Blueberry

Kristine says...
Hi,
I believe the fuiting time is Aug to Dec so maybe it will bear fruit then. Check what soil it is in and maybe repot it. It might just need a good potting mix (if in a pot) or a good feeed with fertilizer.

Kath says...
If you want to keep your blueberry in a pot, plant it into azalea mix as these are also acid lovers. Remove the flowers from your small bush, while ever it is flowering and trying to fruit it will put all its energy into this and it will not grow. At this time of the year blueberries are dropping their leaves and making buds for the new seasons growth.

Correy says...
Tamanna,

I also got a blueberry plant that I am growing in a pot. Because it is young I am getting flowers. I found that by pruning it a tiny bit and getting rid of these flowers I am getting some great new growth even though it is cold in Brisbane now. If you don't do this when they are young they will try and put lots of energy into the fruit rather then new growth.

You do actually need a few different varieties of blueberries just not one because they benifit from cross pollination. For example if you have say a Biloxi you should also get a sharpblue and/or gulfcoast and/or misty and/or sunshine blue and/or backyard blue.

Here is a list of all the blueberry varieties

I think they are a great one for the backyard considering how much woolworths charges for them.

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Julie says...
Don't know if they will grow in the subtropics, but I bought a variety called Nelly Kelly which needs no pollinator. Grows very well in the Perth area. I got 500 grams of fruit from it the first year - didn't know I should have pruned off the flowers! It still put on a lot of growth.

It suddenly died in the 3rd year - maybe I overdid the acidity. I'll never know.

Leona says...
I have Misty, Sharpeblue and Nelly Kelly. They all fruit well in the Perth area where I live. Apparenly, you should remove all or most of the flowers in the first couple of years so that the bush grows strong but I am too impatient LOL

Leona says...
wow, that is amazing Shaun! Here i am using the correct potting mix and everyting LOL. Although mine are fruiting well at the moment too ;-)

Leona says...
Hi Shaun,
I got my nelly kellys from Lena Nurserys but they do also sell them at Waldecks. I got my Sharpeblue and Misty from Dawsons. They are in stock at the moment but you must be quick as they only get them in once a year, so I believe and they sell out straight away. If they have sold out already, you can put in an order and they will call you when they get them back in.

Shaun says...
Thanks Leona,
I went to Dawsons recently, and got my goodself a Misty plant.

I often wondered what "Rabbits Eye" and "High bush" blueberries meant.
Would someone like to comment on this, please.

Thanks .....
and Best Compliments of 2008 to everyone in the forum !!!

Shaun says...
I think Sharpe gives a better yeild than Ned Kelly ..... Perth could be just a little too warm for Ned Kelly's which is supposedly more suite to the Adelaide/SA climate.
A few of the people in Perth that I know also reported poorer yeild with Ned Kelly.
I could be wrong, so comments from others would be welcome.

San says...
Does anyone know what variety exactly is the Ned Kelly ?
Is that just a brand name use for marketing purposes, or is the Ned Kelly a distinct variety?

San says...
Oh, OK, thnx fer the info (blushed) ;-)

aNON says...
Lotsa organic matter eg peat that makes it mositure holding and slighty acid eg azalea reqriments.

Kath says...
I think Waldecks in Kingsley have them and try Bunnings

manda says...
Wandilla has some - but are about $20 each. They appear only to be the Nellie Kelly variety.

Deb says...
A few questions: 1) Has anyone in Perth tried growing blueberries in hanging baskets as Josh Byrne had on tv? 2) Do you need more than one for fruit or is it just preferable (trying to make food garden in an area about a quarter of what Josh appears to have!) 3) I would also love to know when during the year they are available in the nurseries, taking into account I havent actually gone and looked yet! I was motivated by last night's show and my continuing desire for fresh blueberries! :) Thanks

Shaun says...
Hi Deb,
I got 2 plants initially : Sharpe Blue and Nellie Kelly. These 2 are suppose to be self-pollinating or self-fertile plants (meaning you can plant 1 or a few of the same variety and still get fruits).
Well, it is said that the yeild is much better if you got different varieties growing in close proximities.

I got about equal number of berries from each of the varieties, but berries from Sharpe Blue were much larger, and this bush is larger too.
On average, I got about 2 punnets full from each plant over a 4-5 weeks period.

Recently, I also bought a new variety, Misty.
Hope this helps you.

p/s: Some experienced gardeners said I should have used quality potting mix instead of builders sand to grow my blueberries.

Shaun says...
Leona,
You got quite a lot of berries too from yor plants, from what i could gather from yer posts above.
It might give Deb a broader perspective if you wouldn't mind disclosing your yeild of the blueberries.

Shaun says...
LOL .....
well, an approximate then ....
a handful? 2-4 handfuls of berries???
Cheers !!!

Anonymous says...
TASS 1? down the road.

Rachael says...
Anyone know where to get the Nellie Kelly's in Brisbane? I've looked and looked but I just can't find any.

Anonymous says...
TASS 1, 1072 Great Northern HWY, SwanVally WA.

