry out treatment with Bordeaux mixture in early spring;
• burn fallen leaves;
• carry out fungicide treatment after full harvest.

When processing bushes, you need to remember personal safety.
Don't forget about a protective mask and a change of clothes. Make sure that when spraying plantings, the chemical does not get into the respiratory tract, eyes or skin. In case of contact, wash off immediately with running water and soap. Compliance with all recommendations will not only save the plant in case of negative impacts, but also allow you to enjoy delicious berries at the end of the season. Remember that chemicals contain components that will only be effective if used correctly. Violation of the norms and rules of application can negatively affect the development of plants.