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Weak growth on one of the potted blueberries.

BartlomiejBartlomiej Posts: 24
in Problem solving
Does anyone know what is affecting my blueberry plant? I have three different varieties, Duke, Earliblue and Aurora. While the first two are vigorous and set lots of fruits, Aurora is not growing too well. The potting mix is exactly the same since I bought them last year and potted them the same day. On the Aurora, few flowers appeared, but the blooms wilted, the web that you see on the flowers is plain spider web, not mites. Compared to the other two plants, leaves are smaller and look anaemic, one or two branches turned brown. Any advice? Should I worry? Will it recover if I remove all flowers?


Healthy looking Earliblue for comparison:


Thank you in advance.
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Posts

  • BartlomiejBartlomiej Posts: 24
    Thanks, but I am still unsure why growth has slowed down and why it looks so sad.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I don't know what the cause is of your problem, but I've had 3 in pots for about 5 years now and they've all done well. Patriot, Herbert and OzarkBlue
    They way I've looked after mine-
    I always use rainwater.
    They are in ericaceous compost and I keep the compost reasonably moist.
    I feed once a month from March-end of fruiting with Miracle Grow soluble feed for Azaleas and Rhododendrons
    I give them a seaweed extract feed once every couple of months from Mar-Aug
    They're in full sun

    Don't know if there's anything in that you can pick out of that that may help, but hope your plant gets its act together :)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • JemulaJemula Posts: 196
    I wondered why my potted Sunshine Blue blueberry looked so poorly when it was so vigorous and fruitful last year and found that most of the roots had been eaten by vine weevil grubs.  
  • JemulaJemula Posts: 196
    Indeed Pansyface!  Especially as I used nematodes on most of my other pots but didn't think that blueberries were susceptible.  Should have known better.
  • BartlomiejBartlomiej Posts: 24
    Yikes! Hope that's not vine weevil grubs... Anyway, I use only rainwater, even though water in me neck of woods is very soft. All blueberries are in ericaceous compost and were fed with Westland's liquid feed for acid loving plants in the beginning of April.

    The only pests rampant in my back garden are green caterpillars, those are mostly sticking to strawberries and citrus trees. Hopefully I get them under control with BT this season, anything else is controlled by nature itself.

    I have some doubts about weevils because there is no damage on the leaves, but I might get a closer look at the roots, just in case.


  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    Our 2 plants are in pots with the correct compost and this year we have noticed that the flowers are there and then....nothing. Not sure what is going on as last year we had a good harvest. Maybe a year out?
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    You say the leaves look 'anaemic'.
    Presumably Aurora got its name because of its golden leaves, as I doubt it will apply to the berries :)
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Should have said, but I'm only half awake - lighter leaves will produce less chlorophyll, so growth will be less vigorous, is seen in variegated plants.
  • BartlomiejBartlomiej Posts: 24
    I took more close-ups, it might better show the issue:

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    My Patriot always has a few branch ends like yours.
    It's the 1st to come into leaf and the first to produce berries and I suspect that the new growth has been nipped by frost causing the damage. My plant is quite big so it makes little difference.

    It doesn't look like the problem with yours lies above the compost, so it may be worth taking it out of the pot and just have a look at the root health and check the compost seems ok.

    The only other thing I can think of is that some vital micro-nutrient is missing from the compost which is holding it back. Seaweed extract is full of all that sort of stuff and I find it gives just about all my plants a boost and keeps them in good health. I use on all plants inc. houseplants

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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