On 13/06/2013 22:59, David Hill wrote:
On 13/06/2013 21:12, David in Normandy wrote:
On 13/06/2013 21:36, David Hill wrote:
On 13/06/2013 19:46, 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?

Are you sure it's not a Willow of some sort?


Positive. The leaves and catkins are identical to those that show up on
a google image search for "blueberry catkins".

Sorry to still disagree with you, I think you were sold a pup.
I have checked the are three main types of blueberries — low-bush,
high-bush and rabbit-eye — all with fairly specific growing
requirements. But thanks to the work of hybridizers, new crosses are
much more forgiving. but none have catkins.
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/2010/...production.htm
explains about the male and female parts of the blueberry flower.
I agree that if you google Blueberry catkins it does show pictures, but
no explanation, and these 2 letters as part of a chain go with my idea
of it being a willow.

Strange flowers on blueberry
« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2013, 08:33:28 »Blueberries don't produce
catkins..but...in past I've had tree seeds settle amongst my shrubs and
those were very blueberry like when they started to grow. I suspect it
is some type of willow as I've seen the seeds 'fly' in big clouds in
wind during spring. Only way for them to stop their 'fly' is to get
court in undergrowth.. usually in the base of shrubs. The new growth
from these seed look very much like new growth on blueberries...straight
whippy growt...and the leaves are not that different neither, maybe just
slightly bigger. It is very easy to miss them and knowing how fast
willow grow..two year old 'seedling' start to be almost same size with
the blueberry bush.
Really irritating thing is...they are bugger to get rid of You know if
you have willow growing among your bush by cutting the odd one down and
if it soon sprout with good amount new growth..that it! Blueberries are
much slower to produce new growth. Logged
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squeezyjohn
Quarter Acre

Posts: 59

Strange flowers on blueberry
« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2013, 09:37:21 »Well - it's a bizarre coincidence
that 2 bushes had the same problem .... but you were right. After being
sure that the 2 things were coming from the same plant - I had a rootle
around to loosen the soil and gave a pull on the rogue element. It had
a separate root system so was obviously a different plant.

How bizarre for 2 of the 3 bushes have that happen in one year! And by
a plant that has such similar stems & leaves.

Thanks for the advice Logged

David @ the damp and now wind free side of Swansea Bay

I'm beginning to think you must be right. The catkins on my tree match
those given on a google search of "blueberry catkins" BUT the associated
posts with that follow a similar trend to those in this thread i.e. that
it isn't a blueberry and the guy bought a "cuckoo". Looks like I've got
the same cuckoo! It is likely the mistake was made at the plant nursery
that grew the plant. Erm... do you think if if I dug up the 12 feet tall
tree and took it back that they'd swap it? LOL


--
David in Normandy.