Growing Organic Blueberry Plants: Annual Fertility Management for Blueberries

Introduction

This article lists the seasonal duties that need to be performed to insure strong and fruitful plants. For any plant that produces fruit you should not add too much or too little fertilizer, because too much fertilizer can be toxic to your plant or result in nutrient imbalances. Blueberries are very sensitive to over fertilization.

Schedule for Annual Fertilization for Organically Grown Blueberries

This is a fertilization program for blueberry plants developed over time by a successful organic grower of blueberry plants.

Early to mid-spring top-dress the blueberries with a balanced organic fertilizer such as Re-Vita Pro fertilizer (5-4-5). This is an all natural blend with higher nitrogen and potash levels Spread about 1/4 to 1/2 pound uniformly around the plant. The amount you apply depends on the age and size of the plant (more fertilizer for older plants and less for younger plants). If you use alfalfa pellets, you should double the amounts suggested above for the Re-Vita Pro. Fox Farm Soil and Fertilizer Company market an organic, acid-loving fertilizer for plants that is good for blueberries. Their fertilizers are built around the use of earthworm castings.)

After flowers have fallen, begin applying the liquid fertilizer to the plants. This is applied every two weeks through July. The liquid fertilizer can be delivered though drip irrigation system, and applied only to the root zone.

Recipe for Liquid Fertilizer

• Aerated compost tea: To make a 1 gallon of mixture, add the following amounts to 1 gallon of aerated compost tea: The aerated compost tea is important because it will add healthy microbes to the soil which will make the nutrients in the soil more available to the plants.
• Add 2 tablespoon Neptune’s Harvest Hydrolyzed Fish Fertilizer –(2-4-1).
• Add ½ tablespoon Maxicrop Liquidized Sea weed or other liquid kelp.
• Add ½ tablespoon Black strap molasses.

You can irrigate the day before applying the liquid fertilizer mixture. Typically on mature plants apply about 5 gallon, use less for younger plants. For young plants just planted last year use 1 to 2 gallons of this mixture. Smaller lowbush plants require less than highbush plants.

You can also use this solution to foliar feed the plants. However, leave out the hydrolyzed Fish Fertilizer part if you foliar spray plants with blueberries that are ripening.

When using water that is a little alkaline, you can put in some vinegar in the mixture.

Another critical feature of a good fertility program is mulching. Mulch breaks down over time to provide nutrients to the blueberry plants that is not available in commercial fertilizers. The mulch should be at least 3 1/2 inches thick. The mulch needs to be very coarse and porous so that water can percolate through the mulch easily. This is the reason the leaves need to be chopped or shredded otherwise they repel water from entering the growing area. The compost tea will add microbes which will break down the mulch proving nutrients to the plants. Adding some nitrogen to the mulch will help the microbes break down the mulch and release nutrients for the plants.

Summary

This article lists the seasonal duties that need to be performed to insure strong and fruitful plants. A schedule for annual fertilization for organically grown blueberries is discussed. This is a fertilization program for blueberry plants developed over time by a successful organic grower of blueberry plants.