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Talkback: Growing blueberries and cranberries

wish i had watched this before planting !
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  • Just subscribed to the site and finding this to be very helpful. Planted a blueberry bush last year in a pot but didn't know it likes acid soil. Any suggestion....?
  • This explains a lot - what a useful video!
  • pybarlowpybarlow Posts: 7
    I'm glad I looked at this video before I planted out my blueberries. I now know what is the best for them. Thanks.
  • Paul-HPaul-H Posts: 5

    I’ve just purchased four ‘blueberry’ plants all of differing varieties which will help in their cross pollination, which in turn will hopefully increase their fruit yield when they become mature. My garden soil isn’t acid enough for me to plant out directly into my garden so I’m going to pot them up into pots increasing pot size as they grow larger, and of course remembering to use fresh ericaceous soil each time. After doing some research it does seem that you can use tap water as long as you replenish the ericaceous soil maybe every two years. This might seem like a lot of hard work but the result will be worth this extra effort because you’ll be rewarded with some lovely healthy ripe blueberries. With lots of mulching to keep the roots from drying out and to help retain moisture. This is all new to me so it’s going to be a little bit of trail and error as I go....fingers crossed.

  • I have 3 blueberries and they are doing really well. They are in large pots in ericaceous soil. I always use rain water and an ericaceous food. I always get masses of fruit but now ive said it this year i probably wont ha ha.

  • Paul-HPaul-H Posts: 5

    I've just purchased one more blueberry bush Sharon which now takes me up to five. (three I'm happy with, the other two are not great quality) All are still only about one foot tall at the moment. I can't use rain water because, would you believe it, I've got no way of collecting it. All gutter down pipes are on my next door neighbours property, garage roof slops the wrong way. I've heard that if you run tap water into a large container and then wait a week or so and chemicals would disappear, so might try that. All are planted up in fresh ericaceous soil topped off with small wood chip bark. I won't use any ericaceous feed until they are a lot more established. Let me know how yours are getting on and hopefully we can exchange some tips and advice.image

  • My blueberries have put on some good strong growth and they are now about (From top of flower pot) About three foot now. Leaves are starting to turn a brilliant red colour on three of them, the others being a later fruiting type. All going well so far and although watering them with tap water, no signs of anything going wrong with this.

  • BookertooBookertoo Posts: 1,306

    I have grown blueberries sucessfully in non ericaceous soil for many yers, in our fruit cage.  When we bought them we dug out a large hle, filled it with eriaceous compost and some local soil, and every year I mulch with ericaceous compost, plus watering with a suitable fertiliser now and again.  This is not exactly growing without ericaceous soil, but the point is that if you want to grow them in the ground, and yours is unsuitable, it can still be done well.   All 3 of our shrubs fruit well, bar this year when only one is doing so but this is such a peculiar year for so many things that I am not particularly bothered by that.  The one that is fruiting has huge blue berries that are delicious.  Whatever way you gow them, do go for it, they really are one of the best soft fruits, and seem impervious to cold. 

  • KPKP Posts: 2

    My blueberries have been in pots for the last 3 years and I have never changed the compost, last year I had loads, but were small, I am going to re-pot them in ericaceous compost,

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