Topic: Blueberries have slowed to a stop.

[cestrian]

I had two brilliant blueberry bushes in my last house, but when we moved two years ago I planted them in a raised bed in the new garden. The first summer in the new position they seemed quite happy and I had a bumper crop, but the last two years hardly anything. they are probably 6 or 7 years old. I'm not sure how long they should last or could it be the soil pH. I mulched with pine needles over winter to make the soil more acidic, but that didn't help at all. Is it time for them to make the short trip to the compost heap, should I take cuttings first or is there something else I could try.

Anyone got any ideas. Would appreciate it.

[GrannieAnnie]

I had two brilliant blueberry bushes in my last house, but when we moved two years ago I planted them in a raised bed in the new garden. The first summer in the new position they seemed quite happy and I had a bumper crop, but the last two years hardly anything. they are probably 6 or 7 years old. I'm not sure how long they should last or could it be the soil pH. I mulched with pine needles over winter to make the soil more acidic, but that didn't help at all. Is it time for them to make the short trip to the compost heap, should I take cuttings first or is there something else I could try.

Anyone got any ideas. Would appreciate it.

Might they have been harmed by a cold snap during pollination time? That could have severely hurt the crop. Also, were you living in an area before where there were lots of blueberry bushes of different variety that would have aided pollination?
Is the bed so raised they aren't getting adequate watering? Here in the USA I have to water ours.
Is the ground in need of nutrients? Mine do better with acid fertilizer.
And do you need to prune them a bit? Mine do better with some pruning out.
I definitely would not throw them out since they are mature and maybe need some TLC.

[goodlife]

Agree with GA....if they are alive but 'not so good'..just some TLC should bring them back to their former glory.
But it aint gonna happen over night...what you do this summer will reflect to next and so on.
This year you need to start 'feeding' them up and they will plump up for next...and able to crop year after that...maybe you get lucky and they will respond quicker and reward you with small bounty sooner!

Pine needles does help...but if the soil in the raised bed is not acid enough to start with, needles are not going to do it...think of them as 'conditioner'..just aiding the situation but they won't change anything. Did you use green or brown needles? Greens will inhibit the plant growth where as old brown ones , providing you don't use them excess should not have much too much effect.
Blueberries have very fine roots that are not going very deep so you need to be careful with feeding that it doesn't burn those tender roots.
Good moisture is starting point...then ericaceous feed or two during the summer...and mulch to add humus and keep moisture locked in. You could make 'topping up' mix with peat/ericaceous compost, leaf mould, weathered or composted straw and BFB meal, you would need some grit and/or sand to make the mix more 'open', garden compost is good too if you haven't added any lime or ash in there. You could even use grass clippings in thin layers so they won't start heating up ..kind of 'little and often' manner.
 I make my own 'stuff' by gathering some bracken during summer..running mower over to chop it all and layering it all with grass clippings, straw and all manner of other stuff into compost bin...sprinkling of pelleted ericaceous feed (sheep poo based) between layers..left to mature and used as mulch following spring..even if it is partially composted state, bushes will love it...after all in nature everything is different state of 'process'.
Blueberries are kind of 'woodland edge' plants and if you think of their natural growing conditions, they would receive leaf litter 'mulch' yearly. Raised beds are bit like giant containers and will run out 'omf' if you don't provide the goodness what nature intended.
If your plants are still alive, I don't think you necessary would gain anything from scrapping the old plants...they should keep going on for yeeeeears, and you would have to wait 2-3 years for your first decent crop anyway which they would not provide until the plants have grown and matured. Should there be any dead twigs..you could prune those off to tidy the looks but that should be enough for them.
Did I give you enough ideas...?
At least with the 'old' one you have the potential there to start with.

[Paulines7]

Mine are in pots with ericaceous compost but then my soil is alkaline.  Perhaps you could move one of them into a pot and see how it gets on.  It could be that the earth where they are situated now, has been limed some time in the past, maybe to grow onions.   It could be worth your getting a soil pH kit. 

[cestrian]

OK I'll start taking more care of them. In the last house I just left them alone, but I had heavily fertilised that raised bed with chicken pellets before I planted them. I'm also going to take some soil to the lab in work and check the pH. I am just guessing at the moment. Is normal fruit fertiliser ok 3.5-3.5-3.5 Also they are in quite a shady location. Should I wait until the Autumn before I try to move them to a sunnier spot? I have got a gooseberry bush that's doing nothing too, but I think that is being crowded out by the raspberrys and blackcurrants that are spreading like wildfire. Do they need acidic soil too?

[goodlife]

Blueberries don't need strong fertilizer...but I would start feeding just 'gently' at first..to see how they respond to it. As for the 'normal fruit fertilizer' , without knowing the label..it probably would do, but as you are feeding blueberries, ericaceous feed would be better at this stage as it will help acidify the soil conditions better and thus helping the bush to get the nutrients from the soil. If your soil is not acid enough...they will struggle to get nutrients in them no matter how much you throw at them.
Even if you get cheap liquid ericaceous feed...say from Wilko's for couple £..it will have fairly quick effect and you plants will be able to start to get better.
Shady conditions don't effect that much for the general condition of the bushes...they would still look healthy and green and grow, perhaps more stretched out towards light...but it might affect the fruiting or lack of it. I have several in quite shady spot and although some fruit better than others...some don't develop their sweetness and flavour as nicely as those that are receiving more sun light.
Rasberries and black currants are not too fussy with soil...they like the PH just on the adic side from neutral (raspberries perhaps like it tad more), but it is not 'MUST' like with blueberries...just 'ordinary' soil conditions are fine...no need for either 'extremes'.
Gooseberries are not generally big feeders...once established, just general spring feed should be enough for them..they like plenty of moisture around their roots!...and having many over crowded bushes myself...it doesn't have that much effect as such until point, that's when it gets too much...too much competition will effect the available moisture and nutrients and if the life gets too 'jungle like' for them..bees will struggle to get to the flowers too >>you start getting fruit only from the most outer branches (mine has just reached that stage and I'm having to start to do some serious pruning..)
Out of all those fruit..black currants are more 'heavy feeders' and others are just 'light weight'..as long as they get some, rest is up to soil conditions and weather.
It does sound bit 'faff' but really...fruit is SOOO easy to grow..they demand just teeny bit of attention  and then they can be more and less left to it 

[antipodes]

My gooseberry has come on no end since I pruned it heavily, moved it away from the raspberries and planted it with the rhubarb (no sawfly on it this year!!)...