Hi,
This year I decided to plant a few blueberries and blackberries. Since I live in Greece, I opted for heat-tolerant plants, like Biloxi, O'neal, Star blueberry varieties, and Triple Crown and Columbia Star blackberry varieties. Most plants are doing fine except the O'neal and Columbia Star.
I received the Columbia Star in a rough state with almost no leaves and the plant was not very stable in the pot (perhaps damaged during transportation), and even though it was advertised as a 3 yo plant, based on its size I seriously doubt that is true. It had a faint brown spot on a branch which kept spreading until the branch died. Now this brown spot has appeared on another branch (pic O'Neal 2). Although the plant sprouts new leaves, they turn brown and die a few days later.
The Columbia Star on the other hand was quite decent when it arrived, but now its leaves also turn brown and die.
The potting mix I used in the transfer to the new pots was comprised of peat, compost, soil, and pine bark. The mix for the blackberries had less peat and more compost and garden soil as I've read the soil doesn't need to be as acidic. I try to stay away from peat moss, but I made an exception since I wanted to give them the best possible start and I read a mix of mostly peat and pine bark was the best.
During the transfer to the new pots I used only small amounts of phosphorus-rich fertilizer since I was told they encourage root growth, and the same amount was applied to all plants.
Is there something I can do to help them recover?
Thank you!
This year I decided to plant a few blueberries and blackberries. Since I live in Greece, I opted for heat-tolerant plants, like Biloxi, O'neal, Star blueberry varieties, and Triple Crown and Columbia Star blackberry varieties. Most plants are doing fine except the O'neal and Columbia Star.
I received the Columbia Star in a rough state with almost no leaves and the plant was not very stable in the pot (perhaps damaged during transportation), and even though it was advertised as a 3 yo plant, based on its size I seriously doubt that is true. It had a faint brown spot on a branch which kept spreading until the branch died. Now this brown spot has appeared on another branch (pic O'Neal 2). Although the plant sprouts new leaves, they turn brown and die a few days later.
The Columbia Star on the other hand was quite decent when it arrived, but now its leaves also turn brown and die.
The potting mix I used in the transfer to the new pots was comprised of peat, compost, soil, and pine bark. The mix for the blackberries had less peat and more compost and garden soil as I've read the soil doesn't need to be as acidic. I try to stay away from peat moss, but I made an exception since I wanted to give them the best possible start and I read a mix of mostly peat and pine bark was the best.
During the transfer to the new pots I used only small amounts of phosphorus-rich fertilizer since I was told they encourage root growth, and the same amount was applied to all plants.
Is there something I can do to help them recover?
Thank you!
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