Blueberries not ripening

Hi!

I bought some blueberry bushes back in December (yep, summer here) - from memory, one of them is a rabbit eye, and the other name eludes me for the moment.

But either way, both came loaded with unripe berries and blossoms, and both have pretty much stayed that way (well, the blossoms have gone, but the unripe berries are exactly where they were 6 weeks ago). I would have expected *some* ripening, but I've never tried growing blueberries, so I don't really know what to expect.

A little googling has indicated that heat can be a problem with blueberries - and we have had a very warm, sunny and dry summer - but when I say very warm, I'm talking about 25 degC on a really hot day (more typically low 20s or high teens).

I'm growing them in pots with about a 50/50 mix of peat mulch and store compost, and they seem generally ok, except they're not really growing any more, and the fruit isn't ripening. I've been watering them probably every second day or so.

Advice? Please?!

When I planted my 10 blueberries last spring, I cut off all the berries that were on them at the time (they were loaded) so that the plants could put all their energy into putting down strong root systems rather than trying to support all those berries. I do this with any fruiting tree or shrub I plant. My blueberries are just putting on their new buds for this year and, if they produce berries, I will leave them on the plants as long as there aren't too many. Your plants need to set roots first and then they will put on new growth later. I'm sure you've heard the old saying pertaining to plants, "First they sleep, then they creep, then they leap."

Ah, ok .. I'm a bit new to the whole fruiting plant thing, so I'd not heard about trimming off the fruit for the first year or two. Thanks for that!

Three years ago we planted some dwarf fruit trees: peach, fig, cherry and apricot. The apricot, the only one in a large clay pot, is doing well. The other three are in smaller, deeper, ceramic pots that are glazed. They are not doing well. My boyfriend thinks the pots retain water and doesn't ever want to water them - to the point that last year the cherry wilted several times from lack of water. Perhaps the glazed pots are retaining some water - but the trees in these pots are NOT doing well. Hardly any blossoms this year and the peach looks like lots of the ends of the wood have turned black. Does anyone have a recommendation for these? Should we have these trees in unglazed pots? I've used organicide to control pests and fungus, hopefully, but am at a loss? I've attached a pic from last year. The trees don't look this good this year.

Putting them in clay pots wouldn't hurt. I think under-watering isn't the answer--they do need water and it sounds like your BF may be going too far on that issue. You can check by sticking your finger down into the soil or there are gadgets you can buy that will tell you when the plant needs a drink (I've never used any of them so can't say how well they work). Also, have you applied fertilizer of any sort? Another thing you might keep an eye on is how hot those glazed pots get in the heat of summer. I have friends who have put things out in the sun in pots that get so hot that it bakes the roots of the plant.