My Edibles: Blueberry Trees

Blueberry - Nellie Kelly

Comments: -

Summer 2010: Have had heaps of fruit but not the best flavour and small. They needed little maintenance. I rotate which ones were allowed to fruit each year. They are still small and fruiting takes a lot of energy. Rotation seems to improve vigor.

I had a different variety a few years ago and grasshoppers demolished it but the Nellie Kellies haven't been touched. I'm either luckier this time or this variety isn't so tastey!

Summer 2011: SO MUCH FRUIT! Fruit was much better quality this year. They obviously take a few years to really establish. Plus I think that they have loved the rain!

Fruiting Months January, November, December

Planted: 2008

Height 0.5 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 4

Pollination: No

Pest Control:

Some sort of grub likes to spin webs through the flowers and berries at the very tip of the branches. Kills the branch. I just cut them off and throw them away.

Blueberry - Backyard Blue ^8/10

Comments: -

Suggestion for Blueberry and Grapevine for backyard garden in the newcastle area.Soil clay, imported good top soil, mulched, drainage, north facing  

Alternative your Suggestion??

As we have planted citrus, black sapote, fig black genoa, mango bowen, dwarf peach, and all growing well

Blueberry - Biloxi

Comments: -

Also a Sharpblue and Gulf coast. Quite a few small blueberries over a long time (Nov-Dec, still flowering and new fruit in December)

Fruiting Months October and November

Planted: 2010

Height 1 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Blueberry - Biloxi (Seedling) ^10/10

Comments: -

One of the best tasting berries on earth. Potted in azalea mix, only small but growing pretty well so far. Have another unknown variety for cross pollination but will get more from Daleys when available

Height 0.75 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pruned By: 10% in After Fruiting

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Cross Pollinator Variety: not sure!

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Dynamic Lifter, Seasol

Pest Control:

none

Organic Status:Partially Organic

Blueberry - Sunshine Blue (Cutting)

Comments: - From Chris - I lost this with all my other blueberries in the dry of 2009. 

Planted: 127

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Comments

Blueberry - Climax

Pollination: Self Pollination

Blueberry - Misty ^3/10

Comments: -

Have moved them to a new location with less root competition will see if things improve.

Well the move hasn't worked I have been told they like morning sun so will have to move them again (when things cool down a bit)

Moved back into pots and placed them in a sheltered spot with morning sun - got a few fruits this year.

Fruiting Months January

Planted: 2008

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 2

First Fruited: 3 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Home compost

When I Fertilise: Yearly

Organic Status:Organic

Blueberry - Biloxi (Cutting)

Comments: -

this is a highbush variety unspecified i don't know if it is Biloxi

Planted: 2012

Growing: In a Pot

Blueberry - Gulfcoast ^10/10

Comments: - love my Blueberries, and now (after reading this wonderfully informative forum) i know to treat them like azaleas, i should have a lot more success

Planted: 2012

Growing: In a Pot

Blueberry - Sunshine Blue (Cutting) ^7/10

Comments: -

This is a Nellie Kelly blueberry - I adore these plants. I allowed them to fruit in the first year, and they gave a couple of punnets of blueberries in total between the two.

Make sure you let the berries atay on the bush for a week or so after turning blue - they are still sour when they forst turn, but lovely and sweet if you give them time.

Fruiting Months January, November, December

Planted: 2011

Height 30 Centimetres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 2

Fruit Harvest: 0.2 kilograms per Year

First Fruited: 11 Months from Purchase in Pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: No

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Dynamic lifter for fruit

Pest Control: Multiguard slug pellets. Slugs are the only pest I have found on these lovely plants.

Organic Status:Organic

Question: How to prune this after fruiting? To a roundish shape, or should I be selective with the growth I prune?

Blueberry - Blue Rose (Seedling) ^9/10

Comments: -

Update - Just got my first harvest of blueberries! I did lose one to a bird but I quickly netted the plant and protected the rest. The taste of the berries is very subtle with a hint of sweetness and none of the tartness of the store-bought blueberries. 

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Previous update - lots of little fruits have started forming all over where the flowers used to be. I applied some acidic fertiliser once the berries stated started to develop. Looking forward to heaps of tasty fruit, provided the birds don't get to them first!

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I bought this as a seedling from my local nursery this year. After a number of friends had failed attempts with their blueberry plants, I thought I'd give it a go. I did a lot of research before buying it as I had heard that they can be very fussy plants, but hardy, if they like the conditions they're in.

It is important for the soil to be sufficiently acidic. I potted it in a large 50cm glazed pot, with camellia/azalea potting mix and mixed through peat moss (which is acidic). I mulched with pine needles and every now and again throw on ground coffee which also helps to lower the ph in the soil. It's also important to only water with rainwater as tap water can be quite basic with all the chemicals they add to the water these days. 

So far it seems to be doing well. It has grown quite vigorously even in the short time I have had it. It has dropped all its leaves in the winter. Melbourne has had a particularly cold winter so I'm hoping for a good crop this year!

