I posted this on the fruit forum page but didn't get a satisfying answer.
I have three, four year old blueberry bushes (Northland). I transplanted them two years ago. They have flowered every year although thanks to the birds my yield of berries has been small (I ate one berry each of the last two years...please, don't ask). For some unknown reason this year I had zero flowers on any of the bushes. Not a single one. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. I'm talking about the little white flowers, not the fruit. No flowers, no fruit. I know I should have another variety to maximize my yield but with no flowers it makes no difference.
I thought that maybe it was the weather but the guy at the Brookline farmers market where I was buying blueberries (aarrgghh) was excited to tell me what a great year this is for them. The only thing I did differently this year was to fertilize with Hollytone which I did at the recommended time and rate. They even flowered the year after I transplanted them but this year... Any ideas why I had this failure and how I might avoid it next year?
blueberry question
Sounds like they may have taken this year off to 'recharge'. I'd check if there is a significant change in soil pH and your rain totals compared to your previous years.
Do you have room for more? You definitely need at least one more variety and if you could have as many as four, that would be great. We can only grow rabbit eyes here, but have several varieties at Maypop. It's supposed to be a good berry year here as well. It takes a good number of years to get the bushes up to speed for bearing, and they seem to do best when they hit the six foot mark, so investing in creating a good hedgerow now will pay off later.
L
This wasn't a banner year for my blueberries. One of the four plants only set a handful but one has giant berries and they are delicious. Laurel is right - you need more than one kind - I planted four different half-highs.
I suspected mine was AC/ DC now its confirmed!!
WC, how so? And how and why did that lead to it being confirmed? :) Beware the response here.
Laurel
Beware? what would I have to beware about?
I have one plant & it has berries. Not that I get to eat them since the birds take care of that. I don't mind actually, I get pleasure in growing it for them as well. One plant is enough for me for my purposes. I don't know why it has berries... I suppose it has them because it's a blueberry bush. ☺
Congrats. on your berries. I get pleasure from mine in a compote, pie, jam jar, or fresh fruit salad. The wildlife does just fine in the garden without my facilitating. I think you folks up North can grow a range of berry varieties that we cannot. Rabbiteyes are suggested for the South and we grow several varieties.
Laurel
Northland, as are most of the highbush or half high blueberries, is self fruitful, so you don't need another veriety.
I would suspect what happened was in the transplanting. They did well the first year after transplanting as they had already had the 'set' in them for the next year, but then the second year, they are sulking from the transplant. They should be back in stride next year. A lot of shrubs do this. Lilacs are well known for this. The Hollytone didn't hurt them.
Northland does like heavy pruning, also. But don't do that for a couple of years after transplanting.
This message was edited Jul 11, 2008 11:14 PM
We cannot grow highbush, but there are Southern highbush ( a separate variety) blueberries that grow here. Although highbush is self pollinating, it is usually recommended at least two varieties are planted for greater yield and larger berries. I'd check with an extension agent if yield is important.
L
You can get a bigger yield with more than one variety, but that is not the problem here. It still would set fruit. It's the transplanting, I'm sure. I've experienced it many times with shrubs of various sorts. They have the bloom set for the next year, already when they are transplanted and then the next year, nothing. After that they are back to normal. I have a nursery. It's common.
Nice, so after they 'catch their breath from being transplanted' they'll be back to normal making little blueberries, sounds reasonable, it takes me awhile to adjust after moving too. Northeast gardening is so Cool! ☺
Northland, Blue Crop, Jersey, Top Hat, Northsky, all do well here for me in Maine. I only give them potting ash and Epsom Salt in the spring and they give me buckets of berries in the summer.
LOL Watercan! I hate moving.
Are you eating them right now, Pixie? Ours just started. Yum.
Mine are great - just filled a bowl the day before yesterday.
ouch that hurts
My blueberries turned into currants :-(
That is funny, Willie. I have to climb down the hill and check our bushes. The tree folks tossed limbs over most of them when they took the tree of the roof. Hope the ones still under debris can be salvaged. There are wild ones all over the woods right now. Very small berries.
I'm making blackberry and plum jam today. DD picked 4 gallons of wild blackberries!
L
Here's one of the trees before picking.
L
I planted currants on the opposite end of the property, but, where the blueberries were is a fence .... birds eat the currants, fly and sit on the fence .... you get the idea.
It's a great spot, wonder why the bluebs didn't take hold.
Oh, I thought you meant the bbs turned to raisins. :)
Oh, that IS funny .... Blueberry raisins are awesome.
