no blueberries

this year is the first year i haven't had any blueberries there are a couple of unripe berries falling off now is it the lack of sun or anybody know why?

hi Christopher this is a self-fertile bush i bought at Harrogate Spring show about 4 years ago.  it is planted in the ground now after out-growing its pot.  I put ericaceous compost round it every couple of years and it is well-watered but with fence behind so some shade late aft.   still confused this year as  somethings are great and some abismal

I have self fertile blueberry (variety name lost) which fruited muchbetter after I bought it a friend.  They both spent a few years in pots before I planted them out in the veg plot.  I dug big holes about 70cm deep and wide and filled them with ericaceous compost and they've been very happy apart form suffering badly in a couple of nasty winters.

This year we had very few fruits but we had a frost when they were in blossom and that's always bad news.  Maybe yours had the same problem.

This year I have given them a mulch of ericaceous compost, added two British bilberries to the same bed, fed all with slow release ericaceous food and done a final mulch of chipped bark.  They've all put on good growth and look very healthy so I'm hoping for good crops next year.  I shall be erecting a protective cage of fleece round all 4 plants to help keep off winter winds and frosts.  Fingers crossed I get no more severe damage.

I have a few varieties and one that got water logged with all the rain this year lost all the flowers and died back, so no fruit on that one, rest ok. So I think it might just be the flowers died off before they could fruit.

Thanks for the comments it's given me some ideas to check and ponder.  the bush has been fed this year but not mulched-usually bark chippings and it does look healthy.  I will check it closely tomorrow and hopefully get a pic up.

here's a pic at last!

I would blame the weather I have two  blueberry bushes identical age, size, treatment etc. one fruited, the other did not......my strawberries on the same plot - woeful and the raspberries - wonderful, picked another bowlful today....apples dreadful, tomatoes v. late, cucumbers fruiting well but late....and so it goes on. I do feel the weather has played a larger part than normal in the total success or failure of many crops this year.

i blame the arctic snow melting so fast!

now end of year and i'm thinking do i cut back hard or not? what do you think dainti?

Now it's 4 years old, it probably does need a bit of pruning.  Berries grow on wood made last year, so you want to encourage new shoots and remove old unproductive ones:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingblueberries1.shtml

Like others, I also recommend you get it a friend as self-fertile ones will always do much better if cross-pollinated.  Do use an ericacious feed as normal feed may not be taken-up well in ericacious soil.

When you say cut it back hard, what do you mean?  If you mean cut it back correctly, yes, go for it.  But if you mean hack at it until all the branches are shortened, NO!  Get a book, take advice, find someone to show you.

Here in W Wales we had the best blueberry year ever.  The plants are in pots and stand in water.

I don't see anyone saying to cut it back hard - just remove any dead/damaged shoots and maybe one of the oldest stems right down to the base, to encourage new shoots to grow from the base.

Budlia63 did and he/she is the OP.

soz gardeners poetic licence! i just meant take maybe a third of last year's growth to tidy it and keep compact.  I have an itchy secateur finger  and need to do something! or at least plan ahead

Having looked at the picture-it seems to be growing in the border and has lots of side of side shoots

I just think it is being crowded out

I grow mine in large tubs -never had a problem fruiting

I feel it is in the wrong place-might just be worth starting over and growing in a container.

interesting link santaslittlehelper checked it out and i will definately buy another on this year-it was a present from harrogate spring show off mum so we'll have to visit again this year

well, just been outside for a half hour and trimmed blueberry, cut back crocosmia and pulled a few bittercress stuff out -i think.  crocosmias have new shoots and it does look better.  will need to get to back of border soon to cut back other perennials but feel good now.  hubby laughing at me as it's cold, wet and windy-Ohh the joy of gardening!!