Blueberries are the king of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fibers that can grow easily in the garden. Only a little care can give you healthy blueberry bushes with lots of tasty and healthy fruits.
Applying the right fertilizer is the basic care of blueberries that is directly related to crop production. So, if you want disease and insect free blueberry bushes with bigger and tasty fruits, you must feed the good blueberry fertilizer.
Now the question; what is the best fertilizer for blueberries?
Blueberries are acid-loving plants. So, the acid fertilizers are the best for blueberries that have a balanced ratio of NPK and other nutrients. Also, the fruit and berry fertilizer can be applied on the blueberries to get the desired fruit production.
For your convenience, Here I reviewed the best fertilizer for blueberries that will help you to pick the right fertilizer for your in-ground and potted plants.
In A Hurry? Here is the overall best blueberry fertilizer that you may pick right now-
Best Fertilizer for Blueberries-Comparisons
| Fertilizer | NPK | Form | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miracle-Gro Miracid | 30-10-10 | Granular | Synthetic | |
| Espoma Berry Tone | 4-3-4 | Granular | Organic | |
| Espoma HT18 Holly Tone | 4-3-4 | Granular | Organic | |
| Down To Earth Acid Mix Fertilizer | 4-3-6 | Granular | Organic | |
| Jobe’s 09727 Berry Plant Food | 4-4-3 | Granular | Organic | |
| J R Peters Jacks Acid Fertilizer | 17-6-6 | Granular | Synthetic | |
| Winchester Gardens Berry Fertilizer | 2-3-4 | Granular | Organic | |
| EcoScraps Berry Plant Food | 4-5-4 | Granular | Organic | |
| Dr. Earth 703P Azalea Fertilizer | 3-4-3 | Granular | Organic | |
| Jobe's Fertilizer Spikes | 9-8-7 | Spike | Synthetic |
Best Fertilizer for Blueberries-Reviews
You know blueberries grow well in acidic soil. That doesn’t mean you only need acid fertilizer to grow and thrive of your blueberries. You should better pick the fertilizer that contains the right nutrients for blueberries.
The benefit of feeding acid fertilizer is you don’t need to acidify the soil additionally. But if you feed general fruit fertilizer you need to acidify the soil. Good news; all the fertilizers in this article are formulated for acid-loving plants. So, let’s dive into the detailed review-
1. Miracle-Gro Miracid for Acid Loving Plants
As the primary plant food, it contains 30% nitrogen,10% phosphate, and 10% potash. The 30-10-10 ratio of this fertilizer helps your plant to make bushy and produce lots of fruits.
Also, this fertilizer has 3% ammoniacal nitrogen and 27% urea nitrogen that helps the soil to reduce pH. But many gardeners don’t like urea nitrogen for its aggressiveness. But don’t worry, this fertilizer can feed gently with no risk of plant damage.
Besides NPK, it contains some other essential plant nutrients including 0.02% boron,0.07% copper,0.325% iron,0.05% manganese,0.07% zinc and 0.0005% molybdenum.All the trace nutrients are essential to protect the plants from leaves fall and chlorosis.
You also will be happy to know most of the micronutrients available in chelated form. That means they have a coat to protect themselves from soil reactions. As a result, the plant will get those nutrients always available for uptaking.
It comes with a water-soluble granular form. You know, water-soluble fertilizer feeds the plant instantly.
To feed this quick-acting fertilizer-
Mix 1 tablespoon of water-soluble granule into 1 gallon of water and soak the base of the plant and repeat the application after 7-14 days.
2.Espoma Berry Tone Fertilizer
The NPK ratio of this fertilizer is 4-3-4. That means it contains 4% nitrogen,3% phosphate, and 4% potash to promote foliar growth, healthy roots, and fruits.
The good news; it has 2.5% water-insoluble nitrogen to feed the plant slowly and continuously depending on the plant’s needs. Also, it has 1.2% water-soluble nitrogen to feed the most hungry plants instantly.
