Many times, if a blueberry bush is not doing well in a home garden, it is the soil that is to blame. If the blueberry soil pH is too high, the blueberry bush will not grow well. Taking steps to test your blueberry pH soil level and, if it is too high, lowering blueberry soil pH will make a huge difference in how well you blueberries grow.
Keep reading to learn about proper soil prep for blueberry plants and how you can lower soil pH for blueberries.
Testing Blueberry pH Soil Level
Regardless of whether you are planting a new blueberry bush or trying to improve the performance of established blueberry bushes, it is essential that you have your soil tested. In all but a few places, your blueberry soil pH will be too high and testing the soil can tell how high the pH is.
Soil testing will allow you to see how much work your soil will need in order to grow blueberries well. The proper blueberry pH soil level is between 4 and 5. If your blueberry bush's soil is higher than this, then you need to take steps to lower the soil pH for blueberries.
New Blueberry Plantings - Soil Prep for Blueberry Plant
If your blueberry soil pH is too high, you need to lower it. The best way to do this is too add granular sulfur to the soil. About 1 pound (0.50 kg.) of sulfur per fifty feet (15 m.) will lower the pH one point.
This will need to be worked or tilled into the soil. If you can, add this to the soil three months before you plan on planting. This will allow the sulfur to better mix with the soil. You can also use acid peat or used coffee grounds as an organic method of acidifying the soil. Work in 4-6 inches (10-15 cm.) of peat or coffee ground into the soil.
Existing Blueberries - Lowering Blueberry Soil pH
No matter how well you do soil prep for a blueberry plant, if you do not live in an area where the soil is naturally acidic, you will find that the soil pH will return to its normal level in a few years if nothing is done to maintain the lower pH around the blueberries.
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There are several methods you can use to either lower soil pH for blueberries that are established or to maintain the already adjusted blueberry pH soil level.
- One method is to add sphagnum peat around the base of the blueberry plant about once a year. Used coffee grounds can also be used.
- Another method for lowering blueberry soil pH is to make sure you are fertilizing your blueberries with an acidic fertilizer. Fertilizers containing ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, or sulfur-coated urea are high acid fertilizers.
- Adding sulfur to the top of the soil is another way to lower soil pH for blueberries. It may take some time for this to work on established plantings because you will not be able to work it far into the soil without causing damage to the blueberry bush's roots. But it will eventually work its way down to the roots.
- A quick fix for when the blueberry soil pH is too high is to use diluted vinegar. Use 2 tablespoons (30 mL.) of vinegar per gallon of water and water the blueberry with this once a week or so. While this is a quick fix, it is not a long lasting one and should not be relied on as a long term way for lowering blueberry soil pH.
FAQs
New Blueberry Plantings - Soil Prep for Blueberry Plant
Do blueberries like low pH soil? ›
The ideal pH for growing blueberry plants is 4.5. They can tolerate a pH of 3.8 – 5.5 if the organic matter content is high.
How to prep soil for blueberries? ›
Blueberries prefer acidic soils, ideally with a pH range between 4.5 and 5.5. Before planting, test the soil pH and make necessary adjustments to ensure it meets these acidic requirements. Lowering soil pH can be a gradual process, often achieved by adding sulfur or other acidifying agents.
How much sulfur to lower soil pH for blueberries? ›
The sulfur should be applied and incorporated at least one year before planting blueberries. To lower the pH level from 6.0 to 5.5, 0.5 pounds of sulfur per 100 square feet on sandy soils, 0.75 pounds per 100 square feet on loamy soil, and 1.0 pound sulfur per 100 square feet will be needed on clay soils.
How to lower soil pH quickly for blueberries? ›
Another method for lowering blueberry soil pH is to make sure you are fertilizing your blueberries with an acidic fertilizer. Fertilizers containing ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, or sulfur-coated urea are high acid fertilizers. Adding sulfur to the top of the soil is another way to lower soil pH for blueberries.
Are coffee grounds good for blueberry bushes? ›
Coffee grounds are highly acidic, they note, so they should be reserved for acid-loving plants like azaleas and blueberries. And if your soil is already high in nitrogen, the extra boost from coffee grounds could stunt the growth of fruits and flowers.
Does Epsom salt help blueberry bushes? ›
You can use Epsom salt if your blueberries need magnesium. You should add one tablespoon of Epsom salts and one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to two gallons of water and apply to the base of the blueberry plants. This method can help revive blueberry plants and encourage them to green up.
What is the best soil additive for blueberries? ›
There should be a mixture of 50% pine fines and 50% peat moss. The peat moss helps to retain moisture as well as keeps the soil acidic. The pine fines allow the soil to drain and is also a good acidifier.
What is the best fertilizer for blueberries? ›
Blackberries respond well to any nitrogen-rich fertilizer, but blueberries require fertilizers with an ammonium form of nitrogen such as urea, sulfur-coated urea, ammonium sulfate, or cottonseed meal. Any fertilizer sold for azaleas or rhododendrons also works well for blueberries.
Does Epsom salt lower soil pH? ›
Some people say Epsom salt will make soil more acidic because of its sulfur content, but field tests usually show it has miniscule to no effect on pH. Unless you really overdo it, you probably won't do any plant damage by adding the suggested amounts of Epsom salt.
Watering with vinegar is not a recommended method for lowering soil pH for a couple of reasons. First, you would need a large amount of vinegar to move the pH of a large garden bed from 7.5 to 7.0 and because you would not want to apply vinegar to the soil without diluting with water, this could take a while.
What is the best fertilizer to lower pH? ›
Ammonium fertilizers include urea, ammonium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate. Bacteria in the soil convert the ammonium into acidic compounds. Ammonium fertilizers are convenient because they simultaneously fertilize your plants and acidify the soil.
What pH is too high for blueberries? ›
Another method for lowering blueberry soil pH is to make sure you are fertilizing your blueberries with an acidic fertilizer. Fertilizers containing ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, or sulfur-coated urea are high acid fertilizers. Adding sulfur to the top of the soil is another way to lower soil pH for blueberries.
How to make the best soil for blueberries? ›
Blueberries like a soil that is high in organic matter. They also tend to prefer a light soil. For these reasons, I add 40% peat moss and 10% compost, then the remaining native soil should make up the last 50%.
Do strawberries and blueberries like acidic soil? ›
Most berries grow beautifully along a woodland edge, so it should be no surprise that they prefer acidic soil.
What is good to put around blueberry bushes? ›
Mulch should be loose enough for water percolation. Pine needles, wood chips or bark mulch work well as mulches for blueberries. Avoid using dyed mulches (black or red). Avoid using synthetic mulches like black plastic or landscape fabric.
