Do I need acid loving potting mix for blueberry bushes?

If you have ever tasted a blueberry straight off the bush you know two things. They are worth the effort, and you want your own bush at home. Before you plant one there is a question worth answering properly, because getting it wrong is the single commonest reason a blueberry sulks for two years and then dies.

Why blueberries are so fussy about soil

Blueberries want soil that is acidic, free draining and full of organic matter, and the pH they are after sits between 4.5 and 5.5. They are not negotiating on that. If the soil is not right the bush will tell you by yellowing off, dropping fruit, or simply sitting there doing nothing for a season.

The reason comes down to their roots. Blueberries do not have the spreading, nutrient hunting roots that a tomato or a zucchini has. They rely on fine fibrous roots that sit near the surface, and those roots only pull nutrients efficiently when the soil is acidic. In neutral or alkaline ground the nutrients are technically there and the plant still cannot get at them, which is why a struggling blueberry often looks like a feeding problem when it is really a pH problem.

So do you need an acid loving mix

If you are growing in pots, yes. Standard potting mixes sit closer to neutral and they will not do the job. An acid specific mix takes the guesswork out and gives the plant the right footing from day one.

If you are planting into the ground, test first. Garden soil around here tends to sit neutral to alkaline, and if that is what you have you will need to bring it down with something like peat moss, elemental sulphur or pine needles before the bush goes in.

How to choose the right mix

Skip anything labelled all purpose. Look instead for a mix that names acid loving plants, or names camellias and azaleas on the front, because those are the same soil conditions. Those mixes usually carry peat moss to bring the pH down and composted bark for drainage. If blueberries are named on the bag, you are on the right track.

We keep a pre made acid loving mix in store. If you would rather make your own, mix equal parts quality potting mix, peat moss and perlite, and pine bark chips are worth adding because they hold the acidity and the drainage together as they break down.

A few other things that keep a blueberry happy

• Water steadily. Consistently moist, never soggy. Think damp sponge rather than swamp.
• Full sun. Sweet fruit needs the light, so do not tuck it into a shady corner and hope.
• Feed for acid lovers. A fertiliser made for camellias and azaleas will do. Anything alkaline undoes the work you did on the soil.
• Give them company. Two or more varieties planted near each other pollinate better and fruit harder than one on its own.

What if your soil is nowhere near it

Then you adjust it, and it is not difficult. Test the pH first, because guessing is how people add sulphur to soil that did not need it. If it reads high, bring it down over time with peat moss, elemental sulphur or an acidic fertiliser made for camellias. It moves slowly, so do this the season before you plant if you can.

Shop related products

• Brunnings Azalea and Camellia Planting Mix 30L. The pre made acid mix, and the easy answer for pots.
• Manutec Soil pH Test Kit. Test before you amend anything, every time.
• Brunnings Peat Moss 5L. Brings the pH down and holds moisture while it does it.
• Brunnings Vermiculite 5L. Opens up a heavy mix so the roots are not sitting wet.

Did you know we also keep acid loving plant food, pine bark and other soil amendments in store that do not all make it onto the website. Give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what is on the shelf.

All of it lives in the garden centre, and if you bring in your pH reading we can tell you what to add rather than guessing at it together.

Keep reading

• What organic products can I use to fertilise my lawn
• 5 easy to grow tomato varieties for beginners
• Setting up dripper irrigation, a beginner's guide

Cheers,
Candeece

I fed my first blueberry everything I owned before it occurred to me to test the dirt.