GardenBanter.co.uk - blueberries flowering.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sacha[_4_] (Post 951288)

On 2012-02-19 10:47:57 +0000, ashyboi5000
said:

I've got a small bluberry bush that I received in the middle of the cold
spell. With a plant that had been through he hardships of being
delivered in a box thought it would be best to keep inside to help it
heal and recover.

Unfortunately I've kept it in too long and it's now flowering! When the
flowering season should be June/July/August.

Would it be worthwhile cutting off the flowers to help promote stem
growth? Theory behind this is that more stems/branches will mean more
flowers and fruit later on in the season?

Any advise appreciated.

Depending on where you live, I'd plant it out now and let it sort
itself out. But it has probably been outside the whole time before it
was sent to you, so didn't need any coddling!
If where you live is still likely to get prolonged, severe frosts then
I'd keep it indoors, as it's been 'softened' into thinking it's a
houseplant! But leave it alone and then plant it out after the danger
of bad frost is past. You may or may not get fruit this year but I
don't think cutting the flowers off will help it to do better because
putting out flowers and then fruit uses up a lot of energy. You'd be
asking it to do one part of that process twice and that probably won't
work. Is your plant one of the self-fertile varieties? If not, you'll
need another to get fruit.
Blueberries / RHS Gardening
--
Sacha
Buy plants online, including rare and popular plant varieties from Hill House Nursery, mail order plant specialist
South Devon

Thanks. I'm Edinburgh so play on what stereotypes about weather you want! :P

It's now planted up outside in a pot, so will try and stop mollycoddling it.
Where I got it from says it can self fertilise but an other one would help, it's still £1.99 so there is a temptation to get one!