Hi there, About 5 years ago I bought 5 organic bushes from Hazelmere Organic farms, but they no longer sell them, nor does the lady, Naty, know what they were or where to find them, as she doesn't remember anything anymore. I have also asked Susan and Patrick Harrison who own a local blueberry farm but they do not know. I have attached a picture. That plant is about 6-7 years old, maybe 8 years. I have not pruned it, it naturally has a long trunk. The berries are very large, some are almost 2cm in diameter. I am hoping to get 5 more (and organic ones) to add to my garden. I only have 2 now as the rabbits got the other 3 when they were planted originally. Does anyone there know where I can buy these, or even what kind they are so I can search better somewhere else for them? I have heard that planting a different variety will be beneficial for all, but I need ones that are about the size in my picture at 8 years old? I need that size because I have a small yard which cannot handle big 1-2 metre wide bushes. If anyone can help that would be great. Kind regards,
I don't know what variety you have, but you can keep any blueberry bush at a small size by pruning it appropriately. Just ask about less vigorous varieties at any garden centre that stocks them. Cedar Rim lists 16 varieties in its small fruits guide and has knowledgeable staff. You can also clone as many plants as you want from the pictured bush by starting cuttings, tip layers, or air layers. These will of course take longer to start producing fruit. You can usually find potted blueberry bushes for sale during autumn, but they will likely be root-bound plants left over from spring.
Both North Sky and Top Hat varieties are quite small plants -- meant for pots. I haven't seen Top Hat since the spring, but I bought North Sky at Gardenworks last weekend. Single bushes will do all right if there are other reasons for pollinators to be in the area when the bush is flowering. However, you might want a couple of varieties that fruit at different times, to extend your harvest season (one early, one mid and one late, for instance). keke
2 cm diameter blueberries may be Chandler variety or really large blue crop. Brazelberries also has dwarf varieties. http://www.brazelberries.com/
See, I don't like Brazelberries, because their tags say you should cut out the canes on which they bore every year -- they seem to bear on one-year-old wood, but not older. (Happy to be corrected, but that's what their tags say.) I'd prefer to have my blueberries somewhat self-tending. If I wanted the work of cutting canes out I'd have raspberries. keke