From what I've read, they need no or very little pruning for the first 2-3 years. Mine are now in year 3 and I will prune them this winter for the first time. Some info here from Trehane who specialises in them - https://www.trehanenursery.co.uk/kb_results.asp?ID=13
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
What you ideally want to happen is for new, strong shoots to appear at the base. You can encourage that by removing any weak, whippy shoots near the bottom of the plant - the one on the left in your photo may need that doing. I found that if those weak low shoots are left, they never grow much and produce little if any fruit. Blueberries also benefit from a nitrate boost in spring, which seemed to encourage strong new growth from below the soil on young plants and it is shoots like that which bear the heaviest crops in subsequent years. I use a nettle 'tea' to provide that boost and then switch to the normal ericaceous feed as soon as I see the first flowers. Other than snipping-off the remains of the old fruit stalks, you don't really need to look at pruning them until they are about 5yo.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
Just ran out (in the rain ) to check which variety I have. Mine is a German variety called Goldtraube, not on the list and said to be a mid season fruiting, will it be OK to leave out on a south west facing wall next to the house?
Just ran out (in the rain ) to check which variety I have. Mine is a German variety called Goldtraube, not on the list and said to be a mid season fruiting, will it be OK to leave out on a south west facing wall next to the house?
I think there are several Goldtraubes.
Mine is Goldtraube 71, and I am satisfied that that is hardy.
But ask me next April .
“Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
Lots of blueberry questions today. My last two just arrived from Primrose, after a slight 6 week delay, and one looks a bit dodgy to my inexperienced eye.
Not really about overwintering, but it perhaps makes sense to keep my blueberry questions together.
These are the three in the order.
On The LHS is a Sunshine Blue blueberry, which is looking amazing. But it is supposed to be an evergreen so should be looking good. I think it is also a bushier variety.
On The RHS is a Black Butte blackberry, which is a bit of a punt as it will be in a big container with a watering system.
The one in question in the middle is a Bluecrop blueberry which looks weedy, but it could be autumn dying off of leaves. The question is whether I should send this back.
Perhaps I need to look at the roots first .. they will all be instantly repotted anyway.
Any comments would be most welcome.
Ferdinand
“Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
Have three blueberry bushes that are 6yrs old,the first and 2nd year they went in a cold green house then got them out at the begining of April, now they stay outside close to the house wall.(had 3lb this summer) lovely hot with cold ice cream,baught a mosquito net to hang over mine birds dont have a chance.
I would pot your first ones into bigger pots, make sure you water really well,we lost one in the 2019 draught
Thanks.
The smaller ones came in 9cm pots last year in Aug/Sept I think, and went straight into I think 23cm pots (the small ones in the pic), so a repotting may happen next year.
F
“Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
Posts
Mine are now in year 3 and I will prune them this winter for the first time.
Some info here from Trehane who specialises in them -
https://www.trehanenursery.co.uk/kb_results.asp?ID=13
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Mine is Goldtraube 71, and I am satisfied that that is hardy.
But ask me next April
Not really about overwintering, but it perhaps makes sense to keep my blueberry questions together.
These are the three in the order.
On The LHS is a Sunshine Blue blueberry, which is looking amazing. But it is supposed to be an evergreen so should be looking good. I think it is also a bushier variety.
On The RHS is a Black Butte blackberry, which is a bit of a punt as it will be in a big container with a watering system.
The one in question in the middle is a Bluecrop blueberry which looks weedy, but it could be autumn dying off of leaves. The question is whether I should send this back.
Perhaps I need to look at the roots first .. they will all be instantly repotted anyway.
Any comments would be most welcome.
Ferdinand
Have three blueberry bushes that are 6yrs old,the first and 2nd year they went in a cold green house then got them out at the begining of April, now they stay outside close to the house wall.(had 3lb this summer) lovely hot with cold ice cream,baught a mosquito net to hang over mine birds dont have a chance.
The smaller ones came in 9cm pots last year in Aug/Sept I think, and went straight into I think 23cm pots (the small ones in the pic), so a repotting may happen next year.
F