Bargainacious Blueberries?

Ive decided to grow some this year.

I was under the impression that you needed sexed partner plants to produce a crop.

They are £11 per pot in my local garden centre, but I had a text from a wily septagenarian yesterday who claims to have spotted a load in the local pound shop.

Now before I pop off down there and clear them out (if the other gannets havent got there first) Id appreciate some advice. I dont know the variety but are there any I definitely need to avoid, or conversely snap up?

 

melinda,
i have 2 here in pots at different areas in the garden and they are fine always produce fruit, the problem is, getting them before the birds, so if you do get a plant put netting over it when the fruit starts to colour up..you dont need to have 2 or more, but the more you have the more fruit you have to eat, now that cant be bad!!!!

 

Yes, the blackbirds in particular love them!

 

Thank you all very much!

I shall be shortly divesting the pound shop of their blueberry bushes.

One thing Im usually wary about with those sorts of plants is the way they are stored.

Crushed onto shelves, desperate to grow and yet starved of water and light. They often end up looking like pale ghosts. I'll let you know how it goes.


The birds usually get half my cherries, hopefully these bushes will be easier to defend.

 

Today in our local Aldi i bought a Gogi berry bush for £2.99. It looks very strong and healthy. I have never grown one of these so would appreciate hearing about any experiences others have had. I will have to grow it in a greenhouse because it is not warm enough up here and also our garden doesn't get very much direct sun. It is north/northeast facing.

BTW they had other types of bushes at the same price - redcurrant, blueberry and blackcurrant.

Sally

 

Very good point! I have a few roses which have flourished and they were knocking on deaths door when I picked them up for 50pence a pop.


Im partial to the cheap bulbs because you can actually inspect them for health and size.

However, I hesitate to buy the bare rooted herbaceous perennials in the plastic bags. I generally think you get what you pay for. Some are very ropey looking with crispy dry roots! But I suppose if they prove to be duds, then its only a pound you've lost.

Would it be best to plant these dormant plants directly into the garden or do you protect them for a season by growing them on?

 

There were still some there, but were looking quite dry and stick like. Decidedly ropey. I only bought two.

:(

Co-incidently there was a question about blueberries on GQT last week. Ive had to stick mine in small tubs of ericaceous compost for now.

 

Melinda, see my comment on these dried out specimens!

http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/pre-packed-rhubard-t32364.html

 

SG! Ive just read and replied to your comment!

I bought and took back a rudbeckia. Back to shopping in the garden centre for me. (well until the autumn bulbs come out!)

 

Aldis were selling blueberry bushes a month back.
I bought 2. Only cost me £2.99 each.

I have 4 blueberry plants in pots. Plenty of leaves on them.
I can't see any flowering buds at the moment. I actually don't know what the flowers look like on blueberry plants.
Anyone got any pics??

 

No Pics i'm afraid AF, but I would imagine they look simliar to bilberries, small insignificant bell shaped affairs.