We love blueberries because they are easy to plant, produce delicious fruit, and strikingly beautify our garden and landscape. But only when you give them a little care can they be at their fullest.
If one of the best fertilizers for blueberries is applied, your bushes can thrive, produce plump, juicy fruits, and yield bumper harvests for 40 or 50 years to come.
Here are the best fertilizers for blueberries you can buy in 2024:
- My Top Pick: Miracle-Gro Plant Food 1000701
- Best Time Release Fertilizer Spike: Jobe's Azalea, Camellia & Rhododendron 04101 Fertilizer Spikes
- Best Organic Fertilizer: Jobe’s Organics 09521 All Purpose Granular Plant Food
- Best Liquid Fertilizer: Neptune's Harvest FS118 Fish & Seaweed Blend Fertilizer
- Best Soil Acidifier: Espoma UL30 Organic Soil Acidifier Fertilizer
- Best Leaf Drop Prevention: Scotts Company Miracle-Gro 1750011 Water Soluble
| Top 6 Best Fertilizers For Blueberries | ||
|---|---|---|
My Top Pick | Miracle-Gro Plant Food 1000701 | |
Best Time Release Fertilizer Spike | Jobe's Azalea, Camellia & Rhododendron 04101 Fertilizer Spikes | |
Best Organic Fertilizer | Jobe’s Organics 09521 All Purpose Granular Plant Food | |
Best Liquid Fertilizer | Neptune's Harvest FS118 Fish & Seaweed Blend Fertilizer | |
Best Soil Acidifier | Espoma UL30 Organic Soil Acidifier Fertilizer | |
Best Leaf Drop Prevention | Scotts Company Miracle-Gro 1750011 Water Soluble | |
My Top Pick: Miracle-Gro Plant Food 1000701
- Use with Miracle-Gro Garden Feeder or any watering can
- Feed the roots promoting quick and gorgeous results
- Not burn foliage or harm other plant species when being used directly
- Cannot be used with other plant food
When your acid-loving plants get hungry, feed them with the Miracle-Gro Plant Food 1000701 which is rich in iron as well as a lot more essential nutrients creating a favorable growing environment for your citrus trees.
Note that using two or more plant foods at the same time might damage your plants, if you want to apply another plant food, wait for about 1 week or 2 after Bloom Booster application.
| Miracle-Gro Plant Food 1000701 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Capacity | 1.5 lbs. & 5 lbs. |
Coverage | 1.5 lbs. feeds approximately 600 sq. ft. |
Fertilizer Analysis | 30-30-10 |
When to Apply? | Every 7-14 days |
Benefits | Feeds, ironizes, and acidifies |
Highlight Features | Instantly feed Hose & set sprayer included |
If you are dreaming of a gardenia, hibiscus, orchid, azalea, hydrangea, camellia, holly, rhododendron garden with lush foliage and picture-perfect blooms, then the Miracle-Gro Plant Food 1000701 is what you are looking for.
Best Time Release Fertilizer Spike: Jobe's Azalea, Camellia & Rhododendron 04101 Fertilizer Spikes
- Easy to use – no measuring or mixing
- Feed for full season long without a runoff
- Non-toxic
- Spikes come in a water-resistant & resealable pouch
- Deliver nutrients up to 8 weeks
- Take time to see results
Unlike any surface-applied products, these fertilizer spikes by Jobe’s work underground to feed your trees at their roots, where they need it most. That way, you do not have to worry about them being washed away with waterings or rain.
All you need to do is to insert these slow-release formula spikes around your potted plants right after blooms shed and nourish them for up to 8 weeks.
Since Jobe's Azalea, Camellia & Rhododendron Fertilizer Spikes are slowly released over time, it might take you one week or two to clearly see results. However, these pre-measured spikes do not demand any measuring or mixing, so it is mess-free.
| Jobe's Azalea, Camellia & Rhododendron 04101 Fertilizer Spikes Specifications | |
|---|---|
Capacity | 10 spikes (16oz) |
Coverage | N/A |
Fertilizer Analysis | (9-8-7) 10 spikes |
When to Apply? | Late spring or early summer after plants shed their blooms |
Benefits | Feeds |
Highlight Features | No wasteful runoff Pre-measured fertilizer spikes Continuous supply of nutrients for acid-loving plants Active ingredients: Nitrogen, Potash, Phosphate, Magnesium, Sulfur & Calcium. |
Jobe's Azalea, Camellia & Rhododendron Fertilizer Spikes are specially manufactured to meet the nutrient requirements of any acid-loving plants.
Best Organic Fertilizer: Jobe’s Organics 09521 All Purpose Granular Plant Food
- OMRI listed for organic gardening by USDA
- Made in the USA
- Contain Jobe’s Biozome, resealable bag
- Safe to use around pets and kids
- Drought-, disease-, and insect-resistant during the growing season
- Not great for indoor plants.