Shaun says...
Yep .... Joe @ tass-1-tree really rocks !!
he's a good bloke !

Geoff says...
I had a Nellie Kelly. They are probabally a good all rounder once the company get's itself sorted out and they start distributing decent plants.

john says...
You should see the blueberrys joe has at tass 1, hes got 3 in a half wine barrel and he says he gets just under 2kg of fruit.. Its in flower at the moment and looks great. Its the nelly kelly variety and he`s got some comming in 3-4 weeks.. i`m going back for some and his barrels are cheap..

JoelP says...
Does anyone know where I can pick up some blueberry plants in sydney, and what varieties grow well here? Unfortunately nothing at bunnings as of today.

Ellen says...
JoelP

at Power Flower stores, you can always find some blue berry plants .

I've picked up this one 2 months ago, at the the it was just budding and the plant was bare naked except for those fews buds. Now it flowerings and fruiting, looks awesome .

I know I just went last Wednesday to Bunnings as they were advertised they had some blue berry plants in, I've went to 2 Bunnings stores (in Bella Vista Waters, and in Villawood) and still come up empty handed .

I've no idea what variety they have, and it doesn't say on the plant's tag .

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Ellen says...
I was in a hurry to pick my riped blueberry as soon as it turned reddish black and found it sour as well, however I've learned that if you let it riped longer as in 2-3 days longer on the bush, it will turn sweet, like the one you bought at the shop .

Cheers

John says...
what kind?

Alan says...
Hi Julie, thanks for the tips, will give it a go. Any idea when is the best time to add potash? When they are flowering?

Julie says...
Alan, I've just remembered - a lady at my local nursery said to give them a small amount of potash every month or so. I'm not growing blueberries at present, so I had forgotten about this.

John says...
Floraland in Gt Eastern Hwy, Mundaring is advertising bluberries and other berries in stock.!

John says...
Big ass sign on the verge outside the shop.

Did not go inside to look.

Your berries were dug 26 dec and will be ready ina couple of weeks when they settle dowmn.

1 x chilliwack 3 x heritage.

Julie says...
$35 IS pricey! Last time I bought blueberries, probably from Dawsons, they were around $12. They would be more now, but not that much.

John says...
TASS 1 has 60 bucks monster plants for sale plus the keriberry.

Russ says...
sorry, the second variety of raspbery is sanford, not stanford.

Shaun says...
I was in Tamworth NSW last week.
Went to visit the loacl plant nursery in town at Philip Street ....
they got plenty of Blueberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Youngberry & Boysenbery.

Blueberry varieties were: Biloxi, Sharpe blue and 1 other variety

Raspberry varieties include, Autumn Bliss,Chilcotin, Chilliwack

Price of Blueberries are approx $16/= for plants approx 50cm tall x 40 com wide,......
and Raspberries are priced at approx $12/= .....
wish i could bring them into WA :-(

denise says...
Several times I tried to grow blueberries here in Auckland but they didnt grow until I had mixed 50 litres of peat into the site.I put in two different plants as they were recommended for pollenation purposes.For 5 years the crop was OK but after one died the other had greater crops and all on its own, about 1+1/2 liters per year. I dont know what the names were.

Craig says...
I am having great success with my 8 blueberry bushes: 4 Nellie kelly, 3 Misty and 1 Sharpblue. I am growing them in self watering pots for the most part. I'm looking to get as many different varieties as i can. Anyone know of any other types available anywhere in the Perth region? Am also looking for thornless blackberry - is Floraland the best place to go?

Shaun says...
Sharpe Blue and Misty are normally available from Dawsons Nursery, when they are in season.
Most other nurseries normally only carry Nellie Kellie (aka Sunshine Blue).
Flora has 1 or 2 different varieties of the 'Rabbit Eye' blueberry bush.

Kath says...
Daniel, unless things have changed, Daley's can't send Blueberries to WA

Shaun says...
Not for home gardeners .... I have not heard from anyone who had done that successfully in Perth .....
However, the following people had success with Blueberry cuttings:
1) the previous owner of a nursery in Bunbury (WA).
2) The people at the Blueberry Farm near Margaret River (WA).
3) The people at the Blueberry farm near Collie / Cardiff (WA)

Itdepends says...
It's pretty early for them to be flowering- the cold/warm snaps at the end of Autumn seem to have prompted quite a few trees into flowering early. I've had plums, blueberries and raspberries flowering. Nothing came from the plums, got some raspberries and the blueberries appear to be forming fruit ok. I wouldn't worry too much- they should flower again in spring.

Daniel

Shaun says...
Yeah, me blueberry plants were doing rather well for 2 seasons, and suddenly in the last few weeks, they all seems to drop their leaves .....
is it itme for them to go into hibernation? .... or should I prune them at this time of the year (I have not done any pruning since I first got them).
All advice & comments appreciated.
Thanks.

