pruning blueberry plant
By Readejahn
Derbyshire, United Kingdom
How should my friend prune the blueberry plant I gave her last year? It's planted in a pot of ericaceous compost (her soil is unsuitable) and been fed. It fruited quite well and has put on lots of leggy growth. How much can, or should, she take off? Sorry can't remember the variety
- 4 Oct, 2008
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blueberries
Answers
Thanks for this, Skippy!
4 Oct, 2008
Trim a third of the stems every year selecting the oldest, that way you will always have two year old stems for fruiting.
5 Oct, 2008
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I copied this response from the website gardenersnet.com:
Pruning Blueberry Bushes
Buds for next year's fruit forms in late summer through early fall. Blueberry buds for next year will form on second year wood. Keep this in mind when pruning. Pruning is recommended in the winter. As you prune the newest growth, you are reducing production for the following year. As you cut well down an established stalk, you are cutting reducing fruit production for the upcoming year.
So, what does a home gardener do? First and foremost, remove any dead or diseased branches and stems. Then, cut away a few stalks from bushy plants. And, trim back your bush to maintain an acceptable height. But, be careful not to cut away more than 1/2 of the newest growth.
Keep in mind pruning leads to healthier plants and fewer, but bigger berries
Hope this helps,
Skippy
4 Oct, 2008