Blueberries - new shoots from base?

[bario1]

Hi,

I bought my parents some blueberry bushes last year, they have them in pots on their patio. Last week my dad said he had seen strong upright shoots coming straight from the compost next to the main stem - he cut them off, thinking they were coming from a grafted rootstock, rather than the bush itself, and would drain the plant of energy.
Is that right? My thought was that they are not grafted and this new growth should be left as part of the general development of the bush?

[DannyK]

Not seen any mentioning of grafting here. My four aren't.

I believe some commercial growers in US graft.

[mcdood]

As the proud consumer of a sum total of 3 blueberries from 2 bushes I'd say .... I've absolutely no idea about blueberries

[veggiechicken]

I've no idea about grafting, but I'd be taking the shoots off and trying to grow some more plants!

[Mark_Riga]

yes take the shoots off with a bit of root if possible to re-pot.

[fluffybunnyuk]

What drains the plant is if its pushing out fruit at the moment. I've got a small new shoot too, but i plan on picking my fruit this week. So after that the small shoot should grow faster.
But i've got a single gnarly stem for my main plant as thick as my finger. I could do with more new shoots.

[bario1]

So the new shoots from the base are future fruiting 'canes' and should be left to develop right? Not cut off, otherwise my dad's going to end up with all old unproductive wood eventually?

[fluffybunnyuk]

yes. unless a seed from someplace else floated into the pot...
Wait for the shoots to develop into canes, then keep the best 50% and cut the spindly new growth that isnt vigorous.
If you mark your canes with colour for years i.e. red for year 1 , yellow for year 2 etc etc you'll know which canes to cut come year 6 when its time for chopping out old wood.
Your gonna need a bigger pot....so goes the film saying. Space for the new shoots to put down roots. I'm repotting mine with a small topping of fresh acidic brown stuff (the stuff it grows in whatever thats called) once the leaves drop, and the buds have set for next year and its been dormant a month.

I use this handy chart as a guide.http://files.tlhort.com/topicassets/...wth_stages.pdf


Time for those freshly baked blueberry muffins...

[It never rains..it pours]

From previous reading, its my understanding that new ground shoots from next to the crown, are a sign of a happy bush. Mine are putting up ground shoots this year and think it's because after 3 years, I have got the pH down with sulphur and using the right type of nitrogen
As for shoots or suckers further way from the crown, I have no ideas but link below maybe of use

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/plant-...ers-49288.html