Blueberries

[lesleygl]

I want to grow some blueberries and have been looking around for a variety that will grow in our soil here in Bedford. The variety that looks OK is Nui, has anyone tried it and have you had any success?

[lesleygl]

I have another question as well. Is it true that Blueberries can only be watered by rainwater?

[sarraceniac]

I have another question as well. Is it true that Blueberries can only be watered by rainwater?

If your tapwater is alkaline, Lesley, it would be most unwise to water blueberries with it. But likewise if your rain water is alkaline ditto. Most UK rainwater is not alkaline, but then again, nor is most UK tap water.

Chemicals are added to tap water to 'purify' it for human consumption but they tend to be ones that have a slight acidifying effect like chlorine. In general though most people find that watering nearly all plants is a good thing and tap water is for many plants (like my beloved insectivores) poisonous over a mid to long period. Blueberries are fussy and I always use rainwater on mine if I have it. They don't suffer from tap water being used if I have to though, whereas sarracenias do.

[WrexTheDragon]

You need an acid soil to grow these, so first check out the soil if growing in the garden.

As sarraceniac says, they prefer rainwater as this is acidic, but can live with tap water in the summer if rainwater is not available. Does no harm to mine.

It is always a good thing to get three different plants (early, mid and late) gives a good range for the crop and helps in pollination, although they are self pollinating.

I have Nui and they are nice fruit.

[lesleygl]

Thank you for your advice, will check my rainwater for Bedford

[DaveJ]

I have successfully grown blueberries for a couple of years now. Yes they do need an acidic soil so I grow mine in containers and also use rainwater and they taste just divine.

[FB.]

Although they prefer acid soil, they seem to be "bog" plants - liking heavy, moist soil.
Since heavy soils can often be acidic (due to CO2 being absorbed into wet ground), then I suspect that simply making a boggy area would be adequate.
Certainly my three blueberry bushes are OK living in a semi-shaded part of the garden that remains damp and heavy all-year-round.
Although I water them occasionally during the summer, I don't use ericaceous compost, nor do I bother to feed them. But they grow slowly and fruit well. They are slightly troubled by scale, but otherwise trouble-free.
My blueberry growing is partly an experiment to see whether they can be grown without the need for special compost and special feeds. It seems fine so far - the bushes are several years old. In fact, they're just coming out of dormancy; leaf buds are beginning to open.
Blackbirds love them - my GoldtrauBe (?) and Patriot (?) lose half the crop to birds. Interestingly, my Darrow (?) has such large fruits that the birds can't get their beak around them to pull them off.