[JayG]

Blueberries are usually left alone for a few years pruning-wise, but I'd either trim the one on the right which looks a bit leggy, or give it some support and hope it thickens up a bit this year.

They will need larger containers, but don't put them in anything which is too shallow - although they are quite shallow rooted themselves you'll struggle to keep up with the watering if they haven't got enough compost around and under their roots.

I wouldn't personally use tyres - you will waste a lot of your precious ericaceous compost filling the casings unless you start faffing about with plastic liners with drainage holes in, and they will also dry out quicker because being dark coloured they will get quite warm in the sun (unless you paint them white!  )

[Dopey113]

J, I took your advice, and potted them on, I will bury the pots in the soil, and I used the correct compost as well, do you think I should ring RHS up and tell them that the leggy one isn't up to standard, and ask for an exchange? or is it meant to be like that?
A pick of them in the bigger pots

[JayG]

Well, they are different varieties but I noticed that the leggy one is 'Chandler' which according to T&M's website is:

This stout blueberry bush also makes an attractive shrub for the patio or acidic borders, bearing masses of sweetly scented creamy white flowers in spring, and fiery crimson autumn foliage.

I'd probably go for an email contact if there is one (although that's partly because my daytime phone calls cost nearly 10p per minute!) and attach the photo so they can see exactly what you're talking about, and hopefully explain what their definition of 'stout' is and whether they think yours is possibly a bit on the skinny side.

[Dopey113]

Just rang them... customer service will ring me back, thanks for the advice, but it did look funny to me when I got it, not at all like the other 2, if they ask for a pic I will send one of to them, like said.. its hardly "stout" 

[JayG]

Trouble is, if you trim them you will be removing some of the flower buds which would have produced some fruit this year - if you don't, the stems wouldn't be able to support the weight of any fruit without a great deal of help!

Let us know what they say.

[Dopey113]

They just rang me back, and they are going to replace it, so all is good, and they were jolly nice about it too, no quibble, she even told be to keep the scrawny one and see if it can recover, so I am a happy bunny, like you say, it need pruning or it wont hold the berry's thanks for all your help, they just have to live now!!! 

[JayG]

Good for them (you need another pot and some more compost now!) 

I'd cut all the stems down to 12-15" and see what happens (there had to be something a bit odd about a blueberry bush with some leaves still on at this time of year - possibly been sat in the corner of a greenhouse in some foreign country for the last 6 months at least.)

Hope the replacement is sturdier. 

[Dopey113]

I have a pot already, and I got a large bag of that compost (lucky) I didn't want to use my terracotta pot though... they cost so much now, and I need crocks for the bottom (and you cant get them anymore everything is plastic now) so might have to break a small pot (sadly) I will cut it down as you say,

[3759allen]

from the reading i done before buying my blueberries most places say the bigger the pot the better harvest you will get. most seem to advise a minimum of 50cm diameter, a pot this size should reduce the productivity by 20% to 30% compared to growing in the ground.

most people that have grown in smaller pots say they seem to have healthy plants but don't produce fruit. them pots should be fine for this season but worth keeping an eye out for larger pots for next year.

result on the replacement plant. i recon the leggy one will recover with some pruning, prob be a year behind the rest of them.

[Yorkie]

I have a pot already, and I got a large bag of that compost (lucky) I didn't want to use my terracotta pot though... they cost so much now, and I need crocks for the bottom (and you cant get them anymore everything is plastic now) so might have to break a small pot (sadly) I will cut it down as you say,

I sometimes use old plastic or polystyrene plant trays, broken up, instead of crocks.  I certainly wouldn't waste an otherwise usable terracotta pot on making crocks.  I also have a feeling that the 'crocks' approach has been found not to help much in recent research too.

[Kristen]

I also have a feeling that the 'crocks' approach has been found not to help much in recent research too.

Definitely no benefit to adding a "drainage layer" at the bottom of a pot, but if its a nice clay pot with a single hole it will need some help, such as crocks.

I've used plastic wine corks in the past ... not that you should infer anything from that, or the fact that I used them for Tubs rather than Pots

[Dopey113]

I got the replacement Blueberry (Chandler) in the post today.... looks the same as the one I was thinking was a runt, they must be like that then? so oops my bad RHS.... But I have a free one, so I have pruned the "old" one, and will not prune the new one and see what happens... theirs loads of bud on it so it should be fine, maybe thats what that species looks like, I dont know!!