SOLD OUT. You may order for delivery Autumn 2012.
Supplied as a pair of 3L pot grown plants. Each blueberry bush is appropximately 2 feet tall and need to be transferred either to treated open ground or a container each of at least 40cm.
Darrow is a late season variety with very
large, firm light blue berries. The flavour is
excellent but suits people who prefer a slightly
tart blueberry. Consistent high yields
as long as it is grown close to a different variety as Darrow is only
partly self fertile which means it needs a companion plant.
Bluecrop harvests early to mid August. Lovely flavour, large pale blue fruit. Again partially self fertile so works well with the Darrow.
Blueberries have delicious fruit, very
attractive bell-like white flowers in spring and glorious autumn foliage
colour. More and more research studies are showing blueberries to have amazing health giving properties, one of the so called
'superfoods'. They are perfectly frost
hardy, and provided you follow a few simple rules, they are very easy to grow. Blueberries are partly self fertile and you
will get a crop even if you have only one plant, however, commercial
growers have noted that you get the heaviest yield
by growing two different varieties in close proximity.
A straightforward crop to grow when you follow three basic planting instructions. The soil must be moist yet free draining (i.e. not waterlogged), and it must be acidic (pH 4.0-5.5). Bluberries need lots of rich organic matter such as leaf mould. None of these is too hard to achieve with a bit of planning.
How to Plant
If possible plant your new blueberries immediately. If not, stand them in a sheltered place outdoors with lots of light and where the roots won't freeze. Water with rainwater.
Let the blueberry bushes stand in water (preferably rain water) for an hour or so to ensure that the rootball is moist. Storing rainwater to water the blueberries is particularly important. If you need to use tap water, just add some drops of household vinegar to neutralise/make it slightly acidic.
They like plenty of sunlight and a sheltered spot, but can cope with gentle shade.
Planting in the ground? Dig a pit about 80-90cm diameter for each plant, a minimum of 150cm apart. Fill it with ericaceous compost mixed with the top soil you've just dug out. Be generous with the compost though, so at least half and half. If you are concerned about drainage, add some grit or gravel to the bottom of the hole.
Take the blueberry bush out of it's pot place in the hole and fill in with compost around it - keep the soil level the same as it was in the pot. Once the hole is full firm it down with your feet or hands. Water in well. If you have some, mulch around the top of the plant with leaf mould which will work it's way into the soil to keep your blueberry bush fed, or bark chippings.
Planting in Pots? This can be a good way of overcoming the wrong type of soil eg chalk or sandstone. As they are a shrubby looking attractive plant blueberries are good enough to use as ornamental plant on the patio. They are deciduous so you'll get lovely Autumn colour. You'll need a container, you can pot on but aim for something of at least 50cm diameter. The bigger the pot, the larger your plant will grow. Also, the larger the container, the slower it is to dry out!.Blueberry bushes can reach 6ft and 2 ft wide. Plant one blueberry bush per container using ericaceous compost. Just make sure the first 3-4 inches of the pot are filled with drainage material such as broken terracotta, and that the pot has feet for the winter and a saucer for the summer.
Water is a vital ingredient for succesful blueberries in pots. Do try to use rainwater! And when they are fruiting, think about feeding them every month with ericaceous plant feed to help them to fruit.
Blueberries do need watering, especially over the summer so you may wish to think about a simple irrigation system which will both save you time and worry! Also. do keep the weeds down from around them.
You may wish to consider netting as the birds love the berries!
Tips from Grandma Pauline:
1. Sacrifice your first crop...
It might be upsetting, but you'll get much better crops if you "rub" off the fruit in the first year. Just use your fingers to squeeze off the fat buds in the first winter.
2. Fertilise...
Blueberries hate lime. Each Spring, apply a lime free fertiliser, just follow the instructions on the packet. If you haven't had the normal growth which is about 30-40cm your soil may not be quite acidic enough, and you'll need to add something like Sulpha chips or sulphate of ammonia. After you've fed and treated the plant, top up your mulch.
3. When to crop...
They'll be ready when they become very dark, with a waxy white coating. If they come off the stalks with a gentle pull they're ready. They should be slightly soft when you squeeze them. Try to crop as you need them because they don't store for too long in the fridge, they do freeze OK but you might find the flavour fades.
4. Maintenance...
Your blueberry bushes don't need much. Just annual care in Spring, March time. They shouldn't need much trimming, but do remove dead/damaged/diseased branches. Don't leave dead branches around the base of the plant in case they are diseased.