Are Blueberries easy to keep and grow ??

janiebaby29

I love bluberries on my porridge for breakfast , and thought about growing my own .
I dont have a green house though ??

foxgloves

You don't need a greenhouse. They like ericaceous compost and to be watered with rainwater, not tap water. I think you also need more than one plant to cross-pollinate. Having said that, I've done more or less everything right, & I have lost one bush completely and the other three have a total of about 15 blueberries between them each year, so this year is their make or break year. They are going to get TLC coming out of their little fruity ears, but if it's another year with virtually no berries, it's the big compost heap in the sky for them, I'm afraid! Hope you do better than me.

Soubrette

I was lucky enough to get two plants from the Jordan's offer a few years ago as one of my friends didn't want hers *rolleyes*

They live in pots by my backdoor and get minimal attention, I recently spent 5 mins picking off some caterpillar type animal which had used dried leaves to make little cocoons on both plants - about 5 mins work. I water them mostly with rainwater or with tap water that I've left standing.

The first year they were just one stem twigs, then last year they cropped a full small sandwich bag of fruit between them. I didn't protect them from the frosts or anything this year and they are budding really well this year. I'm tempted to try to take some cuttings as I'm so impressed.

I'm toying with the idea of pruning them a bit but may have left it too late

Sou

janiebaby29

right .... so they are a bit hit and miss then ?? hmmmm ,
wonders whether to buy the 3 quid ones from wilkos or invest in proper garden shop ones

midnightraven3

my son brought me 2 blueberry bushes from poundland this year
i have just planted them out 4 days ago, and already have wee green leaves sprouting!

WestonDave

I've got one garden centre bush (variety Gold Traube) which appears to debunk the theory that you need more than one bush. We had a handful of berries in its first season (i.e. 3 months after we got it) a bigger crop last year, and its filling out further for this year. Other than giving it the right compost and watering it when the pot dries out, its left to its own devices and seems pretty hardy.

Wilkos £3 one were Gold Traube I think so should be good plants - however bear in mind I would say my bush is about ten times the size of the Wilkos ones, and is in a pot approx 60cm diameter. I'm tempted to get another one but would go for another garden centre one - at £12 or so its much better than waiting years for crops.

kimmee

I was looking at these last year in my local garden centre and they had one variety that was self-pollinating (can't remember what it was called). I didn't have the money at the time, was around £15 and I'd already spent a wee bit on shrubs but I think I'm going to raid the £2 jar and probably buy one over Easter, but as WestonDave says, I'd rather buy a fairly well established one thats likely to produce fruit sooner rather than later.

TravellingAbuela

If you are lucky enough to be living close to moorland, then forget about growing your own blueberries and head for the moors late July when the bilberries are ripe. Then pick, pick, pick!! They have much more flavour and far more juice than blueberries but are a tad smaller. I still have a large stash in the freezer, despite making lots of pies and jam. I love them and always leave a handful defrosting overnight to pop on my porridge.

Cru_2

We were given a blueberry bush as a wedding present 3 years ago and it is fantastic, we put it in the erichthingy compost and have moved it to a large pot but apart from that it receives little care.

We get a bumper crop of berries, in fact I am so impressed I will be buying more bushes.

haycorns

Suttons have a set of 3 bushes for £16.95 which you can use the £5 code on. Worked out £15.90 delivered ( plus quidco of £1.36)

Also on offer from aldi at £1.99 i think from Thursday

JodyBPM

I was considering the Suttons ones, does anyone know how big they will be compared to poundland ones? If they're just the same as Wilko's/Poundland they are expensive, but if they are similar to £12 garden centre ones then they would be a bargain IYSWIM!