[juliec]

Hi all, I bought a blue berry bush 4 years ago and ive never had any thing from it.  (its in a tub in special compost I bought with it)  Now my DIL has bought me another one as part of my mothers day.  So before I put this one in the ground or a pot, does any one have any tips.

Many thanks

Julie

[Totty]

I would put it in the ground if possible, in a biggish hole and mix a lot of ericacious  compost into the soil. Our have done well in rich heavy to medium soil.

Totty

[Selkis]

Hi
I bought myself a blueberry bush last week from Blackmoor nursery.  It is pink lemonade variety.  The instructions state they are self fertile but do better when more than one plant.  it also stated i think to feed twice a year and they like to be kept moist.  I am only a newbie myself, i am sure someone will give further advice.

Thanks
Michelle

[JayG]

You haven't said why you've had nothing from it in four years - is it sickly, did it not flower, or did the birds nick the berries?

Anyway, basic requirements are a large enough pot (roots tend to be wide rather than deep) ericaceous compost, don't let them dry out (but don't waterlog them either, and use rainwater if possible.) Sunny location but can stand some shade.

All being well your existing plant will pollinate better with a partner plant, which needs to have a similar flowering time and preferably of a different variety, although that is probably down to chance in your case!

They would probably do better in the garden than in pots, but only if you can provide the right soil for them.

[juliec]

You haven't said why you've had nothing from it in four years - is it sickly, did it not flower, or did the birds nick the berries?

The first 2 years it had small white flowers which crumbled off, last year it didnt flower at all.  Its budding again this year.  I will probably put them beoth near to each other in the ground with lots of compost as has been suggested.

Thanks every one.

julie


Edited to clarify quote.

[8doubles]

I know who had 100% success with my blueberries,

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4135/4823255630_b68a5bb6ca_z.jpg

 

[Trillium]

I had the same problem, 8doubles, but it won't happen again this year.

Blueberries are thirstier plants than people realize and need uniform dampness to do well. They also need yearly feeding, which I do with  chicken manure and some sulphur powder to keep the acidity high. Other than weeding, they don't need much else.

Mine cropped really well last year but despite netting the birds snuck in and got the lot  So this year we're installing stakes in their raised beds and stapling small gauge chicken mesh all around, just big enough for the bees to get in but nothing else.

[JohnB47]

You haven't said why you've had nothing from it in four years - is it sickly, did it not flower, or did the birds nick the berries?

The first 2 years it had small white flowers which crumbled off, last year it didnt flower at all.  Its budding again this year.  I will probably put them beoth near to each other in the ground with lots of compost as has been suggested.

Thanks every one.

julie


Edited to clarify quote.

I agree with others - proper feed and plenty of moisture. Water them like tomatoes,  often. Once a day and more when really hot and dry weather.

[LandShark]

Try having 2 bushes, although some are self-fertile they sometimes need a bit of extra help. I got 2 about 5 years ago and keet them in half barrels with ericaceous compost, giving them a feed with controlled release ericaceous food. They do need a lot of water even when it's been raining. Last year I had a fantastic crop I was eating them till they came out my ears!
Managed to get another 2 from poundstretcher the other week only £4 for 2 plants - both doing well

[compostqueen]

I had a plant in a pot for a year or two and it did nothing much at all. We moved house and I thought it had been left behind. I planted up the front border with shrubs and perennials from the old house, including a viburnus tinus.  The VT turned out to be the blueberry and once planted in soil it liked it's never looked back, and it now crops heavily   

[Trillium]

Don't believe the guff about self-fertile. They really aren't. Two or more different varieties will give best yield, but try to have varieties that flower around the same time since there are early and late varieties.  I have 7 different varieties so there'll always be good cropping.

[hermon]

i got mine from the dorset blueberry company i have about 6 bushes in pots apart from the birds (black birds) they do really well, rain water for them a good feed and they just get on with it.

[AnnieB]

They need acid soil or compost and rain water and an annual feed of something suitable.
If they get tap water they really hate the alkali in it, even one watering with tap water causes problems.

Owing to the moisture requirement then the bigger the container the better. If you have an acid soil then better still but for blueberry's acid means acid. Read somewhere that blueberry's and cranberries like similar conditions, and that the ideal for cranberry is an acidic peat bog. So if in a container you can forget about drainage holes being important.

[Debz]

I have two different varieties which flower at different times so they must both be self-fertile.  I have no idea what variety they are becuase they came from either Aldi or the pound shop and they berry at different times.  Mine live in pots in ericacous soil and both fruited last year but the later one had far bigger berries and my nephew ate them all.  I didn't have hens at the time so put the plants in the enclosed hen run when they were nearly ripe and sent my nephew in to collect them.  One of the other posters mentioned they need a lot of water and that might be the reason for our success.  It did feel like it hardly stopped raining here in Glasgow last sumer. 

[Trillium]

Bet you'll find that someone in the immediate area also has blueberries.