Blueberry

[Elaine]

I would like to grow a Blueberry bush in my back garden but it will have to be in a pot. Is this a good idea or not?

If so, any advice as to which variety and growing conditions would be much appreciated. I've read lots of stuff from all sorts of sites and catalogues until I'm completely befuddled. (having an increasingly worrying amount of "senior moments" this past year...)

[Westi]

I've got 3 in pots Elaine & all fruiting but are quite small so think I'll pot them into bigger pots next year to let them grow a bit bigger & hopefully get more fruit. (I probably would have enough fruit but dog likes them - I monitor them closely for ripening, think 1 or 2 more days then go to get them & zilch!)

Westi

[Geoff]

The usual advice is more than one of different varieties.

[Johnboy]

Because Blueberries prefer soil on the acidic side some professional growers living in alkali soil areas grow them in tubs threequartes buried in the soil.
I would suggest that small patio pots around 12" or even larger diameter using ericacious compost.
JB.

[Ricard with an H]

I've read lots of stuff from all sorts of sites and catalogues until I'm completely befuddled. (having an increasingly worrying amount of "senior moments" this past year...)

I would like to latch on to this 'thing' about "growing in pots". I grow things in pots just like most people though because our garden centre bloke always encourages me to get things in the ground I have done comparisons. This "Bloke" I refer to is a horticulturist rather than a retail outlet, he happily sells me those lovely large clay pots but with regular warnings.

For obvious reason some plants are better in pots and this may be the case for blueberries, don't we-all grow our mint in pots to keep it under control ? And then we have those plants we want by the back door or the patio.

For two years I grew parsley in pots and in the ground, in pots is ok but in the ground is better, then there is the borage. In pots it is sad. In the ground it thrives. I'm also told my tarragon won't be happy in pots, it is growing in pots and the ones in the ground have yet to impress me though they are already marginally better.

I'm keen to grow blueberries though I'll wait until I have suitable ground and we are quite acidic in this area.

The parsley in the bed had a massive picking, it was twice the hight and bushiness of the potted one which is ok. The borage tells its own story, I have two pots of borage, both have a lot less leaf and flower than the borage in the ground though the flowers in the pots are better than the show of leaves.

I'm not sticking my neck out on this issue just sharing my recent concerns and experience last year and this year. I have lemon balm in pots, it doesn't do well, in the ground it grows like mint and takes over.

[PLUMPUDDING]

If you grow blueberries in pots use a plastic pot of a decent size, ericaceous compost, and stand them in a deepish tray. They like to be kept on the moist side, so don't let them dry out if you want a good crop. Also be ready to put a net over them because the blackbirds will eat the lot given the chance. I usually add a handful of slow release fertilizer pellets - Osmacote - to the compost when planting them.

[retropants]

I have mine in a large plastic pot as above. the blackbirds have never bothered with the few berries that are normally produced. until this year, I actually saw a juvenile bb sitting atop the bush eating the lot!

[Ricard with an H]

Well blow-me PP, you've given me an idea thats worth a try with my patio pots.

The problem for me is finding suitable things to sit the clay pots in, I have a couple of those glazed clay bowls about ten to twelve inches in diameter but I don't know where they came from. Presumably not for lavender and rosemary though I lost rosemary last year to drying-out.

Clay pots are great for us over-watering fiends but they do dry out quickly in warm or windy weather.

Isn't there a gadget to buy that you poke into the soil/compost that tells you how dry or wet it is. I know it sounds elementary but I'm rarely getting this right and possibly why I prefer growing in the ground.

[PLUMPUDDING]

Just noticed you asked about varieties Elaine. I've got Herbert and Blue Gold in the ground and Top Hat in a pot. I bought the first two from the Dorset Blueberry Company and someone gave me the last one.

Herbert is supposed to be the best flavour, and Top Hat is a good producer and nice flavour, but I think that Blue Gold is my favourite. It produces a good crop every year, is a medium sized bush and turns a lovely red colour in autumn, the flavour is good too.

[Elaine]

Thank you all for your replies. I reckon I might give it a whirl, as I've recently discovered I love Blueberries.
A good sized pot, ericacious compost it is then.

[oldherbaceous]

And then fight the constant battle with the Vine Weevils.....

Sorry Elaine, i feel in one of those moods today, it must be the hot weather.

[Ricard with an H]

Sorry Elaine, i feel in one of those moods today, it must be the hot weather.

During the last month I've had two negative comments about my efforts though they came from people who don't grow anything and they weren't light-hearted comments.

From people who have forgotten the taste of a carrot or a cabbage or beans or spuds grown biologically.

I understand the sentiment that whatever we grow there'll be something trying to beat us down so why bother.

Surely, once we-all get to know the enemy and the challenge then we make our choice to go for it with weapons, or not. It's the knowing your enemy and the challenge.

We love blueberries but it breaks my heart to think about the miles they travel so could we grow our own and why I'm keeping tabs on this thread.

I need to grow fewer things in pots and grow things that will survive in the ground without my attention. Right now I daren't go away for more than an over-nighter because of all the stuff I have in pots.

[Elaine]

Dear OH.....I'll let you off!
We have battled Vine Weevil in our strawberries, with that that Nemesis stuff every year. All our strawberries (200 plants) are in buckets, on trestle tables round our patio. This spring, we didn't have the grubs for some odd reason!
We didn't have them at all until a few years ago...I think we imported them from a nursery when we bought some new plants.

Could be coincidence of course but it's odd that we didn't have them before that, in containers that had either ornamentals or edibles.

[PLUMPUDDING]

I've just taste tested the three varieties and they all have more flavour than the ones in the shops, but the variety Herbert (odd name) is the sweetest and nice and fruity too.