Kath says...
Hi there, just wondering if any other people from WA have bought blueberries from Diggers-for some reason they can send them to WA but Daleys can't.Any feedback re service/quality would be great. Thanks

amanda says...
Hi Kath - I have ordered a few things too but not blueberries. I have had a goji, dragon fruit, capulin cherry and tamarillo - the first 3 great but the tamarillo suffered badly - it never recovered (it's a fleshy type of plant tho' so I suppose that was the factor)

Kath says...
thanks for that-now have plants coming from Daleys & Diggers-like Christmas!(except you have to buy your own present!)

Jimmy says...
I got a reville last year and they were right, its the best tatsing !

Jimmy says...
Saxy

Tis normal for this time of year, they go semi dormant in the cool weather.

I spray em with any left over Kocide, and this keeps the leaves sweet as a nut.

Its left over from my after pruning sparys I do in the orchard this time of year.

Jimmy says...
Thats the way, it puts you at the front of the que.

Saxman says...
Hi Folks, just gotta say this but Man I love blueberry growing, and reading all these posts. I think I'm obsessed. A pretty healthy obsession, but!

I'm hoping that Perth's climate will allow the new plants i just ordered from Diggers to flower and set fruit ok. These are Blue Rose, Brigetta, Northland and Denise. I just found out (belatedly) that they are generally better suited to the cooler climes. Here's hoping however...

Shaun says...
Blueberries are generally temperate to cool climate plants. From selective breeding, some 'low chill' varieties had been bred in recent times.
In Perth, the 'low chill' varieties that generally will do well are Sharpblue, Misty and Sunshine Blue (aka Nellie Kelly brand bluberry).

I know of someone in Bunbury who has Denise, and it seem to be doing rather well there.

In Margaret, I have seen Blue Rose and Northland planted in pots and were fruiting.

I have no info on Brigetta, sorry :-(

Itdepends says...
6-8ft high for the berries- as tall as you can reach and work the canes. Dunno about loganberries etc. RE fruiting first year- the everbearing raspberries do though.

Make sure you surround the patch with some sort of deep root barrier or you'll have the stuff coming up everywhere.

Cheers,

Daniel

Jason says...
Thats where I got my 2 from. Only stopped in for a browse and a Coffee.

Kinda expensive at around $19 each but i'm sure theres plenty of blueberries to come.

russ says...
I have a britwell variety that i got from floraland (as mentioned above). Is this variety prone to losing its leaves or am i doing something wrong? They all turned red and approx 50% have now dropped off. They are next to my Nellie Kelly's which are going fine (apart from trying to flower).

Julie says...
When I grew boysenberries some years ago I gave them morning sun only, which seemed to suit them.

The big problem was they ripened just at the time of year we get those hot easterly winds,which they didn't like.They never had a chance to get really ripe and sweet, as they shrivelled up. I don't grow them any more.

If you could give them some protection from the wind it might help. Good luck!

Julie says...
'The Beasterly'. I like it! Any other ideas folks?

michael says...
Hey all read this forum though a while back and just thought I'd get back to let you all know that I just got some fantastic berry bushes from garden express. 16 to 18AU they look super fit. Brigatta and Northland. I also got a Nellie Kelly form Mitre 10 after hearing how great you all think they are.

Well thanks for all your advise guys, Peace Michael.

Itdepends says...
Russ the leaves turning red and falling of is normal- many blueberries are either partiall or fully deciduous- so they should drop leaves over winter.

With our hot climate try (Perth area I'm talking) try and find a sheltered patch- morning sun and filtered/shaded afternoon sun would be ideal. I had two blueberries (Misty blue) in half wine barrels, same potting mix in both.

The one that was shelted with an apricot tree on the east side and a small orange on the west went bannanas (or should that be blueberries?) the other was only shelted on the west side and didn't do as well (transplanted to the fernery).

Cane fruits I'm only growing raspberries- but you need lots of moist rich soil for good plants. Have a look at where the blackberries grow best down south- in the moist valleys, soaks etc.

I've got my raspberries with a fence on the west and northern side- in an area of my garden that used to have moss growing on the lawn in winter. Lots of manure, mulch plus clay added- and they're loving it.

Daniel

wendy says...
Have you repoted it into a slightly larger pot with acidic potting mix (azalea) that is what I have done and they seem to be growing bigger and healthier. I give them seaweed every 2 to 4 weeks as well as liquid potash.

russ says...
Itdepends. Thanks for confirming the blueberry is deciduous.

Saxman, all by can fruit are in large pots. Some are going well, others are not but i believe this is due to the conditions and positioning rather than being in a pot.

Jason says...
Checked on the blueberries today, they are coming along nicely. Not sure how long they take to ripen, anyone know?

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Saxman says...
Jason last year mine started ripening mid october from memory. I have a couple of ripe ones now but these seem to be a bit of an anomaly. The whole fruiting thing seems to be earlier than normal this year.

Shaun says...
My Blueberry plants had done well previously.
This year, the eratic weather had thrown them 'out of the season' ..... flowered at the wrong time, dropped leaves at the wrong time, and now shooting away at the wrong time ....
Perhaps I should invest in a glass-house ??