Besides NPK, this fertilizer contains 3% calcium, 1% magnesium,5% sulfur to meet the nutritional demands of your blueberries.
You know, it is an organic granular fertilizer. So, the nutrients of this fertilizer derived from some organic and natural compounds such as feather meal, poultry manure, bone meal, alfalfa meal, sulfate of potash, sulfate of magnesia, and elemental sulfur.
The most likable feature of this slow-release fertilizer-
It has a mixture of colony-forming bacteria that helps to improve the soil condition and make the plant healthy, disease, and insect resistant.
Sprinkle 1 cup fertilizer per foot of branch spread, mix into the top 1-3 inches soil, and water the plant to start feeding. Apply twice per year for better results.
3.Espoma HT18 Holly Tone
As the plant foods, it has 4% nitrogen,3% phosphate, 4% potash, 3% calcium, 1% magnesium,and 5% sulfur. All are the most required nutrients for healthy plants and abundant fruit sets of blueberries.
It acts as slow-release fertilizer because it contains 2.5% water-insoluble slow-release nitrogen for continuous feeding. Don’t worry, it also has 1.2% water-soluble nitrogen that makes it available for feeding quickly.
It comes with an organic granular form that is formulated from feather meal, poultry manure, bone meal, alfalfa meal, sulfate of potash, sulfate of magnesia, and elemental sulfur.
It also contains some colony-forming bacteria unit as the non-plant food that helps to decompose organic matter to promote soil conditions and make the plant healthy and resistant.
To apply this fertilize on blueberry-
Sprinkle 1 cup for a foot of branch spread, work on the top soil, and water the plant thoroughly. Apply twice per year to get abundant fruits.
4.Down To Earth All Natural Acid Mix Fertilizer
You know, NPK are the primary nutrients for green leaves, abundant buds, and fruit sets. It comes with a 4-3-6 NPK ratio. That means it contains 4% nitrogen,3% phosphate, and 6% potash for bushy plants with lots of berries.
Good news; the 3.6% nitrogen of this fertilizer has been coated for slow release that feeds your plants continuously and another portion of nitrogen comes with quick release water-soluble nitrogen for instant feeding.
Also, this acid fertilizer has 3% calcium,2% magnesium, and 2% sulfur to meet the macronutrient demands of your blueberry plants.
The fertilizer may contain some micronutrients because it is formulated from some natural ingredients such as cottonseed meal, fishbone meal, kelp meal, langbeinite, and rock phosphate.
According to the expert, all are the natural sources of some macro and micronutrients. But the manufacturer didn’t mention the ratio of micronutrients.
Lastly, this fertilizer has 2.5% humic acids that act as a stress reviver. That means it can protect your blueberries from environmental stress including heat stress and water stress.
Measure ½ cup for new blueberry plant and 1 cup for the established plant. Sprinkle around the plant base, mix into the soil, and water the plant. Repeat the application after blooming and in fall at half of the required amount.
5.Jobe’s Organics 09727 Berry Granular Plant Food
According to the NPK ratio, this fertilizer has 4% nitrogen,4% phosphate, and 3% potash to feed the primary nutrients for green foliage and healthy fruits. Like all other organic fertilizers, it also contains both water-soluble(1.2%) and insoluble nitrogen(2.8%) for quick and continuous feeding.
Also, it has some other essential plant nutrients including 8% calcium,0.5% magnesium, and 1% sulfur to complete the lifecycle of blueberries successfully.
It is an OMRI listed organic fertilizer. That means it has no inorganic chemicals and it is true. This fertilizer is formulated from feather meal, bone meal, poultry manure, and sulfate of potash.
The best part of the Jobe’s Berry fertilizer is-
It has a beneficial blend of soil microbes including archaea, bacteria, and mycorrhizae fungi that is called Biozome. You will be happy to know, Biozome helps the soil to break down the organic matter quickly and improve the soil health as well as the plant.
So, you may pick this pet-friendly fertilizer to get disease and insect free blueberry with abundant fruit sets.
