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Planting Blueberry Bushes

gryphongryphon Posts: 17
in Fruit & veg

Hi, I hope to have a bit of ground ready to attempt my first ever try at growing. I will be buying 5 mixed 2 year old Blueberry bushes. I've done a bit of reading into planting, some say not to plant till October.

Being 2 year old bushes i should be able to plant any time can't .

Also any tips for a first time grower of Blueberries.

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Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391

    I grow all of mine in large containers in a mix which includes ericaceous compost gryphon as they require acid soil and mine is neutral.  If you do have acid soil (pH 4.5 is ideal) then they need good drainage and a lot of organic material.  What kind of soil do you have?

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • gryphongryphon Posts: 17

    Bob, digging the ground over it looks fine. I am waiting on the arrival of a pH tester before i make the final decision. 

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391

    Fingers crossed on the pH testing results. image  If it is only slightly acidic you can add a lot of ericaceous compost to lower the pH but soil will always revert to it's natural pH over time so you will have to mulch with more ericaeous compost each year.  If your soil is alkaline then that method won't work well and you would be best to use containers.  The bushes need a lot of nitrogen at the beginning of their life to promote strong new growth and then you can use a liquid ericaceous plant food later to help produce good crops.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • gryphongryphon Posts: 17

    If my soil is ok am i ok to plant in the next couple of weeks.

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391

    Yep, you can plant potted bushes at any time.  Keep them well watered as blueberries should never be allowed to dry out and it can take some time for the roots to grow into the surrounding soil after being in a pot.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 16,526

    Acid soil needed. More than one variety for cross pollination. Nets to stop birds eating them before you do.

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 30
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  • gryphongryphon Posts: 17

    Well, it looks like i'm getting conflicting pH readings along the first patch i intend to use. Stuck the meter in at several different points, i'm getting a few readings of 4/5 a couple at 6 and a few at 1/2. It might be the meter.

  • LynLyn Posts: 21,340
    scroggin wrote (see)
    I bought some blueberry plants from Lidl 2 yrs ago, unnamed variety, after reading about needing different varieties for cross pollination I wasn't sure I would get fruit but I have had a great crop this yr, there maybe other bushes growing close by but none in the immediate vicinity. I did follow the advice on ericaceous compost and grow mine in pots. They taste much sweeter than shop bought ones .

    I bought one of those to go with the ones I already have, which is Top Hat from Parkers, the Lidls one had no name but the berries are much bigger than the top hat.

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

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