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Fruit & Orchards

Blueberry bush not leafing out properly

BlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA

9 years ago

Hello,

I have a Top Hat dwarf blueberry bush in a pot, and it was looking great, but after I moved it back outside (it over wintered in the screen porch against the house so it's roots wouldn't freeze), it seems to have gone downhill. Its buds didn't leaf out like my other bushes (northern high bush varieties, in the ground), and the ends of some of its canes have gotten kind of brown.

Did I scorch it by putting it in the sun too quickly? More importantly, what can I do to help it?

Featured Answer

drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a

9 years ago

Make sure in the winter it does not dry out, and get it outside before it starts budding out. It should recover. If you put it out late and buds were breaking early this could happen. Sunburn too, i suppose.

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Comments (8)

queensinfo
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Sounds like what happened to one of my BB plants this year. One leafed out decently with the end 2-4 inches dead and the other has barely leafed out. I attribute mine to winter loss.
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BlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA
Original Author
9 years ago
We put snow in the pot to keep it from drying out while living in the porch. (We certainly had plenty to spare ...)

I'll keep in mind for next year to get it outside before it buds ... We kind-of skipped from three feet of snow on the ground to Summer this year. (Was so glad that I wrapped the bushes in the ground with burlap to protect them.)
queensinfo
9 years ago
Mine were actually out all winter. The one with less issues was closer to the house next to a south facing wall, which may be the difference.
BlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA
Original Author
9 years ago

This is what it currently looks like ... The others all have their leaves open, and two are getting ready to flower.
BlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA
Original Author
9 years ago
My big northern high bush varieties all live in the ground; I was worried about the pot letting the roots of Top Hat get too cold, so I put it next to the house to compensate. It seemed to have done well through the winter ... then it's buds just seem to have died when it went back to the garden.

It couldn't be a disease, could it?
BlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Should it have started trying to leaf out again by now? If anything I think it's looking worse. I'm worried it's not going to recover. Is there anything I can do to improve its odds?

I've moved it away from the rest of my blueberries in case it might be a disease. None of them are exhibiting this problem, but the rest are all in the ground.
drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
8 years ago
It looks like it is history. I'm in the same zone and mine have fruit now, well starting to develop.

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