blueberry bushes

« WellTellMe • Forum • Natural Health • Nutrition & Food • Fruits & Vegetables • blueberry bushes »

(Read 482 times) [1]

blueberry bushes
« on: May 02, 2009, 06:14:06 PM » by lovingmomof2

We recently purchased several blueberry bushes. I am wanting to know if anyone knows how I could go about harvesting seeds from my own blueberry bushes to plant?

Logged

Proverbs 31:26
"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."

Re: blueberry bushes
« Reply #1 on: May 03, 2009, 11:23:44 AM » by mdessy

You don't really start blueberries from seeds. The best way to get new plants is to take branches from the original plant, bend and stake them over, cover with good quality compost or potting soil and let them stay for a year. They should form roots and can be separated from the original plant a year later and planted. I have heard that you can do the same thing with suckers from the original plant but am not sure how easy those would be to separate from the original plant.

BTW, this works for currants and gooseberries as well.

Logged

web: http://www.grainsandmore.com
blog: http://grainsandmore.blogspot.com
columns: http://bit.ly/2GSAqP, http://bit.ly/pSWlI
twitter: http://twitter.com/grainsnmore
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/miradessy

Re: blueberry bushes
« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2009, 01:09:00 PM » by HappyWifey

That is very interesting...

We also bought several blueberry plants, and they are growing slowly.... One of them my rabbit stripped the leaves off of, and the stem is slowly browning from the top down. Will it completely die? Or will it make it?

Logged

My Blogs:
http://rejoicingevermore.blogspot.com
http://thelordspreciousjewels.blogspot.com (for young ladies)

Re: blueberry bushes
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2009, 04:59:40 PM » by WellTellMommy

How would I winter blueberry bushes in northern climate like Idaho.

Logged

DD 5yo---Mom, I think we should take a camera with us when we go to Heaven, it'll be so beautiful up there.

Sherri

Re: blueberry bushes
« Reply #4 on: May 03, 2009, 07:35:00 PM » by mykidsmom

Quote from: WellTellMommy on May 03, 2009, 04:59:40 PM

How would I winter blueberry bushes in northern climate like Idaho.

Sherri,

I didn't have to do anything to "winter over" my blueberry bushes. I put in three new ones last year at the beginning of planting season (May 1). They did very well getting established and have come back beautifully this year. Plenty of flowers, etc. The bushes are still too small to really produce much of a "crop" of berries but they are growing just fine. They did look horrible through the cold and snow but that didn't seem to be an issue once spring hit. I just planted 3 more this year so we'll see if they take off as well as the others. Honestly, I have a harder time getting my new blackberries to winter over then the blueberries. The blackberries survived, but they haven't grown as much as the other berries (even the strawberries wintered over great). I didn't mulch or do anything to any of the berries here (outside of Boise). I just planted 30 new strawberry plants so we'll see how they winter over this year. The others from last year did great so hopefully these will do the same.

patti

Logged

For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day.

Re: blueberry bushes
« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2009, 07:22:50 AM » by lovingmomof2

Quote from: mdessy on May 03, 2009, 11:23:44 AM

I was thinking that might be the case. Do the blueberry bushes need to be a minimal size before trying this?

Logged

Proverbs 31:26
"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."

Re: blueberry bushes
« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2009, 08:30:27 AM » by mdessy

Quote from: lovingmomof2 on May 04, 2009, 07:22:50 AM

Quote from: mdessy on May 03, 2009, 11:23:44 AM

I was thinking that might be the case. Do the blueberry bushes need to be a minimal size before trying this?

I believe they have to be "well established" which I would take to mean at least three years old and of pretty good size (unless they are dwarf variety).

For over-wintering, when I lived in CT I never needed to do anything special to protect my bushes from the weather. I think if it went down below -20 I might cover them with burlap but that would be about it. Also, the bushes need to be mature before they set fruit, I always found the fastest way to help out fruits is to not let them fruit at all the first year (even strawberries) because that forces more growth into the plant. Don't know if you're "supposed" to do that but it always worked for me.

Logged

Re: blueberry bushes
« Reply #7 on: May 04, 2009, 09:38:46 AM » by Gigi

Quote from: LePetitFarmGirlinAK on May 03, 2009, 01:09:00 PM

If there are absolutely no leaves, than I would say it is unlikely it will make it. Once the plant has progressed in it's development to the point of producing real leaves, it requires them to perform photosynthesis. If it cannot perform photosynthesis, it is kinda like not being able to breathe . . .

If you really want the bush, I would pray for a miracle - then it's got a great chance of making it!

Logged

Re: blueberry bushes
« Reply #8 on: May 04, 2009, 03:04:59 PM » by lovingmomof2

Quote from: mdessy on May 04, 2009, 08:30:27 AM

Quote from: lovingmomof2 on May 04, 2009, 07:22:50 AM

Quote from: mdessy on May 03, 2009, 11:23:44 AM

I was thinking that might be the case. Do the blueberry bushes need to be a minimal size before trying this?

The bushes we just bought and planted are a year old and most of them are about 2 feet tall, we got 3 or 4 different varieties. All but 2 of the bushes have berries on them with several having at least a handful of berries. Do I need to pick them off and not let them get ripe or just leave them alone?

Logged

Proverbs 31:26
"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."

Re: blueberry bushes
« Reply #9 on: May 04, 2009, 04:02:18 PM » by mdessy

I have always picked the first year's berries off and just let the bush grow. This way it doesn't put any energy into producing fruit and more energy into roots and stems. jm.02

Logged

(Read 482 times) [1]