A customer from Black Mountain recently returned from vacation and was worried to find the leaves on his blueberry bushes changing color in early August. As a first-time blueberry grower he was concerned and reached out for advice. Luckily, we were able to inform him that his blueberries were showing very early fall color - this has been an odd summer with extreme moisture and temperature fluctuations and many shrubs and trees are turning sooner than usual.

Do make sure to note if your blueberry leaves are turning reddish-orange or more of a yellow shade. While the oranger shades are typically indicative of the beginnings of fall color and natural leaf loss, yellow coloration can mean chlorosis - that the plants aren’t getting enough iron. This is a common issue during particularly wet summers (ahem! 2022!), and can easily be tested with a pH kit - if your soils show a high pH, then we suggest adding some iron sulfate or pine needle straw or feeding with an acidic fertilizer. This isn’t as common an issue in our area as our clay-rich soils tend to be quite acidic (which blueberries like) and typically contain plenty of iron, but if you're not sure if your blueberries are entirely healthy, then it never hurts to test your soil!

Have your blueberry bushes started turning? What else is starting to show color in your yard? Tag us in your pictures on facebook or instagram so we can see!

We have lots of blueberries along with many other edible tree and shrub varieties ready for planting when our Fall Season opens September 9th!

View our Fall Tree & Shrub Availability List.