On Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:11:38 +0200, David in Normandy wrote:

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=blueberry
+catkins&btnG=Search&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.

Have a read of
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/...?topic=52376.0

Blueberry fruits come from white flowers.

http://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/images/75/
blueberry_bluecrop_flower_001.jpg

I don't see how you can get blueberry fruits from catkins!

Cheers

Dave R

snip


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=blueberry
+catkins&btnG=Search&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.

Have a read of
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/...?topic=52376.0

Blueberry fruits come from white flowers.

http://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/images/75/
blueberry_bluecrop_flower_001.jpg

I don't see how you can get blueberry fruits from catkins!


Oops!

Try http://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/Blueberry_Bush_Bluecrop/ for the
proper picture.

IMHO your catkin is not part of the blueberry, and the links for the Google
query on 'blueberry catkins' agree.

Some serious investigation needed - you may have a cuckoo in your garden.

Cheers

Dave R

On 13/06/2013 22:26, David.WE.Roberts wrote:
On Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:11:38 +0200, David in Normandy wrote:

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=blueberry
+catkins&btnG=Search&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.

Have a read of
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/...?topic=52376.0

Blueberry fruits come from white flowers.

http://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/images/75/
blueberry_bluecrop_flower_001.jpg

I don't see how you can get blueberry fruits from catkins!

Cheers

Dave R


You've got me wondering now! The image I found on Google for "Blueberry
catkins" apparently belonged to someone else who looked like they ended
up with something other than a blueberry! My catkins look just like
his... so I've got the same plant he'd got - whatever it is! Wonder if
there was a nursery cock-up somehow and the seedlings / young plants
look similar to another (weed) tree?


--
David in Normandy.