Is the best blueberry fertilizer grass?

Blueberry bushes are notoriously vulnerable to iron deficiency. This condition causes low fruit yields and can decrease the concentration of antioxidants in the berries.

While the solution is usually to apply artificial fertilizers to the soil, new research suggests there’s a simpler, safer and more sustainable way to help your blueberry bushes: plant grass around them.

Standard ways of correcting iron deficiency
Blueberry bushes can’t absorb iron in the soil unless it’s acidic. Producers have two options to remedy this problem: acidify the soil or introduce artificial compounds that provide easily absorbed iron.

However, both solutions are expensive, difficult to manage, generate toxic byproducts and can harm plant growth.

How grass helps fertilize blueberry bushes
Intercropping, or growing a crop among plants of a different kind, may be a better solution. The roots of some grass species, including the common creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), secrete an acidic compound that forms a soluble complex with iron in the soil and blueberry bushes can easily absorb it.

Researchers found that bushes grown in close proximity to these grasses had higher fruit yields and berries with an increased concentration of antioxidants.

If you notice yellow leaves on your blueberry bushes, consider buying some grass seeds. In addition to fertilizing your blueberry bushes, grasses make a great cover crop and will help reduce soil erosion.