I got these blueberries as bareroot twigs in the spring. I put 3 in a pot and they seem to be doing well. I've picked off all the fruits as instructed. They are getting more leafy and will probably need to be potted up individually. So, when should I do this and also, do I need to do any pruning yet?
This was how they looked in the beginning.
And this is how they look now.
I bought 2 varieties, Misty and Star. One did grow taller as well as branched out, the other one just branched out but not up. I forget which is which, though :-$
Thanks for any advice.
Quyen, We just bought blueberry plants at a homeshow in Tulsa, Ok. this past weekend. My hubby is so excited..............he already thinks he wants a blueberry farm. We don't know much about them, but are trying to learn as much as we can. It's kinda hard to find much in DG forums about them though. They seem to be pretty easy to grow from what we've heard so far.
Thanks for the pics, yours look so pretty.
Learning as I go, I'm new too. PeggieK
LOL, I know how your husband feels, Peggie. I have vision of bushels and bushels of blueberries, too. I've even been thinking about taking out our holly bushes in the front yard and replacing them with some sort of brambleberries. There are a couple of varieties that would grow in my zone. We live in the city but I think I'm really hardwired to be a gentlewoman farmer :-D
I'm learning, too. Q
Quen and Peggie,
I've been gardening with with edibles ever since Rosalind Creasy published a book on the topic and have made every mistake in the book. I have battled Mother Nature over soil pH and have decided I'm not up to the challenge anymore. The plants I use now have to be able to thrive in my soil or I don't buy them anymore.
Blueberries need fairly acidic soil. If your soil isn't naturally acidic, you can amend it, but it takes some lead time because it has to be done slowly. You would be playing catch up because the soil does not remain acidic. I played catch up with a beautiful tree that needed acidic soil. After 3 years (It grew well the first 2 and even bloomed last year.), and after struggling to grow this spring, it finally died.
Peggie, I would suggest you have your soil tested before planting any more. Most of Texas has basic soil, although there are a few acidic areas.
Thanks Bettydee. Is there any type "old fashioned" way to guess what type the soil is, without a soil test ? I know that if hydrangeas grow one color it's acid, and a different color it's alkaline. Do you know of any other clues that people "in the Know" use as rule of thumb ?
And does anyone have good results with the soil test kits you buy ? I've heard it both ways, that they're great, and they're not worth a hoot. I have thought about ordering one, but don't want to spend the money if no good.
PeggieK
I bought myself a combination moisture/pH/light tester. It seems to work fine.
I still don't know if I should prune my blueberries or not, though.
There are a few indicator plants. Post oaks, for example, grow in acidic soil. They get chlorotic if planted in basic soil, but then you would have to pull out the plant to take over that spot. Live oaks thrive in neutral or basic sandy soil. But not always. Down by the creek, we have a beautiful 50 foot post oak growing between 2 healthy 50 - 60 foot live oaks.
A soil test is the most reliable way to know the soil pH. A pH soil meter is usually reliable enough. Price varies. The higher end products are more accurate.
At least twice a year our Cooperative Extension Service offers soil tests for $20.00 each. It covers soil pH and the basic nutrients, N, P, & K, levels.
Quyen, the following web site has information on growing blueberries.
http://berrygrape.oregonstate.edu/fruitgrowing/berrycrops/blueberry.htm
Your county cooperative extension service is a great source for all kinds of gardening information through their local offices, web sites, their Master Gardeners and all kinds of literature. Here's their main web site.
http://fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu/aboutus.shtml
Thanks for the link, bettydee. According to the info on there, I think I can wait till January to pot up and prune only the cross branches.
Quyen,
I planted some blueberries last year - some starts someone gave me. They waned the first year. Last fall I mulched them very heavily with pine straw. I have a huge pine tree and I just raked up the pine needles and put them all around the blueberries. They loved it! The pine straw will break down slowly over time and it will provide ground cover and add acidity as it coomposts. I also put the pine needles around my strawberries and they love it too.
Blueberries are so healthy and there are so many good ways to eat them. I put them on my cereal, my DH puts them in his oatmeal, and when we have enough I bake a pie or cobbler. Don't give up on the blueberries - once they get going they will make you very happy and healthy!
I bought 2 blueberry plants last year, all leaves fell off in winter, new leaves and flowers now here. Is it true that I need a plants of a different type in order to get the berries i.e. cross pollination? the ones I have are Vaccinium Corymbosum
For what it may be worth, I have grown three blueberriey plants for the last 15 years. One trick I use is coffee grounds mixed into the soil when I planted them and I also use coffee grounds to mulch around the plants. The coffee grounds add some acid to the soil and water as it flows through the grounds in addition to food value as the coffee grounds decay. I get the coffee grounds free from a diner I often go to. I just take a five-gallon pail and pick it up the next day. One word of caution if the two varities bloom at different times too far apart, you may not get good cross pollination. I never did much pruning except to remove older stems that were sick or no longer produced fruit and where two branchs would rub against each other. For some reason all three plants died last year and I have had to start fresh. I believe the reason was a "weed" tree in the lot beside where the blueberry plants were growing, grew and prevented enough sunlight from reaching the plants. I also use one of the ph soil test kits and have found them to be of good value, but get one of the better units.
Here is one of my blueberry bushes. I keep this one limbed up like a small tree. About once a year I mulch heavily with a layer of oak leaves and then I put pine straw on top of that to hold them there. My only problems have been birds and japanese beetles, which have not been a problem so far this year.
There is a bumper crop this year.
Oh escambiaguy! Those look soooo goood!
I planted yet another blueberry bush this year. I am what you would refer to as a lazy gardner. I know the requirements of plants but if I really want to grow them I just plant them and hope for the best. I also like to give blueberry plants as a gift to family members. I figure if they have luck with them, they'll share with me.
I planted a Northland. Supposedly you don't need a cross-pollinator.
The plant in the picture was actually started from a sucker from another plant about 8 years ago. I don't even know if it is a cultivar because it is so old, but it has delicious berries.
