[Grubbypaws]

Growster mentioned a while back that his blueberries were a failure. I have very healthy looking plants with lots and lots of new growth but no blueberries. Is this down to the weather or have I done something wrong?

[JayG]

Didn't want your question to get lost in the middle of the other thread.

Your plants sound healthy  - did they fail to flower this year?

[Growster...]

Sorry to say, Grubbers, but we had just one blueberry this year, off six plants..:0(

So they've been hoiked out, into pots (again), and can do their stuff somewhere else in the garden, maybe on a wide path around the back. We have enough space for decent crops in a very fertile 'Patch', but, if anything bugglars us about, they're toast. As I only bought some of them last year, they can have a chance elsewhere! They can get their ericaceous nosh in more concentrated amounts too...

Hard bloke ain't I..:0~

[Gardener and Rabbit]

I don't think it's the weather, I've had a good crop this year.

The problem might be the masses of new growth and the fertility of the "Patch", they don't need much in the way of feeding.

My own plants are in containers.  They get coffee grounds as a top-dressing occasionally, if the compost shrinks, and that's it, other than watering with rainwater in hot weather. They make some new growth each year, and it seems to balance any older wood that dies.

G&R

[JayG]

I've got 3 blueberry bushes planted in my garden, and they do seem to have a slight rest the year following a heavy crop, although they have never failed to produce anything.

Assuming they did actually flower, it can only be lack of pollinating insects around at that time (they do tend to flower quite early in the year, although that does vary depending on the variety.)

[Grubbypaws]

There are 4 bushes in containers in a fruit cage. They all flowered (though we did have that late frost). One of the bushes is covered in berries so the pollinators must have been around. The other 3 have lots of healthy new growth but few (not none) berries. One of these has never failed to fill the freezer in past years!

[New shoot]

If they have been in the same pots for a long time, they may be pot bound.  It may be worth having a check over winter when they are dormant.

You don't need to move up a pot size.  You can root prune them and re-pot.  That is a bit complicated to explain in detail in a post, but you could look up a video or photo guide on line.  It is the same basic method as you would use for a bonsai tree.  Tease the roots out and remove some of the thicker ones, while keeping as much fine stuff as you can.  Trim any really long roots, then re-pot carefully, using your fingers to make sure you get compost in and around all the roots as you go.   I do it every so often on container grown plants in my garden.  No blueberries, but it has worked on everything I have tried it on.