What to do if garden blueberry leaves turn red?

When blueberry leaves turn red in the country, there is cause for concern. A change in the color of foliage is often a symptom of a troubled shrub, requiring the identification of the causes and their elimination. If you do not take action, blueberries will refuse to bear fruit or even die. It is very important to create suitable growing conditions for the culture and maintain its immunity with proper agricultural technology. Diseases should be treated promptly and, if possible, prevented.

Causes of leaf reddening and how to eliminate them

Red leaves in blueberries in the fall are quite normal. The shrub prepares for leaf fall, and its foliage changes color naturally. But the reasons for the reddening of the leaves in spring and summer can be different. The most common is insufficient soil acidity. In addition, the leaves can turn red due to certain diseases or as a result of frostbite.

Reduced soil acidity

For normal development, blueberries need soil acidity at 3.5–4.5 pH. This is due to the fact that the roots of the bush do not have suction hairs. Their function is taken over by a special fungus - mycorrhiza. The mycelium develops in symbiosis with the roots of the plant and helps it absorb nutrients. Mycorrhiza can develop normally only in an acidic environment. Alkalinization of the soil leads to the death of the fungus.

The acidity of the soil can be low initially - then the leaves turn red soon after planting - or it can decrease over time.

If the pH level is not enough, garden blueberry leaves will change color and become completely red, rather than just be covered with red spots or dots. Watering the bush with acidified water can help in this situation.

There are several ways to make water acidic:

• The solution is prepared from 3 tsp. citric or oxalic acid per 10 liters of water.
• You can use regular table vinegar by diluting 100 ml of 9% acetic acid in 10 liters of water.
• Another way is to use electrolyte for car batteries. The water is acidified using 10 ml of electrolyte (conveniently drawn up with a syringe) per 10 liters of water.

Don't expect an instant effect. The leaves will not return green color immediately. If after 1.5-2 weeks the redness does not disappear, watering with acidified water must be repeated. As a measure to prevent a decrease in soil acidity, mulching of the root zone of blueberries with high peat, pine bark, and coniferous needles is used.

Development of diseases

In summer, blueberry leaves can turn red due to the development of certain diseases. In particular, the reason may be:

• Phomopsis. The disease is caused by a fungus and often appears as a result of waterlogged soil. Phomopsis begins to manifest itself from the tops of the shoots. Small dark red spots appear on the leaves, then the leaves turn red completely, and the shoot dries up. At the first sign of illness, all infected branches must be cut and burned. After that, blueberries are treated with fungicides (Fundazol, Euparen, Topsin are suitable), using them according to the instructions. To get rid of the disease, you will need 3 treatments. 2 of them are carried out before flowering, and the last one - after picking berries in July.
• Stem cancer. Another fungal disease that is highly harmful. Blueberry leaves are covered with red dots, later the spots grow and merge. The lesion soon spreads to the shoot tissue. The stems become covered with ulcers, the bark detaches. Stem cancer is difficult to treat. Measures to combat it should be aimed at prevention.In spring and autumn, blueberries are sprayed with a 3% Bordeaux mixture. During the growing season, the bushes should be periodically treated with fungicide solutions. Fungal spores can be transmitted by insects, therefore, pests that appear must be destroyed.

To prevent diseases, the bushes must be planted in compliance with the planting scheme (at least 2 m from each other). Agricultural technology requires regular pruning, during which diseased, dried and thickening branches are removed.

Frost impact

In regions with sharp climatic changes in spring, warm weather can be replaced by unexpected frosts, as a result of which the plant experiences shock. In this case, you do not need to take any measures, you should only watch the bush. Normal color should be restored in a couple of weeks.

For a quick recovery, you can spray the blueberries with "Zircon" and additionally carry out the prevention of fungal diseases. It is better to water the bush before the arrival of stable weather with exceptionally warm water. If a cold snap is predicted, blueberries can be protected from low temperatures with a covering material (young seedlings are often covered with spruce branches).

If blueberry leaves turn red, this does not always indicate a critical situation. The bush must be closely monitored and, with external changes, it is imperative to analyze the symptoms. The measures taken in time will return the blueberry to its original appearance and the ability to further grow and develop.