Anyone know how to root blueberries?

I have 4 blueberry bushes and I'd like to have more.LOL.Can I take cuttings and root them like roses?Any info would be appreciated.Thanks,Jody

It is possible but the easiest way is take a low branch, bend down to ground and put dirt and mulch over a portin of it, In about a year you can prune it form the main bush as a nice rooted plant. Make sure the growing end is out of the dirt .

Thanks Farmerdill
I have to move the plants from Mom's to here,she is selling her place and moving up here.I'm going to have to cut them back to move them.I was hoping I could root them like rose cuttings.
Jody

You can, if you are proficient at rooting rose cuttings you should be able to root blue blueberries. Use the softwood cuttings. Not everybody can do it, but that is the way the nursery plants are started.

I'll give it a try.Wish me luck,I don't have to take cuttings for a few months so it will be new growth.I hope she doesn't sell before the berries come :)
Jody

LOL, I've tried rooting both roses and blueberries, roses easy blueberries, not!! LOL, I gave up on them.

kathy

Just this year I am trying to root some low-bush blueberries for the first time. I read somewhere that you can take cuttings in December and place them in damp sand and by spring they should be rooted. Well the dozen or so cuttings I took are still in damp sand and are progressing just like their potted parents with bud swell at this point. I checked on one a week or so ago but no roots yet.

Anybody have any experience with this? Should I remove all but one or two buds to reserve energy of the cuttings or will leaving all of the buds allow for more photosynthesis and faster root production?

hummmm interesting,rose's not that easy.The one's I stuck last fall right outside in the dirt with a plastic tub over them seem fine.The one's potted in coir in greenhouse are dying.Any tips would be great.Thanks,Jody

Jody,
I don't know about blueberries, but am going to try the layering like was said as soon as they get bigger. Going to try the treatment I give roses for them too, see if it works. As for roses, I took some clippings, stuck them in flower bed by front porch and covered them with clear, inverted 2 liter soda bottles w/tops cut off for couple months. Several started and gave couple away. Took bottles off probably Aug or Sept. Have 8 (maybe half?) now that made it through the winter w/o protection and are leafing out. Maybe I should have dipped the bottoms in some rooting hormone and/or left the bottles on longer (all winter?), who knows?! I just went to Google (best friend!) and got this site for you: http://berrygrape.oregonstate.edu/fruitgrowing/berrycrops/blueberry/propagat.htm It is a fact sheet on propagating blueberries from Oregon State University. Even though you may have somewhat dif weather...
Good Luck with yours!
Suzi :)

Thank you for the link I book marked it.Thanks,Jody

I think I've lost all my blueberries. I bought three Jerseys at Lowes and put them in the ground and even later put some azalea/blueberry food on them and two died and then the one that had leafed out just dropped all it's leaves.
-Juli

Juli,
Wish I could help on that one.I have no idea why they would die and then bud and drop their leaves,everyone that I have bought and planted servived.
kerry,
I think I'll wait and try the winter sticking method,it seems to work best for me with roses,maybe it will with blueberries too.
Thanks,jody

Jody, what is the "winter sticking method" ~ Suzi :)

I'm wondering if it was a rabbit that ate the leaves.
-Juli

Briar rose,
I just stuck older,thicker rose cuttings right in my good old clay soil in Dec. put one of those big plastic tubs like you get at wally world to store clothes in,and this spring they are all getting leaves and I've taken the tub off of them,they are doing great.l hope I do as well with the blueberries.Thanks,Jody

Jody - Never thought of doing that over winter. And a big clear plastic tub would be much better, easier and sturdier than the 2 liter bottles w/tops cut off, (that now use in the summertime) - both winter and summer! Sounds better and twice the production, may have to invest in couple. Thanks, Suzi :)

Yep and you can get about 15 fat cuttings under it.lol.Worth $4-5
Hope it works for you.Jody

Hi JodyC

You said you took cuttings and put them in the ground in Dec. I have never tried to propogate a rose before--so my question is why December? Isn't the ground frozen by then? I've been to Palmyra and it's pretty cold there in December!
How long were your cuttings and also, if you put that tub on them, they can't get any light, correct? Isn't that bad for it?
As you can tell, I don't know much, but I am trying to learn! Thanks much!

sunnyskies

sunnyskies,
I'm sure JodyC will pop in and clarify, but I believe she used a clear tub, so the cuttings could get light and be protected from the elements. If you would like to try propagating a rose, there are some excellent links on here to get great information. Gotta love this place!! The first link below actually has a link to the second one... which is what I am going to try this year. Have buds, gotta wait for my flowers first.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/505549/

http://www.rdrop.com/~paul/hulse.html

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/504843/

These are but a few to get you started. Have lots of fun reading and researching! There are a lot of classic threads too, IF and when you have LOTS of spare time. ~ Suzi :)

