Blueberry plants were first introduced by Trehane's to the UK in 1949 to establish the Dorset blueberry plantations. Choose a container that is at least 6L for young plants, then move into 10 … 'Earliblue' - a vigorous, early ripening variety. 'Patriot' - a high-yielding, vigorous, hardy variety with medium to large blue berries and excellent flavour. Fruits start to ripen from mid-summer onwards, changing colour from green to dusty blue. Ensure the soil stays at pH of 5.5 or lower, to avoid problems. ‘Duke’ AGM:Stocky bushes produce good yields of medium to large fruit of excellent flavour. Fertilizing blueberry plants Be patient; blueberry seed planting may take six to eight weeks to germinate, some not for three months. In colder regions, many cultivars will need winter protection. They do well in pots and you can get a reasonable crop whatever the size of your garden. Originally from forests littered with pine needles, blueberries prefer a soil enriched with organic matter, decomposed manure and a low pH of around 4–5. It's slightly aromatic and has excellent orange and copper leaves in autumn. This way, they will start producing fruit for you quickly. The soil should have a lower pH of between 4 and 5.5, similar to the requirements of rhododendrons and camellias. Monitor the soil's pH every few years, because it may be necessary to add acid. A quick light frost probably won’t hurt the plant, but extended freezes will. Ensure the soil stays at pH of 5.5 or lower, to avoid problems. When planting, place a crock (small piece of broken clay pot, or polystyrene) across the drainage hole to retain the compost. Plant blueberries in autumn or winter leaving about 1.5m (5ft) gaps between them and mulch with a layer of acidic peat, wood chippings or pine needles. Plant in a moist, well-drained, acidic soil. One top tip to remember is that like all acid loving plants, blueberries are best watered with rainwater whenever possible as tap water can make the compost more alkaline over time. Deciduous species can be propagated from softwood cuttings taken in late spring or semi-ripe cuttings taken in late June to early July. Unlike other berries such as strawberries and raspberries, blueberry bushes prefer acidic soil with the majority of … Blueberries are cold weather plants and need a few months of freezing to break the seed dormancy. Easy to plant and care for, Blueberry plants are for sale now online with a range available that is suitable for covering off the full fruiting season. The large fruits and good flavour make it useful for the home fruit garden. When To Buy Blueberry Plants Pot grown blueberries can generally be bought all year round. Blueberries require light, free-draining acidic soils, with plenty of rich, organic matter if they're to thrive. All of the items in our range offer incredible quality, tasty fruit at affordable prices. Successful growing of blueberries from cuttings needs a temperature around 21°C (70 °F), so summer is the best time for propagation. A single blueberry plant will bear fruit, but your harvest will be bigger and better if more than one plant is grown to allow them to cross-pollinate. Home »; Blueberry bushes - soil & pollination. ‘Nelson:A mid- to late-season cultivar that is very hardy and self-fertile. Scarecrows and bird-scaring mechanisms work for a while, but the most reliable method of protection is to cover plants with horticultural fleece or mesh. Blueberries are perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. Remove the old canes that don't produce much fruit to make way for younger, more productive canes. A blueberry fruit bush is easy to care for and generally easy to grow. Join the RHS today and support our charitable work, Keep track of your plants with reminders & care tips – all to help you grow successfully, For the latest on RHS Shows in 2020 and 2021, read more, RHS members get free access to RHS Gardens, Free entry to RHS members at selected times », Reduced prices on RHS Garden courses and workshops, General enquiries Don’t allow it to dry out between waterings. Blueberries take around eight years to mature, and should go into slightly larger pots each year until you reach an … Blueberries are very expensive to buy in the shops, yet they are easy to grow and once established will crop reliably year after year. Plant the seed in dampened sphagnum peat moss in seed trays and cover them with ¼ inch of soil. Blueberry bushes require a… Check the labels on the plants when you buy. The pH of your soil needs to be pH 5.5 or lower for blueberries to thrive. The fruit has a longer life than most varieties. They suck sap and excrete sticky honeydew, encouraging the growth of black sooty moulds. Trehane Nursery now sells premium quality blueberry plants by … While some blueberry cultivars can produce a good crop on their own, all yield much more heavily if planted near another, different cultivar. If growing blueberries in garden soil, add plenty of bulky, acidic organic matter such as pine needles, leafmould or composted conifer clippings. Make sure that when you do this, the top of the root ball is level with the surface of the compost. If you plant in rows, allow 8 to 10 feet between the rows. Blueberry plants grow slowly, and they may not seem to get much bigger from year to year. Plant two different varieties of blueberries to ensure cross-pollination. Blueberry bushes require an acid soil to thrive, so if acid-loving rhododendrons, heather or camellia do not thrive in your garden then you can grow blueberries in pots of well-drained ericaceous compost. A single blueberry plant will produce fruit, but the yields will be higher and the fruits bigger if more than one plant is grown. 