Blueberry plant from one of the Pound Shops

[Runtpuppy]

So...
Last year, at some point in spring, we were in one of the cheap pound shops and I saw they were selling blueberry plants. I had only been in the UK for about 8-9 months at that point. You could say I was a bit naive. I thought to myself, 'Oooo, a blueberry plant for just a pound! I must 'ave it!'.

I picked out one that seemed the bushiest and greenest, and got it home. When I opened the packaging, I realised they had taken twigs and stuck them in mud. The reason why mine seemed bushier was because it was 3 twigs stuck in mud, instead of just 1.

'Oh, well...', I thought, 'At least I only wasted a pound on it.'

Because the twigs had *some* roots growing (I imagine someone tried to root them, saw a couple of fibres coming out and decided that was it), I put them in a 9cm pot with some soil. I don't think I even bothered getting ericaceous compost for them.

Two of the twigs dried out and died, but one remained green. No foliage, but the stem was green. I hate to throw away anything that looks alive, so I kept it. Even wrapped that little pot in bubble wrap come winter, purely because I was doing it to the other plants.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw it had some tiny buds. 'We've got ourselves a little fighter', I thought to meself.

Today, I looked at it again... It has 2-3 flowers growing! The frikking thing doesn't have any leaves to speak of but one blooming flower. I can't stop laughing!

[nickdub]

Good job well done.

I buy a few plants from the £1 places if I see something I fancy - I reckon most of it is OK when it first goes on display but because the plants have started to dry out as soon as they are packaged and the stores are generally very warm and dry, you only have a few days before it is mostly dead.

Aldi had a quite a good offer on plug plants this year and I bought 3 or 4 packs of 6 which are growing away well, but when I went back to the store a week or so later, virtually all the rest, say 300 packs, were dead.

[Runtpuppy]

Thanks! But that's the thing... I didn't do anything! When I put it in the pot, it was simply because I wanted to make sure it was quite dead before I threw it out. It wasn't even like it was looking a bit sorry. It literally didn't have any roots. I am beginning to develop a bit of fondness and admiration for the tenacious little fellow.

You'd think they'd have some sort of system to take care of plants in the shop, wouldn't you? I mean, dead and drying plants must mean a loss for them. Why would they have 100s of plants sitting on shelves and not bother to make sure they at least look alive enough for someone to buy?

[nickdub]

The Aldi thing was odd all round this time really as they usually put all their plants next to the entrance - but these plug plants were in a huge box on the opposite front corner of the store where you more or less had to know they were there to get them - I only found them by chance.

What was worse from the life span POV was that they were near a large window and were getting cooked when there was any sun.

BTW I usually examine the roots of any cheapo plants I find in stores before buying - as you say you got lucky, but as there's usually several plants of the same type, I just go through them til I find one that's OK - I try and be tidy and put everything back as it was.

[Losos]

Why would they have 100s of plants sitting on shelves and not bother to make sure they at least look alive enough for someone to buy?

I think it's called 'loss leaders' in the trade probably don't pay very much for them and even if the whole lot die they are not loosing much.

But if only a few survive (as yours appears to have done) then it's a constant reminder not only of the little blighters grim determination to grow but also where you got it, and for the store that is the important thing, making sure you always remember where you bought it so there's a good chance you'll go back there again

As it happens my wife did much the same back in early March, she had some ericacious compost (left over from some other use) and a nice big pot and she plonked it in, lo and behold it's also doing quite well, has leaves and even maybe one flower bud. I doubt we'll get any Blueberries of it this year but it's something to look forward to

[Runtpuppy]

The Aldi thing was odd all round this time really as they usually put all their plants next to the entrance - but these plug plants were in a huge box on the opposite front corner of the store where you more or less had to know they were there to get them - I only found them by chance.

What was worse from the life span POV was that they were near a large window and were getting cooked when there was any sun.

BTW I usually examine the roots of any cheapo plants I find in stores before buying - as you say you got lucky, but as there's usually several plants of the same type, I just go through them til I find one that's OK - I try and be tidy and put everything back as it was.

I guess it depends on the employee. If they treat the plants like any other merchandise, they probably won't be too bothered about their well-being and ideal conditions. In your case, they may just have put 'the stock' there to be dealt with later.

I probably should have checked the roots, but like I said... naive. The way it was packed was quite thorough, as well. There was a handful of soil wrapped in plastic, and the whole thing was in a box. Idiot-me couldn't have made out the roots anyway... which is why I went for the greenest looking stems.

Lesson learned, though!

[Runtpuppy]

I think it's called 'loss leaders' in the trade probably don't pay very much for them and even if the whole lot die they are not loosing much.

But if only a few survive (as yours appears to have done) then it's a constant reminder not only of the little blighters grim determination to grow but also where you got it, and for the store that is the important thing, making sure you always remember where you bought it so there's a good chance you'll go back there again

As it happens my wife did much the same back in early March, she had some ericacious compost (left over from some other use) and a nice big pot and she plonked it in, lo and behold it's also doing quite well, has leaves and even maybe one flower bud. I doubt we'll get any Blueberries of it this year but it's something to look forward to

You're probably right! The thing is, with me, the fact that will stick is that there were no roots! :| I thought they were trying to make money by sticking the branches they pruned into some soil and selling it.

Oh, that's great! Your wife must be thrilled. I'm hoping mine will grow a bit this year. It's still the same size as well I bought it. Some new leaves so some hope yet. I'll proly cut off the flower and the buds, once I'm done laughing. It's a little runt, anyway, let's not put the fruit burden on it, at least this year.

[Bluenowhere]

He is a little fighter. Hopefully he grows to be big and strong (eventually).

[Runtpuppy]

He is a little fighter. Hopefully he grows to be big and strong (eventually).

Fingers crossed

[Losos]

anyway, let's not put the fruit burden on it, at least this year.

Yes agree, since my wife purchased it then it is still 'officialy' hers so I have to be careful about handing out 'advice'

[Snowwhyte]

I bought a £1 blueberry 2 years ago. It was pretty much just a stick but now it's a few feet tall and I'm hoping this year i might get some blueberries. I bought another one this year and planted it. It looks dead but so did the last one so I'm still hopeful it will grow.

[mrbadexample]

I like a "trier" too. So how about rewarding it and repotting it with some nice fresh ericaceous compost?

[Runtpuppy]

I bought a £1 blueberry 2 years ago. It was pretty much just a stick but now it's a few feet tall and I'm hoping this year i might get some blueberries. I bought another one this year and planted it. It looks dead but so did the last one so I'm still hopeful it will grow.

Oh wow, that's great! Good luck with your new plant. I'm hoping mine will grow a bit as well this year.

I like a "trier" too. So how about rewarding it and repotting it with some nice fresh ericaceous compost?

I would've but I'm kinda scared that disturbing it might kill it :-S I keep feeding it in the little pot, though. If it lasts till the end of the year, I'll repot it while it's sleeping to a slightly bigger container.

Of course, if it shows massive growth in the next couple of months, I might repot it sooner!

[cwmmawr]

I bought a apache chilli from my local aldi for under a pound I think and got a really good harvest just as good as my seed sown ones

[Runtpuppy]

I bought a apache chilli from my local aldi for under a pound I think and got a really good harvest just as good as my seed sown ones

Oh, that's fantastic. I want to grow chillies (I use them a lot in curries and my coriander chutney) but for some reason, they intimidate me. Haven't even tried growing them.