Sprinkle 1 ½ cups per foot of plant spread, mix into the surface soil, and water the plant. Reapply after 4-6 weeks.
6.J R Peters Jacks Acid Fertilizer
The 17-6-6 NPK ratio of this fertilizer can provide the primary nutrients to your plants for promoting green leaves, healthy roots, and fruits. Out of 17% nitrogen, it has 10.58% ammoniacal nitrogen and 6.42% urea nitrogen.
As you saw, it has urea nitrogen but from my researches, I have known that it doesn’t do any harm to the plant. In fact, it helps the soil to reduce pH and makes the soil acidic for blueberries.
The best part of this fertilizer is-
It is fortified with macro and micronutrients.Besides NPK, It also has 14% sulfur,0.02% boron,0.05% copper,0.3% iron,0.05% manganese,0.0009% molybdenum and 0.05% zinc.
Most of the nutrients have a coat for protecting themselves from some soil reaction and keep them always available for plants.
It comes with a water-soluble form that is derived from some non-toxic chemicals. So, You can apply this fertilizer on the most hungry plant for feeding instantly.
Mix 1 tablespoon for outdoor blueberry and ¼ teaspoon for indoor blueberry into a gallon of water and apply the solution every 10-14 days.
7.Winchester Gardens Select Organics Berry Granular Fertilizer
It has 2% nitrogen,3% phosphate, and 4% potash to foliar development, strong roots, and healthy fruits. Good news; the total amount of nitrogen is water-insoluble nitrogen that releases slowly and feeds the plant continuously.
Also, this fertilizer contains other required nutrients for blueberries including 0.50% magnesium and 1% sulfur.
You know, it is an organic berry fertilizer that has no synthetic chemicals and the organic sources of the nutrients of this fertilizer are bone meal, feather meal, sulfate of potash magnesia, and potassium chloride.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons per plant, mix with the surface soil, water the blueberry to start feeding, and get healthy berries.
8.EcoScraps Organic Gardening Berry Plant Food
EcoScraps Berry Plant Food comes with a 4-5-4 NPK ratio. From the NPK ratio, it has 4% nitrogen for foliar development,5% phosphate for healthy roots and fruits, and 4% potash for overall healthy plants.
The best part of this fertilizer is; It has recycled leftovers and landfill waste that also provide nutrients to the plants. Also, this fertilizer contains other required nutrients of blueberries.
It is formulated from some organic materials that are safe for plants as well as kids and pets. It comes in granular form and can feed both potted and in-ground blueberries without any risk.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup for established blueberry and 1 cup for 12 inches potted blueberry. Mix the fertilizer into the top soil and water the plant thoroughly to start feeding.
9.Dr. Earth 703P Organic Azalea, Camellia, Rhododendron Acid Fertilizer
Let’s analyze the best azalea fertilizer for blueberries-
This fertilizer has a 3-4-3 NPK ratio to provide the primary nutrients of the plants. The higher amount of phosphate of this fertilizer helps the plant to promote flowering and fruit sets.
According to the NPK ratio, it has 3% nitrogen, and the good news; the total amount of nitrogen is water-insoluble nitrogen to feed your plant continuously. That’s why it can be called the best slow-release fertilizer for blueberries.
Also, this fertilizer contains required trace nutrients because it is fortified with some organic ingredients like feather meal, cottonseed meal, alfalfa meal, fishbone meal, kelp meal, and kelp flour. As you saw, it has no synthetic chemical that is also proved by the OMRI certificate.
The probiotic formula is the most likable feature of this fertilizer. Probiotic formula means it has a beneficial blend of healthy bacteria with ecto and endo mycorrhizae to promote soil conditions and make the plant healthy. Also, it has 11% humic acid as the stress reviver of the plants.
To get the healthy blueberry plants-
Sprinkle 2 cups for one-inch trunk diameter of blueberry or 2 tablespoons for one gallon of potting mix. Work gently on the surface soil and pour water on the base of the plant. Repeat the application after 2 months.
