Blueberry question

[Dorothy rouse]

I have bought a reasonable sized Blueberry, intend to grow in pot, have bought ericacious compost, do I use just the pure compost, or add ordinary compost/ soil to it?

I threw away two blueberry bushes at the end of last summer, cos they died!

Thanks

[lottie dolly]

Only the ericacious compost,mine have been doing well in large cut off blue barells,some drainage holes,a few brick ends,and stood on a slab,to stop the horse tail,they are lovely productive plants,only use rain water,and i top up with new compost every year,

[bario1]

Most ericaceous compost is too light, mix it 50/50 with John Innes soil-based ericaceous compost, or you'll end up with top heavy pots.

[Dorothy rouse]

Love the Vine, guaranteed to get 2 conflicting views when you ask a question! I'll see what further comments there are then go with the majority!

[bario1]

I don't disagree with LD, my suggestion is just to help with stablity - it's all still ericaceous!

[cheapskate chaz]

I lost three plants at the cost of £17 EACH! then someone I met through work mentioned placing your pots in trays always filled with water and place small rough gravel around the plant! keeps Vine Weavils away as 1, they can`t swin, and 2, they don`t like laying their eggs on the gravel, so far it`s worked!

BTW, now`s the time to give them a feed.

[Dorothy rouse]

I was just going to stand them on the earth at the allotment, the pot sunk a little bit in the ground so it won't blow over.

[veggiechicken]

I plant mine in the soil and let them get on with it! No mollycoddling here

[cheops]

Every autumn I add loosely shredded cuttings from a pine tree around the base of the blueberry bushes.. Anyone know if I am wasting my time?

[Dorothy rouse]

I plant mine in the soil and let them get on with it! No mollycoddling here

Mine died when I did that, despite eracacious compost! So thought I'd mollycoddle them.

[happyhumph]

Another thing I'd add is keep them out of the wind - I gave up on mine as they'd grow beautifully, then over winter the wind would cut them back and they'd have to start again so never got to a good size.

[Penellype]

Mine are in pots - the bigger one in what is probably a 40 litre pot and the smaller one in a 25 litre one. I used just ericaceous compost when I planted them and they live on wheeled trolleys. They have never blown over, although I must admit that my garden is fairly sheltered.

I always water them with rain water as we have hard water in York. As soon as the leaf buds open I put trays under the pots as they really don't like to dry out but don't mind standing in water. The bushes are 3 and 5 years old, and seem perfectly happy with this treatment.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Agreed Penellype exactly the way I treated mine until SWMBO ask me to change to raspberries.

[Kirk]

I used pure ericacious compost, it was haevy enough, equally the pot was big. The stuff seems to compost down a bit anyway so ends up denser then what came out the bag. Also the soaking of the compost with water - rain water only - adds weight

Use rain water as they really dislike tap water.

Mine is now in a nice big bed of its own as part of a boarder/wall construction that is about 18x30 inches and 15 inches deep. That had another large bag of ericasious compost added that was big enough to cause me to pull a back muscle. Had to buy a sack trolly to get the second one out of the car boot.

They do like being damp/wet at all times - part of the reason for the bigger bed for it. The other part of the reason was to upset the blackbirds, I might get some of the blueberries this year round as it is now closer to the house.

[lottie dolly]

took a pic today of mine,following advice from a very nice person on here,i did it through my Libra office,BUT,only this one would upload,very odd.