[andreadon]

I'm thinking of growing a blueberry bush this year.  I've found an offer in van mueven's for 3 bushes for £16.98.
It's a dwarf plant and can be done in a pot.

So, my myriad questions are:

should I grow it in a pot or can I put it in the ground?
I have read that they have to have acidic soil, so this might be a problem because I have very heavy, clay, lime soil.
What can I do to the soil to make it acidic?

Where should I put them? I have a house where the front gets the sun in the evening. and it's really exposed, as there is no fence or shelter anywhere that gets the sun.

Can I use chicken poo on the soil?

and finally, what kind of care do they need? (I'm very much a plant-it-and-leave-it-unless-there-hasn't-been-rain-for-ages girl)
thanks for any help you can give!

 

ps, I have grown raspberries and gooseberries successfully: are they anything like the same?

[Frecks]

I'm on clay too and I have blueberries in pots in a sunny spot, fairly well sheltered from  sea breezes.  I don't know how well they would do in a very exposed situation.
They certainly need a very acidic soil and I don't imagine they would be too happy in your open ground.
They don't need much pruning, at least for the first 2or 3 years.
The RHS site has a very good advice about growing blueberries and a pruning diagram for future years.

[woodburner]

I'm on clay too and I have blueberries in pots in a sunny spot, fairly well sheltered from  sea breezes.  I don't know how well they would do in a very exposed situation.
They certainly need a very acidic soil and I don't imagine they would be too happy in your open ground.
They don't need much pruning, at least for the first 2or 3 years.
The RHS site has a very good advice about growing blueberries and a pruning diagram for future years.

Frecks, how big are your pots, and what did you fill them with, please?
I too have clay soil. Good for most things but not bilberries or cranberries.

[andreadon]

The RHS site has a very good advice about growing blueberries and a pruning diagram for future years.

thank you: i shall check that out.

Is there a special compost you can get that's acidic?
or would i have to add something to normal compost?
 

[Frecks]

The pots are about 25L capacity and filled with standard ericaceous compost.  I use a seaweed liquid fertiliser and I understand that coffee grounds give a boost.

[jolly jen]

i brought a fully grown bush about four years ago now,it had just fruited.
and i have had a good fruiting every year from it ,its in a pot,

the birds dont touch it at home,i got a young plant two years ago this year form tesco,it never fruited last year as it was too young ,if im right it will be three yeras old this year so should maybe fruit,

put four in down the allotment end of the summer,three died,,didnt like tthe soil,so i tok the other one out and put it in a pot..

[yorky]

[quote

Is there a special compost you can get that's acidic?

[/quote]
Yes, it’s called Ericaceous compost and you can get it at any garden centre. If you want to plant in the ground you could take out a large planting hole and fill it with the compost. But if you are on heavy clay you might be better sticking to pots.

[Stripey_cat]

You can top the pots up with normal garden compost (the stuff out of your composter, not potting mix which has lime added!), or beg a soil swap from someone in an acid area - seriously, if you're going to visit a gardener who's on a light, sandy acid soil, offer to take a rubble sack or two of your clay to trade for some of theirs.  Since the plants naturally like peaty soils (especially cranberries) they're OK in soil-less ericaceous mix, though.

[SG6]

Unless you have an acid soil grow them in pots - the bigger the better.
Also water with rain water as tap water has lime in it and it will eventually build up.
2 varieties are best for pollination.
Every so oftan add some more ericaceous compost or fertiliser, or something to keep the acidity level up.

After that they seem fairly straight forward.

[lacewing]

Mine are in large plastic containers of Ericacious compost, sunk into the ground. I mulch  with a mix of leaf mould and Ericacious compost every Autumn, and feed with comfery tea during the growing season. Not much pruning required except to take out any dead wood and crossing branches. I have five three year old bushes and  still have lots of berries in the freezer from last seasons crop. Blueberry cheesecake is devine!

[Salmo]

All the soil in my area is alkaline and the water is hard. A fruit grower locally has planted about 5 acres of blueberries. They are all in pots of ericacious compost and he has installed a water de-ionising plant to remove the lime from the water to water them. He supplies M&S with raspberries and strawberries. He says he expects the blueberry bushes will need repotting in about 4 years time and should fruit for about 10 years before they need replacing.