Blueberries (forum)

mum3 starts with ...
when is it the best time to plant blue berries? how do we prepare the soil?

which variety would best suit our area?

we are near Port-Maquarie.

thank you

Time: 10th December 2012 1:04pm

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About the Author mum3
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GardeningAustraliaWannabee says...
You want Southern Highbush varieties as these are low chill

Time: 10th December 2012 2:50pm

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lenn says...
Southern Highbush are deciduous and that's a clue- they are actually moderate chill. Port Mac. with its mild winter would probably do better with the hybrid varieties that are grown in Coffs.

Time: 10th December 2012 4:14pm

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mum3 says...
Thank you both, i will search for these
then.

Time: 10th December 2012 7:02pm

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amanda says...
mum3 - you will likely need Southern Highbush and Rabbit eye types (avoid Northern Highbush as they are high chill eg: Denise and brigitta)

This link may help:

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/90356/Blueberry-production-in-northern-NSW.pdf

(ps: try and find out what folks are growing successfully in your area - as there are all sorts of crosses between the High bushes, nother, southern, low bushes and rabbit eyes...check out the Wiki entry here..)
Where I purchased my 'Denise" and "Brigitta" - there was absolutely NO hope of them ever fruiting at all (even the low chills would have struggled) so don;t be fooled by what is being sold in your local nursery...they are too expensive for that trap... :-(


Time: 10th December 2012 11:38pm

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Original Post was last edited: 11th December 2012 12:04am

About the Author amanda19
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scottsfarm says...
I have four types of blueberries; sharpe, gulf coast, brigitta and blue rose. I have one of each at this point.

At some point I would like to make cuttings and make more... if possible I would like to have four or five of each variety. The plants are still quite small, although I have had some some fruit (but only a few berries so far).

I would like to know if anyone knows of the best time to make cuttings. I tried with the sharpe when I first bought it, using a cutting powder, although I've been told honey can also be used. Cuttings didn't take and I was sad because I love to eat lots of bluberries.

Time: 18th December 2012 1:23pm

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mum3 says...
Hi scottsfarm,

i wish you good luck with your blueberries.

we are still in the planning stage, cant wait to purchase some bushes and plant them.

all the best

Time: 18th December 2012 1:31pm

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Julie says...
I thought I was getting a good crop of blueberries from the plants I bought last year - Denise and Brigitta. They all disappeared! The plants look really healthy, so what could have gone wrong?

Last time I grew blueberries they were Nelly Kelly, and fruited early when the plants were quite small. These plants are much larger.

Time: 18th December 2012 8:56pm

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About the Author Julie
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Edward says...
I bought 6 varieties of blueberry from Daleys to grow in Carlingford (see me on My Edibles for pictures and notes). They all produced fruit, and I found the sweetest were Backyard Blue, the largest were Gulfcoast. I have grown each of the six varieties from cuttings without too much trouble. What I do is to take a 15cm cutting, put it in potting mix in a small pot and cover it with a plastic softdrink bottle which fits exactly inside the rim of the pot after cutting off the base of the bottle. This way retains the moisture and I only have to water the cutting infrequently. Takes about 1-2 months to form roots. When I see a reasonable amount of new growth, I take away the bottle. Then more frequent watering is required as blueberry plants don't like to be water stressed.
Denise and Brigitta are supposed to require higher chill.
The other thing to remember when planting blueberries is that they require an acid soil. To get the right pH, I added powdered sulphur to the soil before planting.

Time: 18th December 2012 9:52pm

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mum3 says...
Julie, i am sorry to hear about your missing fruit. Have you got a bird problem, or Possums?

Netting the bushes may help for your next crop.
good luck

Time: 19th December 2012 3:00pm

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mum3 says...
Hi Edward,

thanks for your advice on how to strike cuttings and the Ph level.

How much Sulphur did you add to your soil?

thank you

Time: 19th December 2012 3:02pm

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Julie says...
Birds didn't take them before. They just seemed to shrivel up. They are watered every day.

Hopefully I will get more.

Time: 19th December 2012 9:02pm

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About the Author Julie
Roleystone WA
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amanda says...
Hey Julie...it took a cupla months b4 the birds found my blueberries, down here...I couldn't understand how mine "never seemed to ripen" so I could eat some...then I saw the tell-tale purple bird poo on the path...grrr!

I swear they are now experts at getting thru any small hole in the bird netting around the mulberry tree too..I hardly get to eat any of them either - even tho the tree has lots of red and green fruit...I caught one inside the other day....
Might be worth setting a mouse trap too....?
(I wonder if u get the native phascogales where u are...? and Chuditch?)

Time: 21st December 2012 10:15am

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About the Author amanda19
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Edward says...
Here is my calculation of how much sulphur I should use. Using a probe I bought from a produce store, I checked the soil acidity and found I had pH=6. I needed to change the pH from 6 to 4.5. Using tables from the internet, I worked out I should use 0.5 kg for my blueberry bed of 4 m2. So you could use these figures as a guide in proportion to your garden bed area and the change in pH you need.


Time: 26th December 2012 9:44pm

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amanda says...
Those pH probes are not accurate..?

Time: 27th December 2012 1:04am

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mum3 says...
Thanks guys,



Time: 3rd January 2013 2:31pm

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About the Author mum3
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