[Minty]

Went into B&Q yesterday and they were doing fruit bushes,any 3 for a tenner so we bought 3 red gusgogs and 3 blueberry.The thing is the advice/instructions on the spacing for the blueberries is a bit vague to say the least.

What sort of height do they grow to and what sort of spacing do they need between each bush?Also do they need full sun or is slight shade OK?

Any help with this will be greatfully recieved as my searches for info so far have been fruitless which I hope wont be the case with my bushes.

[PAH48]

Hi Minty    the only ino I know is  plant april/may 1.5m/5ft apart.
best of luck
Bye PAH 'in

[Salmo]

Blueberrys are lime haters. Unless you are on acid soil they will need to be in pots of ericacious compost and be watered with rainwater. If you are in a soft water area then tapwater is OK. In neutral or limey soil they will not thrive and the leaves will turn yellow.

Space gooseberrys at 4 or 5 ft . Blueberrys the same.

[Kate and her Ducks]

I have mine in big pots or ericacious compost and they seem to be doing ok. Got loads of fruit from one this year, the other seems a bit behind.

[Trillium]

Blueberries don't mind some shade but do better in full sun if available. And the more rainwater you can give them, the better they like it. You'll need to check your varieties as they do need a pollinating plant unless others on your lotty have blueberry plants as well.

[Minty]

Thanks all for the info.

I'v still to test my soil but if it's no good what sort of size pots should they be in?

[scousemouse]

I've got mine in huge pots (2' wide) in ericaceous compost.

On one though (which was originally planted in the ordinary, only slightly acid soil), the leaves have fallen off.  Are the leaves supposed to fall off in winter?

[Minty]

I was reading in John's book last night that clay soil is acidic and that nettles are an indication of acidic soil and we have both in abundance so do you think they should be alright in the ground?

The label say's they are self pollinating but fruit better if there are other bushes near by and we have 3 which will be planted close together.

[Salmo]

Sorry Minty but Clays are often alkaline and nettles indicate rich soil.

Blueberrys need a very acid soil, pH4 - pH5.5 which are the same requirements of azalias, camelias and rhododendrons. If these grow well planted in the ground then you may well have acid soil.

If your gardens grow geraniums and clematis then the soil may be alkaline.

[drdave]

The leaves turn red and drop off. I have 3 bluecrops in the soil, doing poorly and leafless and 3 in pots full of ericaceous still leafy and verdant!

[p00rstudent]

i have got four fiarly large bushs planted, 2 i have had for a few months and got a fair number from, the other two i only planted a coulpe of weeks ago, i also have planted about 12 little stick ones from the pound shop, which i am not expecting to do anything for a year or two yet.

I just bunged them in the ground and my soil is clay, not sure about the PH though will have to check at some point, can you make a soil more acidic by adding a mulch of a particular sort, i.e. if i keep putting erasious compost around the plants will it eventally become more acidic around the roots, or is their anything else that can be done to make soil more acidic after the plants have gone in or is it a loss cause?

[Trillium]

PS - you can add twice yearly handfuls of sulphur powder/plant  and scratch it into the surface soil around each plant. Also mulch with evergreen needles. One of the chemical companies also makes an acidic adder for watering rhodos and such so this is another alternative.

Salmo - you need a different VARIETY of blueberry for pollination rather than more of the same variety, so check your labels if you still have them. Some varieties are poor self pollinators and rely on others for help. Also, some flower earlier than others so ask your local garden centre to suggest varieties then check what you have versus what you should get.

Scouse - yes, blueberry leaves are deciduous and will fall off for winter. As long as you keep them watered and fed, and the soil acidic, they'll recover. I find they'll sulk the first 2 yrs then take off once the roots are well established.

drdave - sounds like your soil plants are hungry - bung in lots of pelleted chicken manure and evergreen needles if you can find any.

[Minty]

Thanks Trillium,you've just made my mind up for me.I'll plant them in the ground with plenty of erinacious compost and add a good mulch of pine needles as our local woods are carpeted in them and I'll also look out for the sulpher additive.

[corynsboy]

Excellent.  Thanks Trillium.  I was getting a bit worried about my bushes.  The dark art of fruit growing is still beyond me.

I have three in pots of West's ericacious compost which are only watered with rainwater either naturally or from from stored rainwater.  They are definitely sulking!  Is there anything that I can add to the pots as a feed/conditioner in the spring?

http://growingyourownveg.blogspot.com/2008/07/its-not-patio.html

The few berries that they did produce were eaten by birds.  That's another job for the Winter project list.  Build nets for the blueberry bushes.

[Dominic]

Chicken poo is acidic.

I seem to be in a minority here, but my blueberry is doing fine in normal soil, every other feeding, I give it pelleted chicken poo instead of blood/fish/bone meal.