Kitchen Garden Forum

Bought three blueberry bushes after the previous ones failed. I heard we will struggle to grow them here as we are 500 yards from beach and they don't like the salty air. Have potted them up and put them in conservatory. Can i grow them in there permanently?

Let me start by saying that I have never grown blueberries, but I can imagine that, unless it gets absolutely baking in your conservatory, they should be ok temperature-wise, but what about pollination? Perhaps you would have to help them with a rabbit's tail or paint brush!

I think Monika is probably right about pollination and i suspect they would probably be happier in an environment where the air was circulating more freely. Also they would be better exposed to natural rainwater rather than tap water althiugh yiu may have a water butt attached to your conservatorynfor gathering rainwater. In a reasonable summer i,d be tempted to keep them outdoors if you have a sheltered spot and maybe just over winter them inside. Or leave one outdoors and see how it fares compared to the others.

From everything I,ve read these bushes are some of the hardest to grow successfully and get a really worthwhile drop.