Blueberry plant diagnosis - Ask Extension
Hello,
I'm seeking advice about two young blueberry plants that recently started to fail. Until recently they had been flourishing and each produce...
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Blueberry plant diagnosis #878352
Asked July 22, 2024, 11:21 PM EDT
Hello,
I'm seeking advice about two young blueberry plants that recently started to fail. Until recently they had been flourishing and each produced a handful of small berries with good flavor. Both have been located on a deck that gets full sun for 6 hrs a day, then shade. They are watered every 1-3 days, depending on weather and when the soil feels dry.
A few days ago I noticed the new berries were tiny, dry, and withered. I removed the berries.
One plant (left in the photo) still has many healthy green leaves but approx. 10% of the leaves have developed red/grey spots at the tips and edges. One leaf has turned bright red and the tip is brown and crumbling.
The other plant (right) is entirely a lighter color than it used to be. All the leaves are fragile, pale, dry, and curled (possibly dead). Approx. 80% of the leaves have red/orange/brown rings that radiate from the center of the leaf.
I'm not sure what's happened, or even if both plants have the same issue. Any advice is welcome and appreciated.
Lane County Oregon
Expert Response
The plant with dried and cupped leaves looks like an issue with heat stress. With heat stress or underwatering, it is common to see wilting, leaf rolling and cupping, as well as leaf edge scorch. Leaves may turn pale green or yellow and then fall off. All of these symptoms are visible in the photo. You may also see shrivelled blossoms and fruit and/or premature flower and fruit drop. I don't know why one plant is showing symptoms and the other is not, it could be due to differences in sun exposure or soil type. Container grown plants tend to dry out quickly, I recommend watering daily when temperatures are above 90F. There are some diseases and viruses that cause red spots on leaves, but it looks like this may be dieback of a few of the older leaves. Check the leaves with spots to see if the spots are on both the upper and lower parts of the leaf or only the upper part. Do you see any abnormal coloring or growth on the underside of the leaf? Do you see any spotting on the stems? Have the spots grown or progressed? A nutrient deficiency can also cause discoloration. Do you know the pH of the soil? Have you fertilized the plants (if so with what type of fertilizer, and how often)? The answers would provide a few clues.