Blueberry Plants have red spots? How to prevent and treat

Nashville, TN


The first step in having healthy plants is to purchase healthy plants from a good source. Soil-building practices prior to establishment can go a long way toward providing the fertility necessary for a healthy blueberry planting. High levels of soil organic matter are especially important in blueberry culture, contributing to the soil's ability to retain and supply moisture to the crop, buffering pH, and releasing nutrients through decay. Using a mixture of about three fourths peat moss to soil is a good practice in which to have a desirable environment. Once a blueberry planting is established, supplemental fertilization can be applied in a number of forms and by several means. Generally, supplemental nitrogen is the greatest concern.
Red spots are a sure sign of lack of nitrogen, you will need to fertilize with high nitrogen fertilizer. Everybody has a different opinion on the use of chemicals, but this can be a great time to use ammonium sulfate.
Apply nitrogen fertilizer in the form of ammonium sulfate. Too much and you may kill the plant. Be careful not to over fertilize. New plantings should be fertilized with a slow release or water soluble fertilizer. We also recommend that you fertilize throughout the plants life. You can fertilize with 20-20-20 when the leaves first start coming out in the spring. Then fertilize with ammonia sulfate weeks later. You can start with 1/2 tablespoon and then add an additional 1/2 tablespoon for each year it has been planted, up to 4 tablespoons. When trying to get rid of red spots whatever you do add the fertilizer slowly and watch results to be sure you do not kill the plant.

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