Rabbiteye Blueberry Update: How to Lower pH Quickly 

The sulfur takes months to acidify the soil because it has to be incorporated by the microbes in the soil. Your berries need emergency help or they will die pretty fast. I faced the same issue and what I did was water the berries once a week with 2 tbsp of vinegar in a gallon of water. It isn't a permanent solution but it let me keep them alive during the winter. I found that fertilizing with ammonium sulfate fertilizer helped a lot. Pine bark and pine needles lose their acidity very quickly and don't acidify the soil.

I planted 12 different varieties for the first time in newly prepared soil, no soil test. I used peat moss mixed with coco coir and some native soil in raised beds about a week before transplanting blueberries. I water with a cup of 45% vinegar to 5 gal water, and they all look great. I may have planted some of them too close together, but I’ll transplant in late fall or early winter. Lots of vigorous growth for me, I live in northern Maine.

After my first planting of 4 blueberry bushes failed miserably (zone 10) in a raised bed, I decided to plant in pots to better control the pH. I purchased a 2 cu ft bag of acidic potting soil ($15), and filled each 15-gal grow bag with this soil in which to surround each of my new 6 blueberry plants. Before planting, I added sulfur and organic slow release acidic fertilizer to the bottom of the hole mixing and watering well before planting the bushes. Worked like a charm and my 6 blueberry plants adjusted well. I did add iron later to the bushes that indicated chlorosis, and continue to supplement each pot with sulfur and acid fertizer during the growing season. I also used this soil for blackberries, strawberries and azaleas which gave them a strong and healthy start. Thank you for your excellent presentation!

I am getting ready to plant blueberries here. thanks for sharing the info you learned

Great video! Would love to see an update video on them.

I really appreciate this video, because my experience is very similar. It makes me glad that we can learn from each other. It takes a lot of learning. I am in zone 10, and my first mistake was buying a northern Highbush. It did not fair well. Thank you for sharing this.

At least your blueberries have leaves! Mine don't..7 ph here too. But I tried to amend my soil when I planted them with allot of pine tree amendments.. I wish I had purchased rabbit eye blueberries but I couldn't find and most of mine say vaccilium on the tag..

I just planted 4 rabbiteye bushes the exact same way today. Starting at 6.8 ph. I am going to order sulfur now! Thank you for this video!

Thank you for your video, however your measuring cup is nice to have but not very effective all the time because every situation is different . If you want this pH issue solved fast this is what I would recommend because you don't want to miss a harvest of those lovely blueberries because of improper care . While you have a raised bed the Acidity is constantly leashing out into the soil under the raised bed (1) Based on the size raised bed and the number of plants I would used a total of 8 cups . 2 cups sprinkled around the drip line of all 4 plants and then the remaining 6 cups sprinkled all throughout the raised bed and of course work it into the soil. (2) I would use a 1 cup of white vinegar mixed with 5 gallons of fresh water and water raised bed at least once per week for at least a month (i.e) 4 -5 times for the month. (3) You will need get a bag of AMMONIUM SULFATE ( Not Aluminum Sulfate ) . This Ammonium Sulfate will also acidify the soil and provide the blue berry bushes the right type of " Urea Nitrogen " that is needed to let the plants flourish . (4) Buy a cheap pH tester on Amazon , these are not 100% accurate as the labs are but it definitely helps to keep you in the right ball park in terms of pH levels . (5) After the acidity is brought back to appropriate levels , you can maintain this level with about 4 cups of sulfur fertilizer such as " HolyTone " of the one that you showed in this video , measured with your " fancy pansy " measuring cup . (6) Do remember the Ammonium Sulfate this is one of the silver bullets to a bumper harvest because blueberries loves the nitrogen and sulfur it provides, but please use the the Ammonium sulfate very sparingly its best to use too little than to use too much as its quite concentrated. (7) Add organic matter such as chicken or rabbit manure . If you follow the above info , you should be able to thank me in as little as 2 months when your blueberries start looking refreshed. Lastly its best to acidify the soil when its warm for it to work fast . Best of luck with your garden.

Your initial soil mix and raised bed looked great. Acidified water and some ammonium sulfate were all you needed. I’d guess your water source had too many carbonates, and your ph slowly crept up each time you watered. Best of luck. The birds are depending on you to find a solution!

