blueberry

[Sparkly]

My blueberry plant was new last year. What time should it be expected to start growing leaves? It is still currently bare wood, is it dead?

[Sparkly]

[ceres]

I have 2 that are 2 years old and one that went in last winter and they're all fruiting now.  They need acid soil so I've sunk huge pots in the ground and planted them in ericaceous compost.  How is yours planted?  You could try scraping a sliver of bark off with your nail to see if it's green inside but I'd guess if you've no leaves by now, it's a goner. :(

[jo9919]

Mine was also new last year. It's got plenty of new growth on it and leaves, but no sign of any fruit yet.

Jo.

[Sparkly]

Oh dear! it is in a large pot in acid soil and seemed to do well in terms of growth last year. I have another new plant. What size is your pot?

[ceres]

I don't know what size the pots are - just bought them because they looked big enough.  I'd guess they're 18 or 20" diameter.

Is your pot under cover where it might have dried out over the winter?  They hate drying out.  Did you always water them with rainwater?

There's good info here:

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0801/blueberry_care.asp
 

[Sparkly]

It was just left in the garden. I did water with tap water, perhaps that is where I went wrong! The pot is quite big prob 20 inch.

[ceres]

If it got a lot of tap water, that might explain it.

[calendula]

I have a lot and their nature is not to drop their leaves through the winter - at least mine don't, so something is amiss - see if you can buy new cheap ones from poundland or somewhere cos they are so worth having

[Tyke]

I bought a blueberry in January that was just bare wood, but it is fruiting and doubled in size already. I know that we should water with rain-water, but i would be surprised if tap-water had caused sucha dramatic and quick change in yours - but i don't know for sure.

You can buy special food for acid-loving plants that you can water on with tap water - mine appears to enjoy it....

[Robert_Brenchley]

Tapwater will only cause a problem with these if it's hard, ie alkaline. Do you get fur in your kettle? If not, then you've either got soft water, or you're using loads of descaler, or both.

[Plot69]

I have two blueberry bushed in a raised ericaceous  bed. One is dripping with fruit from top to bottom. The other has very few fruit, maybe a quarter as much as the other and just around the bottom of the plant.

Strange how different varieties can perform so different under the same conditions.

[Sparkly]

Our water is definately soft, so if that is not the problem not sure what is.

[calendula]

roots might have been damaged, diseased from the outset - diffiucut to say, if it really is dead and you pull it up then you might find the answer

[Amazin]

I agree - perhaps it had dried out when you got it, drought seems to affect them more than the type of water. During dry spells I water mine with tap water but put an ericaceous feed in it, works fine.

Mind you, at the moment mine are doing a Gene Kelly!

(I'm rather less happy, having just been out in the garden baling out the pond)

::)