If the red shoots develop buds, and the buds turn into leaves, then you have a branch. Generally, branches this low are pruned off. Roots could be red, but they don't have smooth red bark.

Probably new shoots, sjones, but a photo speaks 1000 words. If you can post up some photos, that would help. Are you growing your blueberries directly in the ground?? That's not an easy thing to do here where we live. You're much better off in pots. But, it CAN be done. Yes, keeping the soil at the right pH is critical, and hard to do in the ground. Much, much easier in pots. And fertilizer isn't that critical, as blueberries don't need a lot of fertilization. There are some great resources on UC Davis' Extension web site on how to grow blueberries in California, and they're becoming a very interesting niche crop here in San Diego County, because we can get them to market at a different time than the rest of blueberries grown elsewhere, so commercial growers can do pretty well, economically, with their blueberries here:
http://sfp.ucdavis.edu/crops/blueberries/guide/

Ramiro Lobo, who is the SFP Advisor for UC Davis Extension, San Diego County has done some pretty extensive support for blueberry growers in our area, and has spoken to the SDMG and CFRG N. San Diego chapter. Lot's of great info.

Also, Dave Wilson Nursery has some great info on growing blueberries in California as well:

http://www.davewilson.com/homegrown/promotion/blueberries.html
http://www.davewilson.com/homegrown/promotion/bluecontainer.html

Patty S.

Thanks,they are in containers. I will try to get a photo up tonight or later this week.

The shoots are a fairly brilliant bright red color, smooth and slick to the touch (no bark), about 2mm thick, and sort of alien looking with soft knobbys growing off of them.

Also somewhat fragile. I broke one off this morning inspecting it with my fingers - lifted it up a little too much and it broke off.

It is not super thin and bark-like, like what I would expect with a new shoot.

Strong new shoots often arise from down low on the plant. I like that in a pot because I want low new growth. Pinch out the tip when it gets about 6-8 inches tall. That will make it branch out some. If it is a new shoot that's a good sign to my way of thinking.

Okay, good for you to grow in containers! Smartest way for us in California to do blueberries. I agree with fruitnut, does sound like new shoots to me, too. And yes, you want nice, busy plants like fruitnut has described. You should search this forum for fruitnut's photos of his lovely blueberries in pots. And fruitnut, I just ordered 2 Sweet Crisp blueberries and an Emerald as a cross pollinator. Going to put them down in the lower part of my yard next to my new little greenhouse. I'll then have 6 blueberries in pots, now. Yea for me!

Patty S.

I did not get a picture but this looks like new growth. When I got home last night, a few of these "shoots" were no longer running horizontal along the soil line and were now pointing upwards.

sjones:

That's good news. Again I'd recommend pinching out the tip down pretty low. This will cause 3-4 branches to form and keep the shoot stout enough to hold up a crop next year. The fruit next year will be near the tips of the ends of growth this summer. You don't want it all flimsy out on the ends or you will have to support the fruit next year.

My new plants have been pinched back twice already this spring. I'll have another round or two of pinching down the road. More if I keep fertilizing. I'll have a big crop the second year.

When the plant gets as big as you want this year, quit fertilizing. That will cause the shoots to quit growing and you will have the plant size that will be in place for fruiting next year.

Fruitnut - very helpful, thanks. Couple of questions:

- These are Sunshine Blue's and are supposed to fruit relatively early. The birds have gotten a lof of the early blooms and the blooms stopped coming up when I neglected the fertilizer. I had built some netting cages and was going to put them up this weekend. Would you recommend I forgo this years crop and let the birds have at them and focus on new growth? or do I still have an opportunity to get a semi OK crop this year?

- All 4 bushes have some dead wood on them. Should I prune this now or wait until the growing season is over.

- Also all 4 bushes have one main shoot that is pretty thick but all the leaves are on the top, with 3-4 lesser shoots, and then the new growth. Should I be considering pruning the main shoots to promote the other growth?

Your feedback on pinching the new growth at 12 inches or so sound great, I will do that. I would rather have these shorter and fatter vs. taller and skinnier.

sjones:

These plants sound like they are growing well enough to leave some crop this year. I'd probably keep some fruit but not too much. If you keep fruit, delay pruning until after harvest.

