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Blueberry Flower Drop

• Message 1. 

  Posted by BabyZoe (U14418581) on Friday, 14th May 2010

  I have two blueberry plants full of white flowers. Unfortunately, they have started to drop their flowers in abundance for about a week now - the flowers appear to be unpollinated. I have a third blueberry plant (different variety) that is not yet in blossom. Would appreciate any advice as to whether this is normal - i.e., do early flowering blueberries have lower rates of pollination success than later varieties, or even other soft fruit species? Many thanks in advance!

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by pottiepam (U11118368) on Friday, 14th May 2010

  The same happened to mine so I'll be interested in the replies.

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• Message 3

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  Posted by bookertoo (U3655866) on Saturday, 15th May 2010

  pinging to bring this to top of board, no answers myself I'm afraid. My blueberries are still in full flower, no drop yet but I too woud be interested to hear anyone who has an answer to this.

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• Message 4

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  Posted by AL PASSO (U14392681) on Saturday, 15th May 2010

  hi i have one blueberry in pot kept in conservatory over winter flowered about 3 weeks ago some dropped was a bit worried but now have fruit setting put plant outside today. lpasso

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• Message 5

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  Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Saturday, 15th May 2010

  I have one blueberry plant, full of white flowers, they aren't dropping though. It's a very snmall plant in a chimney stack and mostly has only had rain water with occassional tap water left out over night. I'm not expecting more than a bowl full of fruit if that but thought there were self polinating varieties.
  
  I know little about them, only planted it in February but am aware they prefer acid soil and rain water.
  
  Were are yours planted BabyZoe, in pots, in the ground, sunny position, sheltered!! There may lie your answer. Growing conditions will have some effect to a degree, regardless of the variety.

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• Message 6

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  Posted by BabyZoe (U14418581) on Tuesday, 18th May 2010

  Thanks for your message. The plants are in large pots planted in mixture of potting compost and alot of peat (for the acidity) - they are in a warm, sunny sheltered position and seem to have been thriving up until the flower drop situation. I thought they normally didn't need feed/fertiliser until the fruit starts to set? Any ideas?

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• Message 7

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  Posted by bookertoo (U3655866) on Tuesday, 18th May 2010

  They do need to be in ericaceous compost, and watered with a specific ericaceous feed plus sequestered iron now and again. Mine in the garden had a huge hole dug for them filled with the eriaceous stuff, since then they get dressed with it twice a year, and watered with the special feed. This week I shall dose them with iron as the flowers get pollinated. Maybe this is something to do with your flower drop? Don't really know though.

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Tuesday, 18th May 2010

  I agree they do need to be in ericaceous compost, plus specific feed.
  
  When I bought my blueberry plant because the compost bags seemed expensive I asked if I could do a mix of compost, the assist looked at me as if I'd slapped her in the face and then after looking round told me you can get a bag twice the size outside for the same cost.
  
  Your plants may not die in mixed compost but they won't produce fruit and may not flower next year, without a long explanation believe me. They should be ok to be repotted into ericaceous compost but may not recover until next year.

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• Message 9

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  Posted by BabyZoe (U14418581) on Thursday, 20th May 2010

  Perhaps I should have been clearer - the 'mix' is actually about 80% - 90% peat with potting soil (which is also peat based). You cannot get eraecious compost where I live, so the only option was to basically put the plants in peat - this should give the required acidity, and given this closely resembles their natural habitats in essentially bogland, I thought it would do the trick. I know planting in peat isn't PC these days, but when one has no other option, this would seem to be the only other way of incresing soil acidity and providing a growing medium.

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