Sulfuric acid (food grade or alternative) for blueberry plants

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Ok, I'll mention a few things. I have to water my potted blueberry plants with tap water (no I can't save rainwater) everyday during summer. Ammonium sulfate (1/2tsp per gallon every 2 weeks, no need to use more than that) is not enough to acidify the soil. Elemental sulfur is slow and you have to guess how much to put... Very slow. I know some people use vinegar, but I hadn't good success, and it doesn't neutralize the bicarbonates.

I've diluted battery acid in the past to safe concentration like the ph down they sell at pet stores, so yes, I would gather use that.
I’m not sure of the biochemistry inside plants, but most likely the plant will not actually metabolize the Sulfuric/Acetic acid. The acids will push the pH to a level where the solubility of salts and nutrients for the plants are in the comfort zone for that given plant.
The biggest risk may be that the if soil contain heavy metals or other accumulative toxins whith a solubility range suitable for the same pH, the plants may pick them up.

Battery or ACS acids will not contain metallic ions/salts that will interfere with the process they are intended for.

In my world Sulfuric acid is not for consumption. It has its use in certain food related processes, but not for consumption.
 
When we were kids we used to go to Burns Bog and pick wild Blueberry's using a hand held picker.

You can purchase concentrated sulfuric and nitric acid from most agricultural supply house's catering to hydroponic greenhouse operations.

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Medical grade oxygen comes from higher up the distillation column than industrial grade oxygen, so it's technically more pure. The oxygen is diluted on administration, as needed for the clinical condition. When you start talking about oxygen concentrators, it is concentrated by passing room air over zeolite. The air coming off an medical grade concentrator measures between 92 and 95% O2. You can breath solely high concentration oxygen for a reasonable period of time (6 hrs IIRC) before toxicosis starts to set in, and it is beneficial on a short term basis for acute hypoxia.

As for the blueberry plants, what's wrong with natural acidifiers like pine needles or sawdust?
 
As for the blueberry plants, what's wrong with natural acidifiers like pine needles or sawdust?

Even if they do acidify the soil (doubt it has any significant effect), when you have large potted blueberry plants, you have to water them every day. Otherwise, the soil dries. Watering them every day with tap water rapidly increases the soil ph. In ground, they would require less water, so maybe it works that way. A lot of farmers grow them in containers, and I've heard that they use sulfuric acid to acidify the soil (injecting it in the irrigation).
 
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I would do like 4 Metals said, use Ammonium Sulfate.
It will take longer time to flush out and you have the benefit of Nitrogen fertilizer.
And if you recycle the water it will last even longer.
 
When we were kids we used to go to Burns Bog and pick wild Blueberry's using a hand held picker.

You can purchase concentrated sulfuric and nitric acid from most agricultural supply house's catering to hydroponic greenhouse operations.

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Hmm, those are far-northern species of blueberries. Those we have in NJ are quite different.
 
Wouldn't it be just safer to use vinegar? Use about an ounce per gallon of water every 2 weeks and you won't have to worry about the dangers of sulfuric acid.

Long term fix, the year before add a sulfur product to the soil and skip the vinegar water. Have your soil tested to assure you are doing this correctly. whatever state you are in has an extension of the state college system with certified master gardeners. Most counties. have a branch of the master gardeners that can help you.

Whoops, didn't notice you're in Canada. It's possible they have the equivalent service up there. If not PM me, I'm a master gardener in Wayne County PA and I can find you some resources.
Lime thats what a lot of people use it comes in powder or pellet form you can get it at your local tractor supply
 
Use lime thats what most farmers use it comes in powder or pellet form and you get it at your local tractor supply farm and feed store.
The OP wishes to acidify the soil for his Blueberry crop, not to sweeten the soil with lime.
 
Why do you keep on repeating yourself/double posting?
It is against the forum rules.

Edit spelling
 
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Why do you keep on repeating yourself/double posting?
Ut is against the forum rules.
Because seeing how I made myself look really dumb with my response I just figured I would play special Ed dumb who can’t follow rules and who has never used this post before and didn’t realize that when i post and it tells me to wait 10 secs that everytime I tried to repost it it was actually gonna post it that many times. But anyway sorry about the bad advice about the lime I honestly in my head thought I was making my lawn acidic when I spread lime on it until I just went back and researched what characteristics lime had and fell under. So sorry about that bad advice and double sorry about double posting on this forum I honestly don’t think anyone would purposely double or triple post something on purpose it was just me being a newbie. So all apologies. I’ll just be going to go set myself into the time out corner over here and try and get myself straightened out and flying right again. Man im feeling kinda uncomfortable and stupid right now😂
 
Sulfuric acid in the long run is probably more economical than using iron sulphate.

According to several studies, the soil required for planting Blueberries should be between 4.5 pH to 5.5 PH
 
Not necessarily. The problem with using immediately soluble acids is that they wash away.

My advice of pine straw is wrong, but it brings about the question of why blueberries grow so well in the borreal forrests without anyone adding sulfuric acid. Largely related to the mosses that grow, as well as decomposition of oak leaves, by the fungi living in the forrest.
 
Not necessarily. The problem with using immediately soluble acids is that they wash away.

My advice of pine straw is wrong, but it brings about the question of why blueberries grow so well in the borreal forrests without anyone adding sulfuric acid. Largely related to the mosses that grow, as well as decomposition of oak leaves, by the fungi living in the forrest.
Probably because rainwater doesn't raise the ph, and in tap water, the bicarbonates need to be neutralized.
 
Probably because rainwater doesn't raise the ph, and in tap water, the bicarbonates need to be neutralized.
Treated tapwater contains all sorts of calcium salts and chlorine. Blueberries hate that.

Here in NJ, they grow best in moist sandy soil. Quartz sand with lots of iron stain is the ideal.
 
No problem. I've deleted the extra posts. Believe it or not, some people do intentionally double post. You may come out of the time out corner now.

Dave
Thank you Dave believe it or not I feel at home here I don’t want to upset anyone. Ive got a question would this be the gold im looking at in thjs nitric acid I’ve been trying to find my lost gold for awhile now and I believe I stumbled upon it again14ED1D9D-EF0B-4199-9ACF-C5D890FCA43B.jpeg7DA998D5-B783-45B0-ACAC-574F732B34B1.jpeg
 
Thank you Dave believe it or not I feel at home here I don’t want to upset anyone. Ive got a question would this be the gold im looking at in thjs nitric acid I’ve been trying to find my lost gold for awhile now and I believe I stumbled upon it again
Lambo, welcome to the forum.

In trying to keep the forum organized in a way that helps members to find something important to them in the future, we try to encourage members to post in an appropriate thread. What you just added was in a thread about blueberry bushes. (I know this is a gold refining forum but it is what it is!)

You would have been better off and received more input if you started a thread called something like looking for lost gold and waited for responses. Then, in the future maybe someone can find it from a thread indicative of the content and learn from it.

Again, welcome.
 
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