What Blueberry fertiliser to use?

[DeeL]

Good evening.  Could anyone please help me with finding a suitable fertilizer for Blueberries.

I have been searching for a good fertilizer, but unfortunately the only ones I have found are from the US, and Amazon does not post them to Australia.

  Apparently the NPK needs to be 7-7-7  or  4-3-4.  

And none of the fertilizer on the Bunnings site seem to have these  NPK numbers.

Someone on the American site said to use an Azalea fertilizer, but the NPK in Australia on the Azalea fertilizer is much higher than the above stated amounts.

I would greatly appreciate some help from any member who has had experience in finding the right fertilizer so I can grown some plump, sweet healthy blueberries.   Mine are looking very sick at the moment.  

Thank you  DeeL

[MitchellMc]

Hi @DeeL,

You are on the right track by looking for a balanced, acid-forming fertiliser for your blueberries, as they thrive in acidic soils with a pH between 4.3 and 5.5. The most important thing is not the exact NPK numbers, but that the fertiliser is formulated for acid-loving plants and supplies nitrogen in the ammonium form rather than nitrate. While American guides often suggest 4-3-4 or 7-7-7 blends, here in Australia and New Zealand you can successfully use products designed for azaleas, camellias or rhododendrons, provided you apply them at the correct rate. These tend to have higher NPK values than you have read about, but they are still suitable because they are acid-forming. I recommend using Richgro 2.5kg All Purpose Gardenia, Azalea, and Camellia Fertiliser.

The best approach is to feed your blueberries in early spring as new growth appears, again in late spring or early summer as fruit develops, and then lightly after harvest to support root growth. Always apply fertiliser around the drip line of the plant rather than against the trunk, and water it in well. To give your plants an extra boost, mulch heavily with pine bark or straw, which both helps to retain moisture and naturally maintains soil acidity as it breaks down. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell