Blueberry Bushes

[Tam]

Certainly blueberries are hardy, but any plant, born under artificial conditions, would fare better if not exposed to extremely low temperatures if new growth has started.

[pigletwillie]

I doubt if they were propogated under artificial conditions although they may have been stored that way.

They are immensely hardy and most varieties need several hundred hours of temperature below 8 degrees. The only time cold will hurt them is if they get frosted when in bloom, as with any plant.

Mine are all full of bud now and it was -8 last week.

[bluemoon]

Slightly off topic I know, but some books say two blueberry bushes are necessary to get crops. Is this the case? Thing is I only have space for 1. What do you find?

Cheers

No, one bush will fruit quite happily on its own. I think you're supposed to get an increased crop (10 - 15%) if you have two, but it's not necessary. I believe this is a myth encouraged by the people who sell blueberry bushes.

[bluemoon]

I have never seen any pollinating insects near them. The flowers also seem too small for a bee to get into.

Mine are always covered in those very small bees, who seem to have no difficulty in entering the flowers.

[FB.]

Mine are always covered in those very small bees, who seem to have no difficulty in entering the flowers.

Interesting.
Perhaps those types of bees are not common in my area, or maybe they haven't found my blueberries.

[bluemoon]

Interesting.
Perhaps those types of bees are not common in my area, or maybe they haven't found my blueberries.

They're very tiny ones, FB. about 1cm long I would guess (perhaps slightly longer). Perhaps, as you say, there aren't any where you live. I allowed some of my leeks to flower last summer and each globe would frequently have 15 - 20 bees on it, and the number of different species amazed me. I'm going to buy a book or search the net this summer to try and identify some of them. I'm a bee spotter now, how geeky is that?

[Jenegade]

I doubt if they were propogated under artificial conditions although they may have been stored that way.

They are immensely hardy and most varieties need several hundred hours of temperature below 8 degrees. The only time cold will hurt them is if they get frosted when in bloom, as with any plant.

Mine are all full of bud now and it was -8 last week.

I don't think they were artificially propogated. As they are nice and healthy looking I took the bubblewrap off, was acting as a sail in the winds anyway! Now they have to fend for themselves, will see if the buds they have are still there after the next frost we have!

Thanks for the advice!

[HairyGecko]

Just putting my tuppence into the chat. I have a couple of blueberry bushes that have survived living in pots for a year before beng planted in the garden for about 2 years. I have never covered them in fleece for protection, and as I live in Alloa, I can't imagine the climate is much different to Sunny Stirling!
Given that they like acid soil, I have a few dwarf rhododendron bushes planted arund them. And on a simillar note, despite having several small flocks of birds visiting the garden (not bad for a house on a new estate!), they don't seem to have bothered snaffling the blueberries off the bushes too much at all.
I think I'll get a couple more bushes to fill a gap on the allotment this year, too.
Anyhoo, good luck with yours,

Adam

[miffy]

Opps re the bubble wrap the instructions which came with my blueberry said to cover it in the winter! Think i will get another bush or two after listening to you guys advice as they are so yummy!

[coreopsis]

I have a daft question-I know the taste of the blueberries but only the wild ones.Is there any difference between garden and forest ones?