Update - just last week it started flowering following Melbourne's warmest August days on record! The flowers are stunning as you can see in the photo below. I've got my fingers crossed I get some fruit as the flowers are very sensitive to frost and reports of freezing winter days ahead

Check out my blog! www.bloodplum.tk

Fruiting Months January, November, December

Planted: 2011

Growing: In a Pot

First Fruited: 1 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: When Fruiting and Spring

Organic Status:Organic

Vaccinium ashei (Blueberry | Powderblue)

Comments: -

Notes: Rabbiteye

Planted: 2011

Height 30 Centimetres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Vaccinium corymbosum (Blueberry | Brigitta)

Comments: -

Notes: Highbush

Planted: 2010

Height 1.2 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Question:

Notes: Northern Highbush (High chill variety)

Vaccinium corymbosum (Blueberry | Early Blue)

Comments: -

Notes: Highbush

Planted: 2010

Height 40 Centimetres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Question:

Notes: Northern Highbush (High chill variety)

Fruits on branches from previous year.
early ripening autumn colour.

Blueberry - Backyard Blue ^6/10

Blueberry - Highbush (Seedling) ^8/10

Comments: -

Planted in my front garden bed which is west facing two years ago, so it gets plenty of sun.  Still a young seedling and is doing ok but hasn't grown as much as I would have liked.  Last year got some fruit, this year nothing because I pruned it back hard in winter to shape it.  I seasoled a month ago.

Planted: 2009

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Organic Status:Organic

Blueberry - Blue Rose ^5/10

Comments: -

Lovely bush, best of my blueberries, none of which are growing with much vigour. Trying some iron chelates to see if that improves things.

Planted: 2010

Qty: 1

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: No

Blueberry - Backyard Blue (Cutting) ^9/10

Comments: -

Very good flavour of the 6 varieties in my garden. 1m high bush. Recommended.

Fruiting Months December

Planted: 2008

Height 1 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

First Fruited: 1 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Blueberry - Gulfcoast (Cutting) ^9/10

Comments: -

Produces very large blueberries. Not as tasty as Sharpblue, but maybe because the kids eat them before they fully ripen.

Fruiting Months December

Planted: 2008

Height 1 metres

Qty: 1

First Fruited: 1 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Pest Control:

none

Comments

Edward, have you had any success with blueberrys in pots?

Hello Kim. I only just noticed your question. No, I have not tried using pots, particularly since the blueberry bushes seem to require good soil moisture all the time, otherwise they wilt and don't recover well. Also must remember to have acidic soil (I added granular sulphur to my garden plot).

Blueberry - Sharpblue (Cutting) ^9/10

Comments: -

Very good flavour. Of the 6 varieties planted, this is one of the better tasting fruit. Recommended..

Fruiting Months December

Planted: 2008

Height 1 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Fruit Harvest: 200 Fruit Per Year

First Fruited: 1 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Cross Pollination

When I Fertilise: Spring

Pest Control:

None.

Organic Status:Organic

Blueberry - Misty ^7/10

Comments: - Great fruit

Fruiting Months November

Height 40 Centimetres

Qty: 2

First Fruited: 2 Months from Purchase in Pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Summer

Pollination: No

Fertiliser or Organics Used: organic 5 in 1

When I Fertilise: Spring

Pest Control: Bird netting

Organic Status:Organic

Question: how do you tell when the fruit is best to pick?

Blueberry - Sharpblue ^10/10

Comments: -

Had it a week and it's in a pot but already have lots of blueberries growing...Bought a second one in the hope the two will produce a lot more...
Very happy with this plant as it seems a vigorous grower and has loads of fruit already. Nice tasting fruit and not as tart as the ones I usually get from the shops so that's a good surprise.

Planted: 2011

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 2

First Fruited: 1 Months from Purchase in Pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Camelia and Azaliea Food/ Potash

When I Fertilise: When Fruiting and Spring

Pest Control:

Blueberry - Biloxi ^6/10

Comments: -

Bought this as a companion to my 2 sharp Blue plants (not that they look like they need it but still...)

Hmmm...Saw it today and it's dead as a door knob. Not happy as I have only had it for about 3 weeks..wonder what went wrong? Other 2 blueberries are happy so unsure??

Have now got another one so hopefully that one lasts!

Planted: 2011

Height 30 Centimetres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Cross Pollinator Variety: Sharp Blue

When I Fertilise: Spring

Question:

Blueberry - Brightwell

Blueberry - Powderblue ^3/10

Blueberry - Northland

Blueberry - Misty (Seedling)

Comments: -

Small cream flowers with a blueberry base! 

New growth in this its first spring; fruits maturing. It does indeed like the red soils up here at Maleny.

Planted: 2011

First Fruited: 1 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Summer

Pollination: No

Fertiliser or Organics Used: blood and bone; compost

When I Fertilise: Spring

Organic Status:Organic

Comments

Water on first planting - after NO

Blueberry - Biloxi

Blueberry - Backyard Blue

Blueberry - Backyard Blue