Are blueberries hard to grow?

[Sunflowers20]

I eat an awful lot of blueberries and they are not the cheapest fruit, are they relatively easy to grow? Ive successfully grown chillies before but thats all?

[Bren In Pots]

First I'll say hello and welcome to the vine Sunflowers

As for blueberries I've not grown them so can't really help, instead here's a link to the vines growing guide. Hope this helps.

https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/ho...ng-blueberries

[greenishfing]

Hello and welcome. I have got a few blueberry bushes. They are not hard to grow at all as long as the soil conditions are right. Mine are in pots of ericaceous compost. I do have to net them against birds. However bear in mind the fruiting season is quite short. I freeze some of mine for winter use - crumble etc.

[Can the Man]

I got 3 blueberry bushes end of last season have them in large pots, and placed outside, apparently the need some cold weather according to a thread I asked on last year. I was told you need at least 2 for cross pollination so I got 3 different varieties. Hopefully we get some fruit this year. Must devise a way of keeping the birds away from them

[muckdiva]

Hi and welcome Sunflowers20 . They are pretty easy though the birds will strip them before your very eyes so netting is probably necessary. They are a pretty plant with nice autumn colour.

You need at least two plants for pollination (not sure if different varieties are better, mine are the same).

Pots of ericacious compost are good, or dig out a hole in the ground and fill with said compost.

They like to be kept well watered but don’t do as I did and drown them - they’ll die of that just as much as drought

I’ve heard that a periodic mulch with pine needles is good for them. Will do that this year. I did try manure on them one year and they sulked so not recommended...

Good luck!

[ecudc]

They are really pretty bushes and easy to grow as long as they are in ericatious (acidic) soil. I grow mine in pots but if you can grow rhododendrons you should be able to grow them in your soil. You may have to net them to stop birds (or plant so many you don't mind sharing). Keep them well watered.

[Mamzie]

Mine always seem to grow down and vanish - yet the mountains around us are covered in wild Wimberries - literally at one stage we lived with open ground other side of the road, could I get BlueBerries to grow in the garden - heck no...

Saying that just been gifted another couple last autumn and so still gonna try again

[Aberdeenplotter]

Mine are in ordinary garden soil !! It took a number of years for them to get used to it but now they crop really well. I have mine in a permanent fruit cage.

[SarrissUK]

I find them quite forgiving actually - mine's been in a pot that is too small for ages, but it's been cropping quite well still! My neighbour used to have a couple of bushes so I never bothered to get more, but I might do that now, as she has moved.

I hear coffee grounds are good for making the soil more ericaceous too!

[Kier]

acid soil is good
mulching is good, pine needles , dead leaves etc
full sun needed
two varieties
I prefer planting in the ground
get the largest berried plants, most rewarding
do not let them dry out , more mulching

[ESBkevin]

I have just the one bush potted in ericatous compost. It's been in the same pot for 5+ years and fruits really well. The fruit are a little on the small side mostly but bigger than peas. Given half a chance the birds will strip it in two days once the fruit approach ripeness.
This year cuttings will multipy the number of plants I have but they will remain potted in the back garden.
They seem easy to grow, I've basicly done nothing to it in years.

[broadway]

I have purchased 3 for the allotment however as it is a clay mud bath was thinking about growing them in large pots with a mix of chippings coffee grinds and compost. Would this be the better option?

I will be following the no-dig raised bed route for most of my other crops to circumvent the clay / flooding challenges.

[nickdub]

I have purchased 3 for the allotment however as it is a clay mud bath was thinking about growing them in large pots with a mix of chippings coffee grinds and compost. Would this be the better option?

I will be following the no-dig raised bed route for most of my other crops to circumvent the clay / flooding challenges.

Might be best to grow them in pots for a few years, but they will do better in the ground if you can get enough (ie barrow loads and barrow loads - preferably several dumper-truck loads) acid type material eg pine needle to provide the right soil type for them - depends on how much work you want to put in in the end - a soil testing kit to keep an eye on the acidity of your soil is the scientific way of seeing how progress is going, or you could plant one bush in the bed and use it as your litmus paper.

[broadway]

Thanks Nick fair point rear testing one will look at that later in the season.

I have some spare 20/30 litre pots so will start them in these.

[toomanytommytoes]

From what I've read, peat is pretty necessary for potted blueberries and there doesn't seem to be any reliable peat-free alternative. Standard ericaceous compost is just peat with no added lime and a bit of fertiliser. Melcourt make a peat-free ericaceous compost but its pH (5.8) is too high for blueberries which prefer 4.5-5.5 (https://www.melcourt.co.uk/wp-conten...Ericaceous.pdf). Pine needles are acidic but don't release that acidity to the soil (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B8-1sVcfzE).

We've got two young blueberries in pots which will be planted into the ground in early spring. The plan is to dig the holes and fill with an equal mix of soil and peat plus some sulphur chips, then mulch with whatever is on hand. Our soil is slightly acidic already, if yours is more alkaline then you may need to use a higher proportion of peat in the back fill. We don't plan on buying any more peat after the initial planting, and will keep the pH level down by applying sulphur chips.

You can check the general characteristics of your soil here - Soilscapes soil types viewer - National Soil Resources Institute. Cranfield University

Some links for blueberry growing info:

https://www.fallcreeknursery.com/hom...rs/how-to-grow
https://specialtycrops.agsci.colosta...rries-in-pots/