Manda says...
Hi Shaun,

Sorry about the very late response.... I got Northland Blueberry from diggers.... don't really know anything about it, but thought i would give it a go as the description made it some awesome!!! It would appear it is decidous, but has buds on it.

Saxman says...
My new Blueberries finally just came in from Diggers interstate. Very sorry looking from their travel ordeal and quarrantine I suspect. They're basically nothing but sticks! I'm hoping they'll survive. One only has three leaves. Anyone know if these baby plants should be fertilized with Azalea food to help them along?
or would that be counter productive to stressed little berry plants?

Cheers,
Saxman

Jimmy says...
I reckon, half wine barrels r good.

Liz says...
Hi Saxman,

...try Garden City Plastics http://www.gardencityplastics.com/advanced.htm) in Canning Vale - I got 6 x 580mm UV-resistant pots from them last year for ~$35 each for my blueberries - way cheaper than anything else I could find of the same size/quality.

One of my blueberries has been mostly sticks all winter, but it is shooting again now, too... :-)

Liz

john says...
Tass 1 trees said he was getting heaps of advanced blueberrys in barerooted in the next week.. So i might give them a go, they will fruit in the first year..2-3 ft high for $15 not bad. he was going to pot them up fast before they shoot..
Can`t wait..

Shaun says...
My blueberry plants that got scortched by the summer heat and looked sick all Autumn must have got the wake up call from the cold wet winter ....
they are putting out new shoots, they even flowered, and some have got small fruits forming after the flowers dropped.
:-)

Saxman says...
Hi Liz Thanks for that, i'll check it out.

Jantina says...
Peat moss will increase acidity in the soil well. I have used it to acidify aquarium water( for species like neon tetras.) I like the idea of using lemons to acidify as well as we all normally have a surplus of these. From Geoff- Jantina's husband.

michael says...
My god your kids got a massive crown chakra/halo you might have a gifted one there, you should be well proud!
My blueberries are bangin out heaps of flowers so they may not veg much but I feel kind of cruel pinching em off!
Michael

Trudy says...
Hi, My sisterinlaw has grown NellyKelly blueberries for 2 years in Perth, so I shopped around in WA but no blueberry plants were for sale.
I do have a Macadamian tree (which has buckets of nuts) but this year the black cockies stripped the entire tree while we were away), a Grapefruit, Olive, Fuji, Persimmon and a Pomegranite tree. Also Passionfruit vine. The Grapefruit trees were brought from Bunnings as Lime trees.
Our soil is loam with a layer of clay 2ft under (Not sandy)
I have been checking out varieties of Blueberry and think the NellyKelly and Sharpe seem OK, plus I already have several medium pots I can use.

Shaun says...
Generally, you get more and larger fruits if you got more than one variety of blueberry plants growing close to one another for cross pollination.
So, don't plant all NellyKelly or all SharpBlue ..... plant both (or more) varieties and you'll get better fruit results.

Jimmy says...
I hope your not in WA bayswater, Blueberies are illegal to import due to the bluberry rust found in NSW>

Jimmy says...
Diggers are in victoria, that state does not have blueberry rust. Thus they are OK to come in.

NSW is the centre of the outbreak.

Saxman says...
I got a blue rose plant from Diggers about 6 weeks ago about ($14) plus northland, denise, and brigetta

Tass1 one also have lots of Northland now as well as brigetta. Larger and small plants.

All my varieties (7) are now either fruiting well (i picked a punnet today from my mature plants) or sending up new growth. One i have yet to obtain is the standard rabbiteye i keep hearing about.

By the way, its great to hear we are increasingly conscious of avoiding the spread of plant diseases. Well done people.

Regards : )

Shaun says...
Hi Brad,
I am near Ascot and not far from the Swan River.
My Sharpe, Misty and Nelly Kelly blueberry plants are doing pretty well for the past years.
Last season, I got 1 unknown variety from Margaret River (that is suppose to need high chilling) and it is doing OK this season too.
It is better to have a few different varieties for cross pollination, so that you get better yield of the fruits.

Brad says...
thanks guys. useful experience. I've only got a rear courtyard and small front yard to work with, so I'm limited in how many plants I can grow.

Maybe I'll pot up on of Tass1's varieties and the 2 I mentioned before and keep the 2 that taste best :)

Saxman says...
Hi Trudy, it depends to some extent i think on whether you are planting in the ground or using pots. I have two older misty and 1 sharpe about three feet high in pots - they can get to 1 and a half meters in the ground i'm told. I think Northland and Brigetta get even bigger (they are commercial varieties). I think denise is a smaller low growing variety (but my one is just a baby anyway.)
Cheers,

Saxman

Kath says...
I bought the following from Diggers a couple of months ago. Came looking like dead sticks, potted them up & they are powering on. Cost $52.30 delivered to WA (this also includes a cranberry)
BLUEBERRY 'REVEILLE'
BLUEBERRY 'BLUE ROSE'
BLUEBERRY 'NORTHLAND'
BLUEBERRY BRIGITTA
really happy with them-cheaper way to go if you can be patient.