Unlike liquid fertilizers which are absorbed through your plants’ leaves, this faster-acting yet longer-lasting granular fertilizer works into the root level or is sprinkled directly around shrubs, vegetables, flowers, trees & plants.
It is a perfect blend of beneficial microorganisms aggressively breaking down material for quicker soil-quality-improving results, thus making it a supplement to a liquid product.
However, some users complain about the bad odor leaf by this fertilizer. If you do not want to get rid of your plants, don’t use it for indoor plants.
| Jobe’s Organics 09521 All Purpose Granular Plant Food Specifications | |
|---|---|
Capacity | 1.5lbs |
Coverage | 45 sq. ft. |
Fertilizer Analysis | 4-4-4 |
When to Apply? | At planting & every 4-8 weeks |
Benefits | Improves soil conditions, helps resist disease, insects, and drought during the growing season |
Highlight Features | Organic granular fertilizer No synthetic chemicals Fast-acting fertilizer, Proprietary microorganism archaea Easy-pour bag |
If you want to maintain, restore, or enhance the soil in your blueberry gardens without harming the environment, a biodegradable, sustainable product like the Jobe’s Organics 09521 All Purpose Granular Plant Food is your best bet.
Best Liquid Fertilizer: Neptune's Harvest FS118 Fish & Seaweed Blend Fertilizer
- Promote much stronger and more colorful flowers and foliage
- Ensure more plentiful, fragrant, and longer-lasting blooms
- Provide a complete fertilization program
- OMRI listed for organic use
- Work with everything you grow
- Mixing is required
- Improper mix might cause a bad smell
A blend of fresh North Atlantic hydrolyzed seaweed and fish, the Neptune's Harvest FS118 Fish & Seaweed Blend Fertilizer ensures gardeners the best of both ingredients in an easy-to-apply formula for a complete fertilization program.
Both seaweed and fish emulsion encourage the natural sugar production in your blueberry tree leaves, helping them grow much stronger even in excessive heat or dry weather conditions. This product can also be used for flowering fruit trees such as citrus, avocados and watermelons. Foliage and flowers are reported to be more productive and more gorgeous while fruits are believed to have a much longer shelf life.
Instead of sprinkling this easy-to-use mix directly on your soil, you have to well mix it before applying. And make sure to carefully read the instruction as improper mixing can make the Neptune's Harvest FS118 smelly.
| Neptune's Harvest FS118 Fish & Seaweed Blend Fertilizer Specifications | |
|---|---|
Capacity | 18oz |
Coverage | N/A |
Fertilizer Analysis | 2-3-1 |
When to Apply? | On a regular basis |
Benefits | Stronger and more colorful flowers and foliage; more plentiful, fragrant and longer lasting blooms |
Highlight Features | A perfect blend of fish hydrolysate and seaweed |
If you are new to blueberry planting, the Neptune's Harvest FS118 Fish & Seaweed Blend Fertilizer is an excellent natural compost enhancer to start with.
Best Soil Acidifier: Espoma UL30 Organic Soil Acidifier Fertilizer
- Lower the pH of soils
- Allow acid-loving plants to achieve optimum growth
- Long-lasting and highly effective
- Approved for organic gardening
- Can be used for both blueberries and hydrangeas
- Made with solar power
- Low in salts & chemical-free - No burning expected
- Slow-acting
This organic soil acidifier fertilizer by Espoma is formulated to lower your soil’s pH level to its best for your blueberries.
30% elemental sulfur is the safest and most effective way to improve disease-resistance while low-in-salt index prevents your plants from being burned. And most importantly, all natural ingredients within the product make any plant you want to look much fuller.
As the Espoma UL30 Organic Soil Acidifier Fertilizer is slow-acting, you should apply it into your yard earlier in the year so that it can have more time to work.
| Espoma UL30 Organic Soil Acidifier Fertilizer Specifications | |
|---|---|
Capacity | 6lbs |
Coverage | 50 sq. ft. |
Fertilizer Analysis | N/A |
When to Apply? | In spring & repeat in a 60-day interval until the desired pH level and vibrant bloom color is reached |
Benefits | Feed, acidify, and pH balance |
Highlight Features | All natural and high purity mineral |
To get the most luscious blueberries in alkaline soil, the Espoma UL30 Organic Soil Acidifier Fertilizer is a perfect choice.
Best Leaf Drop Prevention: Scotts Company Miracle-Gro 1750011 Water Soluble
- Feed through both the roots and the leaves
- Begin to work instantly
- Promote quick, gorgeous blooms
- Encourage strong root development
- Safe for all types of plants
- Damage to small trees
The last one on our list of the best fertilizers for blueberries is the Scotts Company Miracle-Gro 1750011 Water Soluble Miracid fertilizer – a more concentrated formula of high-quality ingredients for the best result production on hydrangeas, azaleas, and rhododendrons.
