Below is from the University of North Carolina......you will see the experts recommend fertilizer the first year. You will find no university in this nation that recommends no fertilizer the first year. You have to amend the soil if you want quick growth. Fertilization a) Use Caution - Blueberries are easily damaged by excess fertilizer. Apply the recommended amount from a soil test report and allow 4 inches of rain or an equivalent amount of irrigation between applications. b) First Year - Do not fertilize immediately after planting. Wait until the first leaves have reached full size, then apply 1 Tbs of a special azalea fertilizer, 12-12-12 or 10-10-10 within a circle 1 foot from the plants. Repeat application of fertilizer at 6 week intervals depending upon rainfall or irrigation until mid-August in the Coastal Plain and mid-July in the Mountains. Use 1/2 Tbs of ammonium nitrate instead of the complete fertilizer for the second and subsequent applications if phosphorus was above 60 on the soil test. c) Second Year - Double the first year's rates, but increase the circle around plants to 1 1/2 ft . Apply the first application when new growth begins in spring. d) Bearing Plants - When growth begins in the spring, apply 1 cup of complete fertilizer such as 10-10-10 within a circle 3 ft from the plant. If more vigorous growth is desired, sidedress with 1/4 cup of ammonium nitrate at 6 week intervals. On mature bushes 6 to 12 inches of new growth is adequate for optimal balance of plant size and yield. Additional growth must be pruned away. This may result in a loss in production, but it is necessary to keep the plants from becoming excessively large. Determine sidedressing requirement based on the amount of shoot growth. e) Lowering pH - If the soil pH is slightly high in an established planting based on a soil test; then sidedress with ammonium sulfate rather than ammonium nitrate. If the pH is 0.5 units or more above the acceptable range, apply wettable sulfur in a narrow band under the drip line of the bush at the rate of 0.1 lb per bush to lower pH 1 unit. Here is a link that might be useful: University of North Carolina

Thanks for all the help: As I stated I have negligible growth. With the raspberries I have cut away all the dead wood in the Fall or Spring but have done little or no pruning to the Blueberries except for a little dead stuff. There is no competition from other plants except grass along my fence. The Blueberries, Raspberries and Rose bushes are along a fence at least 4 feet apart with sun all day. I water them pretty regularly at least 3 times a week. As for the soil, I think you guys may be on to something. I put a layer of Coast of Maine Compost on every spring but my house lot is a prefab community. I am not an expert on soil composition but the soil has probably seen very little organic matter over the years, especially where it located. It certainly feels like dirt and not the nice Organic soil or compost I buy or make. I guess the question is how do I fix this (if it is the problem). More frequent composting? Adding some garden soil to the mix? When and how often? Grow different blueberry and raspberry plants? Thanks again

Monsanto lies like a rug. Americans are so poorly educated and so incredibly stupid, they will believe anything. Package something deadly in bright colors with artwork of birds and ladybugs, and the dummies will buy it by the barrel. Ten years ago, sales of Roundup accounted for 70% of Monsanto's sales... do you think they have some incentive to lie? Monsanto has created genetically-modified seed of food plants that have been specifically designed to be resistant to far more dosings of Roundup than normal, which means we get more Roundup in our food. Aren't you glad? Monsanto also makes heavy donations to the agricultural colleges in the U.S. Then, if some student or professor comes up with some adverse research on Monsanto's herbicide or GM seeds, they threaten the school with withdrawal of their donations if the research is published. For those who have trouble with adding 2+2, that is called BLACKMAIL. Roundup Doesn't Poison Only Weeds: http://www.mindfully.org/GE/2005/Roundup-Poison12mar05.htm Monsanto's Toxic Bear: Roundup: http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Monsanto-Roundup-Bear.htm Differential Effects of Glyphosate and Roundup on Human Placental Cells and Aromatase: http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/2005/Glyphosate-Roundup-Placental24feb05.htm Monsanto's Roundup Herbicide Contaminates Danish Drinking Water; Poisonous Spray [Roundup] on a Course Towards Drinking Water: http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/2003/Roundup-Danish-Water10may03.htm (English translation on the left) Acrylamide In Cooked Foods; The Glyphosate Connection: http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/2002/Glyphosate-Acrylamide-Connection1aug02.htm Pesticide Roundup Provokes Cell Division Dysfunction at the Level of CDK1/Cyclin B Activation: http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/2002/Roundup-Cell-Division-DysfunctionMar02.htm Fraudulent Conclusion Facts Found by Inspection of the Safety Assessment of GM Roundup Tolerant Soybean: http://www.mindfully.org/GE/Monsanto-Fraudulent-Roundup1nov00.htm Roundup Inhibits Steroidogenesis by Disrupting Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory (StAR) Protein Expression: http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Roundup-Inhibits-Steroidogenesis.htm Monsanto's Dirty Tricks: Atrazine. . . Toxic Deception: How the Chemical Industry Manipulates Science, Bends the Law, and Endangers Your Health: http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Monsanto-Tricks-Atrazine.htm Monsanto Corporation Criminal Investigation Cover-up of Dioxin Contamination in Products Falsification of Dioxin Health Studies: http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Monsanto-Coverup-Dioxin-USEPA15nov90.htm A case-control study of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and exposure to pesticides: http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Non-Hodgkin-Lymphoma-Pesticides.htm

This happened to me too. I had a thick patch of red raspberries, and no blacks. Two years ago I transplanted a lot of them 5-10 feet away to spread them out. When the berries showed up, about half of the plants had black raspberries. This year they are all growing black raspberries, except one plant with reds. I don't buy any cross-pollination theories, for the reasons given above. Maybe the red plants were all displaced by incoming black plants - doesn't seem very likely. My Mom suggests this possibility, without any real justification: the red plants are actually black raspberry plants at the roots, which have had red branches grafted onto them for some botanical reason. If they die back too far, the red grafting is gone and when they grow up again they show their true biologic colors. If that's not it, then I have some good conspiracy theories which would make an excellent sci-fi movie.