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Fruit & Orchards

Sunshine Blue Blueberry Really a Dwarf?

BahamaDan Zone 12b Subtropics

8 years ago

Hullo, is my blueberry plant really a Dwarf? I got it in December, this variety is supposed to be smaller and compact but it seems to be putting out these long branches? I'm not sure if I should prune it as this is its first year and I don't want to reduce fruit potential for next year. Thanks.

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Comments (7)

BahamaDan Zone 12b Subtropics
Original Author
8 years ago
Here's the actual pictures, my mobile browser won't let me try to upload one without resetting the post so using the houzz app as a workaround. It's come back well as I nearly killed it from underwatering in January (third picture) but perked up growth wise with water and some ammonium sulphate (fourth photo)
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drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
8 years ago
Dwarf is relative. Most High Bush grow 6 feet tall, some 8 feet. If it grows to 4 feet, I would call it dwarf.
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You may want to check out the Containers forum. I've attached an appropriate link for your review :-) Container soils have rather exacting requirements because of the closed environment they present. Most container soils have no soils in them at all and limit organic matter to the bare minimum or to very slow to decompose components, as garden soils, compost, or uncomposted plant parts provide too small a particle size or decompose too rapidly to provide the aeration and good drainage container growing requires. The soil mix I'd recommend is 5 parts bark fines, 1 part peat moss and 1 part perlite, pumice, turface or other high fired clay product. Or a Gardner & Bloome or Master Nurseries soil mix for acid lovers - everything you need is already there and in correct proportions. Add a slow release fertilizer like Osmocote according to directions when planting. You do not need to adjust for soil pH nor do you need to water with a dilute vinegar solution - this mix should test out at around 6.0, which is perfectly acceptable for blueberries. And our water supply is on the acidic side anyway. For ongoing fertilization, I'd go with MiracleGro for Acid Lovers (formerly Miracid) or other similar water soluble acidic fertilizer or any granulated fert formulated for Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Camellias. Here is a link that might be useful: growing blueberries in containers
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years ago
Sunshine Blue is described as a semi-dwarf, reaching about 3-4' tall and wide in time. It is considered a good choice for containers or small spaces for this reason.

I would also avoid using ammonium sulfate as a fertilizer for blueberries, especially those grown in a container. That is an extremely high N source, which is no doubt pushing that excessive growth. You would be better served using complete fertilizer like Holly Tone or Miracid or other fert for acid lovers. Or GROW (7-9-5) by DynaGro, which contains a full range of trace elements as well.
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drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I use Ammonium Sulfate once a month and supplement with Hollytone. It has worked extremely well for me. I use 1 teaspoon per 2.5 gallons. That is a very light dose every first of the month from April to August. Blueberries are heavy feeders, and the acidifying effects of AS are fantastic. Fruit Nut uses AS and he is a retired agriculture professor. He knows his stuff, advice from a PHD trumps any given here. I saw a photo of one of his blueberries in a pot that yields near 20 pounds. I highly respect his advice. He uses AS weekly btw.

Also I would not use GROW as the main source of nitrogen is nitrates. use it if you wish to kill your plant.

Gardengal how many blueberry plants to you have? Have any photos?
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years ago
LOL!! drew51, I have no interest in entering another pointless discussion with you. I have significant educational credentials as well and I am a consulting horticulturist. Ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) is ALL nitrogen and doesn't supply other necessary nutrients for container grown plants. And high N concentrations encourage rapid shoot and leaf growth - which the OP describes - to the detriment of flowering and fruiting.

Feel free to use whatever fertilizer you like but don't make unfounded statements like using GROW will kill your plant. It doesn't. I happen to grow Sunshine Blue in a container myself (as well as several other cultivars) and use GROW routinely through the summer growing season as a supplement to a spring application of rhododendron and azalea fertilizer. My plants are very much alive, thriving and productive.
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garybeaumont_gw
8 years ago
I use Ammonium Sulfate because it is just Nitrogen. Nitrogen is water soluble and will quickly leach out of the soil of container plants. I am in a hot environment with temperatures around 100 degrees and have to water 3 or 4 times in my bigger pots, daily in the smaller ones. I use a balanced fertilizer such as Miracid once a month and Ammonium Sulfate 2 or 3 times a month. Since I water so often I have to make sure that water runs out the bottom of the pots to prevent salt buildup. The other soil nutrients do not leach out as fast. I am sure I also loss a certain amount of nitrogen through the air due to the soil being moist.

I planted ONeal blueberry and Sunshine Blue 3 or 4 years ago. The ONeal is a little over 6 foot tall and the Sunshine Blue is just over 3 foot. If the branches get too long you can always tip them back and make them fill out.
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drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
ROFLOL!! Gardengal, if you don't know why "Grow" can kill your plant, I give up on educating you.

Grow is fine for rhododentron, and azallea but can be deadly to blueberries. horticulture 101.

It might not kill them, but could if you mess up and give too much.

It's extremely ignorant to feed your plant with molecules that are toxic to it.

What is your PHD in? I would ask for a refund!

I guess you know more than Purdue University

https://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-65.pdf

Or the blueberry council of Missouri

http://agebb.missouri.edu/hort/blueberry/newsletter/archives/2009/jul.htm

Or Clemson

http://www.clemson.edu/agsrvlb/myweb10/new_page_88.htm

Glad your advice to break conventional methods works for you, but I could not give such bad advice to anybody myself.
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