Jason says...
Its not that bad Chris, Nurseries will get in stock what grows well in Perth conditions. For most people this is fine.

When i bought mine last summer there was hundreds of Misty and Sharpe.

If you want to try something different then it may get trickier.

Saxman says...
Hi Trudy, thankyou that's great. Sadly i've missed the raspberries, but if you could add a gooseberry (roaring lion) to your order for me that'd be really great! Whats your preferred contact? =)

Jason says...
Nice work saxman.

I had the boy out on the weekend and let him taste a ripe blueberry or two. He got excited and started downing some green ones with no show of surprise at the bitterness.

btw where abouts in Canning Vale are you. Im right near the Indian Temple off Nicholson.

Brad says...
Awesome looking blueberries. Are they going to grow out of those pots or do you expect that size will do? Did you bulk buy those pots?
thanks,
Brad

Saxman says...
Jason i had a look at your Citrus plants and they're great... mine are lookin a bit stressed; they're in pots too and have some yellowed leaves and possibly some leaf curl thing in places. Also how much can you prune lemonade back for example?

Kath says...
This is my first attempt at growing blueberries. Have 6 plants-4 different varieties. Just wondering what to do with them over summer here in Perth-do you move them into semi-shade/how much sun do they need? Don't want to fry them when the warm weather hits. Any Perth people got any tips for me? thanks

Saxman says...
Was just in Margaret River - Searching without success for a Blueberry farm that I heard was mean't to be down that way. Couldn't find it however. Anyone know of a nursery growing them down there? Shaun, I thought you said there was one in an earlier post...

And Jimmy, yeah I don't know whats up with the photos round the wrong way - i did rotate them but they reverted when i uploaded them...

Saxman says...
That's excellent thanks Shaun.
Cheers =)

Trudy says...
Hi Anyone Interested
Rosses Auctions will be auctioning plant/fruit trees/over ordered stock at TASSONE, Gt. Northern Hway. on Saturday, the 17th OCTOBER (PHOTOS but Wed. no catalogue yet)

Greg says...
pull all the flowering buds off the plant..we do that with tomatos untill the plant is a good size ..then let them flower..worth a try

russ says...
Bunnings balcatta have an unnamed rabbit eye varety at the momment.

Why do growers not put a name on some things? Why propagate a variety that you dont know what it is? Surly if you are going to propagate in such quantities that you can sell at bunnings you could get a specialist to identfy it.

Ian says...
My blueberry bush seems to be stunt. Is there anything I can do to make it grow. Many thanks in advance.

Ian says...
Hi Shaun,

Many thanks for your advice. I will follow your instructions and hope the plant will grow.

HappyEarth says...
Hey Glen ... looks a bit like burnt leaves. Did you have a really hot day recently? Make sure you water them before any hot days.

Rich
www.happyearth.com.au

Brad says...
For Perth people looking to get Blueberries. Dawson's Forrestfield still don't have theirs in yet. Now expected Nov/Dec (because we had quite a cool early spring). I assume Joe at Tass1 will be the same.

I ignored my better judgement and found out that Wandilla don't have their new stock (Nelly Kelly will be $16), but have larger plants (Denise, Brigitta and Blue Rose) for $30. They didn't look great, but in true form, the old lady tried to tell me otherwise and that the Denise "Does not require chilling hours". http://www.abga.com.au/blueberries.htm shows that it certainly needs more than I get (not that I'm a commercial grower). I concur with this thread

Glen says...
Hi Brad and Brendan -

thanks for the replies and suggestions - from the site of the plant, and the very mixed soil I have here, I reckon the gypsum will be the thing to try first - it's very possible there's clay under the cultivated top bit, from other weird mixtures we've found on site. We've had a lot of rain, and it could be caught around the roots - getting the clay broken up with gypsum is a great suggestion.

And yes, we've had hot - cold - summer - winter - poor plants don't know if they're coming or going! But the blueberries are quite sheltered. Any more thoughts are welcvome.

Cheers from a WA expat!

Glen

Shaun says...
Nelly Kelly will cross pollinate with Sharpe Blur / Misty.
In my 1st year, I only had Nelly Kelly & sharpe, and both flowered at about the same time & fruited well.
Yes, Nelly Kelly's berry flavour was not as good as Sharpe's .... but I don't think Misty tasted as good as Sharpe either.

Shaun says...
Are Northland & Birgitta low chill or high chill varieties?
Some varieties don't do too well if you don't get the required chill hours.

Kath says...
for those Perthites chasing bluberries there's an ad in today's Quokka in the gardening section-look under 'plants' for them

amanda says...
Lucky you Saxman! Bunnings had heaps in yesterday and I was very tempted! I don't have the right spot for them yet - do you think the would hate the ho easterlies? There's no escape from it on my block - yet.

amanda says...
Thanks Julie - I might give it a go...although I am pretty bad at remembering to fill up the dogs bowl of water let alone water pots!? oops.