10.Jobe’s Azalea, Camellia & Rhododendron Fertilizer Spikes
This is the synthetic fertilizer that has 9% nitrogen,8% phosphate, and 7% potash. Though it is synthetic, it has no urea nitrogen. The total amount of nitrogen is derived from ammoniacal compounds.
You will be happy to know; ammoniacal nitrogen feeds the plants gently and keeps the soil acidic for a longer period of time.
The best part of this fertilizer is-
It contains 4% slow-release nitrogen,3% slow-release potassium, and 3% slow-release potash out of the total amount of NPK for feeding your plant slowly up to 8 weeks and another portion of NPK has been coated for quick release that feeds the plant instantly.
It is a spike fertilizer and you know spike fertilizer can’t wash out easily with surface water and it is easy to apply.
Simply push 1 spike into the soil near the plant stem for one foot of plant diameter and water the plant.
When to Fertilize Blueberries?
Early spring is the best time to fertilize blueberries. Spring is the time when the new growth of the blueberries appears. So, they need fertilizer at that time and stop feeding a few weeks before the frost comes. Also, you can fertilize your blueberries if you notice any nutritional deficiency.
How often Fertilize Blueberries?
Actually, the answer is not fixed. It depends on the type of fertilizer. Generally, water-soluble fertilizer feeds the plant quickly that’s why you need to apply water-soluble fertilizer more frequently. In contrast,slow-release fertilizer feeds the plant slowly up to a few months.
So, the best idea is to read the label of your fertilizer and follow the fertilizing schedule.
How to Fertilize Blueberries?
You don’t need to know any magic to fertilize your blueberries perfectly. You have to just follow simple steps. Here is the blueberry fertilization guide for you-
Step 1: Measure the Fertilizer for Blueberry
Measure the fertilizer according to the label directions. You will find the dosages for new planting, established plants,in-ground and potted blueberries on the label of the fertilizer.
Step 2: Prepare the Solution
Prepare a solution by mixing water with pre-measured fertilizer. Ignore this step if you don’t pick liquid and water-soluble fertilizer.
Step 3: Apply the Fertilizer
For new plantings, add the pre-measured fertilizer into the digging hole, place the plant, and backfill with soil.
For established plants, sprinkle the pre-measured fertilizer around the base of the plant, mix into the top 1-3 inches soil, and water the plant. Pour the solution on the base of the plant for water-soluble and liquid fertilizer.
And to feed the spike fertilizer, push the spike into 3 inches soil on the drip line of the plant, and pour water.
Homemade Blueberry Fertilizer Recipe
Items Required:
- Coffee grounds
- Fishbone
- Banana peels
Steps:
- Mix 1 cup coffee ground,1 cup crushed fishbone,1 cup dried and crushed banana peels.
- Sprinkle 1 cup of the mixture around the base of the blueberry
- Water the plant thoroughly.
This fertilizer also can be applied to other plants fruit and flowering plants including sunflower, azaleas, and others berries.
How to Make Soil Acidic for Blueberries Naturally
Blueberries love to grow in acidic soil. They grow well in pH between 4-5. So, sometimes you need to reduce soil pH to create the perfect environment for the blueberries. Let’s see how can we do that-
Applying soil acidifier is the easiest way to make soil acidic for blueberries. Here is the recommended soil acidifier for your blueberries.
Want to know the home solution for making the soil acidic?
Mix 1 cup vinegar into a gallon of water and pour the solution on the soil of blueberry plants.
Note: Don’t forget to measure the soil pH before taking any steps to make the soil acidic. Always use a pH meter (our pick: Atree Soil pH Meter) for an accurate result.
Conclusion
You know the health benefits of blueberry. It is nutritious and healthy fruit for us. So, you are lucky you have the blueberry plants in your garden.
But this is unacceptable that you will get poor sets of fruits only for the lack of the right nutrients for blueberry bushes.
So, it’s high time to pick the best fertilizer for blueberries and I hope you already picked the right one for your plants. Now, apply the fertilizer to the plants and produce abundant sets of blueberries.
