My blueberry bush is going a funny colour - HELP!

[GentlyWorryTheAnimal]

It has done fabulously for its first summer, oodles of berries.

But the leaves are now turning a dark reddish brown... is this a normal end of summer season thing or is it dying????

[madcol]

It is in an Ericaenous soil/ compost? What have you been feeding it? They fruit on 2nd year stems so each year you need to prune to stimulate new stem growth for following year.

[GentlyWorryTheAnimal]

... tis in B&Q "compost"

Feeding... erm, again, it says "plant food"

Pruning I understand the term of

[MissisBoot]

You can get special plant food for acid loving plants - also ericacious compost - although if you have planted it in directly in the ground its best to do a ph test- you can get kits at the garden centre.

I had mine in pots last year and then transported them to a site where rhododendrens grew and they survived the year - late summer the leaves started to turn red and drop off - came back and fruited heavily this year! Hurrah!

[GentlyWorryTheAnimal]

Ooh that sounds promising!!! Will get the ph thingy

I was amazed at how well ours did for its first summer (it was given to us free by school - they were handing out fruit trees ), but DS got the main of the crop because he twigged where they were coming from (I was just giving him them inside so he didn't find them) and swiped em before I got there! Hopefully next year he will be old enough to be Very Afraid of me if my fruit is swiped DH & DD don't like em

[Miggsie]

...and use rain water to water it not tap water, tap water is too alkaline and will cause leaf fall among other things!

[bran]

I think most varieties of blueberry go red in the autumn. I had a blueberry bush that did this (until it was eaten by bastard vine weevils ).

[madcol]

Blueberry's need Ericaeous soil ( acid). If in a pot rahter than open soil then can repot in Autumn into Ericaeous compost ( it may be called compost for Azaleas and Rohdodendrons) . It will need feeding .

Would suggest a small book on fruit and vegetalbe growing - it will take hte gueswork out of it for you and give you a rough calendar for what to do. They are fairly low maintenance but the pruning is important for the production of fruit.

[LadyElle]

Not sure if you are sorted or not. Blueberries are pretty simple once you get the hang of them (wet and acid is the key). If you need more, however, these are really good instructions on growing blueberries

Hope they help