Do they prefer afternoon shade in summer?

Shaun says...
Blueeberry do not belong to the same family as blackberry (blackberry / raspberry are cane plants).

Bunnings in Melville has Blueberry of the following varieties: Blue Rose, Brigitta and 1 other variety ( Denise ??) for approx $16.50 per pot.
It also have an unnamed Rabbit-eye variety for approx $11.70.

Saxman says...
Yeah mine pretty much get afternoon shade too. The weather has been pretty kind thus far which is helping somewhat too. Yes your easterlies could be quite devastating Amanda but the wind break thing might work!

Pots are the go as far as i'm concerned. All my friends who tried planting them out found they shrivelled and died no matter what. I use the self watering variety. The mobility of positioning is also very advantageous!

=) Saxman

Saxman says...
Hi Amanda, Yes they are better home grown, but then i'm obsessed so its haaard to tell objectively! Maybe try having the pots on your patio or near your house- that's be a good wind break!!!! Good Luck.

Saxman says...
Hey cesar, check back in this forum there's lots of good advice there!
But try azalea food/soil mix as they are acid lovers.

cesar says...
Thanks saxman, it's just that it's got plenty of posts. When should I fertilize it and how often? Some berries are turning a bit purple at the moment.

cesar says...
So do you recommend fertilizing right now? I have never done it before and I've got the plants since August

Mish says...
Bunnings has 'climax' and 'blue rose' varieties for $16.99. I have seen other varieties but it depends on the store you go to... best to ring around.

Jason says...
Just been reading your blog Mick, Good stuff. Good to see the kids getting involved as well.

A life long passion is harboured fairly early :)

Saxman says...
Yeah just go easy on the fertilizer Cesar and see how they go - maybe start with a bit of Azalea food. Cheers

Saxman says...
Well you might be right. I had a brief skirmish with snails (yes they do love blueberries). After a few well coordinated sorties with the assistance of blue snail dynamite pellets i had no probs. Except with the birds and now my bushes are netted also. Should have fed the snails to the birds!

Matt says...
Hi Steph and Trudy,
Shanesmagicland tried to screw us over too! We ended up putting in a Paypal claim which was successful but you have to do it within their specific time period. It's a pain in the ar5e but people like that suck because you're doing the right thing and they are sitting back collecting people's cash.

I hope you get your money back.

Cheers

Matt

terry says...
Our blueberries are 2-3 years old and starting to fruit. Ants are eating the ripe fruit on the bush - any solutions

Jason says...
Ive been using chest rub around the stem of my fruit trees, they dont cross over it as it smells and prob burns them.

Dont use vic's as too expensive. ive been using the woolworths generic brand. 1/2 the price for a container 3x the size. Same active ingredients.

Damo says...
I picked 874 grams from one bush today !!

Jimmy says...
Sure.

DaddyC says...
Wow. Such a depth of info on blueberries. Here's a query:

I live in the Illawarra, NSW - just south of Sydney (temperate climate)and was wondering what three varieties of blueberries to grow that will optimise fruiting season for me. Soils are clayey-loam, a tad acidic but on a coastal flat with groundwater 400mm down (so I'll have to raise bed slightly). I'll probably chuck in some azaelea mix and/or peat moss and maybe need a windbreak from coastal NE breezes. Any tips on varieites - probably rabbit-eyes from what I've read. Space is not an issue but would potting be a better solution? Many thanks for any replies - DaddyC

Jimmy says...
I have never been able to keep nellie kelly's alive for very long, and the fruit was inferior.

Misty and sharpe from Dawsons are both excellent.

Brad says...
Are my plants sick?
I thought at first this was sunburn, but now not at all sure. It was first visible on my Northland, but now also on the neighbouring Misty. Its prominent on older leaves, younger ones look very healthy. Is browning on the stems normal? Its visible where the leaves are not yet affected. Sorry, some photos are out of focus

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1	Picture: 2	Picture: 3

cesar says...
I have the same problem with my blueberry plants.... old leaves are the ones with the problem.

Clive says...
Hi Brad,
Don't worry about the browning, it is just sunburn. We have a blueberry farm and this happens to some each year but with our hot summer this year it is more widespread.
Blueberries require a lot of water and if the leaves dry at all they will start to brown out within a few days. Being shallow rooted you need to keep moist and if it's a very hot day water morning and night by drippers. Nothing to worry about, remove them in July if they haven't fallen off and they will be replaced next season.

Nick says...
I just bought three Nelly Kelly blueberry plants from Laverton Market today. The one with red leaves was also a Nelly Kelly from the market planted a year ago.

Brad says...
Did you fertilize them in Autumn? If so, next year don't. If they're young I'd remove the flowers, but they will drop in cold weather on their own I'd expect

Nick says...
Any ideas on how to lower pH from 6 to 5. Yesterday it was 7 but I added 2tablespoons vinegar in 10 litres water. I need to hopefully lower it for a long time and quickly if possible because I have 3 blueberry plants in pots ready to be planted.
P.S: The pot soil isn't acidic at all.

jolie says...
No but I am going to try. I heard you take 20 - 30 cm cuttings off the hard wood of the plant in winter and keep cold (wrapped in wet newspaper and plastic in fridge for a while), before potting, will soon develop roots.

