You might remember me telling you back in March that I'd bought a blackcurrant bush from Lidl for the princely sum of £1.49. It looked very much like a twig back then, but did have a few green buds showing. I planted it in a pot as the ground wasn't ready for it to be planted at the allotment and just look at it now. I'm not expecting much fruit from it this year, but it's nice to see it growing so well, and it just goes to show that you don't have to spend a fortune to grow your own.
I wish the same could be said of my blueberries. Last year, the flowers got frosted and I got very little fruit, so I was determined this year to watch the weather forcast like a hawk and take appropriate action if a frost was forcast. I really don't think I'll need to worry too much as there are very few flowers on the bushes this year. I'm wondering if a little light pruning might be in order to remedy the situation for next year, though most things I've read say that blueberries need very little pruning. Perhaps I should try repotting them at the end of the year, that can't hurt.
Good Friday and Easter Monday are coming up so we've got a nice long weekend. The weather forcast is good so we should be able to spend some time outside in the garden or at the allotment, maybe we can take a trip out too.
Try giving them an ericaceous feed Jo.
ReplyDeleteI just trimmed back the twigs that seemed to have died just in case like roses they suffer die-back otherwise I have never pruned them and they glower well.
Sorry Jo I was signed on as Martyn for some reason the above was me Sue@GLA
ReplyDeleteHello Jo, re-acquainting with you after a long absence! Your blackcurrant does indeed look very healthy and just shows that, with the proper care, it isn't necessary to spend a lot on plants. I'm hoping for the same for my Morrisons redcurrant (£1.99). Caro x
ReplyDeleteP.S. My blueberries are looking quite sad this year and not enjoying the heat as they like to be kept moist at all times; I'm going to try a coffee ground mulch to rebalance the PH.
Jo, a couple of my Blueberry plants were freebies from magazines ("Pay postage only" - you know the sort). Last year they did quite well, but over the winter many branches died back. I have cut these off at ground level and I now see new shoots popping up, so hopefully they will recover. I echo Sue's words about using Ericaceous feed (and compost). I have heard that Blueberies do not take kindly to the normal general-purpose plant foods.
ReplyDeleteMy 3-for-£2.49 from Aldi soft fruit bushes are similarly leafy - I got 2 blackcurrants, 2 redcurrants & 2 raspberries and am happy with them all. Hurrah for bargains :)
ReplyDeleteAgree with you there! I'm terrible for buying plants in the reduced to clear section - all they need is a bit of TLC and they come back to their former glory. It can certainly save you a fortune buying this way! :)
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your blueberries - they don't really need much pruning, but they do like to be in nicely acid soil/compost, and be watered with rainwater rather than tapwater. My Aldi bargain fruit are all doing well too, all except one of the raspberries which seems to be dead. Just goes to show, sometimes cheap doesn't mean too good to be true!
ReplyDeleteI love reduced sections for plants - we call them the "rescue me" sections. You certainly got a bargain with the currant, I've never had a blueberry so can't offer any advice there.
ReplyDeleteDon't know if this helps but by coincidence my husband went to collect an ebay purchase last week and it happened to be at a blueberry farm in Shropshire, he was given a tour and told that blueberries like a lot of water and acid soil which is no problem for us but the one thing they can't stand is wind, which put paid to my plans to grow them. Apparently they don't get a lot of fruit at first, it takes a few years for them to really get mature and I didn't realise that they grow to 4 or 5ft.
ReplyDeleteI've got my two blueberry plants sat in large containers filled with ericaceous compost. This is their second year, last year I left them to it and let the birds have the few fruits that grew. This year they're a little bushier (still quite small tho) and have a load of flowers on so I'll be putting them under cover soon. Good to know they like a lot of water tho, I didn't give them special treatment last year so perhaps will give them some extra water this time :)
ReplyDeleteI've mulched the blueberries with coffee grounds the last two years, Sue. I'll give that a try again.
ReplyDeleteNice to hear from you, Caro. I've used coffee grounds as a mulch in previous years so I'll give that a try again. Hope your redcurrant does well for you.
Hope your blueberries recover, Mark. My plants are in containers filled with ericaceous compost, but I'm sure they could do with repotting so I'll get on with that at the end of the year.
Glad you grabbed some bargains too, Louisa. Hope they all do well for you.
It's a shame that plants get thrown out when they're past their best, Ruth. I'm glad they reduce them so that we can find some bargains and nurture them back to full health.
Everything I've read indicates that blueberries don't need much pruning, Janet. I'm pleased that you can back that up. Glad to hear that your Aldi bargains are doing well for you. I can't wait for fruit picking time.
I shall add to the blackcurrant now that I know it's growing well, Su. I'll be on the look out for similar bargains. 'Rescue Me' section is very apt for some of the plants you find there.
How interesting to be shown round the blueberry farm, Bluebell. I wasn't aware that blueberries don't like wind, I'll have to take more notice where it's positioned now, though it's by the side of the house so is very sheltered. I had quite a bit of fruit from them two years ago, but last year the flowers got frosted so they didn't produce very many berries at all.
Good luck with your blueberries, Paul. I had quite a lot of fruit off my two bushes two years ago. Mine are also in containers, it keeps them to a manageable size, and it helps to ensure that they've got the acidity they need as they can be filled with ericaceous compost.
Gosh, I have got to get to Lidl! I've just started on my gardining and blogging adventure, and I am loving the moneysaving tips. I'm actually heading to a bootsale at the weekend to search for containers and gardening bargains.
ReplyDeleteReally nice to meet you, look forward to following your blog.
Rachel
http://potplantpray.blogspot.com/
Thank you for visiting, Rachel. I shall pop over to your blog when I get chance. I hope you pick up lots of bargains at the weekend, boot sales can be great for picking up things you're after.
ReplyDeleteThis looks great Jo...I didn't pay much for my bushes either...I haven't had any fruit off them yet but that was due to them being burnt to the ground last year...this year however I can already see the currants forming and I'm VERY excited!!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to seeing how your bushes do for you this year, Tanya. It doesn't sound as though the fire did much lasting damage to them if you can already see currants forming. I'm not expecting much from mine this year with it being the first year.
ReplyDelete