- 1). Pull away the current mulch from a few blueberry plants. Turn the hose sprinklers on to water the blueberry plants thoroughly. Turn the hose sprinklers off when the plants are watered, and wait about an hour to allow the plants to absorb the water and for any runoff to disperse.
- 2). Insert a pH test strip from a soil test kit, which you may buy at a gardening supply store, into the soil to ensure that the soil pH is between 5.0 and 5.5. Consult the chart on the test kit packaging to determine if your soil pH falls within the correct range.
- 3). Apply a dusting of sulphur with a sulphur applicator to the soil beneath each blueberry plant if the soil pH is slightly too high to lower the soil pH. If the soil pH is too low, apply a dusting of limestone to the soil beneath each blueberry plant to raise the soil pH. An overabundance of either soil amendment can harm the blueberry plants.
- 4). Add 6 to 12 inches of mulch snugly around the base of each blueberry plant. Sawdust or wood chip mulches will provide the plants with nitrogen and a stable pH, and prevent the plants from freezing.
- 5). Check the blueberry plants twice a week to ensure the mulch is still adequately covering them. Look for wilting, blackening or softening of any plant canes that will indicate that the blueberry plant has damage from freezing.
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