Yep! Thanks Suzi,We had a weird winter last year, it was in the 60's mid Dec. probably will stick them in Late Oct. Or Nov.
They are in front of my mobile home it's white with blue trim,I think it reflected extra light on my garden over the winter.I have several bulbs coming up,Glads included that never should have made it through our winter.Several zone 7 plants and vines too.Must have a mico-climate out there.I still have no wind block from the west and it's open for about 4 miles.What ever hapened is okay with me thought I dig all the glads,must have missed a few.Have a green cup and scaucer vine that I dig up and sent to a friend in TX.Thought i got all the roots,but it's coming back better than even.
I might try a few zone 7 roses in front too.Not many I don't want to loose to much investment money.LOL.
Jody

Thanks BriarRose74,

I am definetely going to try those sites. I have to get out and plant some roses, burning bush and tomatoes while the weather here is good. It is supposed to rain.
I was wondering if roses can be propogated at this time of the year too?
Thanks!

sunnyskies,
The second link talked about propagating after the blooms, in a ziploc, no less. I am going to try that this year too. I've got buds and waiting for my first blooms. I've only done cuttings in the spring/summer before, so of course you can. My cuttings last year look pretty good too. This year, LOTS more, of every one I can get my pruners near!! Look out, Suzi is coming to visit, LOL ~ Suzi :)

Hi guys/girls.lol.
I don't do to well with the ziplocks,but I was on hep C meds all last year and didn't keep things up as well as I can now.I think if you do cuttings this time of year you want to use new wood after a bloom right?Am I correct Suzi?Thanks,Jody

New wood after bloom, works for me. It is also what they said to do on the ziploc method.

Someone posted that got roots after 2 weeks using the Ziploc method, so of course I want to try it. Beats sitting there to develop slowly over the whole summer.

Glad you are doing better! Life is rough enough w/o feeling poorly!! ~ Suzi :)

Suzi,
Your sooo right,now if I can just stay in remission.Jody

Ziplock bags huh? Well it sounds like a great greenhouse! I am a bit anxious about this propogating stuff.
I know when I actually do propogate a few there will be no stopping me. Like you BriarRose74 my family will have to hide all the pruning shears from me!
Well, back outside to get more work done. Thanks BriarRose and JodyC

sunnyskies

have pruning shears, will snip-snip-snip lol lol

LOL.

I wonder if the people who bought my old house will mind if I sneak back over there and cut some of my roses? Since they don't take care of them, I'm sure they wouldn't even notice if I did.
-Juli

Julie,
Maybe stop by on a nice friendly visit, ask if you could have some roses and offer to show them how to take care of them, ie-deadhead, trim, etc... Then if the ones you cut don't get roots, can go back and be friendly w/them some more! By the way, don't forget to take your pruners w/you so you can do it right!

Who knows, maybe they are not gardening peo and will tell you they don't want it and you should just take it w/you since they hate thorns, don't have time, or whatever... Hey, can always dream, can't I?! Actually, when we left TX, offered some of my roses to a friend that said he did not want anything with thorns at his new house.

House for sale across the street from our townhouse, right before bought this house that had TONS of roses. Maybe 150 along driveway, in front and along other side. Wish I had gotten to know the new neighbors ASAP!! Poof, they were gone! I could have put them all here too!! I cannot believe some people! ~ Suzi :)

Hi Everybody,

Back to the blueberries... can I follow farmerdill's instructions (at the top of the page) but do more than one branch on a bush--maybe two or three? That sounds like a fun and fairly easy way to propogate.
Is there anything else that I can use to make my soil more acidic other than pine needles. I don't have much of that. I suppose I could go find some at someone elses house and see if they'd share, hmmmm? Wonder if they have any nice rose bushes...LOL

Oak leaves, but they need to be shredded or they will mat.

Prior occupants left me something called Miracid (sp?) that lowers ph to acidic. I think it is by Miracle gro peo and avail at big boxes. ~ Suzi :)

Thanks again!

I really appreciate the advice. I have 3 small low bush blueberries in 1/2 barrels. I think I got 3-4 blueberries out of them last year (!) But they were only in for 1 year then.
I have a med-bush (?) and it looks great. I had two but one just faded away slowly last year and died.
I put peat moss in the soil when I amended and planted 2 years ago and mulched with bark chips. How often do I need to re-enrich?
I think I will have to use netting over them this year because I think the birds ate alot of the blueberries last year.

I think when I ordered mine from Gurney's they have stuff to lower the ph I think it's called alumium sulphate.Something like that look on Gurney's site they still might have it.Never mind here it is:
http://gurneys.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_09585
Also coffee grounds are great for blueberries.
Jody

Jody, thank you!
I knew that I had read somewhere that you could use those two that you mentioned, but I couldn't remember what they were. That is exactly what I was looking for.

sunnyskies

Great; glad I could help.
Jody

What do the coffee grounds do?
-Juli

Make your soil more acidic!Lower the PH.
Jody