[Lardman]

Would my blueberry bushes like a nice feed of comfrey tea or should I stick with the commercial liquid feed ?

[JohnB47]

Comfrey tea probably wouldn't actually do them harm but may not do any good either. Blueberries need feed suitable for acid loving plants (azaelas, rhododendrons and the like). Oh and rainwater, rather than tap water.

[Squibbs]

Further to this how often should you feed blueberries - I have some ericaceous feed, they are originally 2 and 4 litre pot plants in new ericaceous compost, my blueberry book from Trehane nursery says you can feed them but nothing more specific than that

[Ralphy]

the bbc gardening site says a high potash feed like tomato food will do, seems tomato food suits most things, i'm thinking of planting a few blueberrys in the plot come autumn, i'm just wondering wether adding a splash of vinegar to the watering can would nutralise any lime present and bring the ph down?

[stompy]

i'm just wondering wether adding a splash of vinegar to the watering can would nutralise any lime present and bring the ph down?

Plaenty of manure will do that.

dig out a decent size hole and put the plant in an fill around it with ericaceous compost and feed with a mix of comfrey tea and there is also another feed specificaly for acid loving plants but i can't remember it's name.

Just remembered it's name (ammonium sulfate)

[Ralphy]

cheers Stompy, compost it is! I just googled the vinegar thing, and found a scary but informative thread about the use of battery acid, while the chemistry makes sense, my gut reaction is hell no!  http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fruit/msg0715270918406.html

[JohnB47]

One of my local garden centres issued a leaflet about blueberries and the Feeding section says:

"Use a balanced ericaceous fertiliser to top dress your plants each spring. Feed again at the end of June as your plants will have a second growth period in late summer. Fertilisers used for tomatoes and other vegetables are not usually suitable for blueberries as they contain the wrong balance of nutrients"

Seems to contradict the BBC recommendations mentioned earlier but what's new? The more I read the more confused I get.