Severe scorch on blueberry

info46

Hi 
In June one of my blueberries developed severe burn while we were on holiday 

I have re potted in ericaceous compost & keeping it well watered with rainwater. The leaves and brown , the stems dry with a little bit of green when scratched. It there anything else I can do to save this bush that had been laden with fruit 

We have around 6 others and all OK 

Thanks in advance with any help  

mrtjforman

Mine have been out when it went to over 30 degrees. At one point my pink blueberries sagged like shrivelled figs - unlike my other varieties where the leaves droop first but if they are too dehydrated then a hot spell like we had will kill off the leaves. It might not necessarily be dead. I would keep it well watered and put it into a completely shaded spot. If there is no new growth by spring next year then it is dead but it might not be yet.

The bigger the pot, the more water it can retain and the less likely it is to completely dry out in hot weather

Obelixx

I once left two mature bueberries in pots along with many other plants to the tender ministrations of a neighbour's teenage daughter.  Came home to find them brown and crispy.

I soaked the two blueberries pots before we'd unloaded the car and carried on giving them plenty of water for the rest of the summer.   They eventually recovered tho I had to prune off at least half their stems.    

Meanwhile, I dug a very wide, deep hole in the veggie plot and filled it with a mix of well rotted horse manure and erciaceous compost.  In the autumn I planted out both blueberries and gave them lots to drink again to help them settle in.  They were them mulched with bark chippings and proceeded to do very well.

Be generous with the watering and patient.   They should put on fresh green leaves by the end of summer and that will show you how far back you need to prune to live stems.

HouseFinch

Our hedge (3 year old plants) developed this in early spring. I panicked thinking it was blight, but when OH adjusted the sprinklers, and kept an eye on the watering they started to bounce back. Turns out we hadn't been getting the amount of water to them due to water pressure problems.

When they are under 3 years old, their risk is higher, but as long as you keep their water supply up, and trim back any dead or blackened tips, they should be able to recover.

(You may already know, but when trimming, make sure you disinfect your cutting equipment as you go along, otherwise it could spread any infection along).