Now it's 4 years old, it probably does need a bit of pruning. Berries grow on wood made last year, so you want to encourage new shoots and remove old unproductive ones:
Like others, I also recommend you get it a friend as self-fertile ones will always do much better if cross-pollinated. Do use an ericacious feed as normal feed may not be taken-up well in ericacious soil.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
When you say cut it back hard, what do you mean? If you mean cut it back correctly, yes, go for it. But if you mean hack at it until all the branches are shortened, NO! Get a book, take advice, find someone to show you.
Here in W Wales we had the best blueberry year ever. The plants are in pots and stand in water.
I don't see anyone saying to cut it back hard - just remove any dead/damaged shoots and maybe one of the oldest stems right down to the base, to encourage new shoots to grow from the base.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
soz gardeners poetic licence! i just meant take maybe a third of last year's growth to tidy it and keep compact. I have an itchy secateur finger and need to do something! or at least plan ahead
interesting link santaslittlehelper checked it out and i will definately buy another on this year-it was a present from harrogate spring show off mum so we'll have to visit again this year
well, just been outside for a half hour and trimmed blueberry, cut back crocosmia and pulled a few bittercress stuff out -i think. crocosmias have new shoots and it does look better. will need to get to back of border soon to cut back other perennials but feel good now. hubby laughing at me as it's cold, wet and windy-Ohh the joy of gardening!!
Oh dear Budlia, I wish I had come back before you did your pruning. It was not correct to cut off any of this/last year's growth. The pruning should have been confined to the twiggy old stuff. I hope you haven't cut off 2013 fruit!
You don't say if you have high-bush blueberries or low-bush. High-bush are meant to be tall, not compact!
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now end of year and i'm thinking do i cut back hard or not? what do you think dainti?
Now it's 4 years old, it probably does need a bit of pruning. Berries grow on wood made last year, so you want to encourage new shoots and remove old unproductive ones:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingblueberries1.shtml
Like others, I also recommend you get it a friend as self-fertile ones will always do much better if cross-pollinated. Do use an ericacious feed as normal feed may not be taken-up well in ericacious soil.
When you say cut it back hard, what do you mean? If you mean cut it back correctly, yes, go for it. But if you mean hack at it until all the branches are shortened, NO! Get a book, take advice, find someone to show you.
Here in W Wales we had the best blueberry year ever. The plants are in pots and stand in water.
I don't see anyone saying to cut it back hard - just remove any dead/damaged shoots and maybe one of the oldest stems right down to the base, to encourage new shoots to grow from the base.
Budlia63 did and he/she is the OP.
soz gardeners poetic licence! i just meant take maybe a third of last year's growth to tidy it and keep compact. I have an itchy secateur finger
and need to do something! or at least plan ahead
Having looked at the picture-it seems to be growing in the border and has lots of side of side shoots
I just think it is being crowded out
I grow mine in large tubs -never had a problem fruiting
I feel it is in the wrong place-might just be worth starting over and growing in a container.
interesting link santaslittlehelper checked it out and i will definately buy another on this year-it was a present from harrogate spring show off mum so we'll have to visit again this year
well, just been outside for a half hour and trimmed blueberry, cut back crocosmia and pulled a few bittercress stuff out -i think. crocosmias have new shoots and it does look better. will need to get to back of border soon to cut back other perennials but feel good now. hubby laughing at me as it's cold, wet and windy-Ohh the joy of gardening!!
Oh dear Budlia, I wish I had come back before you did your pruning. It was not correct to cut off any of this/last year's growth. The pruning should have been confined to the twiggy old stuff. I hope you haven't cut off 2013 fruit!
You don't say if you have high-bush blueberries or low-bush. High-bush are meant to be tall, not compact!