Prune out the dead wood and prune back the tall shoot if it is way too tall. You can use the new shoots to fill in down lower by pinching.

The key is getting growth when needed. Do that by fertilizing with a dilute dissolved fertilizer at frequent intervals. I use 1 tablespoon 21-0-0 in 2 gal water once a week unless pH is already low then a less acid fertilizer like urea 46-0-0 is better.

In pots, fertilize about once a month when you're not needing lots of new growth.

For the "1 tablespoon 21-0-0 in 2 gal once a week" - is that per bush?

I have been doing about 1 liter of water evrey other day on cool, cloud cover days, during heat spells or a lot of sun, I have been doing 1 liter per day. I was going with the thought of light waterings more frequently vs. heavier soakings at longer intervals.

The soild drains very well. I put that liter in and all pots are draining within 2 minutes.

So once per week, mix that solution and do the two gallons per bush? Otherwise, does my other watering schedule sound reasonable?

That's the mix I use on one watering per week. Put on enough that it drains out the bottom. The rest of the week put on enough plain water to drain out the bottom. Most of mine are watered daily or every other day in summer and less in cooler weather.

Blueberries are very sensitive to high doses of fertilizer or salt buildup. So it's important that the water drain out the bottom on a regular basis. My pots drain water out the bottom in ~10 seconds after pouring excess in the top. Two minutes drainage time is probably OK but it's longer than my experience.

My plants in 5 gal pots are getting about one liter every day for big tops and every other day for smaller plants. The big, really big, blueberry plants in 15 gal pots take about 5 liters per day.

Fruitnut - is the 21-0-0 fertilizer you use anything special, or will anything marked 21-0-0 suffice?

Also, I'm a novice, by "pinch off" do you mean cut with a pruner, or do you literally pinch the top of the new growth really hard with your fingers? Are you pinching it and leaving it all one (but now disfigured by pinching), or do you pinch a 1/4" inch or so from the top?

Sorry of these are lame questions. I don't want to ruin these!

sjones, pinch prune/pick prune is the same thing.
With very young, tender growth your just pinch & pull the tender new growth off. It is easier & quicker then using a pair of shear, even if you have them with you.
I pinched my new growth, on my blueberries last week & have new growth on the new growth. So instead of a switch, I have a branched limb. When the new growing buds get 6-8 inches long, I will pinch them again.
I get a lot of new growth between flowers & ripe berries, because I water a lot to make sure the berries all ripen.
As for the 21-0-0, any should do, but I do not fertilize my blueberry plants, just compost & mulch. So it is best if some one who does, answer that question.
No such thing as lame questions,this forum is here so everyone can be better at orchards.

21-0-0 is ammonium sulfate. It is 21 % nitrogen and is a very good acidifying agent for blueberries. But like many chemical fertilizers it has a high potential to burn blueberries. Hence the small doses at frequent intervals. Probably just repeating myself but have never harmed bb by applying 1 tablespoon dissolved in 2 gallons or more water.

When pinching I take out the small cluster of new leaves at the end of the shoot. This usually causes 2-3 new branches to sprout near the tip. And even if only one sprouts the branch ends up stiffer and better able to support fruit at a young age. I'm aiming for a pound or two of fruit the second year in a pot.

What fruitnut suggests has worked very well for me. I first acidified my potting soil (1/2 peat compost and 1/2 azaella, camellia mix) with about 1/2 cup of soil sulfer (large pots). I then planted, taking care to break up the root ball (apparently very important, as they can have root ball shock if you dont' do this). I watered in carefully, then set my drips. I checked the pH for the next couple of weeks every day. I had to adjust my pH down a wee bit, and I did this with a few tablespoons of ammonium sulfate diluted in a couple of gallons of water. I made sure the pH of the acidified water was about 4, since I needed to pull down the pH a bit. That did the trick and they have been doing extremely well ever since. I did check the pH about 3 or 4 weeks ago, and it was still around 4.5 to 5.0 per pot. So, they're happy campers and I'll even get some fruit this year. After the fruit is off, I'll pinch back like what fruitnut has done to keep the tallness down, and get them to bush out a bit, especially my more leggy blueberries.

Patty S.