I know these are technically not "orchard fruit", but you all seem so experienced and I am a rookie in need of help.
My blueberries have never produced much yet, but they are only in their 3rd year I think. It seems that all of the leaves have turned red like they do in the fall, but it is hardly even spring. Could this be the recent cold snap we just had in which case I should do nothing or does it sound like I overfertilized them a few weeks back and should replace the soil?
I tried Arctic Beauty kiwi last year and they did not grow much and never leafed out this year so I think they did not make it. I just mail ordered some Hardy kiwi to try again. They come very small in 2" pots from Burgess. Would you guys recommend that I put them in larger pots and grow them in my little greenhouse for a while before putting them out this time?
Thanks,
John
Red leaves this time of year on blueberries are normal. They like a lot of water and they will typically produce more berries after a few years. They like a lot of composted wood products in the soil and typically live in acidic soil.
All fruit are fair game in the Home Orchard Society. Some people are really into canning, gooseberries, currants, whatever.
My arctic? kiwis got hit hard this spring. Maybe it is a disease. I think their typical Siberian Springs feature snow and not so much drizzle or variety of warmer weather diseases and bugs. Mine are getting ready to flower. The male looks ok, the female got hit hard. My hardy kiwis look normal this year.
Harsh weather is always harder on small plants than on large ones, but they are both very hardy plants.
My two cents,
John S
PDX OR
John,
Thanks for the response. If you were starting with 6" Hardy Kiwi in 2" pots would you put them right outside or put them in a larger pot and keep them in the greenhouse for a while? They take so long to produce that I do not what to have to start over again next year.
Other John
I would plant them out by now. Make SURE that you plant them exactly at the same depth that they are at now. Kiwis have a strange habit of taking it hard when they are deeper or more shallow than before. You don't want to forget to water them and have them burn up. When they do flower, I would hand pollinate them with an artist's paint brush. Their pollen is not very attractive to bees, which are dying off iin a mystery plague anyway.
John S
PDX OR
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