Allotments 4 All

We bought a blueberry bush last summer- it's in a pot and has had beautiful blossom on it for weeks.  We also bought a tiny blueberry which has also blossomed, and now has several fruits.  The larger one is not fruiting at all.  What went wrong?

You have young bushes. They are babies yet. Don't expect instant success from them.

I have had trees and bushes which have taken years to settle.

I suppose the extra 'n' in your typing was because you were rushing too............

Be patient.

all fruit can take a while to really flourish and blues do tend to be slow and they love a wet spring/summer  :( and as this year has been rather hot and dry they won't care for this - don't forget to water with rain water as this is best for them

Quote from: PurpleHeather on June 20, 2010, 16:36:18




I suppose the extra 'n' in your typing was because you were rushing too............

Took me ages to find it!

I have inherited a 3/4 year old blueberry bush in a lovely pot and have it at the house garden. however I discovered the watering should be by rainwater but don't have a water butt, is there a trick to add something to tap water to use. I have two other plants at my allotment so no problem there for watering.

Give them an occasional feed with fertiliser for acid loving plants, do you now the types, they fruit at different times and do better with a pollinater friend.

Tap water tends not to be acid which they need. but I did my potted ones with it, just used the correct type of poting soil for acid lovers and did the feeds

XX Jeannine

If you got blossom but no fruit, then I would guess that it's not because it's just settling in, it's because something's probably wrong! Most (all?) blueberries will get a better set with a buddy beside them, but that shouldn't lead to zero fruit if there isn't a chum, just less. A frost 2 or 3 days after pollination can hit all the fruits that have just set but blueberries generally flower over a long enough period to have some before & after this little window of vulnerability. They like water every day or two but again you should still have something... and pH as mentioned is important to keep below 7 (from memory 6 to 6.5 is the target although I haven't ever measured mine - just used ericaceous compost & an ericaceous fortnightly feed when growing). They have tap water from a trough so it's sat around a bit.

How are the leaves looking? They should be lush, happy & very green at the moment, with plenty of new growth on the branches...

I have joined someone else's link here hope I am allowed to do this if not sorry. thanks for the information and think will get another bush for the garden.

@ jock - I don't think anyone on here cares about others jumping on on similar questions! I see you're in Edinbugh, if so isn't the tap water there fairly neutral (and therefore fine with the occasional ericaceous feed)...

As a fellow Scot, all the best & enjoy the Footie!

Ideal ph level is actually 4.5...  wheras most veggies fit in the 6/7ish range with a few exceptions.

XX Jeannine

Have been out to have a good look at it- it's possible there may be one or two fruits beginning to swell, but that's not many considering that it has been absolutely covered in blossom.  There's healthy new growth and it's in ericaceous compost.  We only use rain water to water it, but I'm thinking that maybe we haven't watered it often enough.  The other one, being in a much smaller pot, has maybe had the right amount for its needs.  I must admit that I tend to be a bit hit and miss when it comes to watering- it's really OH's department, at least at home!

They need damp soil so don't let them dry out, mulch the top surface,XX Jeannine

thanks to all that answered and special mention to ollie ordered new blueberry this morn to sit with the other and by the way footie been quite good and two especially looking forward to wed afternoon and will check flights wed night.

To throw in one little factoid:  the bushes need to be of different types BUT they must also flower at the same time to cross pollinate each other.  Were yours flowering simultaneously?

There are early, mid-season, and late bushes.

Quote from: GrannieAnnie on June 21, 2010, 16:46:16
  Were yours flowering simultaneously?

yes, they flowered at the same time, but they look like they could be the same vaiety, one being much bigger than the other.

Do you know what  they are, I can suggest a friend if you do

XX Jeannine

I'm sorry but I don't know- I really ought to keep a diary!  I bought the bigger one in the Highlands last summer, and the little one in Wilkinsons in the autumn.  I'll take a picture and post it- maybe that will help.  They had lovely white flowers, but I guess that's a common feature of them all!

If you have room and want the best in the long run, I would pick up another pair that will be friends,and choose ones do flower at the same time, chances are they will pollinate the others  as well as themselves and in 2 or three years you will have 4 good bushes, not many if you have the room. I found twelve was about right for  just John and I when in the UK .  I didn't have the room that I had before in Canada when  I used to grow a great many of them for fruit sales.

If you go this route check out Devonshire Blueberries, pretty good company.

XX Jeannine

Thanks for all your encouragement Jeannine- I tried googling Devonshire Blueberries but only found references to yummy scones and muffins with cream!  Are they a variety or a company that sells blueberries?  Can you recommend any types that won't get too big as they would have to live in pots?

Hi again, I am sorry it is
                                  http://dorset-blueberry.com

I just took a peep and thet have several one son a very good sale.

I know may of them, make sre you get highbush .

There are some that will  live happilly in pots akthough all mine did regardless of variety.

You need to check out the earlies I think to help with the other two but e mail tem and ask their advise telling them when your two flowered so they know what season they are and can suggest a good pal .

I bought almost all from them and was very happy.

Take a peek and get back to me if I can help, you won't regret it they are a terrible cost to buy just the berries, we used the fruit  for jam,muffins, in sauce forr the top of  cheesecake  etc and  I have loads of recipes.

XX Jeannine