Nick says...
Thanks.
Like you said, today the pH had gone right back up to nearly neutral. I'll look for some iron sulphate. I've also heard that blueberries like peat moss and it lowers the pH.

Col says...
I've got three blueberries in pots, Misty, Sharpe and highland. To lower the potting mix PH, i added a couple of tablespoons of sulfer mixing it into the potting mix. I've also put a thick layer of peat moss which increases the acidity as well as keeping the roots moist as the roots are very shallow. I've also put down some small rocks to cut evaperation. The plants have fruited from September reasonably continuously with fruits still to come through now. I've found misty is the tastiest, Sharpe produces a big crop, however i can't get much off the highland bush.

CJ says...
Hi Russ, both Tass1 and Dawsons had several varieties two weekends back.

russ says...
Cheers CJ & John.

I picked up a Northland and Brigatta from Tass1 at the weekend, replacing ones i neglected from Joe 6 months ago. Large plants for $10 - great value!

CJ, which Dawsons did you see them at?

Nick says...
Does anyone know when the growing season starts. Its mid-winter now, the plants have flower buds and I'm thinking of applying Fish Emulsion. The bottle says apply during growing season and I want to fertilize ASAP

Russ says...
Cj, thanks for the tip. Misty and sharpe from dawsons in joondalup.

Ziggy says...
Keep in mind that if the tree is still in the pot, it will not grow to its full potential.. the pot doesnt allow it to grow. If you put a fish in a small bowl it doesnt grow either... Whe you put the fish in the aquariaum it grows because it adapts to the environment... Same goes with the trees... Plant it in the ground so the roots dont have spreading limitations.

also make sure you dont use a posy hole digger to dig the hole for the tree...when in spinning motion it rounds the hole and makes the sides smooth and solid rather than rough, which restricts the roots going through the soil.

Dont plant the tree deep in the ground. Depending on the soild also, I normally put half to three quaters under the ground and just put extra soild on top of the ground level to cover the rest of the roots... This stops the water sutting on the roots and just like putting wood in the water for a long period of time it will make the roots crumble especially when you plant in clay ground. Put 1-2 stakes/ pickets near the tree and tie them together so the wind doesnt pull it out of the ground... months after the roots have gripped into the ground then you can remove the picket...

check with your local nursery for further information in regards to plantation in different soils... I'm glad to help if there are any questions...

I can also help if you have any questions regarding building construction. I am a Builder by trade...

Email me : ziad.halabi@live.com.au

cheers everyone

Brad says...
video of about 10 different varieties in mature pots here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3TzYSn3_s8

Itdepends says...
My Reveille are only young- and not fruiting yet (I know I killed one or two variteties- and am thinking Reveille was one of them).

Sunshine blue and Misty blue both go well down my way- only slightly colder than Perth.

Daniel

Rev says...
Please write to diggers and tell them so, if people do they lift their game.

I do think you should support local markets
Blueberries are really easy to propagate via heel semihardwood cuttings in a peat based media while they are deciduous

i used to buy in diggers sized plants for about $4 and grow them on. I think wed sell them for $7 or $8 a pot.
Daleys had slightly larger ones for about $12.50 i think, maybe more now

but the prices ive seen in some nurseries are just stupid.
You reall are best off buying just one decent sized plant of 2 or more vars and using your prunings to make more

also dont let these tiny blueberry bushes carry a crop, it'll stunt them badly.
Just like citrus, if it flower pull them off, just encourage them to build a large healthy plant with strong root system for a couple of years. By year 3 theyll carry a small crop, and by year 4 a full crop and so on thereafter.
These are an investment that can repay but youre looking at a 4-5 year turn around

i had two rabbit eyes from Daleys but suprisingly i lost them in the summer. Id try them again though as they are meant to be the most heat hardy and least picky about soil of the blueberries.

Brad says...
yep: posted it here

Julie says...
Mitre 10 has blueberries for $13.99. They had sold out, but getting more in the next couple of days, so they'll let me know.

They will definitely have Sharpe blue, but don't know what others.

toby says...
Herbs R Us at the Wanneroo markets have some very nice Southern Highbush blueberry plants (exact variety ?).

I bought a few to add to my collection of Sharpblue Misty and Nelly kelly's.

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Julie says...
Mitre 10 finally got their bluberries - all Nelly Kelly unfortunately! I had been told they would be getting Sharpe and maybe Misty. $13.99.

This was at the Kelscott store - it might be different elsewhere.

Brad says...
My Northland is still a stick. Anyone else got one in Perth - doing anything or same as mine?

My Misty and Sharpe are flowering, fruiting and putting out new leaves. I thinned these to a handful as its their first fruiting season, but they've overtaken the year older Northland.

