On 13/06/2013 21:36, David.WE.Roberts wrote:
On Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:46:21 +0200, David in Normandy wrote:

Anyone have success growing blueberries? I must be doing something
wrong. Planted a bush 7 years ago "Bluecrop" and after 7 years I have a
very healthy 10 feet tall bushy tree that has never had a single fruit
on it! Every spring it has lots of catkins, but that's all. Any
suggestions on what is wrong or should I just take the chainsaw to it
and convert it into firewood?

Catkins?

Well, I guess from the pictures there are cascades of flowers but to me
catkins are fluffy lambs tails on wind pollinated trees.

http://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/B...Bush_Bluecrop/

says that it is self fertile.

Probably worth getting another bush or two of different varieties to cross
fertilise just in case.

No problems with lack of insects at pollination time?

I have a (nameless) blueberry which I rescued from the allotment (wrong
kind of soil) and it is growing well and cropping in a pot on the patio.

I have just acquired another two rescued blueberries from another garden
which seem quite well grown but are not cropping at all.
We shall see what they do next year.

I assume that it is growing in acid soil?

If not, it may grow but not fruit well.

However, if it is flowering and known to be self fertile then pollination
seems to be the issue.

Next year, get your pollinator in your hand and give it a good going
over :-)

Cheers

Dave R


I'll check the pH, the soil may not be acid enough.

I googled the catkins and what I get seems normal:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=blu...ch&hl=en&gbv=1

I bought the plant from a garden centre and still have the label for it;
so in addition to the catkins it looks definitely like the real plant.
The leaves also look the same as on the label.
--
David in Normandy.