High bush Blueberry Yamadori

mp29k

I found a beautiful specimin on my father's property in Maine that I plan to collect in the spring. It is a mature blueberry with a wonderful trunk that is growing up against a rock near the shoreline. My question is about a blueberries ability to backbud. I really like the trunk, and I don;t believe that will need any directional changes, but the foliage and apex need some work. (it is too large IMHO to match the trunk). Has anyone had any luck with blueberry? I was unable to find a lot of info on line about this species. Also does anyone know if I need 2 so that they cross polinate eachother? Please if anyone has had poor experiences with blueberry let me know, I want to do this collection right, and may delay it till the spring of 2008 instead so that I can properly prepare the roots and the tree for the stresses it will receive as a result of the collection. If this is a no go, I woud rather respect the tree and enjoy it in the ground where it sits now. I am extremely intrigued by the thought of having a blueberry though. The fruits are amazing, and the bark and trunk seems to lend itself perfectly to bonsai... lots of detail and "struggle" apparent in this little tree.

Thanks so much, Kevin

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zen

I'm watching this thread now too, if they work well, my dad may have some cuttings taken from his Blueberry bushes soon,....snicker!

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Forest Reef

See Nick Lenz' new book available thru Stone Lantern. There's an entire chapter on blueberries. They are 'do-able', but they have some quirks that make them somewhat problematic (a tendency to drop branches, especially if the branch blooms....). Anyway, see the book.

I've got a small blueberry in a pot just started last year's spring (experiment). Lovely fall foilage. I've already seen evidence of the branch-dropping habit (I think). Branches I wired last year (some of which did bloom) were very weak this year...but, in compensation several nice new (strong) branches budded out. (To answer one question - yes, they readily backbud AND sucker - make a point of controlling/eliminating suckers that are not part of your design.) I wired the new branches this year (they do want to be straight long sticks)....We'll see how it goes. I got Lenz' book after I had already started my small blueberry. It may never get a fat trunk, but I like it anyway. Knowing the branch 'habit' is helpful - I don't get too attached to any particular branch and make a point of looking for new buds in right places....

If you start with a trunk already great, and train it knowing the branches will be ever-evolving (more so than usual), you may be happy with the results. Good luck with yours!

P.S. Yes, most (maybe all) blueberries need two to tango if you want berries. Just remember you may lose the branch if it flowers & fruits heavily, tho.

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Anita

Nature, time, and patience are the three great physicians.

rockm

Blueberries are excellent bonsai material, but they are quirky. They require very acidic soil, sucker profusely from the lower trunk, drop branches constantly, etc. I gave up on them because I found them too frustrating.

The best source of blueberry bonsai info is, indeed, Nick Lenz's book.

In collecting one, you basically have to look for a substantial lower trunk to begin and use it as a "base" of sorts for an ever-changing cast of branches that come and go.

Dont' start with spindly cuttings. Substantial trunks with some character in the lower third, offer the best possibilities and capabilities. Older blueberry trunks are full of character. Young ones are pretty uninteresting and will test your patience since they have nothing really to keep you interested.

Oh, once a branch flowers and fruits--Forest it right--it usually dies...The autumn foliage is spectacular though.

tachigi

Forest I have two collected two years ago in the dead of winter. My experience with them is they back bud readily. RockM covered every thing else really well. I would specifically agree with not going with spindly cuttings both my trunks are 4 to 5 inches.

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Tom

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gregb

Blueberries are a fairly common nursery plant if you have a good look and are looking for blueberries specifically. Go ahead and get one in a nursery pot right away and get started with that--make your mistakes on that one. Then you'll have that much more experience under your belt before you go collecting one. If you don't have much experience collecting from the wild, your chances will be much improved because you've gained some confidence on your nursery tree beforehand. Getting a nursery-grown tree into a bonsai pot is a little like collecting in the root work that you have to do to get the tree into the pot. Practice on that too

MikeA

Yes they can be done well. The attached is a blueberry done by Nick Lenz which I was delighted he offered to me this year; and I glady acquired it!

Attached Images

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