I have a few that are ready for picking but not really enough to anything with. Just enough to sprinkle on a bowl of cereal when the rest of the family is sleeping. Hee hee he
Celeste, you made me curious so I went and checked the bushes. Only a cup or so but lots still to ripen. Unfortunately I don't see any bushes besides the two I picked from. So sad. Blueberry jam is my very favorite. I did get jammin' with those blackberries though. Thirteen 12 oz. jars and one 8 oz.. Gosh its hot to be canning!
Willie, I've never seen currents growing. Could you post a picture?
Laurel
This message was edited Jul 12, 2008 4:21 PM
I have to get batteries for my digicamera. I will post some pics for you soon, when I get them.
Every day I graze the red raspberries, probably why I never get enough to make jam. I do love to eat them right off the bushes. So dellicious. Our blackberries are awesome this year, many many loaded bushes.
Hi rthere, Mittsy! Long time - no hear from you!
Pollyk,
Thanks for finally getting to the heart of my question. I couldn't figure out what I had done wrong and you confirmed that I treally hadn't.
Since you really know your blueberries, I have been thinking of adding two more bushes. I have read that Rubel is one of the best tasting and healthiest blueberries. I'd appreciate your thoughts on whether this is a good choice. Thanks so much.
I do not believe anyone has mentioned removing twenty five to thirty percent of the old wood each year to excite new growth. It is the new growth that all blueberries bloom and set new fruit on. Without it you will get less and less berries. They like organic low number fertilizer blended for acid loving plants. This of course supports new growth as well.
Thank you docpipe, that is useful information. Also a reminder that I have to remove old wood from my double french lilac, to keep the blooms large and full.
Mittsy
MaypopLaurel:
Here is a picture you requested of my currants. You will note that many of the stems have berries and no leaves. A lot of berries. The birds won't eat them this year.
I have a terribly invasive weed growing all over my gardens.
I found a chemical to kill it and I have been using it around. However, when spraying, I think I might have hit the currants a little bit by accident. Some of the leaves turned their brilliant yellow fall color and fell off. Leaving VERY bitter berries. I hope I haven't killed them.
Here is a wider shot of same patch .... I now find currants sprouting up all over the place.
Blaisins - blueberry raisins?
And escuped, I grew up in Brookline, MA, back when it was 02146. My mom still lives there, as does my brother (in a different house). I live in Milton because, well, because we couldn't afford the real estate prices in Brookline. I bet we could now, if only we could sell this house for more than what we paid for it 15 years ago, etc. etc.
escubed,
You're welcome. It's not that I know blueberries that well, it's just that I know it's a common trait of shrubs to behave this way.
Rubel is supposed to be really good. I've never grown it. I have never had a blueberry I didn't like. I guess if I had to pick a favorite it would be Patriot, about the same size as Northland, and I also like Northblue, smaller but a very heavy producer. These are both half high varieties,.
Northland is early, so if you do want a pollinator for it, Patriot would be good, as it's early-midseason.
The dang wild turkeys have been eating mine this year, but I've still had quite a few. I do like the birds to have some, too.
My brother in law in N.H. has turkey working his berries too. I think he may be working the turkey to make them pay for their keep. They do not have a wild taste because they live in suburban back yards and small woodlot edge gardens. Life is good.
Willie, thanks for taking the time to post pictures. I have honestly never seen currants growing. We had two true blue Southern DG gardeners come to visit today and I asked about currents. They had never seen them grown here either. One mentioned cherries, but I've not seen those either. We discussed the possibility that there are a number of fruits that might do well, but are not typical. Opens new doors.
Escubed, glad you got your answer. It was an interesting question. Sorry if I highjacked your thread with other fruity thoughts.
Laurel
No trouble at all, MaypopLaurel ..... I tried to find them once to make Stollen and couldn't find them anywhere. So I figure grow them. Of course, now I find them all over the supermarket.
Preps for the new blueberry patch starts in the fall!!
Gosh you pulled me back. Stollen. Haven't made that in many years. Lots of butter (sigh). Austrian roots shouting out here. I'm thinking I might need currants for less hearty fare. Maybe a simple curry?
L
I always loaded my Stollen up with lots of rum! First time I made Stollen was for a lady I worked with who was born in Germany (near French border). She cringed when I brought it in and said "Look!! I made Stollen!!" Apparently, typical stollen is as bad as our candied fruit bread and the same loaf would be re-gifted year after year after year.
However, when she had mine she said it was leaps and bounds better than any she had ever had .... ever. I still send her one every christmas. She said when she was a girl in Germany, she remembered one such stollen being used like a brick to prop open a door.
I think dried blueberries would be a tasty substitute inside a stollen. Soaked overnight in rum, that is ....
In the interest of full disclosure, I would like to add that I, personally, do not generally consume alcohol. But, boy will I cook with it!!