Best soil mix for blueberries is 50% peat moss and 50% ericaceous compost and the blueberries will love it.

So interesting. Im ready to plant some blueberries

Dark peat moss has a neutral pH. Light peat moss is more acidic. Your pH is either too high or there is not enough iron in the soil which causes the clorosis or yellowing of the leaves. Peat moss has few nutrients. Sulfur such as that will take a month or more to lower the pH. Quick drops can be had with vinegar or citric acid, but since these are plant-based, the pH effects will only last a day or two. Pine saw dust can help drop the pH, but any time vegetation decomposes, the nitrogen is used up. Check your water's pH, as well. Even if you get the soil pH down to 5 (a good number), if you water with a high pH, you'll cancel the acidic properties. However, rain water is mildly acidic, sometimes around 5.5, so this is optimal for blueberries. That second bush, the one with the reddish dots, may be sick. I'm struggling with mine in alkaline soil and water. I never thought this would be such a challenge. Good luck!

I’m gonna last my blueberries here in Georgia this fall . I will put the sulfur in the soil this summer at least a month before I plant the blueberries maybe two months before . Soil bacteria have to break down the sulfur before it starts lowering the ph . It may take awhile before the necessary bacteria get into your raised bed soil . It’ll come down eventually.

you should post more, really enjoy your videos.

You look exactly like me last year. Same thing happened to me. Soil sulfur will take time but the best thing to do imo is while the soil sulfur does its thing take white distilled vinegar water n water them once or twice a week and it will bring acidity down so you plants can take up the nutrients while your soil ammenda

I'm not sure what the product you show is actually made of but Elemental sulfur is very yellow. I found Elemental sulfur in pellet and powder form for about a dollar per pound at a local hardware store. The powdered sulfur cost was slightly higher and also a little more difficult to work with; it's like yellow flour, blows around and gets everywhere and irritated my skin a little, so I recommend just using the pellets. My water supply has calcium in it so it's alkaline, about 8.1 as per my ph meter. If I add a cup of 5% kitchen vinegar (the kind you put on your salad) to a 5 gallon bucket of water the ph goes to a little bellow 6. I'm learning as I go.

Planted mine in containers. I use Miracid once a week. Good results.

Hi from Ukraine! As i know, sulfur-isn't a quickly metod for lower PH( it will lower PH after 3-6month). For quickly lower PH you must use electrolyte solution (20-25ml/10liter water).

I'd keep amending with sulfur, but another option to add would be to rake up deciduous tree leaves. Shred then and use them as a mulch. They'll lower the PH. A commercial option is to use Espoma Holly Tone. It's pretty good, but they do skimp a bit on the sulfur in the mix.

Lemon juice worked for me but i believe is just temporary until the sulphur kick in caise it takes months

You are absolutely gorgeous 😍

It also looks like your blueberry plants are getting too much sun. In general, blueberries like AM sun and PM shade. You should probably get a shade cloth--especially for the summer.

Thank u

Good info but I respectfully add that it’s quite pointless without a follow up. It’s been a year so how are the blueberries doing? Also I might suggest… Rode Wireless Mic with wind buff. Thanks!

How do they look now? It’s spring right now

I like you planted my blue berries before I got my soil right. I have been using elemental sulphur since (for one Year) and this spring I was shocked when my ph was 6.8. Did you find a way to save your berries? I am very afraid of losing mine and am trying to lower my ph before this upcoming growing season.

Not a full year yet, but as the growing season kicks off, how is your soil PH now?

Try iron sulfate to give more iron?

Don’t use compost is alkaline . on any acid plants

My bb leaves turned dark blue? I feralized and added acid 2 weeks before

It’s 4 months later.....how are they doing? I’ve been prepping soil, exactly like you did, for my blueberries I’ve ordered for this year, but now I know that might not be good enough.

watch Gardening with Leon videos on youtube he is very knowledgeable and has a video on blueberries.

How much sulfur per cup was used around blue berry plants

Can you tell me where you found the pine bark mulch? I live in California but have been unable to find it here. I saw some on Amazon but it was pretty costly