Growing blueberries with alkaline soil/water

Growing Blueberries with Alkaline Soil or Water


Blueberries need acidic soil with a low pH. Like 6 or 5. My soil pH (you can buy a cheap soil pH sensor to measure) is usually 8. And I know that not only is the soil alkaline, the water is as well, so even if I get an acidic potting soil to grow blueberries in a pot or raised bed every time I water it I will be slowly bringing the pH up.


The pH scale is logarithmic, going up by factors of ten, which means that soil at pH 8 is thousands of times less acidic than the type of soil that blueberries need.


The reason why the blueberries need alkaline soil is that when soil is more acidic it is easier for some nutrients to be absorbed by the plant roots, usually iron deficiency is the first problem that becomes obvious. There are a lot of plants that prefer acidic soil but will still survive in something more alkaline. Not blueberries though.


I know of a few other plants are the same way:

  • Rhododendrons 
  • Hydrangeas
  • Gardenias
  • Cranberries
  • Huckleberries 
  • Cloudberries
  • Salal
  • Winterberries


Usually the first visible sign that a plant can’t get the right nutrients is iron deficiency, also called iron chlorosis. New leaves on the plant will be pale but the veins are still green. Here is a picture of a goumi plant that looks like it's experiencing iron chlorosis. I've already tried to help it out by putting some fertilizer near the roots so the newest leaf on the very top looks a little bit greener. The area where this plant is growing is one that I know has thick gray clay underneath, so it may have been a mistake to put it there because it may be higher maintenance than I intended.





If it’s really worth it to you to grow your own blueberries, here are some ideas:

  1. Keep the blueberry plant in a large pot, or raised bed with a bottom, that is full of just peat moss. The pH will be so low that you will be able to water that stuff for a long time (maybe a few years) before the alkaline water finally starts to bring up the pH. Add soil acidifiers and elemental sulfur to help the pH stay low.
  2. Collect rain water and water your plant with only rain water (which is usually slightly acidic). If you’ve already got a system to collect rainwater this could be a good option. Distilled water is usually neutral (pH about 7) so it would also not affect the pH as much as the alkaline ground water.


 I only know of one person who has successfully grown blueberries long-term (multiple years) using the first method above.


You want to know the best idea though?

Serviceberries. They look just like blueberries but with more sweetness and a mildly apple flavor.

Or, Black Velvet gooseberries, althought they don't look so much like blueberries they have more of a blueberry flavor (sweet tart-ness).



Have you had success with blueberries? Leave a comment!


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