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Questions tagged [blueberries]

Flowering plants of genus Vaccinium; grown for their fruit.

Blueberries are plants of genus Vaccinium (ie. related to cranberries and bilberries) which are grown for their dark-blue berries. Most in cultivation are from the section Cyanococcus.

vary from 10 cm to 4 m in height, and leaves can be either deciduous or .

Fruit are sweet when ripe, but the level of acidity can vary.

Blueberries are a popular fruit() in North America (where they are native), but have increasing popularity in Europe and other parts of the world. They are typically eaten fresh, in jellies, jams, pies, muffins, snack foods, and cereals. They have a diverse range of and a relatively low glycemic load. Some studies have shown that these combined components may have an effect against cancers, Alzheimer's , and stroke . This is an area of ongoing research.

Use this tag for all questions about growing the various varieties of blueberries. Questions about bilberries, and related should use the appropriate tag instead.

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Is there anything I should avoid putting in compost that I am going to use for blueberries?

Is there anything I should avoid (or encourage) adding to compost that I am going to make to grow blueberries?
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Damaged blueberry plants

I have two small blueberry bushes that I planted last summer. During winter I've had a hare/rabbit that has chewed them up. Only the 2-3 innermost biggest core branches of each plant remains and these have been cut to 3/4 of their original size.…
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Can I raise a bush up by pushing dirt under it?

I have some blueberry bushes. Some were just planted two weeks ago, and others are two years old. However, they aren't draining as well as I'd like during heavy rains, and had some standing water around them. Knowing that blueberry bushes are…
Jamin Grey
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Can I ignore soil pH and just give blueberries chelated iron?

As Why do blueberries need acidic soil? points out, it seems that iron is really the biggest nutrient to suffer in alkaline conditions. Even an answer there, despite a nice emphasis on the broader soil ecology, ends up focusing on this…
natevw
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What does "prune back to new wood" mean?

Re blueberries, this URL says "prune back to new wood". The meaning is not obvious to me. They don't say to remove all old wood, from the base. In fact, from the context, the rule seems meant to apply to tips/ends. But, wouldn't any such…
George
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When to apply amendments to blueberries

I've got a blueberry in a pot that was repotted without amending the soil. Now it seems to be growing okay but rather then repotting it again, I'm wondering if I can apply a coffee grounds mulch while it still has a few berries, and i mean only a…
Graham Chiu
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Blueberry spacing in a raised bed - how dense can I go?

I'm about to construct a 4ft wide x 16ft long raised bed, 6" height, for planting blueberries. The space where this bed is going has a chain link fence on the back and one end, although I can walk around to the other side to pick fruits. How close…
William S.
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What's causing the edges of my blueberry leaves to burn?

Last year, this Sunshine Blueberry plant was doing stupendously - not a burned leaf in sight. Now most of the leaves appear like they're burning. Also, the fruit never mature to full size before they shrivel. I'm not even sure if those flowers are…
JoJo
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Blueberry leaves that curl and then brown

I live in Sunset zone 17. I purchased a pair of blueberries in February. I transplanted them into five gallon pots, and used a mix of potting soil and coconut coir that drains pretty well. I also amended with sulfur to make the soil more acidic, and…
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What are some reasons why a blueberry bush's leaves turn yellow?

I have two types of Southern Highbush blueberry bushes, Misty and O'Neal. This spring, I noticed that their leaves are yellowing as shown in the photos below: Misty: O'Neal: They are in 100% peat moss with pine bark mulch on the surface. What…
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Should I transfer a growing potted blueberry bush to a bigger pot, or into the ground?

I have a blueberry bush in a smallish pot. It was given to us a couple of summers ago, and we put it in the only available pot we had at the time. This year, we've had a pretty good yield from it, considering its size. The fact that we now have…
Austen Osborne
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Blueberry dying leaves, flowers

Hi I'm having major issues with my blueberry bushes. I had three in a large planter and they fruited last year just fine. The third one randomly dried up and died a couple of months ago, now one of the others looks Ill and possibly the other…
Iain Simpson
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Premature blueberries dropping buds

Blueberry flowers are dropping off. I raise mason bees so, I know pollination is not the cause, and Lane County Oregon has had an over abundance of rain. I am baffled. Last year I had a bumper crop. What gives?
Billy Clark
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Blueberries in concrete block bed

I am getting ready to upgrade my aging and rotting wooden raised beds to ones made from 8x8x16 hollow concrete block (Concrete Masonry Units). As I understand it, the lime in the concrete can leach out over time and increase the soil pH, making it…
William S.
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How do I plant blueberries?

I got some Blueberry bushes from my neighbors garden store, and was wondering how should I plant them?
black thumb
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