Blueberry Bushes

[Jenegade]

I just bought two Blueberry bushes today, yay! I'm going to grow them in pots, will re-pot them in January.

But I was wondering whether they need to be protected from our cold weather up here? They were in the poly tunnel at the garden centre and have a few buds growing on them, will they be ok if I wrap some bubblewrap around them just now? Don't want them to die!

Thanks!

[happybunny]

We got a blueberry bush from my auntie YAY

This thread will be useful cos i dunno

[Tam]

I should protect them until the spring and then plant them out. From then on they should be all right and should not need protection where you are - I have seen them growing well much further north than Ayrshire. Just remember they need an acid soil and dampness (This should be no problem in the west !)

[realfood]

My blueberries in Glasgow have never had any protection and they are facing North West.

[kitchengardner]

I just bought two Blueberry bushes today, yay! I'm going to grow them in pots, will re-pot them in January.

But I was wondering whether they need to be protected from our cold weather up here? They were in the poly tunnel at the garden centre and have a few buds growing on them, will they be ok if I wrap some bubblewrap around them just now? Don't want them to die!

Thanks!

They will be fine to plant out now (make sure you use ericacious compost) as long as you pick a sunny late morning and lightly water in with lukewarm water (to minimise risk of the soil freezing). Make sure you put the pots in a sheltered but sunny spot, and raise them off the floor (eg on pot stand or a couple of bricks) - this greatly reduces the risk of the roots freezing. If you are in a colder area of the country than me (I'm in Essex) I'd also recommend wrapping the pot in bubble wrap for insulation, and putting a mulch of straw on the top (leave a small hole to water through)

Hope this helps

Kitchen Gardener

[Jenegade]

Well I'm in the middle of the countryside in central Scotland, gets quite cold, has been minus temperatures during the day, never mind at night, this last week!

Have wrapped up the blueberry bushes for the moment, didn't want to expose them to the frost as they've been sheltered in a polytunnel all winter at the garden centre.

Thanks for all your advice!

[miffy]

I have a little blueberry bush, have put bubble wrap on the little fella and he was fine last year and this. Good tip too, put a top dressing of pine needles on the top of the soil as they love the acid from them, i had enough berries last year to have on my cereals, good luck with yours.

[sarflo]

Can blueberry bushes be moved? I have a new plot next to my old one which will be mainly fruit. I want all my bluberry bushes together which involves moving two 3 or 4 year old bushes.

[FB.]

I don't see any reason why you can't move them while they are dormant. During winter, many fruit plants are dug up and sold as "bare rooted".

[hcraft]

Slightly off topic I know, but some books say two blueberry bushes are necessary to get crops. Is this the case? Thing is I only have space for 1. What do you find?

Cheers

[pigletwillie]

They need cold for them to produce fruit. Do not protect them, let them have as much frost as is available. I have 18 in the ground and the colder the winter, the more berries I get. There is a thread on them in the "growing Techniques" board which will blow away a few misconceptions and easy to make mistakes.

[Jenegade]

I've been told by several people that you should have more than one Blueberry bush as they will poduce more fruit this way.

PW I think I'll take the bubblewrap protection off my Blueberries tommorrow and re-pot (nowhere to plant in the ground at the moment), hopefully I'll get a great crop off them!

I read somewhere bout the pine needles too Miffy, will go collect some soon for them!

[FB.]

I have three blueberries. I think they're Patriot, Darrow and GoldtrauBe. I bought three for pollination purposes, although two might have been sufficient.
Mine flower at different times (one of them has almost finished flowering before one of the others even starts). They produce adequate numbers of fruits (until the birds steal them), yet I have never seen any pollinating insects near them. The flowers also seem too small for a bee to get into.
I am assuming that the berries mine produce are largely self-pollinated.

[Tam]

If the plants were grown under cover before you bought them, and many are, I should certainly give them some protection for there first winter. They would be unlikely to die but you might kill the first buds that may have formed prematurely in the polytunnel and you would retard the first year's growth.

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

My Blueberries have never been uncover. Came straight home and put them in pots - wind, rain, sleet, heavy frosts, never does them any harm. They are hardy. Pigletwillie - 18 blueberries - I thought I was bad at 10