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?
--
David in Normandy.

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?

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

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?

I planted 2 bushes last fall, they do have berries on them this spring.
Mine is a self pollinating type.

They do need acid soil, I assume you've got that?



--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

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.

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".

--
David in Normandy.

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.

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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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

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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

On 13/06/2013 22:07, David in Normandy wrote:
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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


It's surprising just where Pussy Willow will appear, and they grow so fast.

On 14/06/2013 00:04, David Hill wrote:

It's surprising just where Pussy Willow will appear, and they grow so fast.

I've spent the last couple of hours doing interactive tree
identification and the closest match so far is a goat willow - Salix
caprea. Though the underside of the leaves isn't silver nor furry. The
female catkins are a perfect match though. The leaf shape is a match too.

--
David in Normandy.

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

Catkins? Mine has smallish flowers. Roughly like single petal tulips and
actually only just in flower. But it needs a mate that flowers at the
same time and is a different cultivar to get a decent fruit set.

If your flowers are as late as mine you could still nip off to a garden
centre and get it a mate so you get fruit this year!

suggestions on what is wrong or should I just take the chainsaw to it
and convert it into firewood?

Invest in a second one and all will be fine (apart from having to net it
to keep the birds from eating them before you do).

I have even more bother keeping them off the jostaberries.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

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