blueberry plant but no blueberries

Last post 08-03-2007 6:36 AM by stevew. 7 replies.

• 14/06/2006 01:04 PM

  agbocat Location: Joined on: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 3

  Reply | Contact I've got a 2 year old blueberry plant (Top Hat dwarf variety) but have yet to get a single blueberry from it. Last year, all the flowers dropped off before they had even begun to turn into fruit. This year the flowers were OK and I put the plant next to lavender and rosemary bushes so that the flowers would be pollinated by all the bees. The petals fell from the flowers revealing loads of tiny fruit but within a week or so all these potential blueberries had dropped off! The plant is in a pot with ericaceous soil, is watered regularly and is in full sun. There are no signs of any other problems and the plant seems pretty healthy, and is even sprouting new leaves. Can anyone please tell me what I'm doing wrong?!? Thanks.

• 14/06/2006 01:40 PM	In reply to
  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 8,682	Reply | Contact Are you watering them with rainwater as they don't like tap water (has lime in it). I have two blueberry plants that I bought last autumn, mine are in pots either side of the greenhouse and have loads of fruit on them. As well as using the ericaceous compost I have also given them a slow releasing granular feed that is suitable for acid loving plants. sue1002

• 14/06/2006 03:44 PM	In reply to
  agbocat Location: Joined on: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 3	Reply | Contact Thanks for your speedy reply sue1002! Yes, I have been using tap water - will switch to rain water, and give them a feed, and see if that helps.

• 06/03/2007 01:43 PM	In reply to
  Jeremy Location: Joined on: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 5	Reply | Contact I believe that you generally need more than one blueberry plant to assist with polination, as most varieties are not self-fertile. (I think that "sunshine blue" is the exception to this) I have got 2 plants in pots next to each other and had a good crop last year. Jeremy

• 07/03/2007 01:04 PM	In reply to
  Jeremy Location: Joined on: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 5	Reply | Contact Another point to consider - have you pruned the bush at all - it fruits on growth made the previous year, so if you prune it too hard in the winter, you won't get any fruit the following summer.

• 07/03/2007 02:34 PM	In reply to
  agbocat Location: Joined on: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 3	Reply | Contact hi Jeremy, thanks for your thoughts no, I haven't pruned it at all. as it's a dwarf variety its only about 10" high so it hasn't occurred to me to prune it. I might try repotting it, if it's not already too late this year – I've already noticed new buds. at least it's still alive!

• 07/03/2007 06:32 PM

  In reply to

  Bog Myrtle Location: Southern Turkey Joined on: 07 Feb 2007 Posts: 346

  Reply | Contact Hi Jeremy, do you happen to know if [i]any[/i] two blueberry plants next to each other will be okay, or is it like holly or kiwi, and you need a male and a female bush? We have one blueberry bush, just bought and planted last year, and we did have fruit on it this year, but it was already in flower when I bought it, so quite possibly was already pollinated. If we need another one, I need to get my skates on and find one before much longer!

• 08/03/2007 06:36 AM	In reply to
  stevew Location: Joined on: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 408	Reply | Contact Hello Bog There are no males and females as such, just another plant will help obtain a larger crop