In fancy trying these but a friend has told OH they are not worth it in the North? Sny Northerners wish to give an opinion :)
I grow blueberries in central Belgium where winters are far colder than the UK and I get good crops except for last year when a late frost zapped all the flowers. They can cope with extreme cold and like lots of rain and do well with shade - mine get no direct sun in winter but full sun between the équinoxes - but they're not so good at exposure to wind so I erect a windbreak of woven mesh in autumn. This year I shall leave it in place until after the flowers have been pollinated, just in case a naughty storm or frost should try and wreak havoc again.
The only other problem is getting to the fruit before the birds so I put netting over the same frame once the fruits start forming. Grow two varieties to get better pollination and bigger crops - so much tastier and fresher than the exhorbitantly priced and teeny punnets in the shops.
Definitely worth it :icon_cheers:
About being 'north'....they grow blueberries in Finland...Canada...all over the northern region and they very hardy indeed.
Cold itself is not issue other than during flowering time.
thank you :) I really fancied trying them, so this is good to hear :) I'll try to see who has got good offers on. Any favourite varieties?
I actually think of them as a fruit of northern climes. They grow wild in the Lickey Hills in South West Birmingham.
I planted some out last Autumn in a raised bed (with acid compost) on my allotment. The main problem with them is to stop the birds eating them!
Always get good crops from ours here in West Yorkshire.
I get good crops up here in Northumberland, both in tubs and in a bed. Have to watch out for the blackbirds pinching them though :munky2:
I have 5 varieties and all are doing well so go for whatever one takes your fancy
I grow 3 in large pots. Not bad at all and I cut an older branch off each one this autumn. Loads of flowers now and bluecrop is best. I net all the pots in pop up cages before the berries ripen. If I were starting from scratch then tbh I wouldn`t bother buying the plants, pots and compost. Too much faff
What are pop-up cages? I grow blueberries too, but birds seem to peck at them through the netting. I will use veggie mesh this year, too fine for beaks to get through.
I hope they're worth it ... I'm giving it a go this year putting 4 plants in on the allotment but first acidifying the soil in the area with sulphur chips and yellow sulphur, planting directly in to expensive ericaceous compost on top and then mulching with painstakingly collected pine needles!
Last time I tried (our soil pH is 7) the plants got sickly pretty quickly ... I think it needs to be really quite acid for them to thrive.
I live in Whitley Bay, and I have three large tubs in my garden with different varieties of blueberry bushes in them. I have grown them for the last 5 years, and they are wonderful. They are in a sunny spot which is quite sheltered. Do make sure that their soil has got the right acid content though. I think a ph of 4 is acceptable. They also like to be watered and kept moist a lot. After Christmas I usually chop up our pine Christmas tree, shred it and add to their soil. Last year I had a bumper year,and this year already I can see lots of blossom forming. They are definitely worth it. Try to grow more than one variety as they inter pollinate and it makes for a bigger yeild and stronger crop. busy_lizzie
the cages are blooming marvellous, I have lots in different sizes and they work on gravel/patio by weighting with sand bags or bricks. I use them on the allotment also
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-35m-Height-Pop-Up-NET-CLOCHE-FRUIT-CAGES-Zipped-2-Sizes-/301133896088?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item461cfa9998
Thanks all, this is very reassuring. I like the sound of Duke and Patriot. What varieties are good to "pair" them with for their season?
From my understanding most blueberries tend to flower at the same time but the fruits develop at different rates.
I have bought both Duke & Patriot as part of my blueberry portfolio ... I assume I can just layer them to get new plants if I like one particularly.
I have not grown them but I have seen them growing in the wild! In the Pyrenees. There they grow on hillsides, quite exposed, in poor soil. i would imagine that they are very cold hardy! I have also seen them in the Black Forest in semi forest areas, under...pine trees.
And I have spent childhood hours in Scotland picking their Vaccinium relations, known to us as blaeberries.
My blueberries have produced some lovely big berries, but I have not so far protected them well enough, or acidified the soil properly.
I might have mentioned before in Poland, stopping by the roadside to buy jam jars full of gorgeous blueberries from young boys manning small stalls, next to great fields of them.
thanks folks. I fancy acquiring these varieties..gradually as funds allow :) Any favourite suppliers?
Late season
Liberty
Nelson
Blue gold
Mid
Bluecrop
Blue ray
Early
Hannah's choice
Duke