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Hello All, just found this forum and I'd like to ask please about Blueberries. Ten years or more ago , I bought 'Top Hat' BB which were regularly offered in lots of 3 , in Sunday papers etc . Its a patio bush blueberry , promising to be a manageable 1.5ft high. They arrived mail order as about 8" tall, and two out of 3 were in poor conditon . I thought I'd give it a go for a few months , but finally decided to complain, as two had all but died . The company sent me three more ,. Great condition this time, so now I had 4 healthy little plants. (The significant thing, is that they were two different deliveries, around a season apart) .
Fast forward a few years and I had 4 healthy bushes around 2,5ft high,(inc pot) repotted twice into slightly bigger pots each time . A foot higher than expected, but that was ok , I had space and of course more fruit! These had to be securely netted which was difficult as the net caught on the twiggy bits all the time , but I could physically do it.
Fast forward to 2020 and the 4 are in 2ft pots and 6.5 ft high (inc pot) and 5ft wide. Direct netting them fully is now impossible and I havent the space available to build a cage .
I have three questions -- Has anyone else got 'Top Hat ' - how big did they grow? Secondly as my plants were in two lots months apart, the huge size is less likely to be a nursery error and more likely something Ive done perhaps? I repotted several times when I thought they needed it , topped up with fresh 1" of compost yearly , and fed them every fortnight during Spring/Summer.
The pots are now beginning to look rootbound again and the compost level is aready at the top , so I can't top up any more. As long as I feed, will they still survive in these same size pots as a) I dont fancy the cost of four more even bigger pots, and 2) I'm afraid they will grow even bigger ! Im now feeding them half strength every week as any less , they show signs of underfeeding (red spots on leaves etc) Interested in any views on my monsters please.
Fast forward a few years and I had 4 healthy bushes around 2,5ft high,(inc pot) repotted twice into slightly bigger pots each time . A foot higher than expected, but that was ok , I had space and of course more fruit! These had to be securely netted which was difficult as the net caught on the twiggy bits all the time , but I could physically do it.
Fast forward to 2020 and the 4 are in 2ft pots and 6.5 ft high (inc pot) and 5ft wide. Direct netting them fully is now impossible and I havent the space available to build a cage .
I have three questions -- Has anyone else got 'Top Hat ' - how big did they grow? Secondly as my plants were in two lots months apart, the huge size is less likely to be a nursery error and more likely something Ive done perhaps? I repotted several times when I thought they needed it , topped up with fresh 1" of compost yearly , and fed them every fortnight during Spring/Summer.
The pots are now beginning to look rootbound again and the compost level is aready at the top , so I can't top up any more. As long as I feed, will they still survive in these same size pots as a) I dont fancy the cost of four more even bigger pots, and 2) I'm afraid they will grow even bigger ! Im now feeding them half strength every week as any less , they show signs of underfeeding (red spots on leaves etc) Interested in any views on my monsters please.
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