On 13/06/2013 20:36, 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.
And at the bottom of the cluster of pictures has one of what the flowers
actually look like. Inverted small white single tulip shaped lampshades
over a pale green style and stamen. A bit like wild bilberry but growing
a fair bit taller. Mine did not enjoy last summer at all.
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.
A pair always crops better provided that there are insects about when
they flower which is a problem this year! I got zero gooseberries!!!
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
Basically if it has catkins then it is not blueberry.
Go and play hell with the garden centre that sold it to you.
(even better if you still have the label as proof of purchase)
--
Regards,
Martin Brown