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Blueberries

We're very keen on eating blueberries & are thinking of planting a few bushes near our raspberry canes. Are there any tips that readers can give me on the easiness of growing/type of crop/any special conditions needed?

 

Many thanks in advance.

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Posts

  • Hi Cherry, blueberries must have acid soil with a pH between 4 and 5.5 which is too acidic for raspberries so the chances are your soil isn't acid enough if the raspberries are growing well.  I would check the soil pH with a cheap test kit (only a few pounds) and if it is not within range consider growing the blueberries in large pots of ericaceous compost.  They grow very well like that.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • GardenmaidenGardenmaiden Posts: 1,126

    We have blueberries growing next to strawberries,tayberries and gooseberries. We created a raised bed and just put ericaceous soil around the blueberries and this is their third year now and nothing has suffered by having two different soil types side by side. You could always dig out the soil and replace it with ericaceous, we've done that with other plants and nothing has died.

  • GardenmaidenGardenmaiden Posts: 1,126

    It seems to work for me. I also have an acer bed infront of the shed with different varieties of acer in, and an azalea. They've been in for longer than the fruit and no sign of problems. I've also got a huge snakebark acer treated just the same and an acer I grew from a twig not far behind in height.

  • Alan4711Alan4711 Posts: 1,657
    Hi Cherry,there are a good few blueberries to think of, iv been looking for some time,got some good advice from Bob the Gardener,some are self fertile some not, so make sure you know which is which (BBC Gardening) on line is good it also has a video on it, it seems bluecrop is very popular Nelson and Duke ,but it depends eat of the bush or jams as they do vary in taste, Patriot sounds pretty good as well ,this year im going for 2 or 3 mixed, in big pots they seem to like pots, and like to have other blueberries around soil important im useing J/I no 3 ericaceous and seaweed so good luck,

    Alan
  • Mrs GMrs G Posts: 336

    I am in the same predicament as I have two blueberries in pots but they don't like to dry out at all so they are cropping very badly.  I am about to plant them out in the garden and I've got some ericaceous compost to put in the planting holes.  There is a blueberry in the public gardens at the end of our road which crops really heavily so I'm hoping I can amend the soil and water each growing season with sulphate of iron and we'll get more fruit.  Pruning wise, cutting out the centre stems to create a bowl effect is meant to increase yields.

  • I grow mine in pots in ericaceous compost and they are doing v v well

  • Alan4711Alan4711 Posts: 1,657
    Hi Mrs G perhaps some extra potash for more fruit might help,
  • Lupin 1Lupin 1 Posts: 8,916

    My M has two varieties growing in pots of ericaceous that do very well. She gives them an annual feed of sequestered iron. Dunno if this is correct thing to do or not!

  • Cherry3Cherry3 Posts: 35

    All the above is really useful--many thanks to everyone. Interesting about the raspberries as they aren't in actual fact producing  good crops. I've always presumed the soil is alkaline as I have lots of chalk around; but have never carried out a PH test. Certainly will do as it may explain reason for other failures.

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