Blueberries are white?

Be_Happy

Hi, hope someone can help person who knows almost nothing about gardening.

We love blueberries and have tried to grow our own in garden without success.

Last year we planted 3 bushes in pots, followed all the soil instructions, etc and they have grown into really sturdy healthy looking plants. They are hanging with clusters of berries. So far, so good, BUT the 'berries' although shaped like blueberries are white and flimsy like flowers. They are drying up and falling off.

Will an actual blueberry grow in their place - no sign so far - or has something gone wrong.

conradmum

That's the flower that you're seeing. The blueberry will grow in its place. They'll look quite small at first but as they ripen and turn blue they'll swell quite a lot. Just make sure to keep the pots from drying out. I'm guessing you must either live fairly far up north or be growing a late variety as my blueberries here in the Midlands are already showing.

Kay_Peel

You may be looking at the immature fruits. As the season progresses they will turn from small, whitish, flimsy things into the gorgeous ripe blueberries that you are after.

Here's a picture from the RHS site


In early spring, I gather up dead pine needles and crunchy old leaves from coniferous trees and, after giving the blueberries a good bucket full of water, I put down a layer of this stuff as a feed for this acid-loving fruit tree. I put some old compost on top. Then I twine some black cotton with tin foil on the top of the bush to keep out birds. And that's it really.

Since yours are in pots, you need to give them plenty of water as the buds swell.

I'm sure they'll be alright! :beer:

Be_Happy

Thanks for help. My concern was that these flimsy white things seem to be falling off and leaving no sign of fruit in their place.

Yes we do live up north, in Scotland, so we may just have to wait a bit longer. Nearby woods are full of blaeberries which seem to be growing well and should be fully ripe in around a couple of weeks.

I read the tip about pine needles and we followed this recently.

Anyway thanks for giving some optimism.

realfood

They are shallow rooted plants and it may be lack of water during our drought.

Be_Happy

realfood wrote: »

They are shallow rooted plants and it may be lack of water during our drought.

Thanks. We've had the occasional run of 3 or 4 days without rain, but nothing to call a drought. On those days I did water the plants.

Since yesterday, we've had almost continuous heavy rain and the ground is littered with these white 'flowers' that have fallen off. What is left are green cups. OH thinks these are swelling up, so hopefully they will develop into berries.

conradmum

Be_Happy wrote: »

Thanks. We've had the occasional run of 3 or 4 days without rain, but nothing to call a drought. On those days I did water the plants.

Since yesterday, we've had almost continuous heavy rain and the ground is littered with these white 'flowers' that have fallen off. What is left are green cups. OH thinks these are swelling up, so hopefully they will develop into berries.[/QUOTE]

Yes, that's completely normal. The cups will grow into the berries. Do protect them from the birds, as they'll eat them as they start to turn blue, so you won't notice the fruit ripening because the birds will get there first!

Be_Happy

Thanks. I'm out now with netting to put over them.

Really excited about possibility of having our first crop of blueberries.