[Kagganz]

I bought 2 Raspberry bushes and 1 blueberry bush yesterday. They were being stored outside so I thought thats what I could do.

When I got them home and read up about them (I know I went about that the wrong way round didn't I?)   :roll: It seems that I should only plant them outside in spring. (They are going to be put in large containers)

So heres the question, do you think I would be able to plant them in the large containers now that I have for them and put them in a sheltered area of the garden? Or would you leave them in the pots that they are in and wait till Spring. The variety of the rasberry bush is Autumn Bliss.

Thanks muchly Karen  

[agapanthus]

I would put them straight into the pots they are destined for....if they were going into a lottie then I would plant them now too!!

[Kagganz]

Thank you.........theres a bit of sun shining here now so I think I'll pop 'em in now  

[corynsboy]

All the blueberries I have can only be watered by rain water and have to live in erracatious soil (spelling?).  I've got mine in very large plastic pots.  

There is something to do with acid levels for blueberry bushes but I'm not sure if it is high or low acid levels they need.  They are a bit like Acers in that respect.

I planted three bushes in June (it's better to have a couple for pollination) The leaves are starting to drop now but they have responded very well to their position which is sheltered by the shed and patio wall.  

Net the plants even if they are going in pots.  Birds love blueberrys more than any other furuit I grow on my plot.  

Yep. I have a sunken patio on my plot.  I sunk it, and it was very hard work.

Hope this helps.


It's a bit of a dark art this fruit lark.  I can't say I understand everything that I'm told to do, but so far it seems to be working.  I need to read more but I suspect that I'll read a fruit book and discover that all I've learned is that I know less than when I started. :?

[Dominic]

They do better in the other compost, but dont need it, a handful of chicken poo every now and again will solve the acid soil problem.

Mine are all in the garden, planted them out now.

Not sure they should ever be in pots really, they need a lot of nutrients to produce fruit

[CHRISDONOHUE]

The raspberry should be soaked well in a bucket for some time and then planted out in fairly wet soil and kept moist.   It will survive well over winter so long as it is planted soon and does not dry out.

The blueberry should be planted in a pot as it needs very acid conditions not usually found in most areas in the soil.   Watering should be from rainwater as has already been said to keep the soil acid and the "compost" should be topped up with (acid) peat.

[woodburner]

All I know for sure about blueberries is that they need acid soil.
Most trees and shrubs (including raspberries) can/should be planted anytime from now to spring. Plant them out as soon as you can. If you can't get them planted straight away, sticking them in a pot is better than leaving them in their packaging but is no substitute for going in the ground.  

[Dominic]

I have a blueberry doing perfectly well in normal soil, I've thrown a handful of pelleted chicken poo at it, along with the usual npk pellets.

[Kagganz]

Thanks all, some great advice there........and I understood it all too  

Karenx