Tree and shrub nursery
EN 
PL How to maintain the correct pH level? I irrigate with well water, which has a pH of 6.5. In the plantation, the soil pH is between 5.5 and 6. Under the bushes, I use acidic peat and pine sawdust for mulching. The oldest bushes are 4 years old, and the youngest are 1 year old. Every year, I expand the plantation by 20–30 new plants. How can I maintain the proper pH level?
The water is actually quite good — well water typically has a pH of around 7.2. A simple method for acidifying the soil is to apply powdered sulfur at a rate of 1.5 kg per 100 m² (1 are), 3 to 4 times a year — for example, in March, May, August, and October. The sulfur should be spread evenly over the entire surface. Please **do NOT** apply it in a handful directly under the plant.
How to save the bushes from grubs? Last year they damaged almost 20% of the crop. I applied the product Laevanem in August, but I’m not sure how effective it was. I'm wondering if laying agrotextile between the rows is a good method, since, for example, starlings have no way to assist in controlling the grubs. Please provide a method for dealing with these pests.
Grubs are difficult to control. The use of Larvanem should be repeated every season, ideally by watering both the plants and the surrounding area. Starlings are not very effective—they can't reach the grubs. Moles are actually more helpful, although for some reason everyone wants to get rid of them.
What should be the thickness of the peat–sawdust–bark mixture layer under the bush, not including the preparation of the soil at the proper depth? Thank you and best regards.
The absolute minimum is 30 cm, with 50 cm being optimal.
Is it advisable to acidify the soil for blueberries using diluted nitric acid? If so, during what period and at what concentration?
First, a warning: nitric acid is dangerous! Yes, it can be used to acidify water. However, it’s not possible to say exactly how much acid is needed — it depends on the mineral content (salts) in the water. The required amount must be determined by carefully adding drops of acid to, for example, a 10-liter bucket of water.
This year, I purchased several-year-old highbush blueberry bushes. They are about 1.5 meters tall and were dug directly from a plantation with a root ball (on average, about 25–30 cm in diameter). The bushes are currently in the flowering stage and, in my opinion, have established themselves very well. The planting holes were twice as wide as the root ball. We also applied fertilizer for blueberries and are watering regularly.
Now, my question is: a farmer friend of mine said that after transplanting such large bushes with trimmed roots, all flowers should be removed during this season — meaning no fruit should be allowed to develop — so the bush can regenerate. He claims that if we don’t do this, the bushes might dry out in the following season. Is that really true? It would be a shame to lose such a promising crop, as the bushes look very healthy and there seems to be a lot of fruit coming.
He’s absolutely right — but that’s not the whole story. If the bushes have 1.5-meter-long shoots and a root system only the size of a bucket, that means only about 30% of the roots remain. In that case, **not only should you remove the flowers**, but you also need to **reduce both the number and length of shoots**, leaving at most **50% of the above-ground growth**.
This year will be a battle for the bushes to establish themselves — you should forget about any fruit this season. Saying that the bushes have already taken root is **quite premature**. They simply haven’t had enough time to rebuild their root systems. You’ll only be able to talk about successful establishment **by autumn at the earliest**.
Good morning,
I have a problem with my blueberries — the bushes were blooming beautifully, but now some of the leaves are drying out, entire branches are withering, and the plants are deteriorating.
poczta@borowka.pl – Please send some photos and a description of what has been done (fertilization, chemical protection, etc.).
At this stage, it's a bit like calling a doctor and saying: “I’m sick, please prescribe me something” — we need more details to help properly.
Good morning,
I’ve had a blueberry plantation for many years, and until now, there have been no problems. This year, however, there has been an infestation of scale insects. I purchased SilTac EC and have been spraying the blueberries with it. Is this a good product, or should I be using a different insecticide? If so, I would appreciate the name.
I’m also interested in how I can tell if the scale insects are responding to the treatment.
Thank you in advance for your response.
Best regards,
Anna
SilTac EC is a product designed to mechanically block the larvae that emerge from eggs in the spring. At this point, it's a bit late for effective chemical control. After the harvest, scale insects can be controlled, for example, with **Movento**.
The effectiveness of the spray can be observed by the disappearance of live insects.
Good morning,
I have a question about watering. I use well water, and after measuring the pH, it shows 7.5. I know it should be around 5–5.5. I have 30 blueberry bushes and plan to water them generously. My question is simple: **what’s the best and easiest way to acidify the water**?
In spring, I want to acidify the water with **nitric acid**, and toward the end of summer with **phosphoric acid**, because according to the articles I've read, these acids are used for acidifying water on large plantations.
However, I also read that some people use **citric acid** or even **vinegar**.
Which method would be best to safely acidify the water **without harming the blueberries**?
With **nitric, sulfuric, or phosphoric acid**. Organic acids (like citric acid or vinegar) technically lower the pH of water, but in the soil, they are broken down by microorganisms — so the effect is practically negligible.
What matters most is **not just the starting pH**, but the **hardness of the water** — that determines how much acid is needed to lower the pH effectively.
On average, you’ll need around **100 to 200 ml of 55% nitric acid per 1000 liters of water**.