Blueberries have very specific needs, and you should do your homework before even buying plants, or you may waste a good deal of time and money.
1. Blueberries need a pollinator. This should be a plant of a different variety. If you, like someone I know, buy 8 plants all of the same variety, you will not get a good crop, you will be lucky to get anything at all. Don't buy cheap plants in a pund shop, buy decent named varieties either from a garden centre, or through the post or online from a reputable supplier.
2. Blueberries need a VERY acid soil - more so than rhododendrons. Digging a hole in your plot and filling it with ericaceous compost may not work. If the surrounding soil has been limed in the past, that lime will wash into the hole and affect the plants. Plants which need acid soil do so because lime combines with the iron in the soil to make a chemical which the plant can't absorb through its roots. Iron is needed for healthy green leaves, so without that iron the plant sickens and eventually dies. You have three options:
1. Blueberries need a pollinator. This should be a plant of a different variety. If you, like someone I know, buy 8 plants all of the same variety, you will not get a good crop, you will be lucky to get anything at all. Don't buy cheap plants in a pund shop, buy decent named varieties either from a garden centre, or through the post or online from a reputable supplier.
2. Blueberries need a VERY acid soil - more so than rhododendrons. Digging a hole in your plot and filling it with ericaceous compost may not work. If the surrounding soil has been limed in the past, that lime will wash into the hole and affect the plants. Plants which need acid soil do so because lime combines with the iron in the soil to make a chemical which the plant can't absorb through its roots. Iron is needed for healthy green leaves, so without that iron the plant sickens and eventually dies. You have three options:
- You can grow in containers and use a special liquid feed
- You can make sure the soil you are planting in is acid enough, or
- You can use a special feed which keeps you plants healthy in less-than ideal soil.
Liquid feeds for Rhododendrons will work just fine for blueberries in pots. To make the soil more acid (if it is neutral or slightly acid to start with) you can use sulphate of iron, usually sold for use as 'lawn sand' and available in small quantities or by the sack from the Trading Store. To find out how acid (or limy) your soil is to start with, use a soil test kit available from any garden centre.
The special feed referred to is one containing Sequestred Iron. This is a form of iron which the plant can absorb even if lime is present. It needs to be used a few times during the growing season, starting when the new leaves first emerge in spring. It is also good for rhododendrons, camellias and Pieris, as well as other lime-hating plants.
Click on the picture to go to the manufacturer's page with more information.
Click on the picture to go to the manufacturer's page with more information.
With a good start and the proper care, you can have a lot of success with growing these popular and tasty fruit, even in an area like Kent where the conditions are far from ideal. For more about growing Blueberries, click on the picture on the right to go to the RHS page on the subject, with information about varieties and more growing tips.
