Specific information about differentiating and managing blueberry leaf diseases is presented below. This initial setback accounts for why leaves on young blueberry plants often turn brown and become scorched, as they lose water faster than roots can replace it. Leaves at the bases of young shoots are most likely to exhibit symptoms first. Blueberry leaf problems. I have Bluecrop blueberry plants, which I purchased in April this year from a lumber company. A blueberry with iron deficiency has yellowing leaves with dark green veins, the new growth will be affected by this first. The stems, or twigs, are yellow/green in color and turn reddish in winter. Magnesium deficiency, common in acid soils, causes interveinal reddening because chlorophyll production is reduced. General key for leaf symptoms: Viral diseases – Blueberry Scorch and Sheep Pen Hill Disease. Bacterial canker – The bacterium (Pseudomonas syringae) causes this blueberry disease. Aronia grows six feet away from the blueberry plants, and a Mulberry tree provides them with partial shade. The leaves on your plants are trying to tell you something. The disease is caused by the same genus and species (Xylella fastidiosa) that causes Pierce’s disease of grape. When leaves are uniformly green, open, upright and growing vigorously, your plants are well-cared for and healthy. Round or irregular spots (lesions), usually surrounded by a dark border or yellow halo. If, however, the foliage is wilted, spotted or in any way less than robust, your plants are likely to be suffering from a pest, disease, nutrient deficiency or other problem. Bacterial Diseases. The plants doubled in size soon after I planted them in a partially shady area of yard. Fortunately, only a few of the diseases that occur on highbush blueberry in this region cause significant losses when left unchecked. Keep the soil moist at all times, but provide good drainage -- blueberries sitting in waterlogged soil can develop root rot, which also makes leaves turn brown. Pruning all the dead and diseased branches helps manage these diseases, but sometimes replacing the bushes is the only solution. A University of Florida blueberry scouting guide to be released in the future will contain images of many different leaf symptoms caused by a variety of abiotic problems as well as diseases. Florida Blueberry Leaf Disease Guide 2 many different leaf symptoms caused by a variety of abiotic problems as well as diseases. Pacific Northwest blueberry growers must identify and control a number of bacterial and fungal diseases in order to ensure the highest yields. Specific information about differentiating and managing blueberry leaf diseases is presented below. Recently, a new disease called bacterial leaf scorch of blueberry has been reported in Georgia and Florida. Bacterial diseases are devastating to blueberry bushes. Now, before you run off and bury iron nails next to your blueberry bushes one of the biggest culprits of this problem isn't that the soil doesn't have enough iron, but that the plants can't use the iron in the soil. General key for leaf symptoms: A. Diseases caused by viruses and phytoplasmas. Virus and phytoplasma diseases of blueberry vary widely. The Leaves on My Blueberry Plant Are Turning Red and Splitting in the Spring. Symptoms begin as an interveinal yellowing and progress to a bright red. The blueberry plant possesses oval or elliptical leaves which grow alternately on the stems. Asked July 22, 2020, 4:21 PM EDT. Blueberry is a crown forming, woody, perennial shrub in the family Ericaceae grown for its fruits, or berries, of the same name.