Blueberry Blue Suede

[fluffybunnyuk]

OK OK So I got fed up, and splashed some money on some blue suede plants. Does anyone have experience with this variety? What have your learnt about it? Any vulnerabilities to diseases or bugs it might have? etc etc.
On the plus side. Yay i'm going to get 100+ blueberries this year

[Jay-ell]

Do you have a polination partner for it? It's self fertile but they produce more fruit if they have a compatible polinator

[fluffybunnyuk]

Only same-type not different-but-same-season. Decent sized berries, Looks like they'll turn blue sometime end of june.
I'm more concerned about how it'll cope over winter. How resistant to bad things it is. I dont like spending money on plants but when i do, i like to make sure i get lots of value.
i'll post back to this thread with info on my experiences over summer,autumn,winter, spring, so others can benefit if noone else has them.

[bario1]

I hadn't heard of Blue Suede before, but a quick Goggle suggests it's a Southern highbush type? That means it may be more susceptible to cold weather than the usual Northern highbush types sold in the UK?

[fluffybunnyuk]

Yes I've read its zone 6 to 9a i think. Perfect for London . 5ft bush. Mid-season variety. It'll be good to compare cropping quality and quantity.

[fluffybunnyuk]

So i checked the bush today, and its started really filling out the green berries, and dumping the not developed ones. I removed maybe 5% of the total potential fruits. So it hasnt overset massively.
I dont think the turning pink/blue stage will be along for another month.

[fluffybunnyuk]

There be berries that be blue. arrrrrr. ok only 2 but it still counts i guess. So i'm going to say the 75% blue growth stage starts 3rd week in july to end of july.
Hope the dedication to the cause helps someone else with this type.
Next post will be the last one when the leaves drop.

[It never rains..it pours]

No experience on that variety but have found this year buying blueberry specific fertilizer ie nh4 nitrogen has made them grow much better than previously used erinaceous fertilizer

[Babru]

Sounds worth doing, what's the name of the fertiliser?

[It never rains..it pours]

Sounds worth doing, what's the name of the fertiliser?

I got Elixir Blueberry Fertiliser - NPK 12-10-11 + 4 off fleabay, but afterwards saw its cheaper via thier site. Not cheap at 4x price vs the other multi nutrient I had been using but seems to have given them vigour this year and strong green leaves. I had thought this was iron deficiency, ph is already low, but seems may have been nitrogen form issue too, apparantly they like it as nh4
They are hard work vs currants which grow for fun here

Nitrogen picture in first link and amount oz per plant in second

http://extension.missouri.edu/bluebe...MO%20Strik.pdf

Blueberry nutrition fertilization « Northwest Berry & Grape Information Network

[fluffybunnyuk]

Today I picked the last of my blueberries. I got the equivalent of 2 large supermarket packs from it. mmmmm fresh blueberries. Now i want a field to satiate my appetite...

[fluffybunnyuk]

Bud setting is now well under way for next year. The plants starting to draw down the resources for next year.