Rich in iron as well as tons of other essential nutrients, this product can instantly feed your blueberries to help them grow to the best of their abilities.
As there are some small damages reported on more delicate trees like seedlings and herbs, you should closely follow recommended guidelines to protect every single unit in your property.
| Scotts Company Miracle-Gro 1750011 Water Soluble Specifications | |
|---|---|
Capacity | 1lb |
Coverage | 400 sq. ft. |
Fertilizer Analysis | 30-10-10 |
When to Apply? | Every 7-14 days for outdoor plants & every 14 days for indoor plants |
Benefits | Promotes quick, beautiful blooms and strong root development |
Highlight Features | Double feeding action & work with any watering cans or fertilizer sprayers |
Your blueberries will definitely love the soil acidity that the Scotts Company Miracle-Gro 1750011 Water Soluble Miracid fertilizer creates.
What Kind Of Fertilizer Do You Put On Blueberries?
Any nitrogen-rich fertilizers in the ammonium form help support the growth of your blueberries’ root and shoot as well as encourage them to produce high-quality & delicious fruits. As a plus, acid fertilizers with azalea or rhododendron formulations effectively work for blueberries, too.
When Should You Feed Blueberries?
Blueberries grow well if you provide them with small amounts of fertilizer at 3 distinct applications. The first one is in spring – right before the leaves grow, followed by the second one roughly weeks later. And for the best results, don’t forget the 3rd application – right after harvest!
How Often Should You Fertilize Blueberries?
Newly-planted blueberries need two shots of fertilizer, one in early spring and another in late spring.
For established bushes, it is highly recommended to fertilize them in early spring right before the leaves have fully grown so that their roots can have enough time to fully absorb the fertilizer prior to its summer active growth stage.
There is no need to feed healthy, established trees more often than once per year.
Which Brands Make The Best Fertilizers For Blueberries?
Easy Gardener - Jobe's Company
- For almost 40 years, this Texas-based has been manufacturing and distributing more than 200 gardening products to top-rated retailers in the United Kingdom, North America, and Canada.
Scotts Miracle-Gro
- For more than 150 past years, this Ohio-based American multinational corporation has been creating premium-quality products helping grow gardens and landscape. From seeds, soil, and amendments to plant food & care, their products are the key to a bumper harvest.
Neptune’s Harvest
- Another widely recognized brand in the worldwide fertilizer segment is Neptune’s Harvest - a division of Ocean Crest Seafoods Inc. Since 1965, this leading lawn and garden product manufacturer has been helping to make growing trees attainable for gardeners of all levels.
FAQs
What is the best time of year to plant blueberry bushes?
Though gardeners in USDA zones 8 to 10 can find blueberry bushes ready for growing in early spring or summer available for sale at garden stores, it’s advised to plant some blueberry species such as Vaccinium corymbosum - the Northern American highbush variety and Vaccinium virgatum - a species native to the Southeastern United States during the period from early to mid-autumn.
And for the best results, plant your blueberry bushes in late September or early October so that their roots can keep on growing until the soil’s temperatures get below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Another advantage of fall planting is that your bushes will be already in place before the first spring rain arrival.
Where is the best place to plant blueberry bushes?
Though blueberry bushes can tolerate partial shade, they thrive most in a location with at least six or eight hours of sunlight exposure.
Since each blueberry bush can live for at least 50 years, plant it where it can remain as one of your landscaping’s permanent parts. To enable cross-pollination for the greatest production, pick a location for two varieties, within roughly 50 ft. from each other.
When it comes to the soil pH, acidic soil with the pH range from 4 to 5 is what blueberries prefer.
How often should blueberries be watered?
Blueberry bushes demand one inch or two of water each week during their first two years of development. A good, thorough soaking is necessary when your trees get really dry.
Do blueberry bushes need full sun?
It’s much better to plant your bushes in a full-sun place (more than ¾ of the day sounds ideal).
Do blueberry bushes like wet soil?
Blueberry bushes are native and respond best to wet ground but heavy clay soils may be too wet for them.
How fast do blueberry bushes grow?
Blueberries can produce fruits within three or four years, but if being cross-pollinated, they can get bigger yields in a shorter time.
Conclusion
Now you have gone through our list of the best fertilizers for blueberries. Are you ready to get your success with this minimal-care-demanding tree?
Harry RamosI’m Harry Ramos, who's crazy about all things green. I’m here to share some experience in my gardening adventure and how to choose the best products for your garden. Let's dig in, get our hands dirty, and celebrate the simple, earthy pleasures of the garden together!
