Blueberries...how?
 

Hi all,

my 6-year old daughter has discovered a taste for blueberies - ideal for her
mid-morning snack at school and highly nutritious. I love 'em too. Just
wondered if anyone has had any success in growing their own as they're so
expensive to buy. If so, what's the best way to go about it?

Jo

Jo wrote:
:: Hi all,
::
:: my 6-year old daughter has discovered a taste for blueberies -
:: ideal for her mid-morning snack at school and highly nutritious.
:: I love 'em too. Just wondered if anyone has had any success in
:: growing their own as they're so expensive to buy. If so, what's
:: the best way to go about it?
::
:: Jo

Google brought up these:

{some basic care info}
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile...berry_care.asp

{supplier of plants}
http://www.chrisbowers.co.uk/blueberries.asp

And:
http://www.suffolkblues.co.uk/

They certainly seem to require a very acidic soil, so your first port of
call would be to get a soil testing kit and see if your soil is suitably
acidic.

HTH

"Jo" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

my 6-year old daughter has discovered a taste for blueberies -

I've developed similar taste, and found lots of inf on the net. Popular in
the States. The Dorsetshire Blueberry Co produces over twenty tons a year
here in UK. I splashed out and bought two plants at Gordale
Nurseries,Wirral- a few weeks ago. Not cheap at £7.95 each but they are now
bursting with life, loads of new growth and look like they're going to do
the biz. Sainsburys sell small packs of fruit (Chilean) at high prices but
sometimes cheaper when they reach sell by date. I've been buying those and
sowing the seeds into compost trays at home and squelching the overdone ones
into the soil at my caravan site in Cheshire. Very cold periods in winter
and acid soil which is just what they like. Watch this space and I'll report
if any germinate (but there's a lot of bird life there too).
DaveK.

On Thu, 31 Mar 2005 23:17:10 +0100, "Jo"
wrote:

my 6-year old daughter has discovered a taste for blueberies - ideal for her
mid-morning snack at school and highly nutritious. I love 'em too. Just
wondered if anyone has had any success in growing their own as they're so
expensive to buy. If so, what's the best way to go about it?

Jo

I have two plants in pots, one which has fruited for the last 2 years
and a smaller one which has not flowered yet, but looks as though it
will this year. I have to keep them potted as my soil is wrong for
them. I only got a few each day during the fruiting period but that's
not bad for smallish plants. They like acid soil and plenty of water.
It will be interesting to see how Dave's experiment goes with growing
from seed.

Pam in Bristol

Jo wrote:

Hi all,

my 6-year old daughter has discovered a taste for blueberies - ideal for her
mid-morning snack at school and highly nutritious. I love 'em too. Just
wondered if anyone has had any success in growing their own as they're so
expensive to buy. If so, what's the best way to go about it?

They will grow quite nicely on a patio in 12-14" pots of ericaceous
compost (or in the ground if you have an acid soil). You need two
different cultivars to get a fruit set - not self fertile.

You get a few punnets per year mostly all in a couple of weeks glut.
Require almost no maintainence apart from watering with rainwater - they
hate lime!

Worth looking round the garden centres for them (or mail order). The low
growing wild UK species of bilberry isn't bad either but more for pies.
you don't grow them yourself but go up on the moors to pick them...

Regards,
Martin Brown

On Fri, 01 Apr 2005 09:27:45 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:


They will grow quite nicely on a patio in 12-14" pots of ericaceous
compost (or in the ground if you have an acid soil). You need two
different cultivars to get a fruit set - not self fertile.

Not necessarily, Martin. As I said, and this has come up in discussion
before, it does not seem to be the case that they are not self-
fertile. I have had fruit on mine for two years without another plant.
I have now acquired another small one. I feel sure nobody near me
grows them.

Pam in Bristol

Pam Moore wrote:

Not necessarily, Martin. As I said, and this has come up in discussion
before, it does not seem to be the case that they are not self-
fertile. I have had fruit on mine for two years without another plant.

The label on the one I bought recently says that they are self-fertile
but you get more fruit per bush if you have more than one.

Rhiannon

Rhiannon Macfie Miller wrote:

Pam Moore wrote:

Not necessarily, Martin. As I said, and this has come up in discussion
before, it does not seem to be the case that they are not self-
fertile. I have had fruit on mine for two years without another plant.

The label on the one I bought recently says that they are self-fertile
but you get more fruit per bush if you have more than one.

I think it depends on the cultivar. Some of the modern varieties are
partially self fertile but will still give a better fruit set if there
is another different clone nearby as pollenator. Mine are almost in
flower now as is the first nashi (Asian pear).

Regards,
Martin Brown