Shaun says...
Some blueberry cultivars need high chill to do well.
Nelly Kelly, Sharpe and Misty are low chill cultivars.

au0rey says...
I read from this thread that the Nellie Kelly blueberry seems good to have especially with the good yield of fruit. Can anyone with them tell me how the fruit taste? I would love berries that are sweet.

And I read here too that we should not let young/small plants have fruits first to let it establish well. So how long years should we allow that before letting it fruit?

Any Melbourne gardener successful with growing Nellie Kelly blueberry plants?

I intend to keep mine (when I get hold of it) potted since it requires acidic conditions. Are most of your blueberry plants in pots or in ground?

Thanks!

Lorna says...
My Nelly Kelly in Albany got two crops on last year, with good big tasty beries. This year with the colder Winter, it has got a phenominal crop coming along. I have never seen such a heavy load. Looking forward to them being ripe.

Hayden says...
When am I meant to plant sharpe blues and mistys. I would put them in pots but are they mention to be potted now in spring or when they are dormant in the winter??? Thanks

Julie says...
Hayden, are they already in pots and you want to put them in a bigger pot?

If you are careful not to disturb the root system, most things can be repotted now, though winter is better. Just don't do it on a hot day.

Julie says...
Depending on the size of the blueberry, you may not have to do anything. I found they take ages to outgrow a pot, so no rush. The only b'berries I have seen on sale have been fairly small.

helor says...
For anyone interested...there were blueberry plants for sale at the Canning Vale Sunday flea markets. They were quite big plants, bushes were about 40cm diam? and were selling for $15. They looked pretty healthy, I almost bought one myself...if they're still there next week I think I might still haha. Not sure of the variety, but they had fairly large leaves and the placard said they were heavy fruiters. Looked nothing like the nelli kellys that I've got at home so possibly they are sharpies?

Hayden: I bought a couple of nellie kellys from Bunnings at the start of winter and they are planted in half wine barrels that I got from the reject shop...they are about 50cm wide and they are doing well, still got a fair amount of growth to go before they are anywhere near outgrowing the pot...if they ever do. At the moment they are getting full sun, though I'm thinking of moving them under the patio once the heats sets in

Shaun says...
I only got a few blueberry fruits from each of my plants this year .....
because they all flowered at different times, out of synch with each other.
In previous years, when all the different varieties flowered at the smae time, the berry fruits were plentiful.
I think this year's erratic climate pattern is the main cause of the out of synch flowering syndrome.
Any one out there having similar experience this year?

Julie says...
Saxman, whose post are you replying to?

Saxman says...
NB: These Grower's Markets are every Sunday 7am - 12pm

Trudy says...
Hi, I purchased four blueberry plants this year -
Sunshine Blue (Beaufort St. Nursery) lots of fruit. doing well.
City Farmers -Lord St. -struggling but alive -6 fruit.
Bunnings -slowly expired -dead.
Diggers - BlueRose - Deciduous -now full of leaves -no flowers yet.
All in same type of pots/azalea mix/same position/same amount water.

I also put some Vermiculite in the pot.mix.
Can anyone tell me if Vermiculite is good for pots/plants.
I was told by Bunnings that Blueberry Plants should be in stores this week.
In the past I have found Bunnings plants are mislabeled and die easily.
eg. two lime trees turned out Grapefruits. (I kept receipts 2 years but trees were too bid when fruit came)

hal says...
Spring is generally the best time to plant blueberry plants. A good discussion of when to plant blueberry plants can be found in the blog at http://www.blueberrycroft.com/cms/index.php .

Brad says...
My Northland (Mr Twig) got its first leaf in time for Xmas. Merry Xmas one and all

F says...
I have had two blueberries in pots - azalea mix with a pine mulch - for about 6 weeks. They were in fruit when purchased and don't seem to have ripened any further. The new growth however, is quite abundant. Growing in a southern coastal area... Any tips to help ripen? Thanks...

Brad says...
Thanks Shaun. Interesting. I wonder what their origin is?
I asked a blueberry grower at kalamunda Market what varieties they grow. He said they'd bred their own over the years. Unfortunately the ones we tasted were gritty.
Please let us know how these varieties go

Brad says...
Hi Kert, do the vegetarian crocodiles taste good?

helor says...
Hi guys, I just bought a couple of blueberry plants from a bloke at the Canningvale sunday markets. Not sure of the variety, he said a guy up near Lancelin had bred this variety...something like K101 or K107 I think he said. Anyhow, I brought them home and they managed to get knocked over and a bit dried out before I noticed. Since then they've dropped all their leaves and I'm wondering if they can be revived as the branches are still very green. I've kept it watered but haven't transplanted into a bigger pot for fear of shocking them too much.

Any advice?

Glen says...
If you keep blueberries in pots they need quite a lot of attention, and I: notice that most WA members of this blog seem to do that - is this because of the sandy soil there?

But yes, I'd repot into Azalea mix, give a good drink of Seasol for the shock, and keep moist withuot overwatering. Good luck.