'Bluejay' - a mid-season, fast-growing, reliable variety that has superb autumn colour. They need acidic soil, with a pH of between 4 and 5.5, and the texture should be light and free-draining. This depends upon your location, generally from early November to early March after the worst of the frost has passed. Q How should I plant blueberries?. Now, you may be tempted to mulch the top of the pot with manure, but don’t. To determine the pH level of your soil, send a sample of the soil from the area you plant to a local laboratory for testing. They establish well set at this time of year, but due care and attention should be given to regular watering for a few weeks after the new Blueberry bushes have been planted. Planting them in containers or pots, or just out in the garden is not a bother or a chore. Our growers plant a range of varieties such as Driscoll's ® Sweet Jane™ (early summer crop), Jolene™ (mid season) and Barbara Ann™ (later) to ensure the best flavour from June to September. 222879/SC038262. Tap water contains lime which renders the soil less acidic over time. Blueberries are an easy-to-grow superfood. Protect the plants from birds by covering them with netting or fleece. While blueberries are tolerant of shade, better crops (and autumn colour) are obtained in the sun. No other fruiting plant has increased so markedly in popularity during the last 10 years. Container cultivation is often best if your soil is a heavy clay too. Blueberries have male and female flowers on the same plant, so are good at self-pollinating, although they will always set fruit better when they have plants of other blueberry varieties around them. Store bought blueberries are a wonderful way to get free plants and tons of them too! If your soil is marginally higher than this, you can try lowering the pH by adding sulphur chips well in advance of planting. Blueberries are very fussy about soil acidity. Blueberry plants need acidic soil to grow properly, so choose a fertilizer with a higher acidic level (lower phosphate). It's ideal for growing in pots and produces very tasty berries in August. 'Bluegold' - a mid- to late season variety, vigorous but low-growing, with high yields. You can buy these from most garden centres. At this point they can be harvested. Plant your blueberry bush when it is dormant and the roots are not growing. 2 . 'Bluecrop' T- large, light blue berries with good flavour. The fruit is delicious and high in antioxidants. 'Herbert' - arguably the tastiest variety of blueberry. Price from: Price to: Blueberry Bushes. ‘Duke’ flowers late but crops early so is especially good for northern areas where the growing season is short. Blueberry bushes - soil & pollination. They must be picked or they'll drop. Select Your Cookie Preferences. For the first two or three years of a blueberry's life it's not necessary to prune it much, apart from keeping the plant tidy. In spring, flowers may need some fleece protection if frost threatens. The bushes can be evergreen or deciduous and usually grow to about 1.5m high. Remove the blueberry plant from its plastic pot and soak it in a bucket of rainwater for about 20 minutes prior to planting. Vaccinium also includes cranberries, bilberries, huckleberries and Madeira blueberries. They are extremely rich in antioxidants and vitamins (especially vitamin C) so have many health benefits. Tips on soil, fertilizing, and pruning. Blueberries are relatively easy to look after. Choose a sunny, sheltered spot. Read more. You can plant at any time of year but autumn is best or, if winters are exceptionally cold where you garden, wait until spring. They prefer an acid soil in a nice sunny or semi shaded position. December and January are also ideal months to place new blueberry plants in the ground because of winter dormancy, notes the University of California. David Trehane was the first person to grow blueberries in the UK. This could mean having to regularly pick the same bush over the ripening period. When you first plant your blueberry, choose a container that is about 30cm in diameter, and be prepared to move it to a larger one in a few years’ time. Water in well using rainwater rather than tap water if possible. Planting . Keep the medium consistently moist. Prune them between November and March when the plant is dormant. If you don't have suitable soil, simply grow blueberries in a pot containing ericaceous compost, giving the plants a high potash feed (such as tomato feed) occasionally during the growing season. Blueberries are relatively easy to look after. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. Blueberry Plant Planting If the soil in your garden is suitable and you are planting your blueberry bush in the ground, choose a planting site that gets plenty of sunshine but is sheltered from strong wind and frost. The soil that blueberries grow in is really important. ‘Spartan’ AGM:Very hardy, early- to mid-season ‘Spartan’ bears large fruits with a sweet, tangy flavour. A Plant blueberries in a moist, well-drained, acid soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower. However, leave them on the bush for a few more days after they turn blue for a more intense and complex flavour. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Firm in well and water with rainwater. I planted four blueberry bushes in my garden during my first season. Buy online with 30 day replacement or refund guaranteed. Don’t allow it to dry out between waterings. 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