Blueberries & Acidic soil

[Im not hungry]

Hello everyone.

I will sortly recieve my three blueberry plants:

Duke - A highly productive early blueberry, producing large, high quality fruit. Cropping period - July.
Bluecrop - An excellent mid-season blueberry producing large sweet fruit from end of July. Forms a medium sized spreading bush. Cropping period - August.
Brigitta Blue - A late season blueberry with one of the highest yields available.

Each one comes in its own pot and I will need to repot them when they arrive, however how can I make sure the re-potting compost (material) is acidic enough for the blueberries?

Any help would be greatly recieved!

Kind Regards to All

Paul

[johnmichael]

Any good ericaceous compost will be fine,fed with a similarly ericaceous product.you can always acidify your water with vinegar if it is slightly alkaline.Rain water is best. Mulching with bracken or pine needles also helps.

[Im not hungry]

John

Thank you for your post, all of which i will investigate (find out what ericaceous means). Rain water is what I try to use as I live in an area of very hard water. When using tap water i end up with white deposits in the water trays!

Once again thanks you

Kind Regards

Paul

[johnmichael]

[ERICACEOUS]:Relating to the heather family.(Just found out!)

[Nicola_D]

I think you'll be able to find the soil easily enough in the garden centre. The one in B & Q has pictures of Rhododenrons on and I'm sure it says Ericaceous Soil on the front.

By the way, did you get the blueberry plants from Suttons? They are selling the same 3 in a deal at the minute and I think I'm going to get some as my 18month daughter loves blueberries and will eat a whole punnet in one go (if I let her), gets quite expensive at £2.99 a punnet!

Have they arrived yet? If so does it say how old the bushes are because I was reading that they don't produce fruit in the first year and may not in the second year - the fruit only grows on the branches that grew the previous year. So I would hope that you can buy 2 year old bushes that will grow fruit this season otherwise I'll have a very upset little girl (or be skint again )

Nicola

[Im not hungry]

Hi Nicola

They have not arrived as yet, but expected Jan-Feb. I ordered them from Dobies at £16.99 for the 3 different types, which should give a longer harvest period as they are early, medium and late fruit producing varaties.

Blueberry Collection, Pick juicy berries from early July to late September! Fruit Trees and Bushes



I know what you mean about cost my daughter loves them in her smoothies, I prefer a glass of red though!

As to wether they will produce this year or next Im hopeful ; - )


Paul ;-)

[Im not hungry]

Hi Nicola

Well they have arrived! :- (

They look very small and spindley and the literature which arrived with them said that you obtain blueberries from branches which are 2 - 3 years old! So i'm thinking it will be either 2012 or more likely 2013 before I get any so I got my fingers crossed!

[Nicola_D]

Hi Paul,

I thought that might be the case, I think I'll still get some for this year though, apparently it is better to have 2 or 3 varieties, not only for the longer fruiting period but also so there's more chance of cross pollination as this will result in more fruit being produced.