Growing blueberries

I have several blueberry bushes growing in pots of ericaceous soil.  I am thinking of digging a trench in the garden and filling it with this kind of compost in an effort to give them a proper 'home'.  Has anyone tried this before? - and does it work?.  Any comment would be welcomed.

Barbara J.

Ideally you should do a soil test on you garden soil to get a reading- if it is acid then the blueberries will be fine if not then over time the compost will decompose into the soil and whatever soil you have- that will be what the blueberries sit in

I have them in large containers and they thrive-why do you want to plant them out ?

I thought that might be a danger.  I want to move them because they are taking up space on a large concrete area that I want to use for a shed.  When I first had them I built a smallish fruit cage but the plants have grown quite tall and I hoped, by sinking them into the ground, I could carry on using the fruit cage. (We have lots of hungry blackbirds who aren't averse to raiding the bushes!).  I suppose I could sink the pots into the ground, still surrounding them with ericaceous compost, and just keep an eye on them.  Many thanks for taking the trouble to answer.

Barbara J

Many thanks for your answer.  I do actually grow blue poppies this way and they have been alright for the last couple of years, so - trench planting with pots it is!

I have my blueberry bushes in the ground and to keep the soil acidic I work in chopped pine needles 2 or 3 times a year and because the roots of blueberries are quite near to the surface I put a mulch of at least 8cms of chopped pine branches and needles over them.  I always water with rain water and as soon as they finish flowering it's on with the fleece.  

They don't like the hot afternoon sun as the leaves get scorched so make sure they are in dappled shade for the hottest part of the day.  Works for me.

I've grown blueberries on my unsuitable soil for several years - each spring I give them a mulch of ericaceous compost, and make sure I water them with suitable fertilisers.  They give a good big crop every year, so it can be done even if your soil is unsuitable. 

Christopher2, I think you have misread the thread, it is about blueberries not blue poppies - maybe try making a new thread about those glorious plants? 

Christopher2

I now have 5 poppy plants in a large terracotta bowl filled with acid compost and sunk into the garden where it gets morning sun and some afternoon shade.  They have been there two years now and apart from applying rainwater when the weather is dry I just leave them to get on with it.  2 of the plants are several years old and were tranplanted from another, smaller pot which just stood on the garden.  I had lots of flowers this year and have left the seedheads to drop where they will.  If any seedlings pop up I will pot them on.  I have never managed to grow them  from seed myself.  Happy planting.